Electronic Music Composition I
Students develop basic skills in composition through weekly assignments focusing on contemporary computer music composition practices. Topics may include: audio sampling, digital signal processing, algorithmic and generative processes, virtual instruments, electronic music history, and emerging practices. Assignments utilize tools such as digital audio workstations, analog synthesizers, music programming environments, MIDI programming, mixing, and recording studio techniques. Students critique each other's work and respond to recordings drawn from sound art, experimental electronica, conventional and non-conventional classical electronic works, and popular music. Students taking graduate version complete different assignments. Limited to 15 per section; preference to Music Technology graduate students, Music majors, minors, and concentrators.
Spring 2008 · Composing with Computers I (Electronic Music Composition)
This class explores sound and what can be done with it. Sources are recorded from students' surroundings - sampled and electronically generated (both analog and digital). Assignments include composing with the sampled sounds, feedback, and noise, using digital signal processing (DSP), convolution, algorithms, and simple mixing. The class focuses on sonic and compositional aspects rather than technology, math, or acoustics, though these are examined in varying detail. Students complete weekly composition and listening assignments; material for the latter is drawn from sound art, experimental electronica, conventional and non-conventional classical electronic works, popular music, and previous students' compositions.
Prerequisites & course information
Subject meets with 21M.561 Prereq: None U (Fall, Spring) 2-1-9 units. HASS-A
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2008
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.