SP26-MUSC-601: Media Music Tech Lab (Year 2)

Course Information

Schedule: Wednesday, 9:00 AM – 12:50 PM

Location: MFA Lab MC415, Music Center, 1014 S. Michigan Ave.

Columbia College Chicago – School of Audio and Music


Audio Center	33 E Ida B Wells – 312-369-8820
Music Center	1014 S Michigan – 312-369-6300
School Office Hours	Mo-Fr 9:00am-5:00pm

Instructor Information


Name	Dr. Daniel R. Dehaan
Preferred Names	”Dr. Dan” or “Dr. Dehaan”
Pronouns	He/His/Him
Email	ddehaan@colum.edu
Office	1014 S. Michigan Ave, 333, Chicago, IL 60605
Office Hours	By Appointment

Student Resources

Supplies/Materials

Logic or other Mac DAW
Pro Tools Studio DAW
Mac laptop
Headphones

Course Description

The Media Music Tech Lab is taken in each of the first four semesters of the Music Composition for the Screen MFA program. It is designed for students to learn, use and master a very broad range of hardware and software tools employed in the various parts of the media music production process. It also serves to support all its composition and orchestration classes by providing students with hands-on help regarding the realization of the projects initiated in the classroom.

Learning Objectives

Through the partnership of in-class demonstrations and peer critiques, this course has been designed to create an environment for students to learn, develop, and master the technological tools of their craft. By the end of the two-year sequence, the student will have a working knowledge and developed the necessary language to work in a variety of production environments.

Prerequisites

Concurrent requisite: MUSC 610 Screen Music Forum

Course Policies

Grading Scale

100% classroom participation/extra effort

Grading Conversion

Percentages convert to grades according to the following scale:

Percentage	Grade
95 and over	A
92-94.99	A-
88-91.99	B+
85-87.99	B
82-84.99	B-
78-81.99	C+
etc.

Personal Electronic Devices

Unless explicitly requested by the instructor, the use of laptops, tablets, mobile devices, or any other type of glowing screen is strictly prohibited during class time. Composers are free to use their devices before and after class, and during breaks. Otherwise, they must be turned off and stowed away.

Attendance

Punctual attendance at each class meeting is mandatory.
- Each unexcused absence results in an automatic reduction of the final grade for the entire semester.
- In case of illness, email notification must be sent to the instructor, with CC to the program director, before the beginning of class. Failure to do so can result in an unexcused absence. A doctor’s note may be requested at the discretion of the program director. If so, failure to provide one can result in an unexcused absence.
Travel, or similar non-emergency absences during the semester, have to be requested and approved by the program director via email, with CC to every class instructor affected, no less than a week before the intended absences. Failure to do so results in unexcused absences for all classes missed. Approved travel or similar non-emergency absences result in one excused absence for each class missed. Please note that requests for excused absences can be denied at the discretion of the program director. Classes missed despite a denied request for excused absence result in unexcused absences for all classes missed.
More than two absences per semester, whether excused or unexcused, result in a failing grade for the entire course. Exceptions to this policy must be requested from the program director and the class instructor via email and will be reviewed in a personal meeting with the program director. Such requests may be denied at the program director’s discretion, in coordination with the class instructor.
If such an exception is granted, it may carry additional conditions (such as a target grade and/or attendance record) and may involve substantial additional assignments and/or tests, at the discretion of the class instructor and program director. These additional assignments and/or tests will be delivered and/or administered during the last week of the semester and graded by the course instructor in coordination with the program director.
The grade of these additional assignments and or tests will then make up a substantial portion of the final grade of that semester’s final grade, with the exact proportion to be determined by the course instructor and the program director.

Late Arrival

Class begins promptly at the designated time. As is professional practice, composers are encouraged to arrive 15 minutes early.
Any arrival later than 20 minutes past the official class start time will be considered an excused absence; see attendance policy above.
More than two arrivals past the class start time per semester will adversely affect the final grade, to an extent at the course instructor’s and program director’s discretion.

Assignments

Assignments must be delivered no later than 11:59PM the night before class meets. Personal absence, whether excused or unexcused, is not an excuse for late or missed work.
Late submission will be counted as non-delivery and graded zero percent. Hardship exemptions may be granted only based on timeliness of past deliveries at the course instructor’s and the program director’s discretion and may still be downgraded to 50% of the earned grade.
In case of absence, assignments must be delivered digitally by the deadline. Late or missing work will be given a failing grade.
Exceptions to this policy must be requested from the program director and the class instructor via email. Such requests may be denied at the program director’s and class instructor’s discretion.

Assignment Naming Convention

All assignment deliveries are to be named as follows:

FirstInitialLastName_Week#_AssignmentName_Version#

Example: JCorelitz_Week1_TumbleSeedDemo_V1

AI Policy

As there are far-reaching implications regarding authorship, ownership, and similar legal concepts central to our industry, the use of AI tools and similar external aid in the completion of class assignments are subject to prior approval by the instructor, and in all cases must be fully disclosed. Violations are subject to the college’s Academic Integrity Policy.

Other Policies

No food or drink in the classroom except bottled water.
If on Zoom: No eating during class time. Drinks are OK.
If on Zoom: Video is expected to be on during class time. Backdrops are perfectly acceptable.

Course Calendar

⚠️ Warning

This syllabus is intended to provide guidance on what may be covered during the semester and will be followed as closely as possible. However, the instructor reserves the right in their discretion to modify, supplement, and make changes as course needs arise.

Weekly Structure

First Hour: Q&A and help with current projects
Second Hour: New topic introduction
Third Hour: In-class hands-on assignment

Syllabus