Interactive Music Systems

Interactive Music Systems is a hands-on programming and design course, requiring advanced knowledge of Python (including object-oriented programming), and music theory. Students write code to learn about audio synthesis, musical structure, HCI (human-computer interaction), and visual presentation as the ingredients for the creation of engaging real-time interactive musical experiences.

These experiences allow users to connect with music more deeply than through passive listening. The most successful ones give users intuitive control, greater musical insight, and a deeper emotional response to the musical experience.

Students learn about the principles, design considerations, and aesthetic qualities of interactive music systems by exploring the following topics:

Real-time audio synthesis
Mixing, looping, pitch shifting, and simple audio effects
Graphics and animation techniques for UI, visualization, and aesthetics
MIDI sequencing and algorithmic music creation
Motion sensors and alternative interfaces
Music games

Weekly assignments require both technical solutions to specific problems and creative implementations of your own design. The class requires a final project where student teams propose, design, and build an original, dynamic, and engaging interactive music system.

View final projects from previous semesters here.

Prerequisites:

Programming: 6.1010 or an advanced command of Python and building software systems.
Music: 21M.051 or fluency reading music and first year college-level music theory, including scales, modes, chord progressions, and basic composition.

Offered fall and spring.

Please note: Priority is given to students who pre-register for the class. Pre-registered students will receive a questionnaire two weeks before reg day. If you hope to cross-register from Harvard or Wellesley (and therefore cannot pre-register), please email the course instructor (egozy@mit.edu) two weeks before reg day to receive the questionnaire link. Enrollment is determined based on answers to the questionnaire and a lottery of the qualified students, with a slight preference for MIT music majors, minors, and concentrators. Completing the prerequisites is a major factor in determining if a student is qualified. You will be notified as to your enrollment status a few days before reg day.

Related People

Eran Egozy