Julio’s Creative Music Technology Teaching

Fundamentals of eMusic Mod Guide

Module Title: Fundamentals of Electronic Music
Module Code: AF130002D
Location of Delivery: Cambridge
Pathway: Creative Music Technology

Workshop/Seminars: 3pm to 5pm, Mondays and Thursdays
Lecture:
Location: Hel 040

Module Leader: Julio d’Escriván

Tutors: Paul Rhys and Julio d’Escrivan,

Contact details for Julio: Cambridge / Helmore Building / Room 043; Extension: 2978 Email: julio.d’escrivan@anglia.ac.uk

Contact details for Paul: Cambridge / Helmore Building / Room 242; Extension: 2622 Email: paul.rhys@anglia.ac.uk

Module Description

Fundamentals of Electronic Music is designed as an introduction to the history, concepts, and practical methods that involve the use of technology in the composition of music. Using computer music software, students learn to create electronic music through understanding the principles of music composition, the application of acoustic principles and the relevant aesthetic. A historical context is always referred to, in order to nurture appropriate musical literacy. An overview of the various compositional trends of the twentieth and twenty-first century is gradually presented to the students, posing appropriate questions of form and musical intent. In this overview, movements as diverse as the Italian Futurists, the French musique concrète, and the German elektronische Musik school are examined. Appropriate reference to new musical instruments and musical inventions is also promoted through this approach. The major activity of this module is the preparation of a portfolio of brief original compositions designed to gradually introduce the students to relevant aesthetic, historical and technical issues. Students are taught through detailed step-by-step explanations, hands-on experience in class and critical listening sessions, during which they engage in various informal manners of self, peer and group evaluations, under the guidance of the module tutor. Through all this, students are continually encouraged to question and examine their traditional conceptions of sound and music. Students must also deliver an oral presentation, in groups, on a prescribed piece of electronic music with a view to identifying and discussing relevant compositional issues. This is accompanied by detailed graphic score items, devised by the students to illustrate their presentation. Students must also produce a short essay in order to show their ability to discuss and make references to the literature and use of appropriate terminology. In this way, students can begin to appreciate the complexity of issues relating to the theory and practice of electronic music as well as becoming acquainted with basic facts within this field.

This module includes content and assessment relating to the Transition to Higher Education component of Personal Development Planning.

Learning outcomes you should achieve:

On successful completion of this module the student will be expected to be able to:

1. demonstrate a basic theoretical and practical knowledge of music technology hardware and software and the principles underlying their operation;
2. demonstrate a knowledge of the historical development of electronic and electro-acoustic music practice through the twentieth-century;
3. apply their practical and academic knowledge towards the individual composition of work that involves both computer-generated material and live performance
4. gather and evaluate a wide variety of music exemplars from the repertoire and discuss, in an informed manner, the related issues arising from the influence of technology in musical composition;
5. Utilise skills in public presentation, including an awareness of audience characteristics and responses.

Outline Delivery

All details of the delivery detailed on the following lesson plans:

Semester 1

Weekly Lectures Lesson Plan (core lectures for CMT students)

Seminar/workshops Plan

Semester 2

Electroacoustic Music Weekly Concerts Plan

Seminar/workshops Plan

Attendance Requirements

Students are expected to attend all teaching sessions on the courses for which they have registered. Practical projects, rehearsals and ensemble performances are collaborative in their nature and require full attendance. Students taking practical and performance modules should be aware that at certain times a more intensive commitment is required which must be balanced against other life and work commitments. You will be notified of these extra rehearsals as far in advance as possible. If you need to be away from classes for an extended period, it is very important that you inform your Student Adviser, and that you complete a ‘mitigating circumstances’ form. Please see the notes on ‘Attendance’ in the Anglia Ruskin Undergraduate Student Handbook for full University regulations.

To be effectively prepared for a teaching session, you should:

• have completed all the set reading or other prescribed work as described in the course handbook or as set by your lecturer
• have your own copy of the required text or other material
• bring adequate writing materials for taking notes
• be wearing appropriate clothing, especially for rehearsals and performance workshops
• arrive mentally and physically prepared for the session

Attending all your classes is very important and one of the best ways to help you succeed in this module. In accordance with the Student Charter, you are expected to arrive on time and take an active part in all your timetabled classes. If you are unable to attend a class for a valid reason (e.g.: illness), please contact your Module Tutor.

Anglia Ruskin will closely monitor the attendance of all students and will contact you by e-mail if you have been absent without notice for two weeks. Continued absence can result in the termination of your registration, as you will be considered to have withdrawn from your studies.

