Course Description
This year long course will cover the theory and operation of synthesizers, recording, mixing, and production equipment for making music using analog and digital/MIDI technology. The market-driven force of electronic musical instruments continues to progress at a rapid pace, challenging us as musicians to become technicians as well. However, it is difficult to keep pace with these advances without a fundamental understanding of the broader principals involved in creating electro-acoustic music. This course will cover those broader principals as well as the techniques and theory of both analog and digital electronic instruments. We will also explore the relationships between analog instruments and their digital offspring. Throughout the course we will emphasize that electronic instruments/computers are simply tools for realizing our sonic visions.

Students will start with proficiency in the small electronic music studios, learn operation of the tape recorders, analog and digital synthesizers, mixing and processing equipment and later the Mac based MIDI sequencer and associated modules.

The workshop will meet weekly for lectures on the theory of operation and demonstrations of the equipment in the small studio. Students will become proficient and be assigned up to two (2) four hour studio times (one independently and one in partners). This time will be used to complete design problems for class and for work on independent compositions. There will be two projects due by the end of the quarter and shorter weekly assignments. Students will keep a journal for lecture notes, studio and project documentation, and composition design.

The class will consist of the following five elements:
1) Weekly lab/practicum sessions will start at 6:00 Thursday evenings. We will go over general questions, problems, etc. I will lecture/demonstrate new information/operation of the studio resources. We will also explore the works of several electronic composers and discuss various compositional techniques. There will be hands-on time for reviewing the new information.

2) Playback sessions will start the second or third week. This time during the beginning of class will provide members with a chance to play exercises to the group for feedback and direction. Each class session you must bring whatever you have worked on in your studio blocks, either on cassette or sequencer file. This process will allow all members to hear how others 'solve musical design problems' with the soft and hardware.

3) Each member will schedule two 4 hour studio blocks as permanent times for the duration of the quarter (one block with a partner and one block solo). These times will allow you to become familiar with the operation of the hard/software in the context of creating music projects. There will be two projects due at the end of the sixth and tenth weeks. You will also be completing weekly design problems introduced in lab sessions to improve understanding of the system functions. These must be completed for the following playback session.

4) You must keep a journal. Journals will consist of wire bound or better 8.5 X 11 notebooks for keeping lab/lecture/studio session and reading notes/questions/ideas/etc. These must be available for the sponsor to review at the lecture sessions.

5) There will be optional individual and small group consulting times available to get more intensive consulting with the lab aides. These times, though optional, are strongly recommended to help you gain the level of comfort and familiarity required to become 'creative' with the studio tools. The consultation times are Friday, 9-1 PM. The first four components are required for full credit. Consulting time is optional, but you are strongly encouraged to use it to get as much information as you can.
Credit will be earned based on the completion of the preceding elements, and your participation in the general class discussions. This learning process requires you to be constantly converting technical information into tools for creative application and conversely, imagining sound possibilities and being able to choose appropriate tools for realization.

Division of credit is roughly:
1qtrhr Attendance, Participation/Critique
1qtrhr Studio Block use, Journal
2qtrhr Projects

You will need to purchase the following supplies:
Course text:
Introduction to the Creation of Electroacoustic Music - Samuel Pellman
1 90 minute TDK SA cassettes or equal
1 7" reels AMPEX 456 1/4" audio tape
1/2 reel 1/2"AMPEX 456 audio tape
1 90 minute DAT tape
Manuals will be distributed.