Music 17 Syllabus

TA evening help sessions in the lab:
- Tuesday, 7-9 PM, Zach
- Wednesday, 7-9 PM, Daniel
- Thursday, 7-9 PM, Mike

An introductory course in Music Technology (electronic communications, digital audio, MIDI, sequencing, notation, and computer-assisted instruction) through the use of software and hardware in the "Becky Tapp Daniels Music Classroom" (a.k.a. music lab). Goals of the course are lab competence, understanding of basic concepts, the completion of three assignments, a mid-term exam and a final project.

Assignments (3 @ 15 %)	45%
Mid-term Exam	25%
Final Project	25%
Attendance/Participation	5%

Please note that lab computers are to be used only for work related to your classes in the Music Department.

Assignment 1 (iTunes)	due September 27
Assignment 2 (GarageBand)	due October 16
Mid-term Exam (during regular class time)	October 25
Assignment 3 (Finale)	due November 15
Final Project	due December 4

Assignments and Final Projects will be penalized one letter grade for each day late.

Text, with companion DVD:
William, David and Webster, Peter. Experiencing Music Technology, 3rd edition. Belmont, CA: Thomspon, 2005.
ISBN 0-534-17672-0

You will also need to purchase several blank CD-R discs; these are available in the bookstore.

Students are responsible for all material presented in class, and on the course website, including announcements about changes in course procedures.

Be here, on time, every class.
You are responsible for all material presented in class and on the course website.

The mid-term exam will cover the following topics:
- concepts and terminology
- signal flow and troubleshooting
- 'real world' scenarios

Assignments and Final Projects may be done by Groups of up to 3 students.
To ensure that group assignments are truly a collaborative process, groups must submit a brief explanation of "who did what" on the project. Although the instructor really wants to give all members of a group the same grade, he reserves the right to deviate from this if it becomes obvious that one or more members are not doing their fair share of the work.

-----------------------------
Each Assignment will consist of two parts: (1) a Tutorial from your EMT DVD; and (2) a written description of what you will turn in. You do NOT have to complete the "Worksheets" which accompany each EMT Tutorial, but you are welcome to do them if you feel you would benefit from this.

Please be aware that everything included in the EMT Tutorials for iTunes and GarageBand is "fair game" for the midterm exam, unless specifically excluded by the instructor. This includes many items which are not part of the "turned in" portion of each Assignment! Ask questions if you're unsure about this.

Note: The links below (to the EMT Tutorials) will work on the iMacs in the lab if your EMT DVD is inserted in the local computer on which you are working. (You will need to control-click on these links, then open the links in a new window.) You may also navigate to the assigned projects by starting with opening "emthome.htm" (on the top level of your DVD) and following the links by Project number.

(1) Tutorial
Work through PROJECT 5-ITm: Using MP3 Jukebox Software (iTunes for Mac) from your EMT disc.
(2) Turn-in
A. Burn an audio CD consisting of three tracks as follows:
- Track 1: A classical instrumental selection, no longer than 5 minutes in length.
- Track 2: A classical vocal selection, no longer than 5 minutes in length.
- Track 3: A jazz or rock selection, no longer than 5 minutes in length.
B. Print a CD jewel case insert containing :
- the following information for each track:
Title of selection ("Name"), Performer ("Artist"), Length ("Time").
- your name and Music 17 section (A=9 AM, B=11 AM, C=1 PM)
C. Turn in your burned CD, inside a jewel case, with your printed label showing.

Assignment will be graded on how well you follow these instructions, including type and length of selections, jewel case insert, presentation, etc.
-----------------------------

(1) Tutorial
Work through PROJECT 9-GBm: Creating a Loop-Based Composition (GarageBand for Mac) from your EMT disc.
(2) Turn-in
A. Create a GarageBand piece as follows:
- Length: Between one and two minutes.
- Style: Your choice.
- Tracks:
at least one "Loop" track, chosen from the installed loops (does not have to be continuous throughout!)
at least one "Software Instrument" track, played in from the X5 keyboard
at least one "Real Instrument" track, recorded live
B. Burn an audio CD containing your GarageBand piece. Print a CD jewel case insert containing your name and Music 17 section, plus the name of your piece. Print a paragraph of "program notes" describing your piece. Turn in your CD, inside a jewel case, with your label and program notes inside the jewel case.
C. OPTIONAL. If you think the audio quality of your CD does not adequately represent your work, send an e-mail to Dr. Koppelman indicating where in the lab your GarageBand file is located. Be sure to indicate the exact pathway to your GarageBand file (Example: DMC03/Users/Shared/UserFiles/Smith/MySong.band). If you choose this option, you are still required to burn and turn in a CD, but we will listen to your work from the computer for grading purposes.

Assignment will be graded on (1) how well you follow these instructions, including length of piece, minimum track requirements, CD and insert preparation, etc; (2) overall sound quality (clarity, mix levels, no distortion/clipping, etc); and (3) overall musicality of piece (is it interesting? is it well constructed? does it make imaginative use of available materials? does it keep the listener guessing? etc).

Assignment will be graded on how closely your print-out matches the one linked above.

For your Final Project you may choose to do either a 3-5 minute creative work or a 5-10 page research paper.

Examples of creative works are: a live performance, a composition, an arrangement, a music video, or a DVD. Creative works should demonstrate mastery of a particular piece of software, going beyond what was covered in the Assignments. You may make use of additional tools available in the lab, such as software and hardware at the teacher's station. In addition to the work itself, you will turn in a 1-2 page description of how you used technological tools to express your creative ideas. Creative works will be graded on both content and presentation (including, where applicable: sound quality, clarity, originality, etc). While it is true that much can be learned from copying an established artist, using technology to produce something new and different is more impressive to me than re-hashing a song from your favorite band. Be original -- do something extraordinary, not something ordinary!

Examples of topics for research papers are: a person involved with music technology (composer, performer, inventor, etc), a particular piece of technology used by musicians (the history of a specific synthesizer or piece of software, the development of the DVD, etc), or the cultural implications of music technology (should file-sharing be legal? has the rise of the CD led to the demise of the symphony orchestra? etc). Research papers will be graded on both content and style (including grammar, spelling, etc). Explaining the significance of your topic is more impressive to me than just listing a bunch of names, dates, numbers, and specifications. What makes your topic interesting? Why do you consider it important? What specific influences does it have on your musical life or the lives of your colleagues?

Feel free to talk to me about your ideas for Final Projects, and don't wait too long to get started. Be advised that the lab tends to be overcrowded at the end of the term, with students in theory, history, composition, and arranging classes also competing for the limited space available.

Furman University, Department of Music

Music 17: Introduction to Music Technology

Assignments and Final Projects will be penalized one letter grade for each day late.