International students who are non-EEA nationals and in possession of entry clearance/leave to remain as a student (student visa) are required to be in regular attendance at Anglia Ruskin. Failure to do so is considered to be a breach of the immigration regulations. Anglia Ruskin, like all British Universities, is statutorily obliged to inform the Border and Immigration Agency of the Home Office of significant unauthorised absences by any student visa holders.

Attendance for Group and Collaborative Work

(Please note that in this module, this applies to group work on presentations)

For modules that include collaborative practical work, especially those leading to live performance events, there is an especial necessity for full and punctual attendance. Poor attendance and/or engagement inevitably has a detrimental affect on the work of your fellow students and will hinder their achievement, as well as your own.

If you are unable to attend a particular rehearsal, class or workshop you should inform your Module Leader or the Department Administrator immediately, and in advance of the class wherever possible. All members of staff have voicemail and email. You will then be entered on the register as an ‘explained absence’. Failure to do this will mean that you will be marked ‘unexplained absent’.

Absence for reasons of external work commitments, timetable clashes or time mismanagement will not be accepted.

You should be aware that poor attendance and/or lack of commitment will inevitably affect your ability to meet the module learning outcomes to a satisfactory standard, and consequently your mark may be affected.

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Assessment

Your assessment consists of:

1. A Portfolio of 8 tasks to be completed throughout the year, these tasks must have briwf accompanying notes explicitly reflecting awareness of the Personal Development Plan, the Portfolio’s total contribution is 60% of your mark.
2. A Seminar Presentation (detailed below) which contributes 20% of your mark.
3. An Essay no longer than 1500 words on a given question detailed below.

Assessment Deadlines:

Portfolio Tasks 1 – 4:

Deadline: Tuesday December 15th 2009 by 5 p.m. latest

(on WebCT, see 5.2 below)

Essay:

Deadline: Tuesday, December 15 2009 by 5 p.m. latest

Location:         i-centre, MEL 002 (Cambridge Campus)

Seminar Presentation: As directed by tutor, Semester Two, weeks 7-9

Complete Portfolio, Tasks 1 – 8 and Commentary:

Deadline: Tuesday 11th May 2010 by 5 p.m. latest

Location:         i-centre, MEL 002 (Cambridge Campus)

Assessment Details

Portfolio Tasks

The Portfolio of creative work is a set of short tasks that allow the demonstration of a command of relevant technical and compositional issues. They are set as shown in the outline programme and they are spaced throughout the year to enable the student to receive and incorporate feedback from tutors.

Portfolio Format

The submission of portfolio tasks 1-4 via web CT should be done in the following format. Compress each of your audio files as described below, include other documentation as discussed in class, and put all files in a single folder named yourSID. Next, compress this folder as a zip file, and upload to WebCT.

The final portfolio submission should be in data CD-ROM format (no audio CDDA CDs or DVDs).  This disc should be protected by a paper enclosure only – no plastic jewel cases or A4 document folders.
The disc should contain a single folder named yourSID, e.g. 654321.
In this folder put your audio files and an electronic version of your documentation (no paper version required).  The audio files should be high quality AAC (.m4a) stereo files (at sample rate 44.1kHz and bit rate 160kbps or better). The audio files should be named yourSID_TaskX.fileType, e.g. 654321_T4.m4a, and written work should be saved in rich text format (rtf) named yourSID_report.fileType, e.g. 654321_commentary.rtf. Check WebCT for further submission format details.

Summary

Data CD_ROM  —> Folder (named yourSID)  —> .m4a audio files and rtf files for written work.

Task List:

Note: the tasks below are indicative, please check WebCT and consult your tutor for the definitive task brief before starting work on tasks. Duration for all Tasks is <= 60 seconds.

