Courses Taught At Queens
Music Technology Courses
MTE 1001 Fundamentals of Sound Synthesis
This module focuses on fundamental concepts that underpin core areas of Music Technology. This includes an introduction to the characteristics of digital signals, the generation and manipulation of sounds and the use of software synthesis programs. Specific techniques of sound synthesis that are fundamental to the field will be surveyed. Syllabus & more.
MTE 3007 Programming for Musical Applications III
Object-oriented programming, graphic-user-interface design, real-time interaction with audio signal processing and application development. Topics are taught through the SuperCollider programming language. Syllabus & more.
Classes Taught At Northwestern
Core Music Technology Courses
Computer Sound Synthesis 1
Fundamentals of digital signals, sound synthesis software, tone generation, timbre of musical instruments, modulation, sampling and granular synthesis. Lecture,readings and programming assignments. Taught in SuperCollider and previously taught in Max/Msp. Syllabus & more.
Computer Sound Synthesis 2
Fundamentals of digital filters, delay-line filters, effects processing, spatialization,reverberation, dynamic range processing and physical modeling synthesis. Lecture,readings and programming assignments. Taught in SuperCollider and previously taught in Max/Msp. Syllabus & more.
Advanced Audio Signal Processing
Techniques of digital audio processing with an emphasis on FFT-based techniques such as fast convolution, spectral filtering, pitch-shifting, perceptual coding,time-stretching and excitation/resonance modeling. Lecture, readings and programming assignments. Syllabus. Readings.
Programming
Object-oriented music programming. Topics include code development, music-specific classes, and GUI design. Lecture with assignments of programming projects leading to the final project of a simple music application. Taught in SuperCollider and previously taught in Java. Syllabus & more.
3-D Sound and Spatial Audio
Techniques and applications of 3-D sound and spatial audio. Topics included the physical acoustics and psychoacoustics of spatial hearing, simulating 3-D cues, stereo sound reproduction, multichannel reproduction including 5.1, environmental acoustics and simulation. Lecture, readings and projects. Syllabus & more.
History and Analysis of Electroacoustic Music
From the musique concrète and electronic music of the 1950’s through today’s acousmatic and computer music. Topics included the historical evolution of synthesis techniques, sound objects, spectral morphology, the acoustic soundscape, the representation of electroacoustic music, and perception-based analysis. Lecture, readings and essay assignments. Syllabus. Readings.
Composing with Computers
Workshop in the creation of sound compositions using a music/audio programming language. These compositions focus the student on techniques of algorithmic composition, real-time interaction, and sound synthesis. Students present their work and participate in critiques. Taught in SuperCollider and previously taught in Max/Msp.
Selected Topics in Music Technology
Topics I have taught include:
Sound Design for Installations. Workshop in the creation of sound compositions intended for presentation in dedicated spaces through which the listeners come and go. Assignments focus on techniques for transforming natural sound sources, non-linear temporal design , and the use of three-dimensional space using an eight-channel sound system.
Writing VST Plug-Ins. Survey of advanced audio signal-processing techniques through the process of writing audio plug-ins for professional audio software. Each student writes a series of plug-ins that implement standard audio algorithms.
Physics of Sound
Principles of physical acoustics. Acoustics of musical instruments, the human voice, and concert halls. Fundamentals of psychoacoustics. Lecture, readings and writing assignments.
Interdisciplinary Arts Courses – Team Taught
Projects in Art and Technology
Workshop for team-based production of art and technology projects. Guest artists present their own work and provide guidance to the student teams. Class critiques. Team taught with three faculty (Computer Science, RTVF and Music).
Topics in Art and Technology
Interdisciplinary exploration of topics central to arts and technology. Each topic is associated with exemplar works. Topics include authenticity, appropriation, technology and nature, AI, telepresence and VR. Lecture with reading assignments, class discussion and student essays. Team taught with two faculty members (RTVF and Music).
Animate Arts 2
Second basic course in the Animate Arts curriculum. Around the central theme of perception and time, the topics include: visual montage, timbre and pitch space, narrative sequence, space-as-time graphic narrative, imperative and object-oriented programming. Lecture with four student projects and class participation in critiques. Team taught with four faculty members (Computer Science, Art, RTVF and Music).
Music Theory Courses
Schenkerian Analysis
Survey and critical examination of Heinrich Schenker’s theories of musical structure and his analyses of musical works. Topics include the elements of the tonal system, Schenker’s theories of compositional practice and theories of form. Students also apply Schenkerian analysis techniques to short compositions. Lecture, readings and writing and analysis assignments.
Perception
Survey of the literature and methods of research in the perception of musical sound. Topics include timbre of musical instruments, the singing voice, the acoustic environment, auditory physiology, fundamentals of psychophysics, pitch and auditory streaming. Lecture, readings and writing assignments.
Information Technology Courses – Team Taught
Multimedia Technologies (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Fundamentals of multimedia signals (text, graphics, video, speech, music and audio) and overview of multimedia compression algorithms and standards. Emerging techniques and standards. MPEG-4 and MPEG-7. Team taught with two faculty members (ECE and Music).
General Music Courses
The Beatles: an Interdisciplinary Mystery Tour
Examination of The Beatles from multiple perspectives. Topics include Beatlemania and the women’s movement, the impact of technology on the recording studio, the summer of love, Beatles and the avant garde, The Beatles as pop icons, meanings of “love” in popular culture, John and Yoko, Apple Records, “hidden messages” and the supposed death of Paul McCartney. Lecture, readings and writing assignments. Beatles Class Web Page. The Beatles course is the most requested course in the history of Northwestern University.
Advanced Studies in the Beatles
Seminar in analysis of Beatles’ music.
Spiritual Sound
Exploration of making music in the context of spirituality. Class members expected to be able to perform instrumentally or vocally. Activities include meditative and intoning exercises drawn from different spiritual traditions. Students from all spiritual traditions welcomed.