Audio Arts and Acoustics - Columbia College Chicago
Sound plays an important, often hidden, role in our lives, and if you’re interested in learning how to use its power you have come to the right place. Audio, the electrical representation of sound, is an interdisciplinary field that stands firmly at the intersection of science, design, art and technology and this is reflected in the very makeup of our department and the courses we teach.
In our Acoustics courses, you’ll learn about the physical properties of sounds and how to alter them in repeatable ways. This analysis and transformation of sounds is normally undertaken with distinct goals in mind: the accurate representation of acoustic events, the extraction and enhancement of signal information and the removal of noise. In our Psychoacoustics courses, you’ll learn the science of sound perception–the biological and psychological effects that sounds (including speech and music) have on us.
Acoustics and Psychoacoustics are the scientific foundations that support the Audio Arts: that diverse collection of disciplines in which sound design is used as a medium of expression for cultural and artistic purposes. These disciplines range from live sound reinforcement, recording and distribution, to computer music, soundscapes, data sonification and sound installations, to name but a few. They are heavily reliant on computer technologies at the same time as needing to be aesthetically interesting.
We are proud of the expertise and experience that our department offers in all of these areas. I have a longstanding inquisitiveness about sound and how to use it effectively in music composition, sonification and public installations and I am delighted to join the faculty and team of experienced staff in our outstanding facilities to create an environment which is conducive to you exploring and developing your passion for sound in creative, exciting and educationally vital ways.
Course Designed and Taught by David Worrall
43-3562 | Data Sonification | 3 Credits |
Sonification is the use of designed or intentional sound to display system states and other informational data. This course introduces the concepts and design techniques used in sonification ranging from earcons, spearcons and auditory icons to translation techniques used in mapping data into sound for probing, monitoring, and auditory display for enhanced user interfaces and monitoring and purposes.
Requisites: Pre-: College Level Mathematics AND 43-2215 Audio Production II OR 43-2725 Studies in Hearing |