Offering numerous gadgets and gizmos for those who are musically inclined, the Bregman electro-acoustic music studio may be a hidden treasure for students wishing to write, compose, or create music.
Many undergraduates may not be aware of the tremendous musical resources available to them at the Bregman studio. Located in Hallgarten Hall, it is perhaps the best facility for computer generated music available to undergraduate college students in the country.
Composed of a tightly knit community of graduate students, the program has no more than six or so students at a time. Currently there are three graduate students using Bregman.
The Bregman facility offers students an invaluble resource because of the state-of-the-art MIDI or musical instrument digital interface technology and high powered personal and Silicon Graphics computers available.
The appellation "studio" may even be a misnomer when applied to Bregman, because here pieces are composed and recorded using computers rather than traditional musical instruments and microphones.
As to the people to whom a course in computer generated music might appeal, the selection is wide.
"Lots of people come to us from computer science, lots come from a musical background. It doesn't matter to us," said Larry Polansky, associate professor of music.
Veteran undergraduates of electro-acoustic music courses at Dartmouth speak warmly about the experience.
"[The classes and professors] don't interfere with your creativity," said Joe Edelman '99.
What professors try to impress most upon students is the fact that they are not working in a vacuum.
"The history and repertoire of the field are important. We don't care about style, originality is the key," said Jon Appleton, professor of music and directorof the graduate program in electro acoustic music.
Bregman studios and the musicians who compose there have always been at the forefront of ground breaking musical technology as well as composition.
Research into new software for composing music and hardware for composing the music takes place at Bregman. Developed at Bregman Studio in the early 1980s, the Synclavier digital synthesizer is an instrument still used today by performers such as singer/songwriter Michael Jackson.
In addition to technology development, the faculty at Bregman have a close relationship with the computer science, physics and even psychology department, in an attempt at helping to unravel the appeal of music to the brain and discover the fundamental elements of musical composition.
The possibilities of the research occurring at Bregman seem like episodes right out of a 1950s science fiction pulp magazine, although the products of these technologies may take some time to be developed.
"Just because the mechanics are understood doesn't mean they can be used right away," Appleton said. "There is a 10 to 20 year gap between common usage and research."
Under research right now at Bregman are "alternate controllers," different ways of manipulating sounds and instruments, such as with a touchpad or even a light sensor activated by waving one's hands.
Both Appleton and Polansky urged students to explore electronic music. Two courses on electronic music are being offered in the spring: Music 24 and College Course 12.
There will also be a Festival of New Music this Spring which will feature works composed by Marie Esguerra and Onche Ugbabe, electro-acoustic music graduate students at Bregman.
