Note: Reference copies of green sheets from previous terms may be available from the Archive page.

Summer session students: There is a separate Intro to Electronic Music Greensheet (Summer) for students taking the class during summer session.

Welcome to Intro to Electronic Music

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

Description

Advisory: READ 201 and EWRT 100A or LART 200 or ESL 161-163. Two hours lecture and two hours lecture/laboratory.

Introduction to Electronc Music introduces the use of keyboard synthesizers, drum machines, and sequencing software to create music in a variety of styles; basic studio techniques; introduction to Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI); basic historical developments in electronic music; creation of music/audio projects using basic electronic music hardware and software. Some prior music experience is recommended but not required.

Text and Materials

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: 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 512Mb 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.

Labs

Some time for lab work is provided during scheduled class time. Additional practice time may be available after the start of the term and, if so, will be announced in class. In general we try to make a few hours of open lab available on most days - and many of you will want to use these times for your class projects.

Studio Rules

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.

Grading

Written Tests

Two written tests will be given - each is worth 15% of the total course grade. Tests count for 30% of the course grade.

Quizzes

Quizzes will be given several times during the term. They include questions of the type found on the tests and serve as reviews for these tests. Missed quizzes may not be made up, but one may be missed without penalty. Quizzes count for 20% of the course grade.

Assignments and Projects

Written and recorded MIDI assignments will be due throughout the quarter. Your Studio Logs are due each week. Other assignments may be based on assigned listening and/or reading. This work counts for 20% of the course grade.

Final Project

Final projects are due at the scheduled final exam session - see the course calendar below. (Note: Because this class extends through more than one class hour, the final session may be rescheduled by the instructor for either of the sessions.) Attendance is required, so make early arrangements to avoid schedule conflicts. Most students play back a piece realized in the De Anza College electronic music studio for their projects. Project details will be described later. Final projects are weighted at 30% of the course grade - but failure to complete a final project may result in a failing grade for the course.

Attendance at the final exam session is required - no excuses!

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

Attendance will 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 after your second unexcused absence. For a one day per week class you are subject to being dropped after one 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.

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.

Late Work

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 midterms 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.

Contact the instructor immediately when you encounter technical problems in the lab. If a technical problem interferes with your completion of 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.

Copying and Cheating

Students who cheat or submit the work of others as their own work on papers, tests, or any other course assignments on which collaborative work is not specified are subject to serious consequences including an automatic failing grade in the course and a notation in their college records.

Cell Phones

Cell phone use during class is inappropriate and unacceptable. Turn off your cell phone and put it away before entering the classroom. I will ask you to leave if your phone goes off during class or if you use your phone during class.

Having your phone on during class is a distraction to you and others in the classroom. Under normal circumstances cell phones are to be turned off and put away. 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 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 and you would otherwise have to miss class, the following applies:

You must inform me of the emergency at the start of the period.
I'll ask you to sit where you can make a quick and quiet exit to answer the call outside the classroom.
Your phone must be on the silent setting.
When a call comes in you must leave the room before answering.

Bottom line: Unless you clear your legitimate emergency with me ahead of class you may not have your phone on during class and you may not answer calls or text during class. (You really can live without your phone for the duration of a class. Try it. You'll see. :-)

Office Hours

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:

I may meet some or all of my office hours in room A91 rather than in my office. I'll make an announcement in class.

Monday
11:30-12:20

Tuesday
11:30-12:20

Wednesday
11:30-12:20

Thursday
11:30-12:20

Friday
9:30-10:20

(Office hours are subject to change as announced in class and on my web sites.)

If you cannot visit during a scheduled office hour, I am available to meet at many other times by arrangement. Call me or send email to set up an alternate office visit. When I'm online you may be able to contact me at DeAnzaDan using Instant Messenger.

Calendar

(Display calendar on separate page)

Week: 1| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

Please note that some assignments deadlines are not listed on this page. They will be announced in class and/or appear on the quizzes and assignments pages.

Week 1 9/21-9/25	First Class Meeting: Assign Labs and Tutoring Sessions Join the web site before second class meeting. Intro to the classroom/workstation procedures Introduction to the Garage Band software.

Week 2 9/28-10/2	Garage Band software continued. Intro to Logic Software: MIDI recording, basic editing.

Week 3 10/5-10/9	Continued: Logic Software: MIDI recording, basic editing. Electronic Music History Topic 1 Garage Band project due: Intro to Electronic Music Assignment 1

Week 4 10/12-10/16	Logic Software: controlling volume and panning, using additional tracks. Logic project due: Intro to Electronic Music Assignment 2 Quiz 1 on first Electronic Music history topic due (Monday/Friday).

Week 5 10/19-10/23	Loop recording, aliases, copies, etc Logic project due: Intro to Electronic Music Assignment 3

Week 6 10/26-10/30	Audio loops, Apple loops Quantization Quiz 2 on Electronic Music history topic due TBA.

Week 7 11/2-11/6	IMPORTANT FALL TERM NOTE FOR FRIDAY CLASS - On two of the remaining four weeks there will be no Friday class due to holidays. For this reason we will accelerate the pace of the course during the last few weeks, and some assignment, quiz, test dates listed here are likely to change. Logic software synths. Logic Assignment due: Intro to Electronic Music Assignment 4 Test #1 Wednesday for MW class and on Friday for the Friday class.

Week 8 11/9-11/12	Holiday: De Anza College closed on Friday for Veterans Day Holiday. Loop recording ("cycle") and punching in/out ("drop"). Logic Assignment due: Intro to Electronic Music Assignment 5.

Week 9 11/16-11/20	Audio editing in Logic Logic assignment due: Intro to Electronic Music Assignment 6 (date subject to change) Introduction to final projects. Quiz #3 - TBA

Week 10 11/23-11/25	Holiday: De Anza College closed on Thursday/Friday for Thanksgiving Holiday. Electronic music history and other topics. Continue work on final project. Quiz #4 - TBA

Week 11 11/30-12/4	Preview of final projects. Written Test #2 for Friday-only class (for spring 2009 this may be moved to the final exam schedule)

Week 12 12/7-12/11	Monday - Written Test #2 for Monday/Wednesday class. at regularly scheduled class meeting. Final Exam Sessions - Intro to Electronic Music Final Project Playback - Attendance is Mandatory MW Class: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, December 11 Friday class: 9:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m. Wednesday, December 9.

(Page management: master list of calendar dates)

The schedule lists major topics. Other topics - including outside listening and reading - will be announced during the course. The schedule is subject to change.