LSU - MUS 2745 Syllabus

Introduction to Computer Music

Course Syllabus — Fall 2017

Class Times M/W 9:30-10:20am, F 9:30-10:20am & TBD
Classrooms MDA 248, SoM203 (lab), DMC Studio (as needed)
Instructor Eric Sheffield esheff1@lsu.edu
Office Hours M 10:30-11:30, SoM 203
Supervising Professor Dr. Jesse Allison jtallison@lsu.edu
Final Concert Monday April 24, 2017, 4:00pm, LSU SoM Recital Hall
Final Exam Monday May 1, 2017, 10:00am-12:00pm, MDA248

Objectives

Blah blah

Materials

Required

  • Storage Media >4GB (assignments will be collected via Moodle and Google Drive, but you are responsible for your data - make backups!)
  • a Google account (for Google Drive access)
  • PreSonus Studio One 3 Artist (or greater) Software Educational Pricing $50: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/S1v3AEdu Studio One 3 Professional will be available to all students in SoM 203
  • Good headphones (see me for recommendations)

Readings

  • All readings in this course will be posted as PDF’s or links on Moodle.
  • If you are interested in further study, some of our reading selections are from Thom Holmes’ Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture

Grading Criteria

Online Forum & Class Participation 10%
  • 4-6 online discussions throughout the semester
  • in-class contributions and attendance on presentation days and at concerts
Quizzes 10%
  • 4-6 short quizzes based on the previous day’s reading
Lab Assignments 15%
  • 8 Friday lab exercises will be graded
Guided Listening Presentation 15%
  • 10 minute presentation with partner
Mini Compositions 15%
  • two miniature compositions, 1:00-2:00 each in length
Final Project 20%
  • full length composition, 3:00-5:00 in length
Final Exam 15%

Final grades will NOT be rounded up!

Final Grade Percent
A+ 97-100%
A 93-96.9%
A- 90-92.9%
B+ 87-89.9%
B 83-86.9%
B- 80-82.9%
C+ 77-79.9%
C 73-76.9%
C- 70-72.9%
D+ 67-69.9%
D 63-66.9%
D- 60-62.9%
F Below 60%

Statement of Outside of Class Commitments

Students are expected to devote significant time outside of class to all assigned activities. This Includes:

  • Completing assigned reading and/or studying lecture material for quizzes and participating in online forum (approx. 2 hours per assignment)
  • Completing final project and mini compositions, including supplemental work outside of class time either in the SOM 203 lab, DMC studio, or on the student’s own computer if software is purchased (approx. 20 hours for the final project, 5-10 for the mini compositions)
  • Completing lab assignments that are not finished during lab time (approx. 1 hour outside class per week)

Students must plan to do the following for the final concert, Monday April 24, 2017:

  • Help to load in and set up for the concert as much as possible on the morning of the concert
  • Be present for a sound check for about 15 minutes at an allocated time before the 4:00pm concert
  • Attend the concert from 4:00-7:00pm
  • Help to tear down and load out after the concert as much as possible

Students are EXPECTED to attend at least one additional EMDM department concert, and HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to attend additional concerts. These include:

  • Cinema for the Ears - 7:30pm Thursday March 9, 2017, DMC Theater
  • NSEME 2017 - multiple concerts March 10-11, 2017, SoM Recital Hall and DMC Theater
  • High Voltage - 7:30pm Thursday April 27, 2017, SoM Recital Hall

Absences

From PS-22: Class attendance is the responsibility of the student. The student is expected to attend all classes. A student who finds it necessary to miss class assumes responsibility for making up examinations, obtaining lecture notes, and otherwise compensating for what may have been missed. The course instructor will determine the validity of a student’s reason(s) for absences and will assist those students who have valid reasons.
Valid reasons for absences include:

  1. Illness
  2. Serious family emergency
  3. Special curricular requirements such as judging trips or field trips
  4. Court-imposed legal obligations such as subpoenas or jury duty
  5. Military obligations
  6. Serious weather conditions
  7. Religious observances
  8. Participation in varsity athletic competitions or university musical events

The student is responsible for providing reasonable advance notification and appropriate documentation of the reason for the absence. Should the instructor and student disagree over the validity of a reason for an absence, the student has the right to appeal the instructor’s decision according to the general appeal procedure in PS-48.

Disability Notice

Louisiana State University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. The syllabus is available in alternate formats upon request. If you have a disability that may have some impact on your work in this class and for which you may require accommodations, please see a staff member in Disability Services (115 Johnston Hall) so that such accommodations can be considered. Students that receive accommodation letters, please meet with me to discuss the provisions of those accommodations as soon as possible.