Nathan Bowen's Blog

Hi class:

Go to http://songza.fm/nb23 to access my playlist.

Oh, and you can download the syllabus here.

This post is for students enrolled in MUSHL 101 at Hunter College.

• Fall 2008 syllabus – To download, click here for a pdf version.

• Performance Review Guidelines – To download, click here.

I first taught Computer Music at Hunter College in Spring, 2008.  It was a great class, and I’ve decided to post some of the content from the course online.  Here’s the syllabus.

The basic purpose of this class is to do two things: learn how to make music on computers, and learn the history of those who have made and continue to make computer music.  To learn how to make music, students become acquainted with and use digital audio workstations (DAWs), and also get exposure to object-oriented programming applications (we use Max/MSP/Jitter) with an eye toward real-time performance.  To explore important works of the past, we use an Ohm anthology of electronic music as a text book to spawn online discussions about aesthetic issues, stylistic decisions, and compositional problems brought about by evolving technologies.

This course assumes no prior experience with computer music or synthesis.  The student will develop a working knowledge of synthesis and digital signal processing through the composition of individual projects and through weekly exercises.

One of the classes I teach currently is MUSTH 101 at Hunter College.

Course Summary

The aim of the course is to teach the fundamentals of Western music and Western music notation from the ground up; that is:

• recognizing and notating pitches in treble and bass clefs;
• the basics of rhythmic notation, including durations, rests, and the distinction between simple and compound meters;
• accidentals;
• hearing and notating simple intervals, and identifying their quality (first without, and then with accidentals);
• major and minor scale construction;
• major and minor key signatures;
• standard articulation and dynamic markings;
• writing simple tertian triads (major, minor, diminished, and augmented) in root position on a single staff;
• introduction to the basic layout of the piano keyboard.

Fall 2008 syllabus

To download, click here for a pdf version.