Music 1770: Intro to Music Technology

Audacity Project: Magnetic poetry/musique concrète

Download this PDF for complete instructions.
Before Thursday’s class: You do not need to have an external audio interface or fancy mic; you can make the source recording for this project using the built-in mic of your computer. If you can’t record a signal, check the Audio Settings in the Audacity preferences and make sure your computer’s built-in mic is selected.

If you did not already install Audacity on your computer you can do so here.

Upload your finished project (including self-assessment) to Teams before class next Tuesday (2/11).

A list of many of the basic navigation and editing actions you may need, with their keyboard shortcuts:     PDF       MS Word

Before you begin your project scroll down to listen to several classic vocal-based musique concrète pieces from the tape era.

Examples of compositions based on manipulated vocal audio

Pierre Schaeffer, the “godfather of sampling”: “Erotica” from Symphonie pour un homme seul (1950)

Karlheinz Stockhausen: Gesang der Jünglinge (1955/1956)

“Gesang der Jünglinge” is equal parts musigue concrète (recording-based) and elektronische Musik (synthesized). Stockhausen manipulated the material until it’s not always possible to distinguish electronically generated sounds from altered vocal source recordings, in effect resolving the ideological battle between concrete music and synthesized electronic music.

Steve Reich: It’s Gonna Rain (1965)

You may also want to check out Reich’s brutally minimalistic “Come Out” (1966).

Less serious and less technically complex, but a good example of reordering (digitally created, not on tape)—
The Evolution Control Committee: “The Christmas Wrong” (2003)

Another simple but well-done collage by the ECC is here. Trigger warning: title/refrain references sexual violence.

worksheet DF PD project DF Haiku