Presented as invited guest lecture at the 2022 Seattle Max Meetup, Oberlin Conservatory, and University of Oregon.

Talk and demonstration with accompanying Max code that introduces what Machine Learning (ML) is using simple linear regression as a first example, then expanding into other examples of unsupervised and supervised learning. Next I show how ML may be applied to musical tasks using Max, specifically using externals for Max to accomplish the tasks of 1) mapping between a gesture and synthesizer presets in real-time, 2) mapping between an input sound and a corpus of audio in real-time using concatenative synthesis, and 3) using neural networks trained on corpuses of audio to morph the timbre of a sound at the sample level in real-time. Lastly, some novel explorations in ML in Max are presented.

TECH 350: Audio-Visual Composition is an applied course aimed at electronic musicians interested in incorporating computer-made visuals into their art-making practice. We'll start with applied studies, accompanied by readings and example projects, on the history of film, film sound, video art, and animation. These studies will introduce and use video editing software (Premiere, Davinci Resolve, etc.). We'll then transition to computer-based visual art: studies, again accompanied by readings and historical examples, on the history of computer animation, 3D modeling, and virtual and augmented reality (XR). These studies will make use of Processing, Cinema4D, and other tools. Along the way we'll look at theories of multi-media: how to define relationships between sound and image, the role of experimental sound and image in political and social movements, and, ultimately, how to engage (or expand your engagement with) audio-visual composition in your praxis.

Digital Signal Processing (DSP) is a branch of engineering that is at the core of the digital media revolution of the past four decades, bringing us advances in audio-visual protocols (the MP3, video compression-decompression schemes, on-demand Internet streaming), sound processing techniques (real-time computer music performance, spectral audio signal analysis and re-synthesis, Music Information Retrieval), and ultimately a redefinition of how the world creates and consumes audio-visual art.

This course will provide a foundation of DSP theory, covering the time domain and the frequency domain (and their representations), discrete time signals, convolution, Finite Impulse Response (FIR) and Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filter design, the z-Transform, Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) systems and non-linear systems, and the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT), Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), and Short-Term Fourier Transform (STFT). Take-home exercises will be done with pen-and-paper and/or Matlab (a programming language often used in DSP computing).

Unlike other DSP courses housed in a science department, this course will then switch to an applied, creation-centric mode, wherein a sequence of projects will help students define and build a personal set of DSP skills and tools that directly engage their own creative work, extending or deepening other projects undertaken for TIMARA classes or within their own techno-artistic praxis. These projects will make use of the Max programming language (and in particular Max’s [gen~] environment), Python and/or Matlab audio programming libraries, the JUCE application framework (for building audio processing plug-ins), and other applicable tools.

Contemporary electroacoustic composers and computer musicians wear many hats: composer, performer, programmer, critic, theorist, researcher, cultural musicologist, etc. Tech 201—and later Tech 202—provide a solid foundation in many of these areas, particularly electroacoustic music history and studio hardware and software. Tech 203 explores more deeply the musical, technological, and scholarly tools currently available to electroacoustic composers. Some topics will be completely new to you, and others will be related to your previous study in TIMARA. While we will deal extensively with certain hardware* and software, the course is not “about” said tools. Rather, it is organized based on musical/scholarly practices and approaches, each of which will inevitably draw on a variety of tools. All topics will be approached through a combination of reading, listening, and creative work with the ultimate goal of expanding your compositional resources and scholarly vocabulary.

*This course will take advantage of the multi-channel sound diffusion environment available in the TIMARA studios, putting emphasis on the ability of spatial audio and more generally the design of immersive sonic environments to uniquely engage extra-musical disciplines: sculptural and installation arts, theater and drama studies, and the environmental sciences, to name but a few.

