Course
Description
General introduction to the science of sound and its application to musical
composition and performance. Both vibration (physical world) and sound
(perceptual world) will be investigated. 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 basic
mathematical and physical concepts. 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,
reproduction, 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 schemes are compared and contrasted to an
alternative classification system based on coustical organology. Additional topics include architectural acoustics
and the course format combines lectures, audio-visual demonstrations, and discussions.
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