Playing With My Computer: Interactive Multimedia in Live Performance

3.0 credits · Undergraduate

This course teaches students to create interactive multimedia performance systems using sensor data. With tools such as accelerometers, depth sensors, and microphones, students build responsive systems that translate gesture into real-time audiovisual output. Through weekly creative assignments, in-class listening sessions, and group critiques, students develop technical and conceptual skills through hands-on experimentation and reflection. A weekly journal analyzing interactive works discussed in class builds the critical vocabulary needed to visualize system designs, troubleshoot technical issues, and make informed creative decisions. The course culminates in an original interactive multimedia project on a topic of each student's choosing. No prior experience in music performance or creative programming is required.