Mathematics and Music (Math 307/507)    Summer 2009  

Music is the language of the human spirit.   

Mathematics and Music is a 3-credit course, taught in 3 weeks during the summer session at UWEC .  The course is now officially scheduled.  It will be held Mon. through Fri., 9 am to Noon, from June 15 through July 2 (Thursday, July 2). 

In this course, we explore the connections between mathematics and music.  Music from a lot of different genres:  Rock, Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, Afro-Latin, and Classical.  And from other cultures:  African, Chinese, Egyptian, Indian, Indonesian.  There are many mathematical ideas that occur in music:  fractions and continued fractions (in musical scales), symmetry (in melody design), logarithms (in scales and in measuring complexity in rhythm), and trigonometry (in musical tones).  We will use a variety of free musical software, with lots of hands-on audio processing of music.   We will also explore some mathematical methods of creating new music.  

For a detailed description of the course, click here:  Syllabus

Here is a selection of some recordings we will feature:  Across the Universe (Beatles), What'd I say (Ray Charles), All Along the Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix version), Harlem Air Shaft (Duke Ellington),  Sing, Sing, Sing (Benny Goodman version), Buenos Aires (A. L. Webber), Oye Como Va (Tito Puente, and the Santana version), Pathetique Symphony (Tchaikovsky), Gymnopedie-I (Erik Satie, and its variation by Blood, Sweat, and Tears), Taxman (Beatles), Layla (Derek & the Dominos), Welela (Miriam Makeba), Firebird (Stravinsky), Appalachian Spring (Copland), Chelsea Morning (Joni Mitchell), Concerto for Cootie (Duke Ellington), Unsquare Dance (Dave Brubeck), Born Under a Bad Sign (various artists: Cream, Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, Booker T. and the MGs), Valse (Chopin), KC Blues (Charlie Parker), as well as various African, Chinese, Egyptian, Indian, and Indonesian recordings.   I will also take requests.

Mathematics and Music is an exciting topic.  Many people have been studying it.  For additional work, click here:  Additional Links  (The musical rendition of  pi  is a lot of fun to listen to!)