MP 3750 - Computer Music Systems

Credits: 3

In this junior-level music technology course, students learn to use music programming environments to create audio software systems that synthesize and control sound. Through demonstrations, technical exercises, creative experimentation, secondary research, and composition projects, students learn to apply their existing knowledge of music and digital audio toward the development of custom software instruments, sequencers, audio effects, analysis tools, and interactive performance environments. The course focuses on the acquisition of visual programming skills, understanding of foundational computer science concepts, and creative application of computer programming to realize music beyond the scope of what’s possible using conventional DAWs.

Prerequisites: MP 2230 - Music Composition II

Course Learning Outcomes:

Create stable software instruments, audio effects, and interactive performance tools.
Demonstrate understanding of abstraction, iteration, control messaging, and signal flow.
Formulate programmatic structures to represent relevant musical concepts, including tuning and pitch relationships, rhythm, and dynamics.
Apply music programming concepts and techniques toward the creation of novels sounds, musical patterns, or performance interactions.
Utilize technical documentation and computer programming resources to debug code and solve implementation problems.