Course Info



SYLLABUS

Course:
PAT413 / PAT 555
Course Title:
Electronic Chamber Music
Meeting Times:
Tuesday/Thursday 12:00-1:30pm
Location:
Davis Technology Studio (Moore 0376)
Instructors:
Prof. Michael Gurevich
Office:
2047 Moore
Phone:
734-647-4458
E-mail:
Office Hours:
Tuesday 9:30-11:30am in the PAT Workshop
and by Appointment
Class Website:
ElectronicChamberMusic.blogspot.com


Course Description

To be a 21st-century performing artist inevitably requires engagement with technology; digital technologies have become integral at every level and stage of artmaking: creation, production, documentation, and distribution. This project-based course will provide performing artists and technologists with the opportunity to engage meaningfully with media technologies through the collaborative creation of a substantial piece of the work. Performing artists of any discipline (including instrumental and vocal musicians, dancers, actors, composers, directors, designers) will team up with Performing Arts Technology students and work on semester-long projects at the intersection of technology and the arts.



Projects:
  •        are devised by each student team
  •        may be in any style or genre
  •        may involve original compositions and/or pieces from the repertoire
  •        may use fixed media and realtime or generative elements
  •        but MUST culminate in a live performance.

Learning Objectives

Students in this course should:
  •        Gain experiential understanding of media arts technologies—their principles, applications, and limitations
  •        Learn to employ technology in a high-stakes, real-world environment with multiple stakeholders and diverse creative interests
  •        Produce a substantial piece of work that integrates technology and performance in innovative ways
  •        Experience both the creative rewards and constraints of working in a peer-based collaboration

Grading (1000 points)

Blog Participation 10% (100 points)
Reflective Writing 10% (100 points)
Class Participation 15% (150 points)
Final Project Process 30% (300 points) 

Final Project Outcome 35% (350 points)


Grading Scale



A+ = 100-98
A = 97-93
A- = 92-90
B+ = 89-87
B = 86-83
B- = 82-80
C+ = 79-77
C = 76-73
C- = 72-70
D+ = 69-67
D = 66-63
D- = 62-60



Attendance and Participation

Attendance and active participation in all class meetings are essential. This includes project workshop sessions, in which you will be expected to demonstrate weekly progress and bring questions or problems you are facing. Your grade will be lowered for each unexcused absence. 

The participation grade will be awarded for:
1) Showing up to all meetings, on time, with everything you need;
2) Actively participating, being present and fully engaged;
3) Being attentive and engaged when your peers are presenting, and offering constructive feedback.

There is no specific weight attached to these 3 criteria.


Blog Participation

Regular blog participation is expected of all students. Learning to communicate clearly and document your process is essential both in collaborations and in securing funding and space for your future endeavors. Participation in the discussion on the collective main blog page which may include original posts on topics pertinent to the class, posts on subjects discussed in class, substantive replies to other students’ or instructors’ posts, and sharing of pertinent links or videos accompanied by a substantive commentary. Students will also be given specific prompts to respond to. Graded blog posts will be assigned for 25 points each and extra posts will go towards class participation.


Reflective Writing
There will be periodic reflective writing exercises that will be submitted privately to the instructor. These are intended to prompt reflection on your process — how you are working — with the aim of critically refining your communication and your modes/methods of engagement. Each should be around 500 words. It is expected that you will engage seriously and critically with these.

Final Project Process
The Process grade is a measure of the 'distance you traveled' over the course of the project, and the level of investment in the process you have demonstrated. You will have a chance to show your Project Process in three graded ‘In Class Presentations’ throughout the semester, assigned 75 points each. The grade is NOT for the performance itself, but for the cumulative effort and engagement with the process to that point. The final 75 points of the 300 points awarded for process will be given at the end of the semester as an overall grade on process.



In most cases, the first three process grades will be the same for all group members, unless there is a serious non-participation issue. The overall process grade may vary between group members depending on individual effort, engagement, and development.

Final Project Outcome
The Final Project will be presented in a public concert on April 10 In the Davis Studio. We will strive to have a professional level deliverable of whatever form on that date; i.e. polished content and glitch-free presentation. This necessarily entails meeting outside of class time for rehearsal. Note that the Davis Studio becomes incredibly busy at the end of the semester, so plan your use of the room accordingly.



