Syllabus
Columbia College Chicago
600 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605 School of Audio and Music Fall 2026: Full 15 Week Semester
Course Information
Course Title: Applied Music I: Laptop
Course Code: MUSC 174
Sections:
| Section | Day/Time |
|---|---|
| 04 | Monday & Wednesday, 2:00 – 3:20 PM |
| 05 | Monday & Wednesday, 3:30 – 4:50 PM |
Credit Hours: 2
Class Fee: None
Building and Classroom Location: 1014 S. Michigan Ave, Room 201 “Digital Music Lab”, Chicago, IL 60605
Semester: Fall 2026 Full 15 Week Semester
Important Dates
| Deadline | Date |
|---|---|
| Semester Start Date | Tuesday, September 8, 2026 |
| Add Deadline | Monday, September 14, 2026 |
| Drop Deadline | Monday, September 21, 2026 |
| Academic Progress Reports | Week 6 (week of October 12, 2026) |
| Withdrawal Deadline | Friday, November 13, 2026 |
| Course Evaluations Open | Week 12 (week of November 23, 2026) |
| Pass/Fail Election Deadline | Monday, November 30, 2026 |
| Course Evaluations Close | Week 14 (week of December 7, 2026) |
| Semester End Date | Saturday, December 19, 2026 |
| Grading Deadline | Friday, December 25, 2026 |
No class: Labor Day (Monday, September 7) · Thanksgiving Break (Wednesday, November 25 – Friday, November 27)
Faculty Information:
Faculty: Dr. Daniel R. Dehaan – Associate Professor of Music Technology Preferred Name: Dr. Dan Pronouns: he/him/his Website: www.danielrdehaan.com Faculty Office Location: 1014 S. Michigan Ave Suite 311 Chicago, IL 60605
Faculty Columbia E-mail: ddehaan@colum.edu Faculty Phone: (312) 369-6300 Student (Office) Hours: By appointment only
School Information:
School Name: School of Audio and Music Location: 33 E. Ida B. Wells, 1014 S. Michigan Ave, and 1312 S. Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60605 Phone: 312-369-6300 Building Hours: Building Hours
FAQ:
Where do I go, and Who do I talk to with an issue or opportunity related to my course?
Any questions, concerns, opportunities, or problems should first be directed to your instructor. If you have further questions or concerns about the course or the School, please contact the school as listed above or contact the Director of the School of Audio and Music, Ben Sutherland (bsutherland@colum.edu).
Canvas Notifications: Be sure to set up your Canvas notifications in your Canvas account (in global navigation) so you can receive and read announcements, emails, and other class-related messages in a timely manner.
Academic Policies and Resources Statement: Click on Academic Policies and Resources in the Canvas course page to access Undergraduate Policies, current Semester Dates and Deadlines and other information.
Columbia Core Curriculum information
Columbia College Chicago offers undergraduate students educational opportunities in the visual, performing, media, and communication arts within the context of a comprehensive liberal education. At Columbia, this liberal education occurs in the Columbia Core Curriculum - a set of curricula required for all undergraduate, degree-seeking students.
Columbia College Chicago DEI Mission Statement
Columbia College Chicago actively promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion as vitally important to its present and future success. These principles are essential to the educational experiences of our students, staff, and faculty. The present standing and history of systems of racial oppression permeate all levels of our society, and intersect with discrimination based on age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, and sexual orientation, among others. We believe these structures of power and privilege need to be studied and understood by all members of our community. We are committed to dismantling these systems within Columbia College Chicago by creating policies, programs, and opportunities that will ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion thrive and are at the center of all that we do.
Columbia College Chicago Student Diversity and Inclusion:
Columbia College Chicago strives to create and promote a campus community that is inclusive and affirming of individuals of all gender identities/expressions and sexualities. (Please see Student Diversity and Inclusion for more information and resources.)
Land Acknowledgment
We collectively acknowledge that Columbia College Chicago occupies the stolen ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg—Three Fires Confederacy of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi, as well as the Miami, Menominee, Ho-Chunk, Illinois, Sac and Fox nations. Although the state of Illinois has only one federally recognized tribal land area, we acknowledge, support, and advocate for the sovereignty of all Indian nations, for the historic Indigenous communities in Illinois, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live in the Chicagoland area, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgment, we reaffirm our College’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mission statement, affirm Indigenous sovereignty, and will hold Columbia College Chicago more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.
