Module COMP4221: Advanced Music Computing

Department: Computer Science

COMP4221: Advanced Music Computing

Prerequisites

• COMP3721: Introduction to Music Computing. Students do not need to have theoretical or practical expertise in music beyond what is developed and used in COMP3721

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• This course develops advanced understanding and skills for computational modelling, analysis, creation and performance of music. The focus will be on the practical application of recent developments in the field.

Content

• Mathematical and computational models of musical structures and features
• Automated analysis of individual and collected pieces of music e.g. in setlists, albums, published collections and corpora
• Creative practices in computational music, including algorithmic processes for creation/composition of music and live coding
• Examples of computational techniques and software used within popular and classical music

Learning Outcomes

• On completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
• Understanding of recent developments in computational techniques for representing, manipulating, analysing and creating music
• Advanced knowledge of software tools used in computational music practice

• On completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
• The use of recent software tools to perform automated analyses of pieces or collections of music
• The creation of music using advanced computational tools

• On completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
• Analysis of large and disparate data sets
• Selection and application of mathematical and computational concepts in a specific domain

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Workshops introduce specific topics, primarily from recent developments in the field (both academic reports and major code base updates). They also enable students to experiment with the topics at hand. Each workshop serves as the basis for a possible final submission (see ‘summative assessment’).
• Summative assessment involves student-proposed/selected projects (individual or group) to create artefacts related to computational music: tools, analyses, compositions or performances. Assessment will be based on techniques used, not artistic merit.
• The report element of the coursework consists of a written assignment supported by code.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Formative assessment involves presenting work in progress to the group, to receive peer review and instructor review on the feasibility, novelty, and value of the proposed project.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University