The UO offers three degree programs in music technology: Bachelor of Science in Music, Music Technology option; Master of Music, Intermedia Music Technology; and Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Performance with an emphasis in Performance of Data-Driven Instruments.
The program faculty maintains a list of minimum computing requirements for each degree. The educational focus is on the creation of new types of musical content, not on the vocational training of recording engineers or related technicians. Each curriculum strives to balance the development of artistic and creative skills with the mastery of the technical aspects of the discipline. Courses offered in the Future Music Oregon studios include Electronic Composition, Interactive Media Performance, SensorMusik, Musical Performance Networks, Performance with Data-Driven Instruments, Digital Audio and Sound Design, and History of Electro-Acoustic Music.
Alumni hold positions on university faculties, pursue various careers in the music industry, work in multimedia production and sound for video, and independently compose technologically based music.
Future Music Oregon, the UO’s music technology center, is dedicated to the exploration of sound and its creation, to new forms of musical and new media performance, and to the innovative use of computers and other recent technologies to create expressive music and new media compositions. FMO features a suite of outstanding studios for electroacoustic and new media composition equipped with current software, digital mixers, game controllers, and sensor-based interfaces for musical and artistic exploration.
The Oregon Electronic Device Orchestra (OEDO) employs all types of recent technology to provide unique performance experiences for its members. Students are exposed to new works and celebrated composers through the Future Music Oregon concert series.
Summer Academy For Computer Music
Each summer the UO School of Music and Dance hosts students from the top music institutes in China at the Summer Academy for Computer Music. This intensive two-week workshop examines technical and artistic topics related to music composition with computers. Past participants include students from the Central Conservatory of Music, the Shenyang Conservatory of Music, the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Peking University, and the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts. Contact Jeffrey Stolet for more information.
Conference and Festival Appearances
Students’ creative work is presented around the country and world at festivals including the International Computer Music Conference, the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States National Conference, the Kyma International Sound Symposium, the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Musicacoustica, Electronic Music Midwest, the Música Viva Festival in Spain, the Re-New Digital Arts Festival in Denmark, and the Florida Electroacoustic Music Festival.
Degree Programs
What can I do with a degree in Music Technology?
In Music Technology, we learn how to build inclusive community through shared practice of differing art forms. Our faculty focus on critical art making and creating artists who investigate, take risks, and incorporate learning into their creative problem-solving. We create music of our time, for our time. Music Technology builds confidence in a 21st-century art practice, in expression, and in delivering professional work involving technology. Our alumni have gone on to work in fields including:
*with additional certification or degree
Performance Opportunities
Student work is presented live three times each year as part of the Future Music Oregon concert series. Music technology students enjoy numerous opportunities to collaborate with students in music, dance, and digital arts. The Oregon Electronic Device Orchestra (OEDO) employs all types recent technology to provide a unique performance experience for its members. Students enjoy the opportunity to learn from guest artists like John Chowning, Chris Chafe, Jon Appleton, Allen Strange, Xiaofu Zhang, and Carla Scaletti.
Scholarships
School of Music and Dance scholarships and financial aid are available. For complete information about financial aid, including loans, see the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships section of the UO catalog.
Take the Next Step
Call us, email us, visit us or apply to the program. We’re here to answer your questions about how a degree in music composition can shape your future and positively impact your community.