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Go at your own pace
5 Sessions / 6 hours of work per session
Price
Premium membership $20/month (Preview session 1 free)
Included w/ premium membership ($20/month)
Skill Level
Beginner
Video Transcripts
English, Spanish; Castilian, Chinese, German, Portuguese
Topics
Repetition, Ableton, Sampling, Analysis, Compositional Form

Not available for purchase in India

Open for Enrollment

Loop: Repetition and Variation in Music

Open for Enrollment
You can also start immediately after joining!

Would you like to enroll?

Enrollment for this course has closed. But you can enroll in a future offering (please select)

Enrollment has closed

Go at your own pace
5 Sessions / 6 hours of work per session
Price
Premium membership $20/month (Preview session 1 free)
Included w/ premium membership ($20/month)
Skill Level
Beginner
Video Transcripts
English, Spanish; Castilian, Chinese, German, Portuguese
Topics
Repetition, Ableton, Sampling, Analysis, Compositional Form

Not available for purchase in India

Course Description

A course examining the art of moving while standing still, and traveling far without moving. This will be approached through a study of form and variation techniques used in music. Students will be asked to make more from less while maintaining musical interest in their compositions.

Compositional techniques and styles studied include minimalism, ambient, alternative, musique concréte, popular, independent, experimental and sample based music. Assessment will consist of short composition assignments (1-2 min) rooted in class discussion and readings. These will be turned in as audio files. A single composition of 5-10 minutes will act as the final project.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

· Compose an engaging piece of music using a minimum amount of musical material.

· Critically engage with a piece of music through aural analysis.

· Analyze or break down music compositions to determine structural form and construction.

· Adapt compositional principles to their own music.

· Discover new approaches to music composition.

Reviews
schedule

This course is in adaptive mode and is open for enrollment. Learn more about adaptive courses here.

Session 1: Critical Listening, Analysis and Repetition (April 2, 2024)
In this session we will learn how to critically listen to a piece of music, break it down and analyze how it was made. We will also learn why we are so attracted to repetition in music.
9 lessons
1. Introduction
2. Listening Safely
3. Active and Critical Listening
4. Analysis Strategies Without Traditional Music Theory
5. Using software to help sharpen the ear
6. Defining the elements of form
7. Repetition in music
8. Repetition and the effect on music and time (Premium Exclusive)
9. Criticism of Repetition (Premium Exclusive)
Session 2: Building blocks of music composition, Strategies for Architecture I: Building a form brick by brick (April 9, 2024)
This session is all about getting the most out of your musical idea. You will learn how to transform and extend that small musical phrase bouncing around in your head into a magnitude of related musical materials.
4 lessons
1. Building Blocks of Music Composition, Strategies For Architecture 1 (Premium Exclusive)
2. Variation Techniques (Premium Exclusive)
3. Building Melodies (Premium Exclusive)
4. Strategies for Architecture, Building a Form Brick by Brick (Premium Exclusive)
Session 3: Strategies For Architecture II: Losing Yourself in Time (April 16, 2024)
Ever lose your sense of time while listening to a piece of music? In this session we will look at ambient music and other longer forms to discover how they play with our sense of time.
4 lessons
1. Strategies for Architecture II Losing Yourself in Time (Premium Exclusive)
2. Ambient Music (Premium Exclusive)
3. Brian Eno and Music for Airports (Premium Exclusive)
4. When is Fast Slow? (Premium Exclusive)
Session 4: Repetitive structures, Sources and Inspiration: Strategies for Sample-Based Works & Understanding EQ (April 23, 2024)
This session looks at music made from repetitive structures. You will also learn how to creatively adopt materials and build sample-based compositions. This is followed by a discussion of EQ to make sure you get a better mix.
8 lessons
1. Repetitive Structures, Sources And Inspiration: Strategies For Sample-Based Works & Understanding EQ - 1 (Premium Exclusive)
2. Harmony (Premium Exclusive)
3. Defining a Sample - based Work (Premium Exclusive)
4. Sources and Inspiration (Premium Exclusive)
5. File Management (Premium Exclusive)
6. Understanding EQ (Premium Exclusive)
7. EQ's and Samples (Premium Exclusive)
8. Altering the Sample to Fit (Premium Exclusive)
Session 5: Composition Case Studies: What can you do if you get stuck? (April 30, 2024)
We will discover some important case studies of contemporary artists working with repetitive musical structures and interesting materials. You will also learn some good strategies for what to do when you get stuck and can’t finish a work.
4 lessons
1. Composition Case Studies (Premium Exclusive)
2. What can you do when you get stuck? (Premium Exclusive)
3. Contrasts (Premium Exclusive)
4. Conclusion (Premium Exclusive)
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Learning Outcomes

Below you will find an overview of the Learning Outcomes you will achieve as you complete this course.

Instructors And Guests
What You Need to Take This Course
  • Equipment: Computer, high quality headphones or Monitors
  • Digital Audio Workstation (Reaper, ProTools, Logic, etc.)
  • Recommended Software:
Additional Information

Please note: Taking part in a Kadenze course as a Premium Member, does not affirm that the student has been enrolled or accepted for enrollment by University College Cork. 

Peer Assessment Code of Conduct: Part of what makes Kadenze a great place to learn is our community of students. While you are completing your Peer Assessments, we ask that you help us maintain the quality of our community. Please:

  • Be Polite. Show your fellow students courtesy. No one wants to feel attacked - ever. For this reason, insults, condescension, or abuse will not be tolerated.
  • Show Respect. Kadenze is a global community. Our students are from many different cultures and backgrounds. Please be patient, kind, and open-minded when discussing topics such as race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other potentially controversial subjects.
  • Post Appropriate Content. We believe that expression is a human right and we would never censor our students. With that in mind, please be sensitive of what you post in a Peer Assessment. Only post content where and when it is appropriate to do so.

Please understand that posts which violate this Code of Conduct harm our community and may be deleted or made invisible to other students by course moderators. Students who repeatedly break these rules may be removed from the course and/or may lose access to Kadenze.

Students with Disabilities: Students who have documented disabilities and who want to request accommodations should refer to the student help article via the Kadenze support center.  Kadenze is committed to making sure that our site is accessible to everyone. Configure your accessibility settings in your Kadenze Account Settings.