DescriptionThe workshop will be held at UCSC's Music Center, which features state of the art facilities as well as sweeping vistas of the Monterey Bay. David Cope, Paul Nauert, Peter Elsea, and Soren Goodman will be among those on hand to teach and help students achieve their workshop goals. The program features intensive classes on the basic techniques of algorithmic composition and algorithmic music analysis, learning and using the computer programming language Lisp. Students will create three significant software projects: a Markov-based rules program, a genetic algorithm, and software modeled on the Experiments in Musical Intelligence program. Music analysis software and techniques will also be covered in depth. Many compositional approaches will be discussed in detail, including rules-based techniques, data-driven models, genetic algorithms, neural networks, fuzzy logic, mathematical modeling, and sonification. Software programs such as Common Music, Max, Open Music, and so on will also be presented and used. The workshop is limited to 15 participants to ensure an excellent student/teacher ratio. Students will receive a free class reference manual, class software in source code, and other printed and software tools and guides relevant to the workshop's goals. Access to the world-class computer music facilities at UCSC will allow performances and special lectures by invited guests. The workshop includes five daily hours of individual computer time (always with at least one teacher/advisor close at hand). Each week will culminate in performances of student works and presentations of analysis and composition software. By the workshop's end, each student will have gained facility with Lisp, have written compositional and analytical software programs, and be presented with a CD of their compositions. Prospective students must have an ability to read music and understand basic music theory as well as have at least a basic facility with computers (text editing, etc.). Students need not be active musicians or programmers. Apartment style housing is available on campus if desired. 5 quarter units of credit is available. Comments from past WACM graduates: "The faculty have been wonderful throughout. Available and supportive at all times- always acting in a spirit of joint endeavor rather than teacher-pupil relationships. I think that there are many people out there who feel computers should be used to create music as well as just edit it and that WACM offers them the tools to do this." —Richard Garrett "I highly recommend this workshop. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you'll come away with the ability to create new music!" --Ed Borasky "A thrilling roller coaster ride! I appreciated the variety of tools and methods and ideas presented. I am amazed at how far I came from knowing no Lisp and very little programming at all." —Laurie Lee Moses "Intense and focused, stimulating, exhausting. The student/teacher ratio is as good as it gets!" —Bud Brimberg "I would definitely recommend this workshop to others. It's got to be the only course that addresses all the subjects I'm interested in collectively." —Daniel Brown "The workshop was everything I expected it to be. It gave me the tools I needed, the knowledge to use them, and a framework from which to continue to develop my ideas after the workshop finished." —Barry Jones |
WACM 2009
Campus Housing- Front
Campus Housing- Back
The 2007 WACM-ites |
||
| Home | Description | Costs | Details | Contact | |||
