Intermediate Electronic Music Greensheet
Spring 2013 | 3 units | 12:30-2:20* TTh | Room A91
Dan Mitchell | Office: A15 | 408-864-8511 | mitchelldan@deanza.edu | Dan Mitchell's Web Site
Description |
Text and Materials |
Course Schedule |
Studio Rules |
Attendance |
Grading |
Final Exam Session | Late Work |
Copying and Cheating |
Office Hours |
Cell Phones | Course Objectives
| Course Calendar
This "green sheet" describes official course policies and expectations and is a contract between you and me. Other materials on this web site, such as those listed in the sidebar, are extensions of the greensheet and also reflect official course policies. - Dan Mitchell
This course focuses on intermediate level electronic music techniques including principles of digital and analog synthesizer sound design and editing; professional studio and computer music software including integrated audio/MIDI sequencing software, instrument editors, software synthesizers; basic audio/MIDI studio configuration; modular synthesis; basic digital audio recording and editing; basic audio signal processing; introduction to concepts of music notation software; historical and technological development of electronic music; roles of electronic music technology in twentieth-century music. Some prior music experience and/or concurrent enrollment in a baic level music course such as Fundamentals of Music, Beginning Keyboards or similar is recommended but not required.
- Operate keyboard synthesizers,
audio mixers,
external audio and signal processing equipment, and professional music
software for audio recording, sequencing, and signal processing.
- Design and edit
sounds using hardware and
software synthesis and editing tools.
- Create
musical/audio projects using audio/MIDI
sequencing software, audio signal processing software and hardware, and
mixing hardware and software.
- Understand and use
basic features of computer
notation software.
- Design, implement,
and troubleshoot audio/MIDI equipment
and software configurations in a complex studio environment.
- Recognize, analyze, and describe features of
several important electronic music periods and genres and their
features.
Text book - No text is required at the present time. Some course materials are available within the software that we use and other materials are available on the web.Access to a computer with a printer, web browser, and Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may use the electronic music lab computers for course-related work during your assigned lab time. Free computer access is also available to registered students in the Internet Lab in Learning Center West, and you may use your own computer.
Some assignments must be downloaded from this web site and printed. You must download and print these materials at least 48 hours before they are due and you must contact the instructor immediately if technical problems interfere with this. Problems printing or accessing course materials at the last minute are not an excuse for missing deadlines.
Web site membership. All Electronic Music students must become "members" of this Electronic Music web site. Use the Join Now link in the sidebar to join. Be sure to include your first and last names when you fill out the form. You will need an email address in order to sign up. If you do not have an email account, sign up for a free web-based email account from a service like http://www.hotmail.com/ or http://www.yahoo.com/. (Note: Some students running Norton Personal Firewall or the equivalent on their Windows PCs occasionally are prevented from accessing parts of the class web site and will instead see an error message mentioning the "referer." Please see this web site for information on resolving this problem if you encounter it.)
Personal headphones with 1/8" stereo phone plug (a.k.a. "iPod headphones") or other headphones and appropriate adapter.
Optional but highly recommended: USB memory stick or similar device (e.g. - writable CD/DVD media, external USB drive, etc.) is strongly recommended but not required to back up your work and move files between computers. Capacity of 1 GB or larger is sufficient.
Optional: Electronic Music web site RSS feed. RSS is a method for publishing web site content updates. If you are familiar with RSS and have RSS reader software you may subscribe to this site's feed to receive updates when the home page is updated: 
Highly Recommended. Students should read current electronic music and audio magazines such as Electronic Musician, Keyboard, and follow online news sources (for example, harmonycentral.com, etc.
In general, you should be able to do all of your lab work during the scheduled class meeting time - but this may only provide time to meet basic assignment requirements. However, additional open lab time may be available after the start of the term. Information will be provided in class.
All electronic music students are responsible for reading, understanding, and following the Studio Rules. This is absolutely critical so that we can maintain open studio access for all students enrolled in this class. Violations of the studio rules may lead to suspension of access to the studios and other serious consequences.
Projects - Several short projects (see Intermediate Electronic Music Assignments) will be assigned during the term. Projects count for 30% of the course grade.Class Presentation - A 10-15 minute oral presentation on a relevant electronic music subject - due during the final 2-3 weeks of the term. This assignment is described further in the syllabus. The presentation counts for 20% of the course grade. Group projects are possible with instructor permission.Final Project - This assignment is described further in the Intermediate Electronic Music Assignments section. It is due at the final exam session. The final project is weighted at 30% of the course grade - but failure to complete a final project may result in a failing grade for the course.Quizzes - There will be between two and six quizzes, some of which may be take-home quizzes. Quizzes count for 10% of the course grade.**Test - One written test will cover topics from the quizzes and additional topics as announced in class. The test is worth 10% of the course grade.
I use a weighted average system to determine your final course grade - not a point system. Assignment and course grades will use base letter grades A, B, C, D, and F and +/- symbols. (There are no C- course grades at De Anza College.)
