COURSE UNIT TITLE

: COMPOSING AND PRODUCING ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC 2

DEGREE PROGRAMMES

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
MZK 3050 COMPOSING AND PRODUCING ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC 2 ELECTIVE 2 0 1 3

Offered By

Composition

Level of Course Unit

First Cycle Programmes (Bachelor's Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ONUR NURCAN

Offered to

Composition

Course Objective

This class will explore the different genres of dance music, and will delve deeply into the more subtle aspects of programming such as groove templates and structural psychology.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Students will learn to differentiate the styles of musical communication as they differ from club music to popular songs to classical music.
2   Students will learn to program nuanced dance music tracks, taking advantage of all the core structural functions of the genre.
3   Students will learn to use a Digital Audio Workstation to create completed, polished electronic dance music compositions.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Review of the crucial structural features of contemporary electronic dance music.
2 Revisiting the break and drop and the primary communication system between listener and producer.
3 Towards deeper grooves: an examination of groove templates and non-quantized rhythmic elements.
4 Detailed genre study: minimal techno
5 Dance music through traditional harmonic lens. How the logic of tonality in dance music is fundamentally different from Western art music traditions.
6 Aleatoric systems using Max for Live and Clip "follow" actions.
7 Advanced arpeggiator programming.
8 Advanced effect programming.
9 The "Always Maximal" philosophy of building energetic large-scale structures.
10 The DJ mixer and live performance. Live effects and breaks.
11 Present opening gesture of the final composition and analyze its implications in class.
12 Set sequencing.
13 Present first half of final project in class.
14 Present complete final projects in class. Critique and revise.
15 Final Performance/presentation of revised projects in a venue appropriate to the genre.

Recomended or Required Reading

Manzo, V.J., Interactive Composition: Strategies Using Ableton Live and Max for Live, Oxford University Press, 2015
Snoman, Rick, Dance Music Manual: Tools, Toys, and Techniques, Focal Press, 2013
Bess, Josh, Electronic Dance Music Grooves: House, Techno, Hip-Hop, Dubstep, and More!, Hal Leonard, 2015
Hewitt, Michael, Composition for Computer Musicians, Centage Learning, 2009
Manning, Peter, Electronic and Computer Music, Oxford University Press, 2013
Collins, Nick and d'Escrivan, Julio (eds.),The Cambridge Companion to Electronic Music, Cambridge University Press, 2007

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lectures will consist of listening to electronic dance music pieces, software programming examples, as well as examinations and trials of different dance music production techniques.

Assignments will consist of numerous small composition/programming projects, as well as one larger final electronic dance music composition project.

Assessment Methods

Successful / Unsuccessful

Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

The assignments will be evaluated on the basis of timeliness, creativity, adherence to the assignment's parameters, and on clarity of musical function.

The project will also be evaluated on the basis of timeliness, creativity, adherence to the assignment's parameters, and on clarity of musical function.

Language of Instruction

Turkish

Course Policies and Rules

70% attendance is mandatory.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

Pieter Snapper
psnapper@gmail.com

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 14 3 42
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 14 1 14
Preparing assignments 14 1 14
Design Project 1 15 15
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 85

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13PO.14PO.15
LO.1312211
LO.222211
LO.3232311

CONTACT INFORMATION
Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Cumhuriyet Bulvarı No: 144 35210 Alsancak / İZMİR
Phone: +90(232) 412 12 12 - Fax: +90 (232) 464 81 35

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