Course Information
Course Description:
This course provides an applied experience contemporary instrumental and vocal students need prior to enrolling in private lessons. Students will study the technique, scales, chords, sight-reading and repertoire as appropriate to their discipline. Students will apply their Foundations of Music skills to begin developing an improvisational approach to their instrument.
About the Laptop sections: in these sections the instrument is the laptop. Technique means signal flow, MIDI, recording, sound creation, arrangement, and mixing; repertoire means the patterns, styles, and studio workflows of contemporary production; and improvisation means jamming, in the room, with a computer. The goal is for you to experience the technology as something you can question, understand, and reshape rather than something you operate, and to leave with a practice routine and feedback habits that will outlast any particular piece of software.
Fall 2026 and StemShare: this is the semester the course moves onto StemShare, a browser-based learning environment built for music technology courses. Sprint deliverables, peer comments, and specification-grading checklists live there, and the course content is being published there as interactive guides with playable audio demos, beginning with the Foundations of Audio series (free to read, no account needed).
Learning Outcomes:
Through this course, students will:
- Develop a technical understanding of the laptop and DAW as a musical instrument and the related tools of studio production;
- Identify and reproduce essential musical patterns, styles, and studio workflows;
- Apply foundational musical concepts through musical performance, improvisation, and creative production;
- Establish core music technology workflows: signal flow, MIDI, recording, sound creation, arrangement, and mixing;
- Cultivate a practice routine and collaborative/feedback habits that will support them throughout their professional career.
Prerequisites or Other Requirements:
Concurrent requisite: MUSC 110 Foundations of Music I.
Required Texts and Materials:
- A laptop that meets the current Audio/Music Tier Requirements
- A digital audio workstation (DAW) program — one of: Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, Digital Performer, Pro Tools, Reaper, or Studio One
- Wired headphones (closed-back or semi-open preferred)
- Laptop-to-dock adapters (USB-C hub/dongle with HDMI pass-through)
- MOTU 828es drivers installed before your first studio session
Course-Specific Policies:
Grading Scale
The college grading scale is as follows:
| Percentage | Grade |
|---|---|
| 94-100% | A |
| 90-93% | A- |
| 88-89% | B+ |
| 84-87% | B |
| 80-83% | B- |
| 78-79% | C+ |
| 74-77% | C |
| 70-73% | C- |
| 60-69% | D |
| below 60% | F |
Grading Policy:
Your grade for the semester is made up of the three areas below. Assignments are delivered as two-week sprints in StemShare, graded with specification grading: every checklist item must be met for full credit, with one revise-and-resubmit window per course policy.
| Area | Weight |
|---|---|
| Class Preparedness / Attendance | 40% |
| Assignments (sprints, in StemShare) | 40% |
| Final Project (first complete track) | 20% |
- Class Preparedness / Attendance: the success of this class relies on all members taking active ownership of their own educational and creative goals. Everyone should arrive ready to engage with peers and with a current work for demonstration and critique.
- Assignments: sprint deliverables and discussion are posted in StemShare. Each sprint uses a requirements checklist that tracks the deliverable, peer comments, articles read, and on-time status. StemShare computes a provisional grade from that checklist; the instructor finalizes it.
- Final Project: your first complete track, developed across the final weeks of the semester. See 00.05-Final-Project-Guide.
Religious Holiday Observance:
Columbia College Chicago respects the right of and encourages all students to observe the religious holidays associated with their faith. Students are expected to contact their instructor as soon as possible to make appropriate arrangements to complete coursework. If you are unable to attend class because of a religious observance, please let me know as soon as possible to discuss and arrange appropriate accommodation.
Policy on AI:
AI may not be used for the completion of course-related work unless indicated otherwise by the instructor for specific assignments or projects. (see Columbia College Chicago’s AI and Current Academic Integrity Policies for more information).
In this course: the work you submit must be your own playing, programming, recording, and mixing. AI tools may be used for research, troubleshooting, and learning your DAW, and you may use them to generate reference material or sketches when a sprint brief says so or with my approval; any such use must be named in your Work → Notes. AI-generated audio may not be submitted as the sprint deliverable itself. We will discuss where these tools help and where they get in the way, and that judgment is part of what the course teaches.
College Policies:
Attendance
Class attendance is expected of all School of Audio and Music students. Missing class may have a negative impact on your academic progress. If you anticipate an absence, you are expected to communicate proactively by notifying your instructor in advance, contacting classmates to obtain assignments and missed information, and discussing possible opportunities for make-up work with your instructor when appropriate. In case of an unexpected absence, please contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss missed material and coursework.
