English 460
- Day/Time: MW 3:55-5:10
- Room: HU 416
- Professor: Byron Hawk
- Email: byron.hawk [at] gmail [dot] com
- Office: HUO 408
Description
This course will examine recording, editing, and distribution of sound as a form of writing. In a contemporary world where writing is mostly digital, we often overlook the presence of sound--music that accompanies video, voice published as podcasts, noise remixed into an ambient art form or as background for daily life. In order to understand the rhetorical effects of sound compositions, this course will read and discuss important works in the field of sound studies and offer an introduction to using open source digital audio editing tools for writing with sound. Students will write and produce their own short podcast series.
Course Goals
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Identify various sound genres and their rhetorical effects.
- Understand the technical and practical affordances for producing sound.
- Compose effective digital podcasts and audio essays.
Texts and Materials
Required:
- The Sound Studies Reader, edited by Jonathan Sterne
- The Book of Audacity, by Carla Schroder
- Audacity - Open Source Audio Editing Software
- Sound Cloud - Account
- Additional essays, articles, and podcasts on the Syllabus and Links.
Suggested:
- Sound Reporting: The NPR Guide to Audio Journalism and Production, by Jonathan Kern
- The Acoustic City, edited by Matthew Gandy and BJ Nilsen
Grades
I will use this basic grading scale: A (90-95), B+ (85-89), B (80-84), C+ (75-79), C (70-74). You should keep all assignments until after you receive your final grade for the semester in the event that there is any discrepancy.
It is my policy to accept no late assignments. If you have to be absent on a day something is due, you can send a paper to me over email *before class* for a time stamp, but bring a print copy to the next class. I will not print out papers. For digital projects or assignments, be sure to upload them before class.
Attendance
This course will be organized as a project-based workshop (especially in the second half of the semester). In addition to readings and discussions, several of our class meetings will be opportunities for hands-on practice with digital audio tools that will involve your classmates and the instructor. Please be advised that such work demands regular attendance and requires active participation.
In accordance with University policy, anyone who misses 25% of our scheduled class periods (7 of 28) will fail the course, and anyone who misses more than 10% (3 of 28) may receive a grade penalty. If you stop coming to class, it will be your responsibility to drop. Failure to do so will result in an "F."
Accommodation
In keeping with the University of South Carolina's commitment to non-discrimination--based on age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, and sexual orientation--and providing program accessibility for qualified students with disabilities, I am happy to provide reasonable accommodation through the Student Disability Services office. Students wishing to make such arrangements should contact the Student Disability Services office at 777-6142.