Courses for knowledge on Sound and Installation

Question

Hi. I'm a multi-media artist who is passionate about integrating sound art. Self taught sound mixer. I'm getting more and more into sound art and would like some leads..in terms of what type of courses I could be or should be taking to further my knowledge as far as installation goes. Should I be taking a sound design course or sound engineering course? I recently had an exhibition which required continual charging of a limited number of mp3 players so that people could experience the work...not the most practicle. Are there any online courses out there? Much of my work requires headphone use, mobility (being able to walk around with the sound), or lying down. Thanks.

Answer 1

A couple of good resources

• check out IRCAM's research on many different areas within sound/music: http://www.ircam.fr/equipes.html?&L=1

• Shannon Mattern's course is thoroughly documented, a good mix of theoretical and practical stuff : http://www.wordsinspace.net/course_material/sound_space/sound_space_F05.html

Answer 2

If you're heading down the path of interactive design, you will likely not be served better than by acquiring skills in Max/MSP (or related software like PureData, Plogue Bidule etc). What you get is basically a blank canvas upon which to build, without presumption, your ideas. If you're disciplined, you can even teach yourself using the provided tutorials.

Cycling '74's website has a list of schools that teach it, as well as a link to the tutes.

http://cycling74.com/whatismax/

Answer 3

Hi Erin,

Welcome to SSD. There are a number of Sonic Art/sound design programmes that may be of interest to you, ranging from undergraduate to PHD level. You just need to do some research online and read the course structures to see if they meet your needs. A course such as this requires significant investment, both financially and in terms of time. You really need to decide yourself whether the course would be worth investing in.

If you are already exhibiting work you may find it more useful to develop your knowledge not through a traditional educational route but via your own research and practice. Forums such as this one can be an amazing source of useful information. I would also suggest working on your social network. Try to get in touch with other sonic artists. Show an interest in their work and ask questions on how they achieved their installations. Most people are happy to answer an email when someone shows an interest in their work.

This is a dilemna that many people face. If you have a look on the Related sidebar, you'll find a number of discussions on this subject. There's no simple answer. You need to research your options and decide on which one will take you in the right direction.

Good luck!

Answer 4

You need to view the course curriculum to define whether something is suitable. These types of courses however often go under some kind of "sound design" or "media" title rather than "sound production"/"recording arts"/"audio engineering", which are mainly about recording and sound/music production in a studio (and maybe concert) environment.

A few examples of the courses you would be looking for in Europe include MSc Sound Design at University of Edinburgh and MA Sound in New Media at Aalto University in Helsinki, but there are likely many more.

More important than the actual practical/teaching content of these types of programs is the people that you meet, because the courses involve multidisciplinary work and there are people that are into the same stuff as you, which can spin off some interesting cooperation and projects. Of course you also get to use the school's facilities and equipment, but the practical stuff can be learnt by just doing it and through self-study.