Additional attendance policies may apply to individual School of Audio and Music courses as outlined in each course syllabus. Students are responsible for reviewing their course syllabi for specific attendance requirements and should consult their instructors if further clarification is needed.
The College’s Mandatory Attendance Policy requires all faculty to report students who do not attend classes by week three within the 15-week semester, and earlier for shorter sessions. Students reported as non-attending will be withdrawn from the course and receive an “NS” grade on their academic record. Please see catalog.colum.edu for more information.
Mandatory Attendance Policy Statement
Students are required to attend class regularly. Failure to attend class in the first two weeks of the term will negatively impact financial aid. If your professor reports that you failed to attend and participate in class during the add/drop period, a grade of NS (no-show) will be entered on your record for the course. Please note: You will still be charged tuition and fees for any course for which you receive an NS grade. For more information on non-attendance, please visit the Columbia Central website.
Assignments
Homework must be submitted on the due date. The instructor will accept homework submitted after the due date as long as it is submitted personally to the instructor prior to the start of the next class session following the original due date. Plan to spend at least one hour outside of class for every hour in class. Some assignments, however, will take longer than that amount of time to complete. Plan accordingly.
Evaluations
Student Course Evaluations will be open from week twelve to week fourteen, and you will receive information on submitting evaluations via Outlook email(s) from the college.
Academic Progress Report Statement
During week 6 of the fall and spring terms, Columbia measures the academic progress of all undergraduate students. The academic progress report is meant to provide a sense of your performance at this point in time. For each course in which you are enrolled, your instructor will assign you one of the following academic progress reports:
- Exceeds basic expectations: Demonstrating performance at a very high level in the course, typically shown as consistent attendance, earning high grades on assignments, and displaying a deep engagement with course content.
- Meets basic expectations: Demonstrating behavior proven to produce success in college, such as consistent attendance, class participation, and on-time completion of assignments.
- Does not meet basic expectations: Demonstrating behaviors known to put students at risk for failure, such as excessive absences, lack of class participation, and missed or incomplete assignments.
While the academic progress report is not a final grade and will not affect your grade point average, it is a valuable indicator of your performance in the course to date. Columbia is committed to your success, and this process is important to understand your progress towards that success. If you are not meeting basic expectations, you will receive this progress report via email, and you are strongly encouraged to discuss course expectations with your instructor(s).
Undergraduate Academic Policies
All Columbia College Chicago academic policies are available in the catalog.
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Grade Grievance Policy
- Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures (Title IX)
- Other Student Complaint Policies and Procedures
- College-wide Grading System
Students with Disabilities Statement
Columbia seeks to maintain a supportive academic environment for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodations for a disability must register with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office. To register for services, students should go to the SSD website to start the online application process.
Center for Student Wellbeing
623 S. Wabash Ave, Suite 303 & 304, Chicago, IL 60605, (312) 369-8700. The Center for Student Wellbeing offers a variety of rapid intervention mental health service options for students of the College, as well as a room that welcomes students needing decompression, resources, quiet, or access to sensory tools in a decompression space designed to engage wellness and resilience. Service offerings include a consultation line for campus wide requests for mental health support for students; a drop-in decompression space; group offerings; therapeutic case management; acute care; and short-term counseling. The College also offers 24/7, “in your pocket” mental health support through TimelyCare where students can request both one-time and ongoing therapy services at any hour from any device.
College Advising Center
Center for Student Success, 33 E. Ida B. Wells, 1st floor, Chicago, IL 60605, 312-369-7645, collegeadvising@colum.edu. The College Advising Center assists undergraduate students with all transitional issues as they navigate their entire college experience. Students at Columbia are expected to meet with their academic advisor at least once a semester during their first year, and once an academic year until graduation. Students can make an appointment through Oasis (using the “Make Appointments” tab) or by contacting the College Advising Center.
Library Statement
624 S. Michigan Ave., First Floor, 312-369-7900. The Library serves students with resources and support for research, study, collaboration, fun, and information in all formats—books, eBooks, articles, primary sources, images, film, music, space, programs, technology, and equipment. Our specialized materials and services focus on what students need and want—textbook reserves, study rooms, collaborative technology, maker lab, 3D printer, light boxes, scanners, equipment checkout (cameras, camcorders, projectors) and research assistance by chat, text, email, phone, or in-person. For more information, visit the Library website.
