Musical Expression via New Interfaces

list Preamble

• Course Title: Musical Expression via New Interfaces (NIME): Creating and Composing Unique Interactive Performances (uisa 115, previously 190)
• crn: 42558
• Credits: 3
• Prerequisites: There is no pre-required course needed to enroll in this uisa course. A laptop running macOS or Windows, however, is strongly encouraged.
• Days: Monday
• Time: 2:20 – 4:50 pm
• Room: Beatrice Fox Auerbach Hall, 320 (map )
• Dates: 22 August – 5 December 2022
• Professor: Roy Vanegas (pronounced “vuh-nay-gus”) sound_detection_loud_sound
• Email: vanegas at hartford dot edu
• Phone: 860.768.5925
• Office: Charles A Dana Hall, 310B
• Office hours: I meet students via Zoom on the following days (click here for details):
  • Monday: 10:00 – 11:00 am
  • Tuesday: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
  • Wednesday: 10:00 – 11:00 am

info Description

This course will walk students through the process of creating a new interface for musical expression, or nime, and use it to compose and perform an original musical work. Students will learn skills in both technical and creative fields in order to effectively capture sensory data and transform them into sound. Various topics in electronic music composition will be covered to give students a wide range of possible directions in which to develop their nimes. This includes computer programming for audio, sound design and effects processing, musical structure, fabrication, and electronic circuitry. The course concludes with a concert in which students perform original compositions for their nimes.

list Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate...

• How to create a New Interface for Musical Expression, or nime;
• How to play and perform their nimes;
• The ability to translate physical movement to light, sound, and visuals. These concepts are best summarized by the following 50-second video: https://bit.ly/3bhlIZp;
• The ability to compose elementary electronic compositions.

file_download Software Requirements

calendar_month Schedule

Important Dates

• Labor Day — No class (Week 3): Monday, 5 September 2022
• Thanksgiving recess — No class (Week 14): Monday, 21 November 2022
• Final presentations — Last day of classes (Week 16): Monday, 5 December 2022

assignment Assignments

The midterm, a set of weekly check-ins, and a final performance of your nime make up 80% of your grade. Course Participation makes up the final 20%. The full breakdown of your final course grade is as follows:

• 1 × Mid-course presentation of the development of your nime project (25%)
• 6 × Post-midterm weekly check-ins (30%)
• 1 × Final performance, complete with score, of your nime (25%)
• Semester-long participation, including active listening, taking part in our in-class discussions, and, providing feedback to your peers on their work (20%)

accessible Students with Disabilities

If you have a documented disability for which you are requesting accommodation, you are encouraged to contact Access-Ability Services as soon as possible by calling 860.768.4312, emailing tlopez@hartford.edu, or by stopping by the Access-Ability Services office in Auerbach Hall, Room 209. If your request for accommodations is approved, an accommodation letter will be emailed to your instructor(s) upon your request. Please discuss your accommodations with the instructor as soon as possible to make appropriate arrangements. Note: Student requests for accommodations must be filed each semester. Visit https://www.hartford.edu/academics/academic-support/accessibility-services/ and click the “Registering” link for more info and a link to a video that walks you through the process.

door_front Office Hours

• Monday: 10:00 – 11:00 am
• Tuesday: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
• Wednesday: 10:00 – 11:00 am