1. Musique-concrète.  Make a piece of musique-concrète using sounds that are not normally considered musical. You can record them yourself or you can download from http://freesound.org . Make sure you chose a good variety of sounds. Listen to pieces by Pierre Schaeffer such as Objets exposés, Objets étendus, Objets multipliés, Objets liés, Objets rassemblés, Etudes aux Chemins de Fer, Etude aux Tourniquets, Cinq Études De Bruits: Étude Violette (all of these are found in the library). This is a stylistic study, so try to imitate the gestures and the way sounds are placed alongside each other; the way they are layered. Make sure you have a good start to your piece, some powerful sound that calls to attention. Don’t be afraid of using silence dramatically. Make sure your piece develops some texture and has a clear ending. Make use of rhythmic loops (Sillon fermé). Don’t make rhythms by arbitrarily placing sounds to resemble a drum kit pattern. Rather try and find repetitive elements within the sounds themselves and use that as a loop. Take familiar sounds and edit them to become unfamiliar. match the beginning of someting to the end of something else. Use effects very sparingly. Beware of too much delay. Do not ‘gel’ your sounds together in a sort of sonic soup ! let each sound speak clearly. Reread Schaeffer’s words in Audio Culture, p. 76 on ‘acousmatics’. All this must fit in 60 secs ! Your development section will be more of a sketch but as this is an exercise, that doesn’t matter. The end product should be handed in as a LogicStudio file with all audio included in the project as well as a bouncedown of the final mix.
2. Elektronische-musik.  Make a piece of electronic music in the style of Stockhausen’s etudes from the early ’50s: Etude(1952), Etude no1(1953) and Etude no2(1954). Listen to them carefully. Try and restrict yourself only to the sound world of the early 50s. Simple waveform generators, noise generators, impulse and envelope generators. Use the serial techniques described in class to work out your pitches and them bounce them down to audio. Remember, there was no MIDI until 1981 !! Once it is all audio, apply electronic music editing techniques. You can reverse sounds, cut them into different lengths, regroup them, etc. Make sure you don’t use FM sounds, this will not be authentic at all as this technique was developed by John Chowning in 1967. To ‘pop’ ears, your piece should sound quite random and unpredictable. This is actually really hard to do as you will tend to look for patterns, harmonies and melodic line instinctively. You must consciously stay away from these. You should learn much from this exercise (more than you think you will). Always refer back to Stockhausen’s Etudes to see how yours stacks up. This should keep you on the straight and narrow. The end product should be handed in as a LogicStudio file with all audio included in the project as well as a bouncedown of the final mix.
3. Process Music. Make a piece in the style of Steve Reich’s ‘It’s gonna rain’, ‘Come Out’ or ‘Pendulum Music’. You can also choose to make something in the style of Alvin Lucier’s ‘Sitting in a room’, or Paul Lansky’s ‘Idle Chatter’. Your process in sound should be clear and easy to follow. Be stylistic. Observe how the sounds degenerate with rerecording and take that into account. The end product should be handed in as a LogicStudio file with all audio included in the project as well as a bouncedown of the final mix.
4. Electronica.  Make a piece that is inspired by IDM, specifically by a piece such as Bucefalus Bouncing Ball by Aphex Twin. Again, remember that this is a stylistic study and you should be trying to copy the artists mannerisms in your own way. Pay attention to the ping-pong ball solo in this piece as it is the most strinking element of it and in trying to imitate the rhythmic buildup from a well known sound you will learn a great deal. The end product should be handed in as a LogicStudio file with all audio included in the project as well as a bouncedown of the final mix.
5. Transformation-music. Make a piece in which sounds flow into each other in the style of Wishart’s music in Red Bird or Michael McNabb’s ‘DreamSong’. The success of this task depends on how believable you can make your transformations. A sound must gradually become the next sound. As an etude, this piece will be more of a sequence of transformations showing your skill at this.
6. Speech-music. Make a piece that is structured by / imitates the patterns of speech using your existing samples. If necessary record speech (or use found speech from an existing source), and “map” your samples to its rhythmic shape and frequency contour. You may create a new sampler instrument if necessary, but the overall emphasis should be on the pattern, rather than the sound of speech. You will get the best results if you use a larger number of samples and think of the task as a journey through your samples structured by speech rhythms. If you use a speech recording, it should seldom be audible in the mix
7. Music of The Environment. Make a soundscape piece inspired by the ideas of R. Murray Schafer  as described in ‘The Music of the Environment’, in p.29 of  Cox & Warner (2004). You will need to listen also to the sonic art of Barry Truax and Hildegard Westerkampf to give you some guidance. Also check out Katharine Norman (2004) – ‘The same trail twice: Talking Rain with Hildegard Westerkamp’, http://www.novamara.com/soundingart/online/chapter4.pdf
8. Algorithmic and Chance Music: Make a piece inspired by the ideas of John Cage as you encountered in the Lecture of week 12, semester 1. Look at Cage’s ‘Fontana Mix’ and ‘William’s Mix’. This piece, unlike the other tasks you have made, should consist also of a set of instructions for somebody to make the piece themselves. These instructions should be clear and easy to follow and you will accompany the instructions with your own audio realisation in rthe form of a bounced audio file. Remember you only have 60 seconds !

