16 COMP 6071 — Introduction to Electronic Music

Tuesday & Thursday, 11:00 am – 12:20 pm

Memorial Hall Room 389

Instructors
Paul Poston: postonpw@mail.uc.edu
Turkar Gasimzada: turkerqasim@gmail.com

Office Hours by Appointment

Educational Goals
Students will...
• Examine the history, technology, aesthetics, and significant composers in the field of
electronic music
• Listen to and analyze major works in the repertoire
• Learn the concepts and techniques of acoustics, analog synthesis, and digital audio
• Practice setting up, operating, and maintaining audio equipment
• Create two fixed format works using the techniques discussed in the course.

Course Materials
• Readings
-Thom Holmes, Electronic and Experimental Music
-Joel Chadabe, Electric Sound (selected readings)
-Selected Readings provided on blackboard
Listening
• available on computer desktop in Memorial 389, NAXOS, youtube (bad quality versions – don’t
do it), and spotify.

Software
• Audacity, audacity.sourceforge.net
• SPEAR, klingbeil.com/spear
• Logic (optional) 

Classroom Policy
• Attendance is an essential component of the course, and is therefore mandatory. Students are
permitted 3 absences during the semester; each additional absence will automatically reduce a
student's grade by 5% at the end of the semester. For example, if you miss 4 times your grade
begin at a 95% when calculating final averages. Absences are excused only with a valid doctor's
note or a properly completed professional leave request. Frequent or extreme tardiness will be
penalized.
• Food is not allowed in the classroom. Drinks must be in closed containers and should not be
placed on or near studio equipment. Empty bottles and trash must be disposed of upon exiting the
room.
• Students are encouraged to bring their laptop computers and/or e-readers to class. The urge to
browse the web, check Facebook, play Angry Birds, etc., can be hard to resist. Tough luck.
Engaging in extracurricular activities during class is expressly forbidden, and may result in a
reduced grade or ejection from the classroom.
• All assignments must be submitted by the due date and time for full credit. Late assignments
are penalized on a sliding scale, ranging from 90% for less than 24 hours late to 0% if not posted
by the end of the week in which assignment is due.
• Tests and quizzes are completed in class. Quizzes may be made up if arrangements are made in
advance. ATTENDANCE AT THE FINAL EXAM TIME IS ABSOLUTELY
MANDATORY.

Grading Rubric

• Final Compositions 30%

• Assignments 20%
• Quizzes 20%
• Concert Attendance 10%
• Journal 10%
• Class Participation 10%

Concert Attendance 

All students must attend at least one concert which prominently features electronic music. The
instructors will provide a list of eligible concerts. To receive credit, every student must submit a
signed concert program and a short review of the concert. Any concert at CCM with electronic
music is automatically valid; concerts held elsewhere must be approved in advance by the
instructors. 

Criteria for Grading of Creative Work 

A significant portion of your grade involves the creation of original compositions. This poses a
challenge to the grading process. The instructors will not penalize anyone for personal aesthetic
or creative choices. Instead, we will base our grade on how closely the work conforms to the
requirements of the assignment, how well the work applies the specific techniques taught in class,
and the absense of obvious flaws in editing and manipulating audio, including clipping, unwanted
clicks and pops, and incorrect file formats. 

Academic Standards and Integrity 

All submitted work must be original and conform to high academic standards of style, ownership,
and citation. Plagiarism is subject to severe consequences, up to and including possible expulsion
from the university. Creative works that incorporate portions of another artist's work are not
necessarily off-limits; however, you must consult with your instructors first and make an diligent
effort to publicly credit the work's original creator. If you are ever in doubt about the acceptability
of your work, talk to your instructors in advance of the assignment's due date. For more
information, visit the UC website regarding academic
integrity: http://www.uc.edu/conduct/Academic_Integrity.html 

Disability Services

If you have a physical, emotional, or learning disability that requires academic accomodations,
the instructors will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your educational needs, but you
must first visit the Disability Services Office, University Pavilion Suite 210, telephone 556-6823
to complete for the necessary paperwork. This must be completed as early as possible in the
semester. More information is available at http://www.uc.edu/sas/disability.
  
