Home   /   CITA/CSCI 180 – FYE  – Computers, Music and Art – Fall 2024

CITA/CSCI 180 – FYE  – Computers, Music and Art – Fall 2024

When/Where

CITA/CSCI 180-01 / FYE (ARCH):  MWF 12:30 – 1:20pm / Harbor Walk East 301

CITA/CSCI 180-02:  MWF 1:30 – 2:20pm / Harbor Walk East 301

Description

This course will introduce computer programming and music through the study, transcription, and creation of musical works. It will also introduce computer graphics, image processing and visual art. Computing topics include data types, variables, assignment, selection, iteration, lists, functions, classes, events, and graphical user interfaces. Students will experience computer programming as a medium for the development of musical and visual art works and practices, such as algorithmic composition, computer art, developing simple instruments, electroacoustic music, minimalism, and computer graphics.

Course is open to all majors. No previous programming experience required.

Prerequisites by Topic

  1. Basic computer experience, including file organization and software installation.
  2. Interest in developing intelligent-listening and sound-structuring skills.

Course syllabus

Course syllabus (PDF).

Additional Course Requirements

  1. Bring your laptop to class.
  2. Bring headphones to class.

Assignments

Homework #1, Homework #2, Homework #3, Homework #4, Homework #5, Homework #6, Final Project.

Test Dates

  • Test 1: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024
  • Test 2: TBA
  • Final Exam: Be careful – there are two final exams (look for the one for your section)
    • CITA/CSCI 180-01 / FYE (ARCH): 1-3pm, Wednesday, December 4, 2024
    • CITA/CSCI 180-02: 1-3pm, Friday, December 6, 2024

References

  1. Course survey:
  2. Ed discussion board – place to ask questions, and contribute to answers.
  3. Video of CSCI 180 final project (Dec. 2010) – a laptop orchestra!
  4. Bloom’s Taxonomy – or how deep is your knowledge? – memorize, understand, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate.
  5. The Antikythera Mechanism – the first known(!) computer.
  6. Cymatics
    1. How Sound Affects You: Cymatics, An Emerging Science.  It is the study of visible sound vibration.  It demonstrates and provides insight into the interchangeable / interrelated nature of sound, number, and matter.
    2. Evan Grant demonstrates the science and art of cymatics, a process for making soundwaves visible. Useful for analyzing complex sounds, it also makes complex and beautiful designs, and demonstrates how the universe is full of “music” – actually, particles that vibrate in different frequencies, where sound is only a small subset of a much larger (universal) phenomenon.
  7. Donald Duck – Golden Mean: The Golden Ratio according to Walt Disney.
  8. The Harmony of the World – A Realization for the Ear of Johannes Kepler’s Astronomical Data from Harmonices Mundi 1619, by Willie Ruff and John Rodgers.  Also, here is a description of the project.
    1. Also, see Titius-Bode law,
    2. Kepler’s three laws of planetary motion, and
    3. Music of the Spheres – musica universalis (literally universal music), also called music of the spheres or harmony of the spheres, is a philosophical concept that considers proportions in the movements of celestial bodies as being harmonious, not unlike the harmonies we find in (or build into) music.
  9. Some images of Fractals in Nature.
  10. John Cage’s 4’33” – performed by the Berlin Philharmonic (one of the top orchestras in the world, distinguished “for its virtuosity and compelling sound”), and an explanation of it.
  11. Seikilos Epitaph – the oldest surviving complete musical composition notation, from anywhere in the world.
  12. TED Talk: How to read music – sheet music may look complicated, but once you’ve gotten the hang of a few simple elements like notes, bars and clefs, you’re ready to rock. Tim Hansen hits the basics you need to read music.
  13. Music Theory in 16 Minutes – the essentials of music theory in just 16 minutes! What is an octave? How do you make scales? What are intervals? What’s the difference between major and minor? What is the circle of fifths?! All explained in less time than it takes to make and eat a really nice sandwich!!!
  14. Intro to Pair Programming. This 3-minute video describes what pair programming is, and how to do it effectively.

Software

  • JythonMusic provides software for music-making and creative computing. It is a collection of Jython libraries for music, images, graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and connecting to external MIDI devices, smartphones, and tablets, among others.
  • Audacity is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems.
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