COURSE SCHEDULE
This schedule is subject to change:

FALL 2011 Sound Theory and Production

CLASS OUTLINE (Some items are subject to change)
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FIRST HALF OF QUARTER: WEEKS 1 - 5
SOUND-DESIGNS and RECORDING & EDITING TECHNIQUES
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Week 1 - Introduction to Sound and Recording Environments
We will look at early conceptual artists, composers, and multimedia pioneers who began
incorporating sound into their work. Learning to record and edit basic recordings.

Thursday, September 22
Overview of the course and a survey of sound-art and creative works in sound.
Assignment 1: In groups of 2. Each group will use a flash recorder to record 1. a sound of chaos
and 2. a sound or tranquility.

Tuesday, September 27
Listen to Assignment 1
Continue overview of sound-practices, including in film and video, and begin examining ProTools
interface.
Be prepared to discuss:
Reading: pp 22-28, 54-75
Assignment 2: Make a recording of a piece of text. Use editing and sequencing techniques to
generate a sound-work using language as sonic material.

Thursday, September 29 - - STUDIO DAY - - class will not meet
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Week 2 - Language
Examine and discuss artists and others who have used audio production as a primary storytelling
medium with special emphasis on speech and language.

Tuesday, October 4
Be prepared to discuss:
Reading: pp. 155-160, 168-171
Assignment 3: TBA
.
Thursday, October 6 - - STUDIO DAY - - class will not meet
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Week 3 - Abstraction
We will explore the meanings that sounds carry when we hear them and how to exploit the
cultural and psychological meanings we find in sounds.

Tuesday, October 11
Crit: Assignment 2
Pro-Tools demonstrations in sound-processing and synthesis.

Thursday, October 13
Be prepared to discuss:
Reading: pp. 90-93, 98-107
Assignment 4 (Mid-Term): COLLABORATIVE PROJECT - - TWO students will make a public
sound-abstraction using recordings, editing, and signal-processing.
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Week 4 - Design as Strategy and Choice

Tuesday, October 18
Crit: Assignment 3
Variations project
Reading (handout): "The Shapes of Indeterminacy: John Cage's Variations I and Variations
III" by David P. Miller

Thursday, October 20
Synthesis in Design and Use
Reading: pp. 204-210
Writing assignment: Write a 6-page research paper about a sound-artist from a list I will
provide. DUE NOVEMBER 17th at the BEGINNING OF CLASS
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Week 5 - Mid-Term Crits

Tuesday October 25 ; Thursday October 27
Crit: Assignment 4 (Mid Term)

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SECOND HALF OF QUARTER: WEEKS 6 - 10
INTERSECTION OF SOUND AND MOTION PICTURE and PUBLIC SPACE
plus ADVANCED PROTOOLS APPLICATIONS
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Week 6- Sound & Vision
Dialogue, Diegetic and Non-diegetic sound

Tuesday November 1 -
dialogue workshop in TV studio

Thursday November 3 - - STUDIO DAY - - class will not meet
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Week 7- Advanced mixing in Pro Tools (TUESDAY)
Sound design and recording techniques in video & film. Using Pro Tools to edit dialog elements
and add foley, effects, and other sound cues.

Tuesday November 8
sound design
Reading: pp. 129-143

Thursday November 10 -
In-class pro-tools workshop
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Week 8– Sound in Public and Performing Space
Surround sound, spatialization, placing sound in space.

Tuesday November 15
Pro Tools work/workshop in mixing and routing

Thursday November 17
Installation and interactive sound art
Reading: pp 112-116, 123-124
WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE BEGINNING OF CLASS
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Week 9- Works in progress review (TUESDAY)

Tuesday November 22 - review works-in-progress (mandatory)

Thursday, November 24 - Thanksgiving Holiday
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Week 10 - Final Projects and Critiques.

Tuesday November 29; Thursday December 1
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