| 01Sept 9ChucK |
Getting Started |
- Introductions and a relaxed conversation about music basics.
- A short live demo on why fundamentals matter before leaning on AI tools: solving a short sequence of arithmetic problems by hand, starting simple (two-digit addition) and getting harder each time (multi-digit multiplication, then a multi-step order-of-operations problem with parentheses and division), then handing that last problem to an AI tool and watching it solve it live, sometimes correctly, sometimes with a wrong step buried in the middle. The point: a student who worked through the problem by hand can immediately catch the AI’s mistake; a student who skipped straight to the AI has no way to know it’s wrong.
- Installing ChucK and miniAudicle, and getting sound working on every laptop before leaving class.
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- Spend 10 minutes in Chrome Music Lab’s Song Maker building a 4-bar loop: a basic drum beat (rhythm), a short melody (pitch), then swap instrument types to hear the tone change (timbre). Save and bring the link to share in class. No musical experience expected. Want to explore more on your own? Ableton Learning Music and BeepBox are good next steps.
- Also: research one artist or composer working in electronic, algorithmic, or computer music, and submit a short write-up with a link.
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| 02Sept 16ChucK |
First Sounds |
- What makes ChucK different: it’s “strongly timed,” meaning code and sound stay precisely in sync.
- The => operator, core data types, and how now works.
- if/else, for/while loops.
- Building your first oscillator.
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- Watch the Session 1 video and complete its assignment, to present in class next week.
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| 03Sept 23ChucK |
Libraries, Randomness, and Arrays |
- ChucK’s standard and math libraries: unit conversion, randomness, panning.
- Arrays: declaring, indexing, and looping through them.
- Using an array to build a melody instead of a single note.
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- Watch the Session 2 video and complete its assignment, to present in class next week.
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| 04Sept 30ChucK |
Working with Sound Files |
- SndBuf, ChucK’s object for playing sound files.
- Looping and reverse playback, switching between samples.
- The modulo operator, the technique behind a step sequencer.
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- Watch the Session 3 video and complete its assignment, to present in class next week.
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| 05Oct 7ChucK |
Functions and Musical Structure |
- Writing a function and passing it arguments. Local versus global scope.
- Using functions to build chords and give a piece musical structure.
- Recursion, through the classic factorial example.
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- Watch the Session 4 video and complete its assignment, to present in class next week.
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| 06Oct 14ChucK |
Synthesis and Physical Models |
- Envelopes and ADSR shaping. FM synthesis.
- Filters and effects, including pitch-shifting and reverb.
- Physical modeling instruments: a mandolin, a flute, a mallet instrument, shakers.
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- No separate assignment this week. This material is covered by the midterm instead.
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| 07Oct 21Shared |
Midterm |
- Midterm, presented in class.
- No fixed time slot, coordinated across the three Fall 2026 Creative Computing courses (Coding Art Fundamentals, Intro to TouchDesigner, and Coding Music Fundamentals).
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| 08Oct 28ChucK |
Running Things at Once |
- The shred, ChucK’s term for a single running thread of code, and spork, which launches a new one.
- Managing several shreds with Machine.add, remove, and replace.
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- Watch the Session 6 video and complete its assignment, to present in class next week.
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| 09Nov 4ChucK |
Classes and Building Instruments |
- Classes and objects: member variables, methods, public versus private, inheritance.
- Building a reusable instrument instead of a one-off patch.
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- Watch the Session 7 video and complete its assignment. Present it in class in Week 11 (Nov 18) instead of the usual next week, since there’s no class on Nov 11.
- Also the deadline to have your final project group formed.
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| 10Nov 11ChucK |
Playing Live and Talking to Other Software |
- No class this week — holiday.
- All of this week’s content is pre-recorded instead: the existing Session 8 video (events, keyboard and mouse input, MIDI in and out, OSC, what lets a patch respond to a live performer), plus a new pre-recorded video showing how to connect ChucK outward to other software, OSC to p5.js, MIDI to Ableton, and similar, with a worked example.
- A sign-up sheet for the Week 13 presentation slot still goes out this week, posted in Canvas.
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- Watch all of this week’s pre-recorded material. No weekly assignment, use the time to start prepping your final project.
- Watching the videos is still required: the final project depends on this material, even though nothing is submitted for it this week.
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| 11Nov 18ChucK |
Final Project Workshop |
- In-person workshop day, attendance is required. A second TA joins to help around the room.
- Week 9’s assignment (Session 7) is presented today instead of the previous week, since there was no class on Nov 11.
- The rest of class time is final project work.
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- No new weekly assignment, Week 9’s was the last one.
- Present Week 9’s assignment and use the rest of class to start working on your final project, with help available.
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| 12Nov 25Shared |
Final Project Work |
- Remote day. A required Stanford CCRMA workshop on multimedia creative coding research and development, mandatory for this course.
- Help is available during class time, and additional help slots are added throughout the week.
- Final project work continues.
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- Final project work time, help available during class.
- No separate submission this week.
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| 13Dec 2Shared |
Final Performance |
- Final performance, in person, within a shared 1–6 PM window.
- Groups sign up for their exact slot during Week 10.
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| 14Dec 9Shared |
Digital Submission and AI Workshop |
- Required remote AI workshop.
- The Digital Expo portfolio deadline is Friday, Dec 11.
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- Attendance at the AI workshop counts as this week’s assignment.
- See Final Project and Digital Expo: Final Portfolio for the portfolio deadline.
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