Outline#

  • Due date: 14/04/2025 23:59AEST
  • Mark weighting: 20%
  • Submission: submit your assignment according to the instructions below
  • Late submission is not permitted for this assessment.
  • This is an individual assessment task.
  • GitLab Repo: link

Description#

Create a piece of individual computer music using the SMC programming system studied in the course so far (Pure Data). You can frame your work as an improvisation with a new computer music instrument, a computer music composition, or interaction with a computer-based sound artwork.

This assessment will take the form of a screencast recorded as a single-take. This means that you should not be mixing multiple recordings or creating layers in video editing software. Your performance must be between 120s and 150s in length (2-2.5 minutes). The video must be no larger than 1920x1080 (Full HD) and sound quality must be excellent.

Your work should demonstrate sophisticated application of fundamental concepts in sound and music computing. Your performance should demonstrate sophisticated interactions with the SMC software you have created with a well thought-out presentation.

Specification#

Your submission:

  • must be a video file with resolution no larger than 1920x1080 pixels.
  • must be a screencast (screen recording) from your computer showing the SMC software you have created in use. (Pure Data)
  • must be 120s-150s in length (2-2.5 minutes).
  • must have excellent sound quality.
  • must be uploaded to your fork of the solo performance template on GitLab as a file named solo-performance.mkv by the due date.

You should not:

  • Use music software / programming systems that are not used in the course.
  • Use external hardware controllers/sequencers/sound sources (apart from your computer keyboard and mouse) to control your piece.
  • Mix multiple recordings or create layers in video editing software.
  • Upload a 10 minute recording; you only get 2.5 minutes maximum.
  • Perform music created by others (e.g., covers of video game sound tracks) in your work

Submission process#

  1. create a performance using the programming systems studied in the course.
  2. record a screencast of yourself doing the performance with OBS (max 2.5 minutes)
  3. check that the video is clear and sound quality is excellent
  4. give your video the name solo-performance.mkv
  5. upload it to your fork of the solo performance template repository in GitLab.
  6. store any and all performance materials (patches, code, sounds, etc) in your Gitlab repository including references to any external libraries or code used in your performance.
  7. check that the tests pass on your fork of the Gitlab solo performance repository.

Creative notes#

Don’t over think this one. You have created short computer music pieces every week for your diary and in every workshop class. This should be a natural progression from what you have been creating. This should not be a super stressful completely new project starting from scratch. In particular, you don’t have to suddenly become an expert note-based music if you don’t have a strong background in music theory. This probably should be more like an explorative improvisation showing off your computer music patches/code.

Here’s some tips:

  • Start with the code and patches you have created so far in the course and choose elements that you like and think work together, try making some music with these elements together.
  • What techniques did you hear about but haven’t had time to try. Can you use these to make your code/patches more sophisticated?
  • Think about how you can extend these elements to make them something that is personal. This is a good way to show your artistic as well as technical growth.
  • Stop playing and look at your screen. Will we understand how your system works just by watching your video? How can you make it communicate more clearly?
  • Watch your video: does it show your best work? If we can’t see it or hear it, you won’t get marks for it.
  • Read the rubric below to see what we are looking for in marking.
  • Be very careful about referencing external libraries or objects in your performance. Using lots of external libraries is not likely to help demonstrate sophisticated SMC knowledge. Not referencing code that you didn’t create is a breach of Academic Integrity.
  • Don’t try to play covers or arrangements of pop or video game music here, that is unlikely to show sophistication of SMC concepts.

You will get clear feedback from this assessment so it’s a good chance to try out ideas that you might like to use in the final performance.

Marking Rubric#

The marking rubric for this task is different between COMP4350 and COMP8350 as these courses have different learning outcomes (see the links to Class Summaries).

COMP4350 Rubric#

CRITERIA HD D CR P N
Sophistication of application of fundamental concepts in sound and music computing. (50%) Excellent to outstanding SMC implementations going beyond learning materials. Very good application of SMC concepts, but not beyond learning materials. Application of SMC at level of learning materials. May have gaps in some areas. Some effort to replicate SMC learning materials resulting in functional SMC software. May have only applied some SMC concepts covered. Very little SMC software or software that is below the level of learning materials.
Sophistication as a solo performance with a computer music instrument, of a computer music composition or as an interactive media work. (50%) Excellent to outstanding performance. Sophisticated interaction and presentation demonstrating in-depth exploration of SMC software. Excellent adherence to the submission format. Very good as a computer music performance with detailed interaction and presentation that demonstrates the SMC software. Excellent adherence to the submission format. A good computer music performance that may not show sophisticated interaction and presentation of the SMC software. Good adherence to the submission format. A satisfactory performance that may have limited interaction and weak presentation of the SMC software. The adherence to the submission format may be poor. Below acceptable standards as a performance. May have very poor adherence to submission format.

COMP8350 Rubric#

Criteria HD D CR P N
Sophistication of application of fundamental concepts in sound and music computing. (50%) Excellent to outstanding SMC implementations going beyond learning materials that reflects recent developments in SMC. Very good application of SMC concepts, but not beyond learning materials. Reflects recent developments in SMC. Application of SMC at level of learning materials. May have gaps in some areas. May not fully reflect recent developments in SMC. Some effort to replicate SMC learning materials resulting in functional SMC software. May have only applied some SMC concepts covered and may not reflect recent developments in SMC. Very little SMC software or software that is below the level of learning materials. May not reflect recent developments in SMC.
Sophistication as a solo performance with a computer music instrument, of a computer music composition or as an interactive media work. (50%) Excellent to outstanding performance. Sophisticated interaction and presentation demonstrating in-depth exploration of SMC software. Excellent adherence to the submission format. Very good as a computer music performance with detailed interaction and presentation that demonstrates the SMC software. Excellent adherence to the submission format. A good computer music performance that may not show sophisticated interaction and presentation of the SMC software. Good adherence to the submission format. A satisfactory performance that may have limited interaction and weak presentation of the SMC software. The adherence to the submission format may be poor. Below acceptable standards as a performance. May have very poor adherence to submission format.
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