Admission requirements
Bachelor degree (completed)
It is recommended to have basic knowledge of digital audio, music theory, and programming or creative coding.
Description
The interdisciplinary course Generative and Interactive Sound and Music explores the field of generative and interactive sound and music, combining theory with hands-on creation. Students will engage with the principles and practices behind algorithmic composition, real-time sound interaction, drawing from fields such as computer music, human-computer interaction, machine learning, and sound art.
The course covers key theoretical concepts - including generative systems, sonic interaction design, and emergence in music - while offering practical experience with tools such as Pure Data and creative coding environments like p5.js. As part of the course, students will design and build a series of their own generative and/or interactive works.
Key concepts developed in the course are:
Sonic language, including representational and non-representational forms.
The Interactive dialog, including aspects of control, meaning and surprise.
Generative approaches towards sound and music.
The course form is a combination of lectures and labs that converge towards the final project. The lectures are given over the full period of the course and are used to transmit knowledge regarding the course topic. The corresponding labs are structured around the practical assignments.
Course objectives
analyse and discuss generative and interactive music systems from aesthetic, technical, and cultural perspectives;
develop and create sound-based forms of communication;
design and create interactive dialogues in which the participant and the system both have a certain autonomy;
design and implement generative algorithms for sound and music creation;
synthesize theoretical understanding with creative practice.
Timetable
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
Lecture, Seminar
Assessment method
To complete the course, the students must successfully execute and present the series of 4 course assignments, actively engage in the course and adhere to the compulsory attendance. Assignment 1, 2 and 3 have a weight of 20%, assignment 4 has a weight of 40%.
The assignment grades are based on the quality, ambition and originality of the created assignments.
Retake rules: If and only if the final course grade is lower than 5.5, then a retake possibility exists for the assignment(s) that were graded as insufficient (lower than 5.5). This normally includes the development and realization of a fully new work. The deadlines for this can be discussed with the lecturer on an individual basis.
Reading list
The course uses a combination of articles that will be communicated during the course. The deadlines regarding the reading material will be communicated through the course website as well.
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Contact
Contact the lecturer(s) for course specific questions, and the programme's coordinator for questions regarding admission and/or registration.
Remarks
Exchange students (other than Creative Intelligenve and Technology students) need to be admitted to the course before registration due to limited capacity. Contact the programme's coordinator to request admission; include a short description of your course interest and state your current study programme in your correspondence.
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.