Areas of Study
Music Technology
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The Music Technology curriculum at the Department of Music of the University of Montana includes four courses in computer music composition, and a summer course in studio recording techniques and sound design.
The first class, MUS 170: Introduction to Music Technology: Digital Audio and Multitracking, centers on the composition of Musique Concrète, covering the theory and application of recording, editing, processing, mixing, and spatializing digital audio, using Peak and Digital Performer software, while studying the history of electroacoustic music.
In the second class, MUS 271: Sequencing, Synthesis, and Sampling, students develop digital synthesis and sampling instruments, in Absynth and Kontakt software, and compose MIDI-sequenced pieces, using Digital Performer.
For the third class, MUS 429: Interactivity and Digital Signal Processing, students compose two pieces of interactive computer music, the first controlling MIDI-generating algorithms with musical controllers, and the second controlling sound synthesis and digital signal processing, in MaxMSP.
The fourth class, MUS 466: Computer Music Programming, explores composing with computer-generated sound, realizing pieces through programming in Csound.
In the summer class, MUS 195/495: Studio Recording Techniques and Sound Engineering, students learn how to record, mix, and master a CD of their band or chamber ensemble, using ProTools software.
The Music Technology facilities consist of an 8-channel surround computer music composition and recording Studio, a 4-channel surround Workstation, and a teaching Lab with twelve computer and keyboard stations.