The teaching of musical technology at London Guildhall University

Abstract

London Guildhall University has recently fundamentally reformed its undergraduate teaching of musical technologies. There are now two broad streams, one concentrating on the study, making, design, and restoration of musical instruments, and one on audio systems. Central to both is teaching in acoustics and a range of course units which explore the relationship between music and technology in its historical, contemporary, and ethnographic aspects. New MMus and MSc courses in ‘‘Music and Technology’’ will provide research training and opportunities for advanced project work. The rationale for these developments is accounted for, and the approach to the teaching of musical acoustics to music technologists and instrument technicians is described. A number of Java-based programs and Quicktime animations have been developed. The animations serve simply to demonstrate such phenomena as simple harmonic motion and standing waves. The Java applet which has been developed by Allan Seago is intended to demonstrate resonance, and the factors which affect it. Unlike the animations, the software is interactive, and enables the student to vary such aspects of the system as mass, spring constant, and damping, and to observe the effect.