technology of music

Subject: techn ology of music
From: Sir Roger de Beverley
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 09:46 AM

In my part-time role for the Open University I will be in Hull library tomorrow from 10am to 1pm offering advice on OU courses. One of the many is a level 2 course entitled "The Technology of Music" but I'm just using that as an excuse to publicise the event as a whole and avoid being BSed.

Roger

Subject: RE: techn ology of music
From: Sir Roger de Beverley
Date: 05 Nov 04 - 09:51 AM

Just in case you thought that I was kidding here is a summary of the course:

"This joint technology/arts course includes an introduction to the principles of sound and acoustics and relates musical terms and fundamentals to their physical equivalents. You will study the operation and characteristics of various musical instruments, the ways that music can be represented and stored, the fundamentals of recording, manipulation and transmission of sound, and current developments and some associated legal/commercial issues.

Students will need a personal computer with a sound card that includes general MIDI, and a high-quality means of listening to music. No pre-requisites are required, but a basic knowledge of music and musical notation is recommended."


R

Subject: RE: technology of music
From: Jeanie
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 05:53 AM

Hope the event today and the courses go well, Roger.

I went this week to an open night at the Further Ed college where my daughter's hoping to do Music Technology as one of her A levels. A great syllabus - lots of blues and jazz - and, piece de resistance, an entire listening and analyzing exam on the music of Pink Floyd. If someone had told my music teacher at school 30 years ago that the Floyd would become the subject of A level music, she'd have laughed herself silly !

- jeanie

Subject: RE: technology of music
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 06:48 AM

Would there be some way I can access this from Australia?

Subject: RE: technology of music
From: Sir Roger de Beverley
Date: 06 Nov 04 - 10:13 AM

Some OU courses can be taken outside of the EU but the price is higher because the UK Government funding is not available. To check whether this one is available or not have a look at the OU website www.open.ac.uk

Roger

Subject: RE: technology of music
From: Amos
Date: 02 Aug 05 - 10:54 PM

Of interest in the sweep of our changing technological lives is the following:

August 01, 2005

"Remember 80-column punch cards?

"Just think of the concept--the data is made up out of thin air! The
card is just there to organize the holes"

How many cards would it take to encode a 3-minute mp3?    Answer:

"Assuming a non-Hollerith encoding with eight bits per column, and an
MP3 file encoded at 128kbps CBR, there would be 36,864 cards in that
deck, and the card reader would need a throughput of 205 cards per
second. It might be wise to include an 8-column sequence number,
however, so that a misordered deck can be repaired by a card sorter;
with 72 data columns per card, the total is precisely 40,960 cards
(40K cards), requiring a 228 card/second throughput." The 21 boxes of
cards needed would by 5 feet 9 inches tall. That such a huge leap in
technology is well within living memory is astonishing."

A

Subject: RE: technology of music
From: number 6
Date: 02 Aug 05 - 11:01 PM

Then there was the Moog synthesizer ... the grandfather of it all.

sIx