Assigned Date: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024
Due Date: Wednesday, Oct. 30
Due Time: 30 mins before class
By Friday, Oct. 25, identify the soundscape story line / space / narrative you selected on the Ed Discussion board (30 mins before class – again).
Contents
Assignment
This assignment explores musique concrète (also see this), acousmatic music (also see this), and soundscapes.
In this context, write a Jython program that generates an interesting piece of music.
Remember – we are thinking of music as sound organized in time.
Initial Design
As you begin, think of the following:
- Select a theme, concept, or story.
- Then, think of a narrative or structure. What are you trying to say?
- Think of the difference between impressionism and expressionism, as discussed in class.
- Are you after an impression, an emotion, an aesthetic?
- Is there a narrative?
- What are the primitive elements – sound objects?
After you decide on the above:
- Think of Interest Curves.
- Draw your interest curve, first… This will save you immense time.
- Then, on top of this drawing, describe / write in the piece elements. How will you achieve these interest points?
- Where does each sound begin? Where does it end?
- Drawing it on paper – first – this will expedite writing in Python.
- Experimenting in Python is OK, but remember to return back to your paper drawing.
- You will submit your drawing together with your program. Do it first – it will save you time.
Technical Details
Your piece should follow these:
- 1-min long – a little more is ok (but no less).
- Utilize 7 +/- 2 of individual, unique sound recordings – stored as WAV files, loaded in as AudioSamples.
- You may record them, or download them from the Internet.
- If you download them from the Internet, provide names and URLs in the header documentation – VERY IMPORTANT.
- Keep your recordings short – less than a second, up to 7 seconds long. No more (but ask me, if your idea requires an exception to this – I may allow it).
- Store all your WAV files in the same folder as your program and JEM.
- Use AudioSamples only – no MIDI.
Piece Performance
- Use a Score (different phrases, parts, and notes) to structure and lay out your piece.
- Consider creating sound loops, from smaller sound objects. See example presented in class.
- To make your piece more interesting, consider structuring your sounds as:
- background (backdrop / carpet sound – ambient, longest sounds – probably for the duration of the piece – provides context),
- horizon (middleground – longer sounds – define different sections in your story, narrative, if any), and
- foreground (prominent sound events – immediate sound events that grab your attention, and move the story / idea forward).
- Consider adding things, but also taking away things.
- Sometimes, less is more.
Final Thoughts:
- Design, design, design…
- Think. Ask questions on the Ed discussion board.
- And of course, start early.
Remember
What is your piece about? What is the story, emotion, or soundscape it tries to convey?
Draw the interest curve of your piece. How are you going to achieve these changes in interest (add something, subtract something)?
What sounds will you use?
How will you overlay them? Draw this out on paper first.
Design, design, design – think and make decisions on paper. Code later. Return back to paper often. Do NOT think in code… think on paper.
Always remember the adage –
“20 hours of coding… can save you two hours of design!!!”
Program Documentation
Follow the documentation instructions from Homework 1. In particular, your header documentation should:
- Mention the name of the piece and what it is trying to capture / achieve.
- The names and URLs of any sounds you used from the Internet (or elsewhere).
- Anything else that’s interesting to share.
Remember, the Golden Rule of Style: “A program should be as easy for a human being to read and understand as it is for a computer to execute.” [1] Your code should have general comments at the top, which explain what the program does. You should comment all variables, obscure statements, and blocks of code.
Follow the textbook examples on how to write comments.
Submissions
Your program should have a meaningful name, e.g., stairwayToHeaven.py.
1. Bring to class the following:
- Your initial design on paper. Write your name on it.
- A printout of your Python program.
- Be ready to perform your program in class – part of your grade depends on this.
2. Also, submit on OAKS:
- Your Python (.py) file, and
- all your audio files, so I can run it on my computer, if I wish.
Grading
Your grade will be based on how well you followed the above instructions, and the depth/quality of your work.
Reference
- Cooper, D. and Clancy, M. (1985) “Oh! Pascal”, 2nd ed., W.W. Norton & Company, New York, p. 42.
