Music Computing

This degree addresses the rapidly evolving and innovative subject area of music computing. It fosters further development of interdisciplinary understanding across the broad fields of computer science, creative practice and musical research, and is designed to meet the opportunities, challenges and intellectual demands presented by careers in the culture industries, in music technology and in audio, music and media-related computing.

What you Study

Throughout the programme you will encounter the most up-to-date technologies and programming methods, and explore current issues in programme design, sonic art, contemporary composition, music theory and musicology. You will study how computers listen and analyse sounds and music, how they can derive, generate or ‘invent' processes and structures for music, and how such processes are rendered into music in the form of audio or printed musical text.

You will cultivate the critical, technical and intellectual skills needed to analyse problems, design and implement solutions on computers, and communicate your ideas in a variety of forms. You will also develop an awareness of diversity in music and the diversity of values, critical stances and analytical methods in their historical and cultural contexts. The programme encompasses a wide range of repertoires of music, offering modules that reference various aspects of film music, western art and contemporary music, popular music, ‘world' music, sound art and electronic music. By exploring the interrelationships between theories of music and computing, and between theoretical understanding and creative practice, you develop the knowledge and skills to create your own independent research project in your final year.

Facilities: The Department of Computing has five laboratories equipped with PCs, Macs and a wide range of software packages for media and creative work. The Department of Music's Electronic Music Studios comprise a suite of facilities, including a recording studio, two multi- channel rooms and a number of small studios equipped with audio software, including Pro Tools and Max/MSP. There are also two labs for sequencing, music processing and multimedia.

Mode of Attendance : Full - time