IMPROVISATION, LISTENING, AND CODING W/ EXAMPLES IN SUPERCOLLIDER

Authors

Ben Kudler

Essential Question

• How can we approach, sound, listening and improvisation programmatically and creatively?
• How does building our own software effect the work we make?
• How does using software that was built through contribution by many, as opposed to built by a company, affect our creative productions?
• Why improvise?
• Why compose?
• How can we be ourselves while using software and programmatic techniques?
• How can we be ourselves while listening to others?

Introduction

This workshop will teach the basics of SuperCollider, and through that the basics of computer programming, as well as digital sound synthesis, and musical improvisation tactics. These skills, taught in tandem, will push students to think critically about how they themselves want to relate to digital technology, music, and where these two things meet. Play, exploration and a focus on non-musical activity will be encouraged during the class, and hopefully students will have a chance to capitalize on their impulse to make crazy sounds. Students will learn how to use SuperCollider to create sounds and play with a small ensemble to make meaningful work.

Target Audience / Prerequisite & Pre-Assessment

Students that have some familiarity with code will, most likely, get more out of the workshop, but it is by no means a prerequisite. The only thing students need installed is the latest version of SuperCollider for their operating system. All of the information on downloading SuperCollider can be found here I have included some pre-practice materials that maybe helpful to look over before the class.

Pacing / Duration

• :15 Overview, context, examples and vocabulary

  • The class will begin with a short talk about what SuperCollider is and what we will be learning in the class
  • The students will then be walked through getting the pre-code running on their individual machines and how to work with it
  • Once all the students have everything up in running we will take five minutes to let the students all unleash crazy sounds using the synths

• :25 Instruction & hands on exercise

  • I will walk through some of the things that I do with the synths
  • Invite a couple of students to sit down and improvise with each other for 5 minutes
  • Have students discuss some of their thoughts about improvisation including what more they wish they could do

• :50 Focused work

  • Together we will walk through how to change the the depth on the LFO and add speed control to the LFO in the code
  • Students will make some changes to their synthesizers with assistance from myself and TAs
    • Mild Challenges
      • Change the amount of a parameter in the GUI
      • Change something about the LFO in the synth
      • Make The Noise Volume Work
    • Medium Challenges
      • Make the Noise Filter Work
      • Make the OscTwo RQ control work
      • Make the envelope control different parts of the synth
      • Add modulation to envelope speed
      • Add modulation to any frequency controller
    • Spicy Challenges
      • Add another LFO w/GUI
      • Add another osc w/GUI
      • Add modulation to any frequency controller w/GUI
      • Add modulation to envelope speed w/GUI
      • Add another filter w/GUI

• :20 Wrap-up discussion & sharing, reflection or journal and next steps

  • Students will share things they added to their synths
  • Students will be invited for a last 5 minute improvisation
  • Students will discuss the final improvisation
  • Next steps for adding to their synthesizer and learning SC will be shown

Vocabulary

• Sine Wave
• Square Wave
• Argument
• GUI
• Improvisation
• Listening
• SuperCollider

Student Reflections, Takeaways and Next Steps

Please keep working on your synths and if you get bored with add-ons start building your own! I have also included a great list of ways to learn SuperCollider.