TECH 101 is an introduction to the creation, technique, analysis, and history of electroacoustic music. This course takes a practice-based approach to learning electroacoustic music, with students applying the concepts and technologies taught in the course (acoustics, microphones, digital audio editing, mixing, synthesizers, virtual instruments, and more) to the composition of their own electroacoustic music. In addition, this course explores a substantial repertoire of electroacoustic music, from a wide range of styles and practices including experimental electronic music, EDM, ambient music, sound art, and beyond. This repertoire functions as a focal point for discussion and the development of listening and analysis skills. No previous experience with electroacoustic music is required, and all technological and artistic practices are welcome.

Electronic drum programming exists in nearly every genre of modern electronic music. This lecture showcases musics that foreground virtuosic use of drum programming technologies (synth drums, drum machines, software drum kits) and guides students through drum programming on their own, starting with simple sequencing onto “humanizing” drum programming, and lastly using post-programming effects.

This webpage introduces a multi-layer approach to creating interactive digital electronics (and includes an interactive electronics sandbox system programmed in Max), discusses some experiences I have had creating interactive digital systems for use in studio/performance settings, and includes a list of human and software resources for student’s further perusal.

This workshop introduces high school/college level beginners to the fundamentals of electroacoustic music, including a brief discussion of acoustics, recording techniques, digital audio, and synthesis, along with several brief assignments.

Processing is an "open source programming environment for teaching computational design and sketching interactive media software" developed by Ben Fry and Casey Reas.

This educational webpage introduces visitors to Processing fundamentals, some more advanced functionality, and lastly includes a set of high quality code templates created by myself to get students quickly up and running with several different archetypal uses of Processing: sound/video analysis, using shaders, connecting Processing to other programs with OSC, and object oriented programming in Processing.

This course explores the ways in which sound interacts with video. We will investigate this interaction by first discussing the history and contexts of electronic sound, video, and their relationship, establishing (or refreshing) audio and video editing skills, and then getting hands-on experience through creative projects. Projects include composing sound design for film, creating video art (that incorporates video-recorded and/or animated materials), and designing real-time interactive media projects. The target student of this course is a musician interested in expanding their relationship to video and multimedia. No experience with audio or video technologies is required, although it is welcome.

This lab courses give practical experience with many aspects of musical perception, performance, and creation. These will include sight-reading and sight-singing; dictation of melody, rhythm, and harmony; aural identification of intervals, chords, and rhythmic patterns; and exercises in musical memory and improvisation. Students entering the sequence take a test to determine the appropriate level of their first course. At the end of each course, students take a placement test to determine whether they may enter a higher level course. Courses may be repeated for credit, but each course may be counted toward the major only once.

This seminar examines the increasingly creative role of production in recorded music over the last 50 years. Materials, topics and themes include: (1) survey and analysis of key recordings; (2) theoretical and practical understanding of technologies used in recording and production; (3) developments in music production (such as the naturalization of 'illusion') in the context of broader technological and cultural developments; and (4) creative studio projects. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor.

Computer Sound Generation and Spatalization is a course in digital composition. You will learn about digital signal processing and how to make and transform your own sounds, as well as those of the external world. You will learn about compositional design and acoustic perception, especially in relation to electroacoustic media. And, we will explore the role of spatialization as a compositional parameter in a surround-sound environment. We will begin with an open source, command-line program called RTcmix (you can download it at RTcmix.org). This program encourages a flexible approach that is complementary to traditional DAW programs. And, there is an RTcmix object that can be used inside the Max-MSP for those of you familiar with that program. You will also have the opportunity to create music using a variety of DAW programs, depending on particular compositional goals. You will have plenty of hands-on experience, both in the required lab (you must register for this as well as the course) and in our class meetings. The course is project based, ranging from the use of digital sound for arranging pre-composed music, to working with a variety of genres, to creating an original final project that will be considered for concert presentation.

Technosonics explores the history, theory and practice of digital music and sound art in the 20th and 21st centuries. Students gain insight into a variety of tools and techniques that have grown and expanded to infuse music of many genres and traditions. From experimental computer music, ambient and dance music, sound art, and multimedia digital tools have made a major impact in the world of music. This course offers a wide view of computer music as “technosonics”. In addition to learning theory and history, students will compose using digital tools for musical creation. No previous music experience is required.