| Instructor: Dr Ho Chee Kong |
Module Description
Everyone knows what music is and what it means to him or her. Some of us listen
to music, some talk about it, and some of us make music. One of the reasons
why music is so much a part of our lives is that music often reflects the culture
and the society in which we live. In this module, we will examine the music
of our time, in particular, the influence of technology on the music and the
effects of technology on the aesthetics of music in the twentieth century.
As we move through the module, we will touch on many disciplines: music acoustics,
physics, cognitive sciences, electronic audio technology, computer science,
and criticism. Our multicultural background provides us with many opportunities
to compare how musical instruments can be similar or different from one another.
For example, consider the similarities and differences between western and Asian
percussion instruments, or between the Asian and western bowed instruments,
and so on. Through some of these instruments, we will explore how technology
can bring about an eclectic mix of these diverse musical elements.
The materials for this course will be presented through lectures, readings,
discussions, demonstrations, writings, experimentation and concert attendance
(whenever possible). There will be a basic introduction to the multimedia lab
to see what are some of the basic techniques involved in music sequencing and
digital audio recording.
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