COURSE SCHEDULE

August 27 Introductions, syllabus, administrata, acoustic theory 1

August 29 Acoustic theory 2, Futurism

Reading: Hosken 7-24,
Listening: Giacinto Scelsi: “Okanagon” (1968)
John Cage: “Imaginary Landscape No. 1” (1939)

September 3 Early days: Telharmonium, Theremin, Ondes Martinot

Reading: Holmes 3-40
Listening: Bohuslav Martinů: “Fantaisie pour Theremin, H. 301” (1944)Olivier
Messiaen: “Chant d'amour” from Turangalîla Symphony (1948)

September 5 Musique concrete, introduction to recording

Reading: Holmes 41-56
Listening: Pierre Schaeffer: “Etude aux chemins de fer” (1948)
Hugh Le Caine: “Dripsody” (1955)
Pierre Henry: “Variations for a Door and a Sigh” (1963)

September 10 Stockhausen, Boulez, WDR, GRM, Integralserialism Assignment 1 Due

Reading: Holmes 56-78
Listening: Karlhein Stockhausen: “Studie I” (1953)
Karlhein Stockhausen: “Gesang der Jünglinge” (1956)

September 12 Analysis techniques, Audicity Assignment 2 Due

Reading: Smalley, Roy
Listening: Francis Dhomont: “Points de fuite” (1982)

September 17 Early electronic Music in the USA Quiz 1

Reading: Holmes 79-115
Listening: Otto Luenning: “Low Speed” (1952)
 Halim El-Dabh: “Leiyla and the Poet” (1959)
Louis & Bebe Barron: Main Title from The Forbidden Planet (1956)
Gordon Mumma: “Hornpipe” (1967)

September 19 RCA, Music Synthesizer, early electronic, Music in Japan

Reading: Holmes 141-157
Listening: Milton Babbitt: “Philomel” (1964)
Tod Dockstader: “Tango” from Quatermass (1964)
 Wendy Carlos: Prelude in C minor from Switched On Bach (1968)
September 24 Synthesis techniques Assignment 3 Due

Reading: Holmes 119-140, 194-201

 Listening: Joji Yuasa: “Projection Esemplastic for White Noise” (1964)

John Cage: “Williams Mix” (1952)

 Iannis Xenakis: “Orient-Occident” (1960)

September 26 Foundations of computer music

Reading: Holmes 251-260, 263-270
Listening: John Chowning: “Stria” (1977)
Iannis Xenakis: “Metastasis” (1954)

October 1 Audio equipment: mixers, mics, cables QUIZ 2

Reading: Hosken 51-71
Listening: Steve Reich: “Come Out” (1966)
Alvin Lucier: “I Am Sitting in a Room” (1969)

October 3 Signal path, stereo recording, best practices

Listening: William Basinski: excerpt from The Disintegration Loops (2002)
Tim Perkis: “Waxlips I” (1992)

October 9 Present Project 1

October 11 Sonic art, acoustic ecology

Reading: TBD
Listening: Iannis Xenakis: “Concret PH” (1958)
Hildegard Westerkamp: “Kits Beach Soundwalk” (1989)
Chris Watson: “Ol-lool-o” (2003)

October 16 Digital audio theory

Reading: Selected reading from Curtis Rhodes
Listening: Charles Dodge: excerpt from Speech Songs (1972)
Laurie Spiegel: “The Expanding Universe” (1980)

October 18 Studio Practicum

Reading: Holmes 333-336
Listening: Edgar Varèse: “Poème électronique” (1958)

October 22 Audacity - Simple editing

 Listening: Paul Lansky: “notjustmoreidlechatter” (1988)
Paul Lansky: “Pattern's pattern” (1988)

October 24 Audacity - Filter & Synthesis 1

Listening: Francis Dhomont: “Escape/Espace” (1989)

October 29 Audacity - Filter & Synthesis 2 Assignment 4 Due

Listening: Barry Truax : "Riverrun" (1986)

October 31 Spear - Analyze audio file & Resynthesis Quiz 3

Listening: György Ligeti: “Artikulation” (1958)
György Ligeti: “Glissandi” (1957)

November 5 Final Project Brain Storming

Reading: Holmes 344-347
Listening: Karlhein Stockhausen: “Studie II” (1954)
November 7 Logic - Multi track Sequencing 1 Assignment 5 Due
Listening: Steve Reich: “Different Trains” (1988)
November 12 Logic - Multi track Sequencing 2
Listening: David Tudor: “Rainforest” (1968)

November 14 Logic - Midi / VST-1Reading: Hosken 125-141Listening: Jean-Claude Risset:

“Mutations” (1969)

November 19 Logic - Midi / VST-2 Assignment 6 Due

Listening: Pauline Oliveros: “I of IV” (1966)

November 21: NO CLASS

November 27 Sound spatialisation 

Listening: Scott Wyatt: “In the Arms of Peril” (2001)

November 29 Special Topic 1

December 3 Special Topic 2

December 5 Final Project open lab work day

FINAL EXAM TBD (Composition Presentations/Final Project 2)