This course introduces students to technologies of music from historical, philosophical, and practical hands-on perspectives. We will consider music technologies from throughout history, from player pianos to synthesizers, radios to autotune, tape machines to DAWS. We will question whether these technologies are just tools or if they hold ethical values that connect to other aspects of cultural identity, such as gender, race, and sexuality. Topics of study include the physics of sound and psychoacoustics; case studies on compositional techniques such as musique concrète and electronic synthesis; studio mixing, recording and production techniques; and digital sampling and editing software. This course is required for Lang Contemporary Music majors/minors.

This course introduces students to technologies of music from historical, philosophical, and practical hands-on perspectives. We will consider music technologies from throughout history, from player pianos to synthesizers, radios to autotune, tape machines to DAWS. We will question whether these technologies are just tools or if they hold ethical values that connect to other aspects of cultural identity, such as gender, race, and sexuality. Topics of study include the physics of sound and psychoacoustics; case studies on compositional techniques such as musique concrète and electronic synthesis; studio mixing, recording and production techniques; and digital sampling and editing software. This course is required for Lang Contemporary Music majors/minors.