Let the instructor know immediately if you think you have received an incorrect grade. Grades will not be changed if you wait more than 72 hours after an assignment is handed back or after grades are posted on the web to bring errors to the instructor's attention.
If an emergency interferes with completion of course work near the conclusion of the term you must contact the instructor immediately to discuss the situation, including the possibility being assigned an "incomplete" grade in the course if appropriate. If you "disappear" at the end of the course you are subject to receiving a failing grade in the course.
Attendance may be taken at each class session. You are subject to being dropped from the class for excessive absences or tardies. However, there is no guarantee that you will automatically be dropped if you stop attending without notifying the instructor. You must contact the instructor immediately if you miss a class or if you decide to drop.
The actual number of missed or late classes that may cause you to be dropped varies depending upon how many days the class meets each week. For a two day per week class, you are subject to being dropped upon a third unexcused absence. For a one day per week class you are subject to being dropped upon a second unexcused absence. Late arrival counts as half of an absence, so the threshold in a two day per week class is 4 late arrivals, and in a one day per week class it is two late arrivals.
Final Exam Attendance: The academic term at De Anza College is 12 weeks long. It includes all of week 12. You are required to be available for the scheduled final exam session as per this course green sheet and the college final exam schedule. Do not schedule events that conflict with the scheduled final exam session. You will not be excused from the final exam nor will you be allowed to take it at an alternate time because you failed to note the date and time of the scheduled exam session. Be sure to schedule travel and other end-of-term events so that they do not conflict and jeopardize your course grade.
Special Attendance Policy for Week I: During terms when your course section is full and students are waiting for space to be added to the class, students with a single unexcused absence during the first week are subject to being dropped from the class. It is absolutely critical that you attend each meeting and arrive on time or contact the instructor immediately if an emergency situation affects your attendance.
It is your responsibility to be aware of drop deadlines and to make timely arrangements with me and the registrar if you decide to drop this class. The class schedule lists deadlines for dropping with no record or for dropping with a "W" grade. I cannot guarantee that you will be dropped nor that you will be dropped before official deadlines if you stop attending class.
If meeting a deadline requires my signature or other action on my part, you must contact me during a scheduled class meeting or scheduled office hour before the deadline. I will not back-date drop requests submitted after deadlines.
Special note regarding attendance at the Friday-only sections of Music 51: Because this section meets only once each week, missed classes are a significant concern - each absence is the equivalent of missing a full week of class. For this reason, it is expected that students who must miss a class for valid reasons will attend the appropriate MW section of Music 51 to make up for missed lab time and to learn material presented that week.
Also,
during some terms the number of Friday class meetings is reduced
substantially due to Friday holidays. For example, during a typical fall
term we may lose two of the scheduled eleven meetings - the equivalent
of losing a full two weeks of class! This makes regular attendance at
the remaining class meetings even more critical. If you miss any Friday
class sessions you should always plan to make up missed time by
attending the MW classes. If you miss more than one Friday session you
will be required to do so - failure to do this is cause for dropping you
from the class.
Special note regarding students who add this class: If
you get an add code to add the course after the start of the term, you
must actually complete the add process by the next class meeting. If
you do not take care of this I may not allow you to add and I will drop
you to make room for other students who wish to add if necessary. If
you must wait longer than 24 hours to add the class you must speak to
me about an exception to this policy.Special note regarding late arrival and availability of workstations: After the first five minutes of the period, any unused computers are available for use by students from other electronic music classes. If you arrive later than this you may not be able to use your usual computer.
Final projects are due at the scheduled final exam session. Attendance is Mandatory at the full two-hour scheduled exam session. If you have something else scheduled at this time, you must make arrangements early in the quarter so that you can attend this session.
Attendance is required at the final exam session - no excuses!
Assignments are late if they are not turned in at the time the class session begins. You are responsible for ensuring that you are on time on due dates - arrive early to make sure your work is not late. Better yet, turn your assignments in early.
Quizzes may not be made up, though one may be missed without lowering your grade.
Make-up tests may be possible for students who make prior arrangements with the instructor.
Other late assignments will be penalized 1 letter grade for each class session after the due date.
A penalty of at least one full letter grade on the class presentation assignment will result for students who are not ready to present on their assigned due dates. There is no guarantee that there will be class time available for a later presentation by students who miss their assigned date.
Contact the instructor immediately when you encounter technical problems while working on a project. If a technical problem interferes with your ability to complete a project by the due date, there will be no late penalty only if you contacted the instructor at the time the problem occurred.
Failure to turn in a final project may result in a grade of F for the course.
The majority of students join with faculty members in working to
maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. I take this issue
very seriously, and consequences can and will be very serious for
students who fail to observe these standards.
Students
who cheat or submit the work of others as their own work on assignments, papers,
tests, or any other course assignments on which collaborative work is
not specified are guilty of a serious violation of academic integrity
standards and will be subject to substantial consequences which might lead to
any or all of the following and/or other serious consequences not
listed here: a failing grade on the work in question, a failing grade in
the course, being dropped from the course, reduction in the course
grade, loss of credit for certain portions of the course work including
but not limited to the work in question, college disciplinary action,
and/or notation in their permanent college/academic records. A
productive academic relationship between students and faculty and among
students depends upon mutual trust and shared ethical values. Because
serious violations of academic integrity standards call into question
the integrity of all work submitted by the student, consequences are not
limited to the specific work on which the violation is observed, and previously
submitted work from students who are later found to have violated
standards of academic integrity may be subject to reevaluation.
