Sound Practices: Composing with Sound

Undergraduate / Graduate

In this introductory course, students will expand their understanding of music composition by delving into experimental and creative practices in sound. During this course, students will create sound compositions and electroacoustic pieces. The topics will include physics of sound, soundscape composition, binaural sound recording, introduction to modular synthesis, electromagnetic field listening, and multichannel sound. There will be an emphasis on production and experiential learning through exercises and workshops. Along with readings and discussions, we will examine numerous examples from sound art and experimental music by various composers, including, but not limited to, Pauline Oliveros, Alvin Lucier, Daphne Oram, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Christine Sun Kim, and Yvette Janine Jackson. This course is introductory; however, it is open to students who want to incorporate sound-based works in their interdisciplinary projects at any level.