Robert Scott Thompson
1114 Standard Building
Tel: 651-1731
E-Mail: rst@aucourantrecords.com
SPRING SEMESTER 2001
Office Hours: As posted or by appointment.
PLAGIARISM OR CHEATING: Plagiarism is the act of stealing and passing off as one's own the ideas or words of another. Cheating is violating rules dishonestly. A student who cheats or plagiarizes another's work, purchases papers, or presents dated work as the response to current assignments, will face disciplinary action. Plagiarism or cheating will result in a failing grade for this course, and upon further review by faculty may result in suspension from your degree program or from the university. Your responsibility is to acknowledge your sources when necessary and to communicate accurately material that is directly quoted, paraphrased, or your own.
Intermediate Applications of Microcomputers in Music
M A X
MUS 4980/6980
T,H 1-2:15, 1112 Standard - Studio M
TEXTS:
Opcode: M A X Manual: Xerox reprint
Two Max Examples: R.S.Thompson (provided online)
Composing Interactive Music – Winkler (optional text)
Computer Sound Synthesis – Miranda (used in MUS 4970/6970)
COURSE AIM:
The central aim of this course is to build upon what you have learned in the previous quarter; with a special emphasis on composition of electroacoustic music, and also MIDI software design using the object-oriented programming environment MAX. You will be required to complete two short electroacoustic music works in addition to creating your own MIDI software tools using MAX.
SEMINAR and SMALL GROUPS:
We will discuss software design, MAX tutorial patchers and software created by seminar members in our class meetings. In addition to these activities we may occasionally listen to and discuss recent computer music works.
It is highly recommended that you organize yourselves into small groups and work together occasionally in your exploration of MAX. This will speed your understanding of the concepts of object oriented programming and will allow you to get as far as possible with MAX during the quarter.
EXPERIENTIAL TASKS:
You will be required to complete each of the MAX tutorials and store the resulting patchers on your own diskette. At the midterm point and at the final these disks will be collected for evaluation. Additionally, there will be a small number of directed projects using MAX to solve specific musical problems. In each case you will provide patchers on diskette in addition to cassette recordings of your solutions to the musical problems posed.
TERM ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC PROJECT:
A folio of two electroacoustic music compositions is required for a passing grade in this course. These works may be of any length and will be graded according to technical as well as aesthetic criteria. It is recommended that you divide your studio time equally between composing electroacoustic music using the tools you are familiar with and exploring with MAX. MAX may be used in the creation of your folio of works, but this is not a requirement.
EXAMINATIONS:
There will be no examinations. However there will be a final playback/critique session of your folio of electroacoustic works. Additionally, you will from time to time over the quarter present your solutions to assignments in programming using MAX.
DETERMINATION OF COURSE GRADE:
Max Tutorials 25%
MAX Programs 25%
2 Compositions 35%
Attendance 15%
Academic Policies Relating to this Course:
This is a lecture and laboratory course and these policies apply to both the lecture and laboratory components.
1. Attendance Policies and Consequences of Non-Attendance and Tardiness:
Prompt, consistent attendance is required and will be considered in determination of grades. Record of attendance begins on the first day of class. Requests for excused absences should be submitted to the instructor in advance of the absence. Failure to attend class regularly may result in your withdrawal by the instructor and a grade of W or WF for the course. After four unexcused absences the instructor may withdraw the student.
Being late to class is disruptive to the instructor and the rest of the students attending. Please make every effort to be in class on time. A student will be considered tardy 10 minutes after the scheduled start time of class. Three tardies will equal one absence.
2. Excused Absences:
Excused absences for illness or other urgent reasons will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Except in cases of emergency, your absences should be cleared in advance of class time. If, in the judgment of the instructor, the number of excused absences compromises your ability to meet the objectives of the course, you will be advised to withdraw or take an Incomplete.
3. Incomplete (I) grades:
The grade of I will be given only to students who have completed the majority of the course work and for a non-academic reason beyond their control have been unable to complete the semester (e.g. take the final exam, submit final paper, perform jury, etc.).
4. Withdrawal (W/WF):
Prior to the mid-point of a grading period a student may withdraw (or be withdrawn by the instructor) and receive a grade of W. Withdrawal without penalty is not permitted following the midpoint of the grading period when the grade WF will be assigned.
5. Grading Determination:
In addition to numerical and letter grades for project, tests and the like, factors such as attitude, professionalism and consistency of quality in assignments will be considered in awarding the final grade. Students are invited to discuss these aspects of their grade with the professor at any time.
