Audio Journalism: Reporting, Producing, Storytelling

This class is an invitation to explore writing for theater, film, and television by creating ten scripts over the 10-week term. Edward Albee told Andrea that a play is as long as it is. To that end, like a short story, the short form allows for the creation of numerous stories, testing of form and structure, experimentation, failure, and success. Scripts can range from 1 page to 10 pages or longer if need be. This writing workshop will be fast-paced and inquiry-driven. We will use class time to do writing exercises, ask and answer questions, discuss the craft of scriptwriting, and share and critique our own and one another’s work. Students will be expected to create ten scripts, re-draft 5 of those scripts, and select their favorite script to further refine and finalize as their final project.

Evaluation is based on the quality of written work and participation in class discussions. Work will be evaluated for quality, engagement, effectiveness, on-time delivery, and commitment to the workshop collective. Students are expected to bring in new plays each week and to contribute their best work to an end-of-class public reading.

This course is geared toward students with or without performance experience. Together we will establish a common language to define the most important tools for an actor. Through a series of games and exercises, students develop new skills and practice making bolder, clearer choices within improvised, devised or established scenes. The goals are to create confidence in any sort of performance situation and to find ways of applying acting skills to other academic and outside experiences. Evaluation is based on participation in class activities and discussion, successful completion of all performance projects, including productive rehearsal time and an organized portfolio of written responses. There will be at least one field trip. Default grading option for this course is CR/NC.

This course will look closely at a small selection of plays adapted from other works. At its core this is a dramaturgical practice and methods course. Students will investigate impulses and processes for re-envisioning, re-working, re-purposing another’s text. We will read and discuss some theories of adaptation (mostly, but not exclusively, as they pertain to collaborative art making practices) as well as a sampling of contemporary criticism. A central goal of the course will be to better understand how the term adaptation is understood across disciplines and to fuel a complex discussion about what might make a theatrical adaptation feel relevant or effective in a given context. We will also look closely at moments in history that have instigated a serious 'looking back', spurring a collective creative impulse to re-visit and re-invent previously established works. One could argue that we are currently living in such a cultural moment. Please note: this course requires a significant reading load. Students will be required to close read/view all adapted texts, all original source materials and a variety of supporting texts (as described above). We will also draw from film, visual art and music for this study. Evaluation will be based on a sequence of short practical assignments and demonstrated engagement with the course materials through live discussion and a shared class blog.

In Advanced Samba Percussion Ensemble, we will focus on developing a repertoire of percussion music based in two Brazilian music traditions: Samba Reggae from the city of Salvador de Bahia and Samba Batucada, an instrumental substyle of Samba music originating in Rio de Janeiro. This class builds on the work undertaken in Samba Percussion Ensemble by exploring additional styles, developing more complex arrangements, and building a wider repertoire. Along the way, students will cultivate skills in percussion performance, physical coordination, formal memorization, functional notation strategies, and rhythmic awareness. At the same time, we will learn about the social history of Samba music through reading, screening, listening, and discussion. These twin endeavors are mutually enriching and are designed to contribute towards a more robust and holistic model of cross-cultural musical learning.

This term, we will be joined on campus by guest artist Caique Vidal, a percussionist born and raised in Salvador, Bahia, for a series of workshops and a final performance at the end of the term.

Advances Samba Percussion Ensemble is open to students who have taken Samba Percussion Ensemble or by special permission. Please contact Jonathan if you have not taken the intro class but want to be considered for the advanced class. The first class session of the week will typically be split between rehearsal and listening/discussion/instruction. The second class session of the week will be reserved just for rehearsal. Students will be assessed based on their participation in class learning and discussion, practice outside of class time, and the completion of assignments.

In 1979, the music producer Brian Eno argued that the recording studio is a “compositional tool,” upending the idea that the recording studio exists to document pre-existing musical compositions. His assertion came on the back of pivotal albums such as The Beatles’ “Revolver” and The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” (1966), which demonstrated the creative possibilities of composing in the studio. We might call this type of approach to music composition “playing the studio.” In this course, students learn how music production makes use of editing, mixing, and effect processing to maximize its impact. Through readings, film screenings, and audio listening sessions, students learn about past and present studio techniques and use these techniques during audio projects and exercises. Students learn to use virtual instruments, effect processors, microphones, and COA’s recording studio to strengthen their technical audio recording, editing, and mixing skills. Students will be evaluated based on their participation in class discussions, their fluency in the use of recording equipment and software, the process they use to approach each assignment, and the completion of assigned projects. No prerequisites or sound/music experience is required.

How do you use sound and story to build tension and hold attention? In this course, students will explore longform narrative storytelling using sound as their medium. Through reading and listening assignments, students will develop skills to identify narrative devices, critique story structure, and gain inspiration about the possibilities of sound as a narrative tool. Students can expect to complete short exercises and prompts at the beginning of term, aimed at developing story outlines and experimenting with story structure. We will discuss how to develop a longform story from an idea to a fully-realized production; whether working in fiction or non-fiction, students will hone research skills and draw from multiple sources of inspiration for their work. This course will focus heavily on writing and scripting, and integrating sound design with storytelling. Students will produce one longform audio story by the end of term, this story can be a work of fiction, non-fiction, or it can blur the lines between the two. This class is an opportunity for students to stretch audio and storytelling muscles and to experiment with form to create a polished 20-minute audio story. Students can expect a highly collaborative and supportive class atmosphere; we will use class time for workshopping, critique, and collaboration as well as class discussion.

Students will be evaluated based on their participation in class discussions, their preparedness with assigned materials, and their commitment and completion of exercises and a longform narrative audio story. This class will require independent work; students should be prepared to record, write, and edit audio outside of class time.