Artificial Intelligence in Music
Master of Music - Composition*
With specializations in:
- Music Design
- electroacoustic composition
- instrumental/vocal composition
Part of the joint project "Artificial Intelligence Service and Systems - KISS", funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
Studying Artificial intelligence and Music
Artificial intelligence is changing all areas of life, including the creative process. We now have the chance to think and practice art and AI in a new way. The new course specialization gives room for this: an innovative offer for developing artistic-technical professional profiles in the field of AI and music.
Algorithmic methods and AI technologies are considered as material, tool and extension of artistic thinking and will be explored, developed and critically scrutinized for their aesthetic potential in a diverse range of classes and independent project work. Building on a previous music-related degree, the AI-emphasis of our Master of Music allows for advanced development of the student's own artistic work and the critical and ethical reflection on the creative process.
Within the specializations of the Master of music Music Composition program (Music Design, electroacoustic composition, instrumental/vocal composition), the following creative fields can be pursued: electronic and acousmatic music, computer music, artificial intelligence and intelligent systems, sound art, sound design, media composition (film, theater, radio drama, games, computer programs, installations, interactive applications, apps, etc.).
The study program offers a flexible framework for the further development of the students independent artistic personality. Students are enabled to move confidently in interdisciplinary, media and applied contexts and to conceive and implement exploratory artistic research projects.
Three specializations
The Music Design specialization focuses on the development of innovative experimental and applied contexts for sound and music. Emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence and VR/AR are explored in combination with musical, technical, performative and creative conceptions of sound, dramaturgy, sound design and form. The formats of artistic objectives range from performances and installations to music productions and interactive apps.
The focus is on individual and collective explorative work with musicians, performers and ensembles. Questions of interpretation, compositional technique, listening, notation, ensemble playing, performance, and the examination of instrumental playing techniques are considered in relation to current technological and aesthetic developments. Algorithmic processes and live electronics play an essential role here. The program encourages overlap with related practices such as sound art, music design, and electroacoustic music.
The electroacoustic composition specialization emphasizes composition with digital media and algorithmic methods. Central contents are sound synthesis and analysis, development of interfaces, spatial sound, dealing with hardware and data as well as dealing with current technologies such as artificial intelligence. Against the background of current aesthetic discourses from acousmatic music, sound art and computer music, students learn to develop an individual artistic position.
FAQ
Up to ten per year.
No.
Students completing the specializations "Music Design," "Instrumental/Vocal Composition," and "Electroacoustic Composition" will graduate with the academic degree of "Master of Music" (M.Mus.), in the subject of composition, which is only awarded at artistic music universities.
Two years (four semesters).
Not all applicants can be invited to the entrance examination. There is a pre-selection based on the submitted application documents.
The program is jointly hosted by the State University of Music Trossingen in cooperation with Furtwangen University. Most of the lectures/seminars take place in Trossingen or in the "Latent Space" sound-lab in Schwenningen.
There are no tuition fees for students from EU/EEA countries as long as it is not a second degree within Germany. Information on tuition fees for students from non-EU/EEA countries can be found here. Information available only in German.
All students are charged an administrative fee and student union fee.
Yes, the study program qualifies for BAföG support according to the legal requirements. Students from an EU member state are entitled to BAföG-funding if they have a permanent residence permit in Germany.
Yes, a relevant university degree (e.g. Bachelor) from an accredited institution is required.
No, but depending on the specialization or the topics explored by individual students within the master's program, a high degree of creativity and problem-solving skills, as well as knowledge of relevant software and programming languages are beneficial to have. Alternatively, students possessing some relevant practical experience, as well as a strong interest in the areas mentioned in the module handbook, are also welcome to apply though motivation to acquire pertinent knowledge through parallel self-study may be necessary.
Composers and music designers work in the fields of composition, audio/sound design, media production, music technology, audio supervision and sound design for production companies (music, video, computer applications/games, advertising), agencies (advertising, advertising film, web, event agencies), radio/television stations, as well as at music schools and universities.
Project work in practice-oriented research is part of the program and opens up additional opportunities such as interdisciplinary artistic-scientific research and development. In addition, there are workshops, as well as the offers of our "Latent Space" AI-laboratory and the "HfM Start-up Workbench" seminar (counselling service, depending on availability).
The entrance examination consists of two phases. In the first phase, in addition to the general application documents, the following documents must be submitted (via Post, USB-stick with max. file-size of 1 GB):
- Motivation letter (max. 1 page)
- Curriculum vitae including chronological overview of musical/artistic development
- Media documentation of own works with explanation (min. 2 pages)
- Exposé - description of the planned artistic project (max. 3 pages)
After reviewing the documents, the examination committee selects candidates for an in-person examination in Trossingen. This second phase consists of an interview about the submitted work and the exposé (approx. 30 min).
Artificial Intelligence Service and Systems
The Trossingen University of Music and Furtwangen University of Applied Sciences have been cooperating for many years in areas ranging from music and computer science to, most recently, artificial intelligence. In 2010, the joint Bachelor's degree in Music Design was launched at the interface between music, digital media and computer science. A community of creative people with an affinity for music and sound was fostered with the purpose of creating and shaping innovative, musically challenging sounds of the future through interdisciplinary teamwork, thus laying foundations for a well-founded focus on digitality in art, research and teaching. The State Center MUSIC–DESIGN–PERFORMANCE, which opened in 2016, also contributes here in its function as a bridge-builder between the digitized world and music tradition.
The project Artificial Intelligence Service and Systems KISS, which is funded by the BMBF, is based on this well-founded collaboration. As part of its multifaceted engagement with the structuring of AI-teaching, a primary goal of the project is the creation of a cross-university AI competence center, whereby the focus of the Trossingen University of Music is that of AI in music. One centerpiece of Trossingen’s work on AI in Music is the "Latent Space” AI-lab. Situated in Die Halle - Gründer- und Kreativzentrum in Schwenningen, it offers technical resources and a space for artistic experiments and technological innovation. This sound-lab is used collaboratively by both partners, bringing together creative and technical expertise and enabling interdisciplinary mobility. AI is explored as a tool for expanding artistic expression in diverse fields of application, ranging from the development of new composition methods, through the analysis, classification and generation of sound properties, to the exploration of new forms of interaction with sound and music.
