Proposed master's program in music technology ready for consideration

In the recent SGA elections, several candidates' platforms included support of a music technology major. However, it looks like the initiative is already well on its way, as the School of Music has submitted a proposal for the creation of a master's program in Music Technology.

Heading the effort is Gil Weinberg, assistant professor and director of Music Technology for the School of Music. Weinberg, who wrote the proposal, would serve as director of the master's program.

Though not yet officially approved by either the Academic Senate or the Board of Regents, "the proposal is ready, on the Dean's table, and probably if everything goes well, it will [begin] in Fall 2006," Weinberg said.

Though it is currently a two-year program of study with 48 credit hours, Weinberg was quick to point out that the requirements could change as the proposal moves through approval stages.

However, the program will get a head start this coming fall with two students from Tech, who will work toward an undesignated Master of Science with a concentration in music technology, a degree option offered by the College of Architecture that allows students to tailor their degree.

The master's program in Music Technology expands on recent growth of the music program in the past years-growth which, according to the School of Music website, includes $650,000 worth of renovations to the Couch Building, in part for a new recording studio and computer lab.

According to Weinberg, the decision to offer a music technology program was also motivated by the growing need for the field in today's society, especially on the internet and in the video game industry.

"There's a huge expansion in music technology," Weinberg said. These days, he said, employees must be increasingly familiar with both the musical and the technical side when they create products. For example, "companies that create musical instruments, more and more, need people who are proficient in both areas," he said.

In developing the master's program, Weinberg has looked to a variety of other universities. For example, he has talked with members of Georgia State University, which offers an undergraduate degree in music production. "[There are] 11 or so very good programs that we're looking to for ideas," Weinberg said.

However, he seeks to make Tech's program unique, combining elements of more technical programs such as MIT's Media Lab and more musical programs such as Columbia's Computer Music Center, which is composed mainly of musicians who are familiar with computer technologies.

Weinberg also added that his goal for the first years of the program is just to gain recognition. "Initially, I just want to put Georgia Tech on the map in music technology," he said.

Weinberg said that he was confident the master's program would not be at a disadvantage despite the lack of a music major. Currently, the School of Music only offers music minors and certificates.

In fact, Weinberg suggested the opposite may be true: that creating a music technology program may help grow the department in other ways. Frank Clark, director of the School of Music, was hired by the Institute in 2002 partly because of his support of music technology. With the additional support of the Provost's Office, the school has since hired three tenure-track positions, which include Weinberg and Director of Choral Activities Jerry Ulrich.

"Before that, there weren't any tenure-track faculty," Weinberg said.

With the development of the master's program in Music Technology, the department has plans to hire additional tenure-track positions this fall. The recruitment of tenure-track faculty is another key component for growth, according to Weinberg.

"Enhancement of the music department maybe will start with technology but continue to project in other directions," he said. "Once we have [an] academic mainstream, [hopefully] every faculty here will be tenure track...[this will] definitely grow strong academic programs in other areas."

The program will also be highly interdisciplinary, drawing on Tech's resources in various departments.

Weinberg, who is also an adjunct faculty member in the College of Computing, is working with faculty and staff from the CoC's Graphics Visualization Center.

In addition, he hopes that Music Technology students will be able to take courses offered by other schools, such as digital signal processing in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and acoustics and audio/noise control in the School of Mechanical Engineering.

Weinberg anticipates that the program will attract a more well-rounded type of student, regardless of their undergraduate background.

"We're really looking for Renaissance-type students," he said. "If you have the undergrad in music, you're definitely a candidate, but we do want you to have some technical ability-not necessarily only using [musical] notation programs, but more low-level." Likewise, mechanical engineering students would still need to have a solid musical foundation in theory and composition.

He added that this Renaissance attitude already flourishes at Tech. "Many people here really want to explore and combine both their artistic slant and technology side...[music technology] is definitely one of the ways that we hope to provide it," he said. Currently, 50 to 60 students are enrolled in music technology courses this semester.

In addition, the program may provide employers with the kind of multitalented people they are seeking. "The need from the students and the need from the world both are calling for this program to happen," Weinberg said.

Weinberg pointed to a robotic drummer in one corner of his office as an example of the kind of projects students are already working on. "[These are] machines that actually listen to what you play, figure out what you play," and play back the music in an acoustic manner instead of as a flat digital sound, he said.

The existing program has already started to gain national recognition. Weinberg supervises student groups who are involved in various projects and performances relating to machine musicianship. He and his groups have been invited to conferences in San Diego and Miami and will be performing in Vancouver later this year.

"I definitely feel like we're starting to spread the word," Weinberg said, adding that a master's program can only continue the momentum. "After this year, when we have two dedicated students...I'm sure [we'll grow] much more," he said.