Schedule for each Class Session
Please consult the class homepage in Canvas and the course in StemShare. All deadlines and information will be posted there, and students are responsible for that information.
Important Notice This syllabus is intended to give the student guidance on what may be covered during the semester and will be followed as closely as possible. However, instructors reserve the right in their discretion to modify, supplement, and make changes as course needs arise.
Course Calendar:
Weekly Structure
- Monday: Lecture / demonstration (in-class feedback on weeks 5, 8, 11, 14)
- Wednesday: Studio session — solo or collaborative, depending on the sprint
- Sunday: Sprint deliverable or check-in posted to StemShare (11:59 PM)
Fall 2026 · meets Mondays & Wednesdays · term begins Tue Sep 8, ends Sat Dec 19. Sprint work and peer feedback are submitted in StemShare on Sundays.
| Week | Date | Type | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| Mon 9/7 | — | Labor Day — No Class | |
| Wed 9/9 | Studio | Opening Jam + Welcome | |
| Sun 9/13 | Deliverable | Intro Post | |
| 2 | |||
| Mon 9/14 | Lecture | Onboarding: Syllabus, Tools, Structure | |
| Wed 9/16 | Studio | Instrument & Signal Flow + First Studio | |
| Sun 9/20 | Deliverable | Warm-Up Post + Peer Comments | |
| 3 | |||
| Mon 9/21 | Lecture | MIDI & Sequencing I | |
| Wed 9/23 | Studio | Group Studio (Collab Sprint 1) | |
| Sun 9/27 | Deliverable | Sprint 1 Work in Progress | |
| 4 | |||
| Mon 9/28 | Lecture | MIDI & Sequencing II | |
| Wed 9/30 | Studio | Group Studio Finish | |
| Sun 10/4 | Deliverable | Sprint 1 Due | |
| 5 | |||
| Mon 10/5 | Feedback | In-Class Feedback #1 | |
| Wed 10/7 | Studio | Solo Sprint 2 Kickoff | |
| Sun 10/11 | Deliverable | Sprint 2 Plan | |
| 6 | |||
| Mon 10/12 | Lecture | Recording | |
| Wed 10/14 | Studio | Solo Studio | |
| Sun 10/18 | Deliverable | Sprint 2 Work in Progress | |
| 7 | |||
| Mon 10/19 | Lecture | Audio Editing | |
| Wed 10/21 | Studio | Solo Studio Finish | |
| Sun 10/25 | Deliverable | Sprint 2 Due | |
| 8 | |||
| Mon 10/26 | Feedback | In-Class Feedback #2 | |
| Wed 10/28 | Studio | Collab Sprint 3 Kickoff + Groups | |
| Sun 11/1 | Deliverable | Sprint 3 Group Plan | |
| 9 | |||
| Mon 11/2 | Lecture | Synthesis | |
| Wed 11/4 | Studio | Group Studio | |
| Sun 11/8 | Deliverable | Sprint 3 Work in Progress | |
| 10 | |||
| Mon 11/9 | Lecture | Sampling | |
| Wed 11/11 | Studio | Group Studio Finish | |
| Sun 11/15 | Deliverable | Sprint 3 Due | |
| 11 | |||
| Mon 11/16 | Feedback | In-Class Feedback #3 | |
| Wed 11/18 | Studio | Solo Sprint 4 Kickoff | |
| Sun 11/22 | Deliverable | Sprint 4 Plan | |
| 12 | |||
| Mon 11/23 | Lecture | Arrangement I | |
| Wed 11/25 | — | Thanksgiving Break — No Class | |
| Sun 11/29 | Deliverable | Sprint 4 Work Over Break | |
| 13 | |||
| Mon 11/30 | Lecture | Arrangement II | |
| Wed 12/2 | Studio | Solo Studio Finish | |
| Sun 12/6 | Deliverable | Sprint 4 Due | |
| 14 | |||
| Mon 12/7 | Feedback | In-Class Feedback #4 | |
| Wed 12/9 | Studio | Final Kickoff (Mixing) | |
| Sun 12/13 | Deliverable | Final Project Plan | |
| 15 | |||
| Mon 12/14 | Lecture | Mixing & Finishing | |
| Wed 12/16 | Studio | Closing Jam | |
| Sun 12/20 | Deliverable | Final Track Due |