Seminar Presentation

The presentation allows you to engage in detailed listening and aural analysis of a piece of electronic or electroacoustic music and to present that analysis to the class. The preparation of the presentation is supported by two individual tutorials in the fortnight leading up to the presentation.

The following are guidelines for creating and preparing your presentation:

• Choose a piece of music from the listening list provided;
• Once approved, engage in concentrated and repeated listening and identify what you think is the most important or striking characteristic of the piece;
• Do some preliminary research about the composer and the piece, using the identified resources;
• Describe, categorise and analyse what you hear, drawing on appropriate terminology (avoid subjective descriptions, “journalese” or overly technical language);
• Develop a plan for your presentation, limiting yourself to two or three main points of observation;
• Simultaneously, construct a graphic score of the piece (or sections of the piece) that will provide a clear visual guide to the points you are making;
• Consider and prepare the technical aspects of your presentation;
• Ensure you provide references for your sources.
• Practice your presentation in front of an audience before presenting to the class

Points to remember:

• Consult the MPA Writing Guide for advice on essay planning and writing and appropriate academic writing conventions. This is available online under the ‘Student Resources’ section of the departmental web page.
• Make sure you read and understand the guidance on plagiarism in the guide and on the cover sheet
• Ensure you acknowledge all sources (books, journals, recordings and Internet sites) in your bibliography in the appropriate manner.
• Ensure you acknowledge all quotations properly. Remember the following tips:
• use audiovisual aids such as the overhead projector, digital projector, presentation software, etc., where appropriate;
• be prepared: make sure that all your examples and illustrations are ordered and work properly on the studio system;
• distribute handouts if you think they may be relevant;
• support your comments with examples; don’t talk for more than 3 minutes without illustrating your points;
• distribute your presentation equitably but sensibly between yourself and your partner.
• address your audience: make eye contact, speak clearly and remember to smile occasionally!

Essay

Answer ONE of the following questions. Your essay should be no longer than 1500 words, excluding footnotes and quotations. You should cite specific compositions to illustrate and support your answer. You may submit sound examples in support of your essay.

• Discuss the implications of the use of the ‘noise’ in electro-acoustic music composition.
• Discuss the implications of the use of natural sounds in electro-acoustic music composition.
• Discuss the use of transformation as a musical device in electronic and electro-acoustic music.
• What are the musical considerations of the use of sound spatialisation and gesture in electronic and electro-acoustic music?
• Consider the musical arguments for process-based musical composition in both pre-composed and live electronic music.

The criteria used for assessing your work will be those for artifact creation, written work and oral presentations.

The final portfolio of tasks must be submitted by 10th of May 2010, before 5pm at the i-Centre of the Cambridge Campus (on the ground floor of Rackham building, opposite the garden square between Helmore and the Library).

Feedback

You are entitled to written feedback on your performance for all your assessed work.  For all assessment tasks which are not examinations, this is provided by a member of academic staff completing the assignment coversheet on which your mark and feedback will relate to the achievement of the module’s intended learning outcomes and the assessment criteria you were given for the task when it was first issued.

Anglia Ruskin is committed to providing you with feedback on all assessed work within 20 working days of the submission deadline or the date of an examination.  This is extended to 30 days for feedback for a Major Project module (please note that working days excludes those days when Anglia Ruskin University is officially closed; e.g.: between Christmas and New Year).

At the main Anglia Ruskin University campuses, each Faculty will publish details of the arrangement for the return of your assessed work (e.g.: a marked essay or case study etc.). Any work which is not collected by you from the Faculty within this timeframe is returned to the iCentres from where you can subsequently collect it.  The iCentres retain student work for a specified period prior to its disposal.

For modules where elements of assessment are submitted via WebCT, your feedback for those elements will be provided electronically, via WebCT. Where portfolio submissions are also made via the iCentre, tutors will return your coversheet, indicating your mark for the work, together with all media, via the usual return procedures.

To assure ourselves that our marking processes are comparable with other universities in the UK, Anglia Ruskin provides samples of student assessed work to external examiners as a routine part of our marking processes.  External examiners are experienced academic staff from other universities who scrutinise your work and provide Anglia Ruskin academic staff with feedback and advice. Many of Anglia Ruskin’s staff act as external examiners at other universities.

On occasion, you will receive feedback and marks for pieces of work that you completed in the earlier stages of the module.  We provide you with this feedback as part of the learning experience and to help you prepare for other assessment tasks that you have still to complete.  It is important to note that, in these cases, the marks for these pieces of work are unconfirmed as the processes described above for the use of external examiners will not have been completed.  This means that, potentially, marks can change, in either direction! Marks for modules and individual pieces of work become confirmed on the Dates for the Official Publication of Results, which can be checked at www.anglia.ac.uk/results.

