Presentation
Electronic Music Course – Complementary Module
Electroacoustic music composition
It is specifically aimed at students enrolled in the Master Course in Composition of the Santa Cecilia National Academy.
The Complementary Module aims to provide the student with the speculative and technical tools needed to tackle, in a professional and autonomous way, the composition with electronic means, both through an analytical path of forms, processes and materials of electro-acoustic and computer music, and through the constant compositional practice connected related with the activities of the Master Course in Composition.
The course has a three-year study plan divided into annual modules.
Based on the skills already acquired, students will be able to access the first year, or one of the following years of the course, in relation to the results of the admission exam. Each annual module is divided into monthly sessions; each student is entitled to 12 hours of individual lessons, 3 of which of a workshop nature, and to participate in the lessons of the other students of the course either in presence or in remote mode.
The lessons are held in the Paolo Ketoff Studio, at the Auditorium “Parco della Musica-Ennio Morricone” in Rome, or in another location within the Santa Cecilia National Academy.
Musicians may be also involved during workshop activities.
At the end of each year of the course, a certificate of attendance will be issued, subject to regular participation in scheduled lessons and educational and artistic activities. It should be noted that the Electronic Music Course – Complementary Module is an advanced training course; artistic activities are foreseen at the end of each year of attendance (see summary table) culminating with the composition and performance of a piece with live electronics at the end of the three-year training course. The course does not include exams and therefore is not aimed at achieving a specific Diploma.
Course Teacher
Michelangelo Lupone
Course structure
Admission
Admission requirements – Complementary Module
Enrollment in the Composition Master Course of the Santa Cecilia National Academy.
Also:
- For admission to the first year: basic computer skills;
- For admission to the second or third year: computer science and electro-acoustic skills in the compositional field.
Applications for admission – Complementary Module
Applications for admission must be sent by e-mail to the address didattica@santacecilia.it, taking notice to attach:
- Curriculum of studies and/or artistic activities carried out in the electro-acoustic and/or computer-assisted composition;
- The scores in PDF format for admission to the second or third year.
Applications must be received by October 2, 2023.
Program of admission exams
Admission to the first year: aptitude interview.
Admission to the second or third year: presentation of an acusmatic or electro-acoustic piece or for live electronics; interview.
Candidates for enrollment in the second or third year must send the score of the work they intend to present for the exam in PDF format; it is also possible to attach to the scores any recordings of the compositions, if available.
In the case of particularly large files, the scores and/or recordings can be sent via WeTransfer to the e-mail address didattica@santacecilia.it by the same date scheduled for sending applications (October 2, 2023).
The entrance exams will take place online on October 24, 2023; the invitation to the examination, with an indication of the platform and connection mode, will be sent by e-mail well in advance. The candidate must ensure that any score presented for admission can be viewed remotely during the exam.
The admission to years I, II, or III of the course will be at the exclusive and unquestionable judgment of the Examination Commission.
In the presence of a number of suitable candidates greater than the available places, those who have achieved the highest marks in the admission exams will be admitted to the course.
Course Summary Outline for the Academic Year 2023- 2024
| Complementary Module | Electro-acoustic music composition | |
| Maximum duration | From one to three years | |
| Maximum number of students | 6 – six | |
| Admission requirements Year I | Basic computer skills | |
| Admission test Year I | Aptitude interview | |
| Entry requirements Year II or III | Computing and electro-acoustic skills in the composition field | |
| Test for enrollment in Year II or III | Interview and acousmatic piece or electro-acoustic piece or for live electronics | |
| Lessons | Individually in person and remote group participation | |
| Treatment | Theoretical and practical with exercises on topics covered | |
| Passage test Year I | Composition and production of an acousmatic piece | |
| Passage test Year II | Composition and production of a piece for instrument and electronics | |
| Final test | Composition and production of a piece with live electronics | |
| Lesson hours per student | 12 – twelve | |
| Workshop hours per student (year III only) – support for the production of live electronics | 3 – three hours are held in the Paolo Ketoff Studio, also with any instrumentalists, or in another location set up for the purpose | |
| Study plan – Materials | ||
| Year I | Year II | Year III |
| Analog technique and technology. Analysis of historical works and treatment of concrete sound. | Analysis of computer music works. | Synthesis of audio signals 3. Processing of the audio signal in real time. |
| Digital domain and fundamentals of music computing. | Synthesis of audio signals 2. | Algorithmic design for live electronics. |
| Sampling and quantization. Synthesis of audio signals 1. | Sound analysis and simulation of acoustic instruments. | Original piece for instrument(s) and live electronics. |
| Computer-assisted music composition 1. | Computer-assisted music composition 2. | |
| Original acousmatic piece. | Original piece for instrument(s) and digital support. | |
| Reference bibliography | ||
| Year I | Year II | Year III |
| Agostino Di Scipio, Circuiti del tempo, Libreria Musicale Italiana, Lucca, 2021 | Previous texts | Previous texts |
| Curtis Roads, The computer music tutorial, The MIT Press, 1996 | Lecture notes by the teacher | Lecture notes by the teacher |
| Pieces and scores by various authors | Pieces and scores by various authors | Renato Spagnolo, Acustica, UTET, Novara, 2015 |
| Pieces and scores by various authors | ||
N.B. Students must have a computer of class i7 or higher to do the music design and production work.
The working platforms used in the Electro-acoustic Music Composition course are chosen by the student, they can be both open source (eg. Pure Data, Csound, Super Collider, OpenMusic, Audacity), and proprietary (eg. Max/MSP, Ableton, ProTools, Studio One, Reaper, Nuendo).
Fees
Examination and attendance fees
- Exemption from entrance fee;
- € 1.000,00 yearly attendance.
Students in arrears with their course tuition and examination fees will not be admitted to lessons or to examinations.
All payments, specifying as reason “Electronic Music Course – Complementary Module” may be made via:
- postal account payment
30406003, made out to Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Fondazione - wire transfer
c/c n. 9872, made out to Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia – Fondazione
Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL) Agenzia n. 6340 di Roma, Via del Corso, 471
IBAN: IT31 I 010 0503 2400 0000 0009 872
SWIFT: BIC BNL IITRR - Paypal on Fondazione’s website at this link https://santacecilia.it/alta-formazione/paypal
The receipt of the payment for attendance should be sent to the academic office (segreteria didattica) before the start of classes.
Students may pay the attendance fee in two instalments of equal amount, the second of which is to be paid by no later than 01 March.
Withdrawal from the course shall not entitle the student to be refunded what was paid.
Information and contacts
Academic office (segreteria didattica)
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Via Vittoria, 6 – 00187 Roma
Tel: +39 0632817.348 – 321 – 305
Fax: +39 0632817366
E-mail: didattica@santacecilia.it
Please forward all requests and communications by e-mail to the academic office (segreteria didattica), specifying the purpose of the request for quicker handling.