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Week 1 – Intro / Long I
2/22/12
We’ll meet each other, and we’ll consider what a score is when a piece may have no beginning or end.
Lecture slides: long sounds (pdf)
In C Compressed (mp3)
Assignment (due 2/28 via email):
- Create three short, draft proposals for possible sound installations for this class. Answer the questions: What is your instrument? What is your score? Where is the work installed (for now, that could be anywhere in the world). Email me the responses by the evening of 2/28 and come prepared to discuss your ideas in class.
- If you are critiquing a piece for the next class, email me your choice of piece and prepare your presentation.
- Music as a Gradual Process, Steve Reich
Media from class:
John Cage Project / As Slow As Possible
Some things that came up in class were: Stockhausen’s helicopters, other works by Tim Hawkinson (including the monkeys, “Pentecost“), plant EKGs, power starvers, John Cage’s whale song, George Crumb’s whale song, the Zadar Sea Organs.
Also – Tristan Perich’s 1-bit Symphony, and other work.
From the discussion about performers in what may or may not be sound installations: how about this recent piece at the MOMA?
Aside: The lively discussion about the pleasures of a 20-minute transcribed whale song duet reminded me of an electroacoustic performance I once dragged my dad to. The piece was performed in a small, brightly lighted, windowless classroom at the U of M. About 15 or 20 people attended, sitting at student desks. I don’t remember much about the piece except that it was extremely long, involved an organ, a person’s diary, and may have involved long stretches of the performer writing in the diary, with his back to the audience, one or two keys of the organ held down. It was a tough listen, and about as far away from my dad’s tastes as I can imagine. After several minutes of near-endings the piece seemed to come to its actual conclusion. My dad leaned over and in a whispered stadium-concert-yell said “One more time!”
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Week 2 – Big (or small)
2/29/12
We’ll look at large (and small) pieces, and consider strategies for moving sound around space.
In class crits from Riley, John, Forest, and Naneh.
Reading:
- Waits, “Sound Hound”. Foreword by Tom Waits to Bart Hopkin’s book/ CD: “Gravikords Whirlies & Pyrophones – Experimental Musical Instruments.”
Assignment (due 3/7 in class and 3/6 emailed or online):
- Create a proposal for your sound installation, for presentation to the class next week. Describe your instrument, score, and location. Provide at least one visual indication (sketch, schematic, montage etc) of what your piece will be or how it will be installed.
- If you are critiquing a piece for the next class, email me your choice of piece and prepare your presentation.
Media from class:
Plus lots more here.
Plus more here.
Plus lots more here. Zimoun on display in NYC’s Bitforms Gallery through March 10th.
Plus lots more here.
More here.
More here.
Bill Fontana’s Harmonic Bridge video and installation notes. More Fontana sound sculpture. This video has some explanation.
Inexpensive, efficient amplifiers mean sound can go anywhere.
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Week 3 – Interactive
3/07/12
Location: Jennings 130 (Nick Brooke’s office)
We’ll see how installations can see us – sensors, computational media – and examine pieces that do so. Final project proposals are due this week.
In class crits from Bobby, Jeremy, Greg, and Gabe. Postponed till next week.
Assignment (due by 3/14):
- Begin creating your installation. Try to think of the fastest way you can demonstrate to yourself that your idea is interesting (to you) and can work. Can you mock up an aspect of your installation with materials at hand? If your piece involves field recordings, begin making them; if composed content, begin composing. Try to approximate the way that material will be experienced – for example, if specific to a space, put sounds on your mp3 player and listen to them in that space. Start the process of getting the necessary materials, parts, equipment, permissions for space, etc.
- Be prepared to make a brief progress report at the top of class next week (3/14).
- If you are critiquing a piece for the next class, email me your choice of piece and prepare your presentation.
Media from class:
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Week 4 – Special topics / Group meetings
3/14/12
Based on the Week 3 proposals, I’ll select some topics that will be useful to sub-groups of students and arrange workshops around those topics.
We’ll meet in Jennings 130. We’ll break out into groups and re-convene in VAPA. I’m tentatively planning to meet with sculpture oriented projects, digital/programming/pcomp projects, and those projects that need/want feedback about recorded or composed material. Open to suggestions. No new slides or lecture, but time to catch up on material covered (too quickly) so far.
In class crits from Bobby, Jeremy, Greg, and Gabe.
Assignment:
- Fill out the land-use form and submit it to me before the end of class, if needed for your project.
- Post progress notes to the class wiki. Include at least one photograph of the work in progress and a short description of where you’re at. Identify any outstanding issues, problems, or roadblocks. Prepare to briefly cover these points in class next week.
Week 5 – Special topics / Group meetings
3/21/12
In-class progress reports will be due at the beginning of this class, and we’ll continue the group meetings.
Week 6 – Individual meetings / Workshop
3/28/12
This week is open for individual meetings and otherwise problem solving the final installations.
Week 7 – Final presentations
4/4/12
What have we done? Documentations and installed projects due today.