SYLLABUS
Course:
|
PAT413 / PAT 555
|
Course Title:
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Electronic Chamber Music
|
Meeting Times:
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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:
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Tuesday 9:30-11:30am in
the PAT Workshop
and by Appointment
|
Class Website:
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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)
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.
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
|
