Bill Alves - Current Courses
- Integrative Experience 144 - Mathematics and Music: The Cosmic Harmony.
A seminar exploring some of the many intersections between mathematics and music within our own and non-Western cultures, including proportion in art, tuning systems, algorithmic composition, artificial intelligence and creativity, and music synthesis. We will also examine the ethical, aesthetic, and cultural ramifications of compression technology, sampling, downloading, and the effects of technology on music and vice-versa.
- Media Studies 127s - The Harmony of Sound and Light.
A hands-on exploration of the use of technology to closely integrate sound and computer generated or manipulated images and the aesthetic background to such art forms. Prerequisites: CS 5 or equivalent knowledge of computer programming. Enrollment limited to 18.
- Music 49 - American Gamelan Ensemble.
Rehearsal and performance of new compositions for instruments adapted from the gamelan, a Javanese orchestra of metallophones and gongs. No prior experience on these instruments is required, but some ability to read Western music notation is a prerequisite.
- Music 63 - Music of the Peoples of the World.
This course will cover the fundamentals of music and listening through a survey of traditional music around the world. Among those cultures covered will be those of sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Japan, China, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Neither an ability to read music nor any other background in music is required.
- Music 88 - Introduction to Computer Music.
This course will cover the basics of using a general purpose computer to generate and manipulate digital sounds. The primary software used will be csound on a Macintosh, though compilation on faster Unix machines will also be available. While this course will not concentrate on MIDI instruments, their integration with computer-generated sound files will be explored. A background in computers is helpful, but not required. The artistic applications of computer music technologies will also be discussed, and, while a background in music will be helpful for this, it is also not required. Most of the coursework will consist of short hands-on projects as well as a major final project. The final project is generally a computer music composition or realization, but other possibilities will be offered for those students who do not feel comfortable composing. Enrollment limited to 25.
- Music 104 - Music Since 1900.
The explosive changes of the last hundred years have created one of the most
tumultous but exciting periods of the arts in history. Art music has matched the last
century's diversity and change, mirrored its excitement and tragedies. As we move into
the twenty-first century art music has continued to challenge as it has begun to break
down barriers between high and low art, between East and West, old and new. This course
is a creative look at these multifaceted styles, techniques, and expressions that
have made art music so powerful. Prerequisite: Ability to read scores.
- Music 179 - Film Music.
An exploration of the history and aesthetics of the use of music in cinema, primarily the Hollywood film from the so-called silent era to the present. The course will include the development of skills of listening analysis and writing about music in the context of narrative film. No background in music or film history is required.
- Writing 1 - Introduction to Academic Writing
A seminar devoted to effective writing strategies and conventions that apply across academic disciplines. The course emphasizes clarity, concision, and coherence in sentences, paragraphs, and arguments.
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Updated on December 28, 2010 by Bill Alves alves @ hmc.edu.