Music - Digital Music and Media Composition at University College Cork

The Online MA in Digital Music and Media Composition provides a thorough grounding in current digital music and media composition techniques. Students who complete the course will possess the ability to author and deliver digital creative content intended for screen (television, film, online content, games) and/or artistic aims (multimedia performance, installations, creative apps). The students will become fluent in the language of digital media artists and practitioners and have an ability to contextualize their work in a contemporary setting.

The MA in Digital Music and Media Composition is an intensive online postgraduate course focused on the composition of digital art in many formats with music principals at their core.

Students take 90 Credits.  Modules taught include:

• Digital Music Composition and Orchestration I and II where core concepts of contemporary and popular music composition are paired with the challenges and exploration of digital music making. By the end of these modules, students will have gained skills in composing and orchestrating for the screen as well as digital audio editing, recording and mixing,
• Coding for Creatives will aim to provide a good understanding of computer programming using programming languages tailored to creative people looking to create time based art or prototypes. Students will mostly use the programming languages Processing and Max/MSP/Jitter as well as a myriad of open source tools. Online tutorials become an essential part of this fast paced module. A three day hardware-software Hack-a-thon/workshop at UCC is a part of this module.
• Digital Media Art in Performance explores issues surrounding real time performance practice with digital media art. Project based research is the focus of this module culminating in a performance at UCC.
• In Making Time-Based Digital Art students will gain an understanding of contemporary artists working in this field while developing essential skills in video and image creation and editing for multiple outputs. Project based collaborative research is an essential element of this module.
• Understanding Digital Media Art looks into the history of Digital Media Art and engages the student with research issues (documentation, grant writing, presenting work) surrounding a Digital Media Art practice.

After two semesters of coursework, students completing the MA will be expected to complete a portfolio consisting mainly of creative work worth 30 credits of the degree.  Students opting for a Postgraduate Diploma do not complete the portfolio requirements

Why Choose This Course

The MA in Digital Music and Media Composition offers a unique opportunity to explore interdisciplinary creativity while gaining essential digital music and art skills. The online MA allows for flexibility for the working professional looking to gain new skills as well as the international student looking for a creative digital arts course.

Skills and Careers Information

On successful completion of this programme, students will be able to:

• Compose, mix and edit digital music and video
• Creatively Program computers using a variety of mainly open source programming languages for digital artists
• Contextualize their work in the contemporary fields of studio composition, sound design and digital art.
• Research and design systems and/or tools for composition, performances and installations
• Create soundtracks for audio-visual projects (film, video, installation, performance)
• Discover new approaches to music and image interaction

The combination of these skills enables a graduate to explore employment possibilities in broadcasting, recording, producing, engineering, computing, information technology, composition, performance, and research