Course Offerings

The Yale College Composition Seminar

The Yale College Composition Seminar provides experience in original and creative musical
composition, either acoustic or technological, or in combination.  Guest artists have included professional composers of a wide variety of aesthetic views, style and stature, as well as faculty composers of the Department of Music and the School of Music.  There are four separate levels of course offerings:

Music 320a
Music 321b
Music 420a
Music 421b

Visit the Yale College Composition Seminar website here.

Music S290E: Electronic Dance Music Techniques

Professor Kathryn Alexander—offered online every summer via YSS.

The developmental history of technology in music creativity, with particular attention to the aesthetics and musical invention in various genres and repertoire of electronic dance music. Ancillary software exercises in Ableton Live Intro. Familiarity with musical notation is helpful but not required. Online only via YSS.

Music 231: Laptop Ensemble

Professor Konrad Kaczmarek—offered every other year.

Introduction to music technology through a combination of classroom learning and live performance. The appropriation of music technology through software and hardware hacking; laptop-based production and performance tools; hybrid electroacoustic instruments and electronic chamber music; live audio processing; novel approaches to notation and conducting. Students create new works and perform in a concert at the end of the term.

Music 315: Fundamentals of Music Technology

Professor Konrad Kaczmarek—offered every other year.

Fundamental principles of music technology including sound recording and reproduction, digital audio, digital signal processing, audio synthesis techniques, musical acoustics, and psychoacoustics. Emphasis on the theory of music technology through investigations into the tools used to analyze, perform, and create electroacoustic and computer-generated music.

Music 316/ENAS 344: Musical Acoustics & Instrument Design

Professor Konrad Kaczmarek—offered every other year.

Practical study of musical acoustics. The physics and design of musical instruments, with attention to all aspects of sound, from the origin of the vibration in the instrument to the perception by the listener. Student teams design and construct novel instruments and produce relevant applications.

Music 395: Electronic Dance Music

Professor Kathryn Alexander—offered every third year.

A study of advanced production techniques used in EDM including synthesis, sampling, MIDI sequencing, DSP, digital mixing and DJ and VJ live interactive performance. Project exercises in Ableton Live 10, as well as Max for Live.

Music 425: Special Topics in Music Technology

Professor Konrad Kaczmarek – offered every other year.

Live audio and video processing using the visual programming environment Max/MSP/Jitter. Topics include human computer interaction (HCI), instrument design, alternative controllers, data mapping, algorithmic composition, real-time digital signal processing, communication over networks, and programming for mobile devices.

Music 481: Electronic Dance Music

Professor Kathryn Alexander – offered every other year.

A survey of creative techniques used in EDM including synthesis, sampling, MIDI sequencing, DSP and digital mixing. Focus on the study of the evolving EDM genres and repertoire. Project work in Ableton Live 10. Prerequisite: Ability to read music at a level of Music 110 or 210 required.

Visit the Music 481 website here.