c o u r s e s

m u s i c a l   a c o u s t i c s

Course Description
[under construction]
General introduction to the science of sound and its application to musical composition and performance. The course emphasizes those areas of acoustics where scientific knowledge can enhance musical performance and increase musical awareness. Most topics are approached through relevant musical examples and discussions incorporate the five basic components of musical acoustics: physics, music, physiology, perception, and cognition.  In the examination of musical instruments, the acoustical features of instrument design are related to their function in musical performance, incorporating live performances on a variety of instruments. 
Students are introduced to digital sound recording, processing, and analysis and apply these skills to acoustical analysis of an instrument of their choice. Depending on the students’ level of expertise, signal analysis techniques can be combined with musical instrument modeling, offering converging methods of investigation. Special emphasis is placed on the acoustics of non-Western musical instruments. Traditional organology / instrument classification is compared and contrasted to an alternative classification system based on acoustical organology, introduced in the class. Additional topics include room and architectural acoustics as well as analogue and digital sound recording and reproduction.

Text
Hall, D. E. (1991). Musical Acoustics (2nd Ed.). Pacific Grove, Ca.: Brooks/Cole.

Topics