Discussion Guidelines
Your success in this class depends on engaged, constructive participation in discussion and critique, within your project team as well as among the entire group. Effective communication is essential to any collaboration. Among the aims of this class is to gain experience in clearly communicating your ideas and concepts, and in giving and receiving feedback and critique.

It is important to understand that our identities are often wrapped up in our ideas. Therefore, it is especially important that we pay attention to how we give criticism and how we receive it.

Below are a set of guidelines for discussions, both within your project team and the larger class. Please revisit them throughout the semester. You will be reminded of them periodically as well.

1. Be courteous. Don’t interrupt or engage in private conversations while others are speaking. Avoid in-jokes or other exclusionary behaviors.

2. Allow everyone the chance to talk. If you have much to say, try to hold back a bit; if you are hesitant to speak, look for opportunities to contribute to the discussion. If you notice someone else hasn’t had an opportunity to speak, try to actively include them in the conversation.

3. Be aware of disciplinary knowledge and conventions. We can’t assume that everyone will be familiar with with the same set of terms or concepts. We all probably have knowledge and experiences that are unique to us. Be generous in sharing and explaining what you know, but don’t diminish someone else for not already having this knowledge. We are here to learn from each other.

4. Celebrate diversity. Try to be aware that your personal experience, background, and convictions may lead you to different conclusions or interpretations than someone else. This can be an asset; a basis for healthy discussion and mutual understanding.

5. Be constructive. As we develop works-in-progress, we will have incomplete ideas, and not all ideas will be great or even feasible. It is often easy to identify areas that need to be fleshed out, but rather than interrogating with questions only to highlight the incompleteness, try to offer constructive suggestions or possibilities. Think about statements like “What if…” or “I could see this…” or “It could be cool if…”

6. Qualify your statements as opinions or ideas: “I think,” “I suggest,” “It seems to me,” are good ways to start constructive critiques. If you disagree with something that is said, challenge or criticize the idea, not the person.

7. Listen carefully to what others are saying even when you disagree with what is being said. Comments that you make (asking for clarification, sharing critiques, expanding on a point, etc.) should reflect that you have paid attention to the speaker’s comments.

8. If you are offended by something or think someone else might be, speak up and don't leave it for someone else to have to respond to it.

9. These guidelines apply to online discussion, email, as well as in-person. Recall that it is often more difficult to decode sarcasm or humor in written communication than verbally.

10. Even though some of our communication will take place online in a blog setting, this remains an academic endeavor. Your style of writing should reflect this. Try to avoid excessive colloquialisms, omgs, ;-)s and the like.


Course Schedule (Subject to Change)

Date
Activity
Th Jan. 9
Introductions, Course overview
T Jan. 14
Exercises in Collaboration /
Developing a Framework and Language for Critique

Th Jan. 16
Exercises in Collaboration /
Developing a Framework and Language for Critique

T Jan. 21
Discussion of Protest Music
Th Jan. 23
Class time to develop ideas in your groups
T Jan. 28
Initial Ideas Presentations
Th Jan. 30
Coachings, schedule tbd
T Feb. 4
Coachings, schedule tbd
Th Feb. 6
Coachings, schedule tbd
T Feb. 11
Work-in-Progress Presentation 1
Th Feb. 13
Work-in-Progress Presentation 1
T Feb. 18
Coachings, schedule tbd
Th Feb. 20
Coachings, schedule tbd
T Feb. 25
Coachings, schedule tbd
Th Feb. 27
Coachings, schedule tbd
T Mar. 3
No Class – Spring Break
Th Mar. 5
No Class – Spring Break


T Mar. 10
Work-in-Progress Presentation 2
Th Mar. 12
Work-in-Progress Presentation 2
T Mar. 17
Coachings, schedule tbd
Th Mar. 19
Coachings, schedule tbd
T Mar. 24
Coachings, schedule tbd
Th Mar. 26
Coachings, schedule tbd
T Mar. 31
Work-in-Progress Presentation 3
Th Apr. 2
Work-in-Progress Presentation 3
T Apr. 7
Coachings, schedule tbd
Th Apr. 9
Dress Rehearsal
F Apr. 10, 8pm
CONCERT – Call Time: 6:00pm
T Apr. 14
Reflection, wrap-up
Th. Apr. 16
NO CLASS
T. Apr. 21
NO CLASS