Assessment Offences

You are reminded that any work that you submit must be your own.  All suspected assessment offences will be investigated and can result in severe penalties.  Please note that it is your responsibility to consult the relevant sections of the Academic Regulations (section 10 – see www.anglia.ac.uk/academicregs) and the Student Handbook.

When you are preparing your work for submission, it is important that you understand the various academic conventions that you are expected to follow in order to make sure that you do not leave yourself open to accusations of plagiarism (eg: the correct use of referencing, citations, footnotes etc.) and that your work maintains its academic integrity.

Plagiarism is theft and constitutes the presentation of another’s work as your own in order to gain an unfair advantage.  You will receive advice and guidance on how to avoid plagiarism and other elements of poor academic practice during the early stages of your studies at Anglia Ruskin.

A Guide to Academic Integrity and Good Academic Practice

A primary purpose of a University education is to instil in each student an understanding of, and a capacity for scholarship, independent judgment, academic rigour, and intellectual honesty.

It is the joint responsibility of university teachers, support staff  and students to work together to foster these ends through relationships which encourage freedom of inquiry, demonstrate personal and professional integrity, and foster mutual respect.

Good academic practice refers to the process of completing your academic work independently, honestly and in an appropriate academic style, using good referencing and acknowledging all of your sources.

To demonstrate good academic practice you must:

• develop your own independent evaluation of academic issues;
• draw upon research from academics in your field of study;
• discuss and evaluate existing concepts and theories;
• demonstrate your understanding of the key literature;
• develop your own arguments.

To support your own good academic practice you will need to develop:

• study and information skills (eg. reading, note-taking, research etc);
• skills of critical enquiry and evaluation (eg. taking a balanced opinion, using reasoning and argument);
• appropriate academic writing skills (eg. for essays, reports, dissertations etc);
• referencing skills;
• examination techniques (eg. preparation and timing etc).

Achieving good academic practice is not as complicated as it may appear. In a nutshell, you need to:

• know the rules;
• make sure you reference all sources.

Poor academic practice or academic dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating, fraud etc.) is sometimes caused by insecurity as to what is expected and what is allowed.  If you are in any doubt you should talk to a librarian and/or your module or personal tutor.

Our Expectations of Students

The Student Charter (available at: http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/students/pdfs/ 11473_Charter_16ppA5.pdf) requires you to ‘be aware of the academic rules relating to your studies’, p9). We expect you to agree that you will:

i)           ensure that you are familiar with the academic conventions regarding the citing (acknowledgement, referencing) of the work of others (see http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/referencing/referencing.htm for assistance);

ii)          only hand in your own original work for assessment;

iii)         correctly reference all the sources for the information you have included in your work;

iv)        identify information you have downloaded from the internet;

v)         never use another student’s work as if it were your own work;

vi)        never use someone else’s artwork, pictures or graphics (including graphs, spreadsheets etc. and information from the internet) as if they were made by you;

vii)       never let other students use or copy from your work;

viii)      work through ‘PILOT’, the online tutorial available on the University library website (http://libweb.anglia.ac.uk/pilot/).  PILOT addresses a number of study skills which will help you develop good academic practice.

Assessment Criteria and Marking Standards

Anglia Ruskin University Generic Assessment Criteria

Please consult your student pathway handbook for details about Anglia Ruskin’s generic assessment criteria and policy. This information can also be found under the Student section of ANET.

Module Specific Assessment Criteria

In addition to Anglia Ruskin’s generic assessment criteria, your work will also be marked against module-specific assessment criteria. Assessment tasks for this module will be marked against the marking criteria for Artefact Creation, Written Work and Oral Presentation, which are available under the Student Resources section of the departmental web site at: www.anglia.ac.uk/mpa.

Assessment Offences:
You are reminded that any work that you submit must be your own. All suspected assessment offences will be investigated and can result in severe penalties. Please note that it is your responsibility to consult the relevant sections of the Academic Regulations (section 10) and the
Student Handbook.

Module Definition Form

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The Module Definition Form for AF130002D – Fundamentals of Electronic Music can be found by clicking here.

Learning Resources

All details of the learning resources for this module are given in the Resources section of this web site.

Report of Last Delivery of Module

The report of the last delivery of AF115021S – Laptop Musicianship can be found by clicking here