6. Late and Incomplete Work:
In general, late and incomplete work is not acceptable for a university level course. Assignments, tests, projects and the like will be discounted one grade point for each day they are late. After three days of lateness a grade of F will be assigned.
Please refer to the GSU General Catalog for college and university policies on grading, academic honesty and related issues.
Attendance, Laboratory Time
and Security Issues:
Attendance: After 4 unexcused absences the
professor reserves the right to drop a student from the course. Attendance and
class participation is highly encouraged.
Laboratory Time: Lab time will be available
to students in this course working independently and in pairs or small groups.
Some of the projects will be group projects and some will be pair projects. One
project is independent. Lab times will be assigned and scheduled throughout the
semester according to CARA policies of advance booking.
Laboratory
Assistants:
There are two Graduate laboratory assistants in the Center for Audio Recording
Arts - Esteban Anastasio, and John Peters. They are available to you during
assigned Lab hours to help with specific questions and facilitate your project
development. These are capable individuals and each possesses thorough
knowledge of CARA and the policies.
Security Issues: Only those individuals
enrolled for credit in a course taught in the Center for Audio Recording Arts
(CARA) will have access to the facility. Furthermore, depending on the course and
the level of the students technical skills, as designated by the various
courses, various aspects of the studio will be available for use. No keys
for the facility will ever be issued to students.
It is crucial
that no guests be invited into the CARA facility without prior clearance and
that you do not allow any persons without identification into the facility
under any circumstance. Failure to comply with this rule and other rules of the
Center will result in your being dropped from the course and the loss of studio
access.
Laboratory Fee: In keeping with policies in
place elsewhere in the School of Music and in other academic departments there
will be a Laboratory Fee in effect for each of the studio courses offered in
the Center for Audio Recording Arts. This fee is necessary for studio
maintenance costs and upgrades. The fee is $50.00. There is no lab fee
for Studio M usage.
To pay your fee go
to the University Bookstore and purchase 2 $25.00 Cash Cards. Bring
these cash cards to Ms. Judith Vaughn in the 5th Floor of the Hass Howell
Building for payment. She will give you a receipt for the transaction. Bring
this receipt to me for the issue of an official CARA ID Badge. Studio access
will be denied until you have been issued a CARA ID.
CARA ID BADGES: All persons working in
the studio complex must carry with them their Student ID card and also a valid
CARA ID BADGE. Please wear the CARA ID BADGE at all times while working in
the studios. This is extremely helpful to the administration as an aid to identifying
authorized persons quickly. Lost or destroyed badges will be replaced free of
charge, but replacement will take at least one day. Keep the receipt for your
fee payment.
Note: Studio
access will not be granted without a CARA ID BADGE. Please protect your badges
and do not forget them when coming to the studio. GUEST CARA ID BADGES are
available for loan from Dr. Thompson, if you want to bring a guest with you.
Please get these badges in advance and return them promptly.
Important Policies:
Session Booking:
Session
will be booked in advance up to 2 weeks. Session booking will be possible on
Monday and Wednesday only. See schedule for times.
Studio M booking is done by sign-up sheet only.
Key Checkout:
Keys will be checked
out from Ms. Powell in the School of Music office. In order to obtain a key for
a given session you will need to do the following things:
1. Book the session with Dr. Thompson (or assistant)
in the Master Session Log. This must be done in person.
2. Fill out the appropriate paperwork for the
session booked giving detailed information about the session.
3. Receive an authorized confirmation slip for the
session noting date and time in/out.
4. Take the confirmation slip to Ms. Powell for key
check out on the day/time of the session.
5. Present a valid CARA ID badge.
Key Return:
If
keys are not returned by the time stated on the confirmation slip the student
will loose the ability to check out keys in the future.
Studio Policy
Synopsis:
1. No food or drink in the studio complex.
2. Do not bring backpacks, coats, umbrellas or the
like to the studio - store these in a School of Music Locker. For locker
assignment see the School of Music office.
3. Do not make excessive noise or behave
disruptively in the studios. This is a professional working environment and
other people are working.
4. Do not use excessive
volume in any of the studios
5. Do not bring unauthorized guests into the studio
complex.
6. Report all breakages, damage malfunctions to the
instructor immediately.
7. Never leave unauthorized persons in the studios
without supervision.
8. Never share the keypad combination and/or keys
with anyone!
9. Never leave doors propped open or unlocked after
use.
10. Always leave the studios in a better condition
than you found them.
11. Always pull patch cords and normal the consoles
and other equipment.
12. Always coil cables and replaced mic stands to
standard storage positions.
Failure to follow the studio
guidelines and adhere to the policies will result in your loss of studio
access.
Usage of CARA is a privilege and
not a right.