Be
aware that the inclusion of inappropriate uncredited material may take
multiple forms. Including the ideas and findings of experts without
appropriate credit is one form. Including other students' ideas and
observations in a paper that is to be based on your ideas and
observations is another, as are "borrowing" and/or "re-wording" key
phrases, sentences, observations, descriptions, paragraphs, or concepts
from a friend, a book, a web site or any other source without crediting
the source. Be particularly careful about this when you consider working
on an assignment with other student in the class.
This list is not comprehensive. If in doubt, ask your teacher for guidance.
Cell phone use during class is inappropriate and unacceptable. Having your phone on during class is a distraction to you and others in the classroom. Turn off your cell phone and put it away before entering the classroom. I will ask you to leave class for the day if your phone goes off during class or if you use your phone during class. Setting your phone on "silent" or "vibrate" is not turning it off - "Turn it off" means turn it off. There is one exception to the rule: If you inform me before class that you have a real emergency (e.g. sick child, serious illness in your family, etc.) and you must be on standby so that you can immediately deal with this emergency situation that would otherwise require you to miss class, I will give you one-time permission to leave your phone on and explain what to do when a call or text message arrives.
Visiting your instructor during an office hour can help you succeed at De Anza. Sometimes you may not be sure if you understand the course material; you may be confused about an assignment; or you may feel that the instructor did not grade your work correctly. It is much better to come in and talk about it and solve the problem than it is to leave your issue unresolved.
Perhaps more importantly, a visit helps the instructor get to know you as a person. Many of us have several hundred new students each term! When you take the time to make a personal contact it helps the teacher make the connection between you and the name on the roll sheet.
Please visit me during my office hours, call 408-864-8511, or send email to mitchelldan@deanza.edu any time you have a question or problem relating to the course. You do not need an appointment to see me during an office hour, but you can make one if you prefer. My office is in room A15 in the A1 building located in the Arts Quad. My office hours are:
Monday
8:30-9:20 |
Tuesday
8:30-9:20 |
Wednesday
8:30-9:20 |
Thursday
8:30-9:20 |
Friday
by arrangement only
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(Updated: 4/12/13)
If you cannot visit during a scheduled office hour, I am available to meet at many other times by arrangement. For example, I am often available at 11:30 MTWTh or at 2:30 on MTWTh. Call me or send email to set up an alternate office visit. (Office hours are subject to change as announced in class and on my web sites.)
Green Sheet Notes* Break time is built into the schedule for two hour classes at De Anza College. Traditionally the Intermediate Electronic Music class has not taken a break in the middle of the period, so the "break" will begin at 2:10 with the agreement of the class.
Note: Because new course content and software is being introduced in the Intermediate Electronic Music course the calendar is subject to changes to be announced in class.
Week 1
4/8-4/12
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- First class meeting
- Administrative issues, intro to software and equipment, Logic Pro review
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Week 2
4/15-4/19
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- Introduction to Logic Pro 8 and Reason software.
- Assignment 1 (Logic Review) - due date announced in class.
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Week 3
4/22-4/26
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- Reason software
- Electronic music history topic 1**.
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Week 4
4/29-5/3
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- Reason software continued.
- Electronic music history topic quiz 1**.
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Week 5
5/6-5/10
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- Advanced Logic Pro topics
- Electronic music history topic 2**.
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Week 6
5/13-5/17
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- Advanced Logic Pro Topics
- Electronic music history topic quiz 2**.
- Introduction to the Class Presentation project.
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Week 7
5/20-5/24
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- Software synthesis - Logic plugins
- Electronic music history topic 3**.
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Week 8
5/28-5/31
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- Software synthesis - Logic plugins and Reason
- Electronic music history topic 3 quiz**.
- Class Presentation proposals due on Tuesday.
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Week 9
6/3-6/7
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- Electronic Music history topic test.**
- Intro to Final Project
- Possible start of class presentations - depends on number of students enrolled in the class.
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Week 10
6/10-6/14
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- Other music software - e.g. notation software.
- Presentations
- attendance required - Tuesday/Thursday @ 12:30-2:20
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Week 11
6/17-6/21
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- Presentations - attendance required - Tuesday/Thursday @ 12:30-2:20
- Work on Final Projects
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Week 12
6/24-6/28
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- Final Exam Session: FRIDAY, JUNE 28 at 11:30-1:30 .
- Attendance is Mandatory at the full two-hour scheduled exam session.
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(Page management: master list of calendar dates)
Calendar Notes:
* The
number of presentation sessions varies depending upon enrollment.
Presentations may start either two or three weeks before final exams
week.
** Note also that the quiz schedule may vary from what is shown here - announcements to be made in class.
The schedule is subject to change.
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