Students of this course may try their hand at their own sound interventions and musical compositions, or simply focus on learning more about diverse musical traditions, sonic experimentation, and acoustic phenomena in everyday life. Designed by artist and Duke professor, Pedro Lasch, and UdK composer Mathias Hinke, this course is also co-taught by scholar and musician Jace Clayton (DJ Rupture) and curator Candice Hopkins (Documenta 14). The lectures link major artistic developments of recent decades to wider ideas about sound in specific social and spatial contexts.
Offered By
Art of the MOOC: Experiments with Sound
Duke UniversityAbout this Course
Instructors
Offered by

Duke University
Duke University has about 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students and a world-class faculty helping to expand the frontiers of knowledge. The university has a strong commitment to applying knowledge in service to society, both near its North Carolina campus and around the world.

Berlin University of the Arts
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Introduction & Analytical Concepts
This module introduces the four co-teachers of the course (Lasch, Clayton, Hinke, Hopkins), along with five analytical concepts that we will use throughout its sections and projects: Frequency, Perspective, Material Frame, Time Frame, and Concurrency. These concepts are designed to encompass a wide range of acoustic phenomena within spatial and social experience.
Elements of Sound and Social Practices
This lesson expands on specific terms or ‘sound elements’ that include tuning, resonance, silence, improvisation, rhythm, synchronization, duration, and timbre. It also addresses traditional tools in sound production, from musical instruments to sampling, auto-tunes, and other more recent technologies. The module concludes by exploring the role of sound in specific non-musical social settings and practices, such as clapping, fan culture, sports, traffic jams, mass demonstrations, and more.
Project: Playing with Sound Rules
The practical component of this section is optional, asking learners to choose a space with specific ‘sound rules’ and change or alter these rules through actual experimentation.
NOTATION, HOW MUSIC TRAVELS & PUBLIC SPACE
This lesson begins by focusing on the relationship between experimental practices and scores or notation systems. It also examines how sound has been used and understood by artists in specific urban contexts, such as ports, train stations, and airports, as well as rural settings, including forests, gardens, and the wider landscape. We conclude with an examination of how sound and music travel, be it through the populations who produce it, or the objects and digital files that are used to record and share it.
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM ART OF THE MOOC: EXPERIMENTS WITH SOUND
Very Good Course I would encourage every Musician to take this course. It is very informative and broadens one knowledge in Global World Music Perspective
Great fun and insights, and motivation to re-question my perception and interaction with sounds in the physical environment. Thank you!
A very interesting and different perspective on Sound and Music for me given that I am from an Engineering background.
it was very interesting, it covered all levels in our llives, taught us new concepts and introduced us to new topics
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
Is financial aid available?
Can I take this course for free?
Will I receive a transcript from Duke University for completing this course?
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.