MUS 217 - Women in Electronic Music

This course is designed as both a survey and studio course. This course will first examine and analyze the influential and seminal works of electroacoustic pioneers Eliane Radigue, Pauline Oliveros, Bjork, Laurie Anderson, Maryanne Amacher, Wendy Carlos, Janet Cardiff, Laurie Spiegel and others - to extrapolate musical techniques, technology-based approaches, to apply and inspire original student compositions within today’s means of digital audio production, synthesis, and digital audio workstations. Students will engage in aspects of synthesis, electronic songwriting, beatmaking, narrative storytelling, sampling, field recordings, and audio phenomenon - in a hands-on setting. In a predominantly male field, and shifting landscape of technology - we will explore how these notable female figures transcended stereotypes, norms, society and cultural expectations to create new worlds and new possibilities to inspire new contemporary creations today. Students will work on creative final projects (individual or collaborative) developed in consultation with the instructor.

Unit(s): 1
Group Distribution Requirement(s): Distribution Group I
Instructional Method: Studio
Grading Mode: Letter grading (A-F)
Notes: Enrollment limited to 15.
Group Distribution Learning Outcome(s):

Understand how arguments can be made, visions presented, or feelings or ideas conveyed through language or other modes of expression (symbols, movement, images, sounds, etc.).
Analyze and interpret texts, whether literary or philosophical, in English or a non-English language, or works of the visual or performing arts.
Evaluate arguments made in or about texts (whether literary or philosophical, in English or a non-English language, or works of the visual or performing arts).