Sound Curriculum and Courses

sophomore year, fall semester (required for both Sound and Art and Computation majors, three credits)

This course introduces the core themes of computational art and design, including interaction, networks and simulation. Students will engage with these topics through modern digital production techniques, examining them from formal, material, historical and social perspectives.

sophomore year, fall semester (three credits)

Spatial Audio focuses on the creation of immersive 3-D sound experiences. In this course, students analyze and explore how the sensation of space is activated in the listener by making works using spatial audio techniques. These methods include high order ambisonics, vector-based amplitude panning, multichannel surround and binaural audio, among others.

Throughout the semester, a series of exercises addressing technical and theoretical issues provides students with the necessary experience to produce midterm and final projects. Coursework involves computational approaches to sound design and composition with instruction in the audio programming language Max and digital audio workstation Reaper.

Students have recurring access to a 25-channel loudspeaker array for the development of works. Readings from psychology, philosophy, the arts and sound studies support class discussions and critiques.

sophomore year, spring semester (required for both Sound and Art and Computation majors, three credits)

This course builds on the themes covered in the prerequisite Core Studio 1, introducing more advanced digital production methods and themes. Students are encouraged to explore and develop personal working methods and interests through studio projects, fostering a self-directed practice that culminates in a final end-of-year critique.

sophomore year, spring semester (three credits)

This course focuses on programming and designing computer-based systems for sound art and music performance. Centered on the dataflow programming language Max, the course will be of substantial benefit to students who desire a rigorous and fast-moving foundation in algorithmic approaches to sound design. The course simultaneously facilitates explorations in sound synthesis, audio signal processing, electronics, gesture-based human computer interaction and instrument building with microcontrollers and sensors. 

Coursework involves weekly homework in the form of online lectures and exercises with class sessions reserved for demonstrations, workshops and project assistance. The course emphasizes modularity and reuse of code. Students will present their work in a public concert during the last week of the semester.

sophomore year, spring semester (three credits)

In A Hands-On History of Electronic Music, we will study the development of electronic music from a tactile approach using historical studio techniques.

While learning about pioneering and underrepresented artists within the genre, students will use reel-to-reel tape machines, tube signal generators, modular synthesizers and early computer music concepts to recreate key compositions within the field. Critical listening and analysis skills will be cultivated through guided exercises and projects.

The hands-on approach this course takes will support a foundational understanding of electronic music history through methodologies as they evolved into current practice.

junior year, fall semester (required for both Sound and Art and Computation majors, three credits)

This course deepens the exploration of computational art and design, pushing students to experiment with more complex methods. Emphasizing independent inquiry, students will refine their creative process and technical skills, developing a cohesive body of work.

The course encourages critical engagement with emerging technologies and their social, cultural and artistic implications. This course also provides guidance for students to articulate and present their body of work, engage in discussions about the field and explore various directions to position their practice.

junior year, fall semester (three credits)

Modular synthesizers offer a tactile approach to sound production that is consistently inventive by design. Emerging from the 1960s counterculture, they are a product of expansive thinking that challenged conventions in both instrument design and creative practice. Six decades later, the limits of possibility only increased.

In Modular Synthesis Studio, we will learn and apply concepts of voltage-controlled synthesizers to creative coding and embedded computing platforms. Imbued with the spirit of community, together we will design and build a one-of-a-kind RISD modular synthesizer by semester’s end, while also creating new sound-based works with the system.

junior year, fall or spring semester (three credits)

Sonic Practices is a research intensive focused on acoustic, electronic and/or computer-based means of sound production and reception. Participants explore audio culture and technology while developing experimental approaches to composition, performance, recording and/or listening. Areas of investigation include, but are not limited to: audio programming languages, embedded/mobile computing for sound and music, spatial audio, sound synthesis, audio electronics, sonification and auditory display, electroacoustic music composition and improvisation, field recording and soundscape studies, sound installation and performance, and sonic interaction design.

Each semester, course content changes in response to a new unifying theme upon which students base individual and team-based research projects. Meetings consist of discussions, workshops, critiques and collaborations that support students' individual inquiries, the exchange of ideas and the exploration of research methodologies.

junior year, spring semester (required for both Sound and Art and Computation majors, three credits)

Building on prior knowledge, emphasis will be placed on self-guided, rigorous research and experimentation. The class will provide structured opportunities for encouraging iterative development and refining ideas through prototypes and drafts, and developing project management/research skills over long-term projects.

The course culminates in a public presentation of individual projects, fostering professional development and critical discourse.

junior year, spring semester (three credits)

Throughout the past century, electronically generated sound has challenged the aesthetic and conceptual boundaries of art and music. In this intensive studio course, students will focus on the creation of experimental sound works utilizing hybrid analog / digital systems. We will investigate synthesis techniques using the SuperCollider programming language / environment in conjunction with the Serge modular synthesizer.

Students will leverage the strengths of these tools towards uniquely personal production platforms that are more than the sum of their parts and utilize them in the creation of fixed media, generative compositions and improvised performances. The course will include discussion of historical works/texts, hands-on demonstrations, in-class projects and critical engagement with new works by class members, culminating in a final project that incorporates knowledge gained throughout the semester.

senior year, fall semester (required for both Sound and Art and Computation majors, three credits)

This course marks the beginning of the senior degree project, where students will embark on a year-long, self-directed exploration of their chosen theme. Emphasis will be placed on developing a coherent proposal, conducting in-depth research and creating a series of experimental works that lay the foundation for their final presentation.

Regular critiques, individual mentoring and group discussions will support students in refining their artistic voice, developing their skills and articulating the critical context of their work.

senior year, fall semester (three credits)

In this advanced study of time-based sound composition, students will learn to effectively shape and structure sound by analyzing historical and contemporary works and by applying compositional strategies in original pieces. Methodologies for producing new works will utilize techniques previously explored in the prerequisite classes.

After a series of sound studies, students will produce a final composition for a public performance at the culmination of the course.

senior year, spring semester (required for both Sound and Art and Computation majors)

In the concluding phase of the degree project, students will focus on the production, refinement and presentation of a substantial body of work. The course will provide opportunities for advanced critique sessions, peer feedback and technical development, culminating in public presentation, distribution and a comprehensive review. Students will demonstrate their ability to synthesize concept, technique and context.