12 Weeks
Level 4
3-Credit Tuition
$1,545Non-Credit Tuition
$1,290Electroacoustic Composition is an advanced course in composition, which introduces composing with technology in a stylistically open way. You will learn about a broad set of tools and techniques aimed at enhancing your writing of melody, harmony, rhythm, and more, by means of compositional techniques such as controlled algorithmic composition, spectralism, aleatoric, and others.
You will use software in sound analysis, music formalization, music production, and live electronics at different stages of the creative process, from the conception of a musical idea to a fully realized composition.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Develop tools in musical analysis and computer-assisted composition, meant to reinforce writing skills and multiply the musical choices available to you
- Manipulate sound as any other musical parameters, like pitch or rhythm, and use it as an effective compositional tool
- Write music that integrates technology as a structural element of composition
- Build and use effects conceived for real-time interaction with live instruments
- Develop a performance environment for your own music with electronics
- Use technology as a means to develop musical ideas across all the different creative stages, from artistic conception to performance
Syllabus
Lesson 1: Introduction to Electroacoustic Composition
- What Is Electroacoustic Composition?
- How Can Technology Help Me Compose?
- Introduction to Class Software
- Focus on Max: Tutorials and Simple Operation
- From Concept to Material: Exporting Ideas to DAW and Notation
- Assignment 1: Writing a Simple Max Patch
Lesson 2: Enhancing Melody with Technology
- Multiple Options: The Computer as a Tool
- Generate a (Controlled) Random Melody
- Compose a Melody with Custom Constraints
- Adding Modes
- Using Graphics to Compose a Melody
- Putting It All Together
- Assignment 2: Composing a Melody
Lesson 3: Enhancing Harmony with Technology
- Permutations of Pitches and Chords
- Harmony by Constraints
- Interpolating Chords
- Serialism and Technology
- Assignment 3: Composing with a Specific Chord Progression
Lesson 4: Enhancing Rhythm
- Creating Rhythm Cells Using Constraints
- Messiaen’s Rhythm Applied/I: Non-Retrogradable Rhythm
- Messiaen’s Rhythm Applied/II: Additive Rhythm
- Polyrhythm Applied: Create Chains of Rhythmic Cells
- Assignment 4: Building a Rhythmic Structure
Lesson 5: Collage Music Revisited
- Thinking About Sources and Form
- Spectral Techniques in SPEAR/I: Understanding the Spectrogram
- Spectral Techniques in SPEAR/II: Frequency Shift, Partials Editing
- Acousmatic Music: The ‘Space’ Parameter
- Build a Collage Piece (Focusing on Software)
- Assignment 5: Composing a Collage Piece
Lesson 6: Spectralism Revisited: Advanced Techniques
- From Sound to Data/I: Exporting SDIF Files
- From Sound to Data/II: Mapping Sound to Rhythm Using Markers
- Enhancing Analysis Results with Computer-Assisted Composition Techniques
- Assignment 6: Composing with SDIF Files and/or Markers
Lesson 7: Real-Time Scores
- How to Generate a Real-Time Score
- Define Constraints from Parameters for Score Generation
- Implementing Chance
- Rendering Your Real-Time Score: Paper or Screen?
- Assignment 7: Creating a Real-Time Score
Lesson 8: Introduction to Live Electronics and Initiation of the Final Project
- Combining a Written Piece with Pre-Recorded Sounds
- Introduction to MSP (the ‘Other Side’ of Max)
- Triggering Audio Files/I: The Single Track Option
- Triggering Audio Files/II: The File Triggering Option
- How to Notate Live Electronics?
- Introduction to Final Project
- Assignment 8: Final Project (Part 1)
Lesson 9: Live Electronics: Delay, Reverb, and Other Basic Effects
- Adding Live Electronics
- Effects/I: Reverb
- Effects/II: Delay Lines
- Effects/III: Filtering
- Assignment 9: Working with Effects in Your Project
Lesson 10: Live Electronics: Spectral Effects and Tools
- Advanced Effects/I: Spectral Delay
- Advanced Effects/II: Granular Synth
- Advanced Effects/III: Spectral Filters and SuperVP Tools
- Pitch Tracking
- Revisit Your Performance Space: Add and Remove Modules
- Assignment 10: Space and Effects in Your Project
Lesson 11: Live Electronics Workshop
- Create a Mockup
- Run a Full Test
- Assess Results and Tweak Your Performance Space
- Assignment 11: Mockup of Your Project
Lesson 12: Final Performance and an Introduction to Live Video
- Finalize Your Space/Patch
- What to Expect at the Reading
- Intro to Video
- Assignment 12: Culminating Experience
Requirements
Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements
Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
Completion of Contemporary Techniques in Music Composition 2 or equivalent knowledge and experience is required.
Software
- Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Free options, such as GarageBand (Mac) or Cakewalk by BandLab (PC), are acceptable.
- Notation software, such as Sibelius, Dorico, MuseScore (free), etc.
- Cycling '74 Max 8 or higher
- Subscription or permanent license acceptable
- Max for Live is not sufficient for the course
- SPEAR (Sinusoidal Partial Editing Analysis and Resynthesis)
- Software to record computer screen and audio, such as OBS
Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.
General Course Requirements
Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course.
Mac Users
PC Users
All Users
- Latest version of Google Chrome
- Zoom meeting software
- Webcam
- Speakers or headphones
- External or internal microphone
- Broadband Internet connection
Instructors
Author & Instructor
Gabriele Vanoni was born in Milan, Italy in 1980. He obtained two Bachelor’s degrees in Piano and Composition at Milan Conservatory, followed by a Ph.D. in Music Composition at Harvard University. His compositional interests range from acoustic music to live electronics. His works have been widely performed in Europe and the Americas, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Biennale di Venezia, ManiFeste, Moscow Conservatory, June in Buffalo, IRCAM, NYU, BIT Teatergarasjen in Bergen, and Accademia Chigiana di Siena, among many others. Likewise, various soloists and ensembles have now been involved in performing his music, such as the Ensemble Intercontemporain, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Talea Ensemble, Moscow Studio for New Music Ensemble, Ensemble L’arsenale, Mario Caroli, Diotima Quartet, Les Cris de Paris, Nouvel Ensemble Moderne, and many more. Gabriele was also awarded several prizes and mentions in local and international competitions. In addition to his activity as a composer, he served as the artistic director and founder of Suggestioni, a festival of Italian music in the United States. He also holds a degree in Business for the Arts, Culture and Communication from Bocconi University.
After two years in Paris attending Cursus 1 and 2 at IRCAM, he moved back to the United States where he is currently an Assistant Chair in the composition department at Berklee College of Music. His recent commissions include a piece for the 2015 Universal Exposition in Milan (Nutrire La Musica) and a new piece for accordion and string orchestra. Read Less
What's Next?
When taken for credit, Electroacoustic Composition can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:
Related Certificate Programs
Related Degree Major
Questions?
Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.
