Sound Production and Music Direction (P0215D310012)

Programme objectives

The doctoral programme of study in Sound Design and Music Directing specialises in artistic research with a focus on the use of sound in art, on the perception of sound, and on the means leading to the creation of these perceptions. The programme’s goal is to develop students’ artistic and research skills and to investigate research topics in the field of sound design and music directing, which also leads to the development of knowledge in the field. The programme is broadly focused on teaching the complex of knowledge necessary for the student to pursue his or her own research, and on enhancing the student’s skills so that he or she is able to successfully apply them in practice upon graduation.

Goals of the instruction

• To supplement the student’s theoretical knowledge of research procedures with a focus on:

a) methodology in the area of artistic and psychoacoustic research;

b) the publication of research results and facility in publishing methods;

c) the ethical and legal standards in the field, listening tests and selected areas of copyright law;

• To enhance the student’s theoretical knowledge in the following areas:

1. Sound Design or Music Directing
2. Psychoacoustics, with a focus on:

a) recording, reproduction and transmission technologies, tools for recording and editing sound, interactive work with sound sources and musicians, the aesthetic artistic effect of an audio work, artistic procedures and processing during “live” performances, studio recordings, etc.;

b) the hearing process, physiological properties of human hearing, psychological aspects of sound perception and the methodology of listening tests;

• To enhance the student’s theoretical knowledge necessary for investigating his or her individual research topics, with a focus on:

a) specialist knowledge of artistic sound engineering, acoustics and psychoacoustics;

b) the processing of listening test results and procedures for signal and statistical analysis;

c) individual aesthetic style and specialist use of technical resources;

d) expanding the student’s music-cultural and technical knowledge, and cultivating his or her own critical artistic point of view;

e) knowledge of the field’s historical context and contemporary state, following new trends in the Czech Republic and abroad, studying the literature and working with archives;

• To provide systematic preparation in the application of the research findings and procedures necessary to further develop the field, and the acquisition of skills for their application in subsequent practice. In accordance with the graduate’s profile, the focus is on:

a) knowledge in the area of how to use sound in art and its application in musical life and production;

b) how to conduct artistic research, possibly using empirical research methods in practice, e.g. obtaining support through grant competitions, creating multidisciplinary teams, etc.;

c) the ability to transfer knowledge, e.g. when leading teams or teaching;

d) the ability to publish and promote one’s own work and that of other members of the wider research or artistic teams;

e) the ability to reflect theoretically and to engage in scholarly discourse in one’s own specialisation and its intersections with related disciplines.

Profile of a programme graduate

The graduate is a distinctive artistic personality capable of conducting systematic research activity and performing independent creative work in his or her artistic research specialisation. The graduate is able to interconnect broad theoretical knowledge in his or her specialisation and related disciplines with practical skills enabling him or her to engage in professional activity in the field at the highest level.

Expert knowledge

• The graduate has broad general knowledge in the areas of artistic and empirical research methodology, in publishing his or her research results, in studying the literature and in working with archives. The graduate is well oriented in the ethical and legal standards of the field.

• According to the focus of his or her dissertation, the graduate possesses specialist knowledge concerning:

a) acoustics, musical acoustics, psychoacoustics and sound engineering, which is applicable in art;

b) how to conduct listening tests as well as signal and statistical analyses;

c) familiarity with aesthetic styles, with musical, cultural and technical developments, and with the use of sound engineering resources.

• In the artistic areas of his or her research project and individual study plan, the graduate demonstrates:

a) above-standard, detailed knowledge of theory and practice in the field, both in its historical context and current state, including new trends in the Czech Republic and abroad, and the ability to work with them in teaching, as well as in scholarly discussion and in practice;

b) his or her own critical artistic and scientific point of view, which enables him or her to respond comprehensively to specific sound situations, musical assignments and auditory stimuli.

Specialist skills

• The graduate is able to perform artistic research activities relating to sound, sound perception and sound art, both independently and as part of a creative team, not only in applied research, implementation research or development, but also in basic research.

• Commensurate with the focus of his or her dissertation, the graduate is able to creatively address psychoacoustic aspects in the artistic design of sound and its effect on listeners, or to innovate ways of working with sound in recording, sounding or editing sound signals in reproduction chains. For these purposes, the graduate is able to make use of recording and reproduction technologies as well as available software tools for sound processing or analysis, and to objectify the subjective evaluations of sounds obtained from listening tests.

• Based on mastery of the methodological procedures for elaborating his or her dissertation, in project research and in publishing activities, the graduate is able to create and implement research projects from assignment to application of results.

• The graduate is able to engage in publishing activities (e.g. articles in the scholarly press, monographs, scientific papers, lecture notes, instructional presentations, study aids), as well as qualified criticism and popularisation.

General competencies

• The graduate has an enhanced ability to communicate about highly specialised issues in two foreign languages; the graduate is able to express himself or herself in a cultivated manner both orally and in writing.

• The graduate is able to locate suitable grant opportunities and implement scholarly projects, both as an individual investigator and as the leader of an investigative, artistic or scientific team.

• The graduate is able to take a conceptual and systematic approach to long-term goals and standard activities alike. The graduate is able to creatively apply this competency in his or her own production, in a recording team, or as a specialist in a scientific research unit.

• The graduate is also able to participate in or create a thematic concept for larger professional events (audio-visual projects, education, conferences, workshops, etc.).

Rules and requirements for creating study plans

General information about admission process

The admissions proceeding consists of one round and takes place before the programme’s subject-area board. During the admissions interview, the applicant shall present his or her artistic project proposal to the subject-area board in the form of a presentation of no more than 15 minutes. The project must focus on artistic as well as scientific research using empirical methods, and may also address their interconnections. In the presentation, the applicant shall additionally specify his or her artistic, scientific and academic preferences.

In order to be admitted, the applicant must meet the following requirements for previous education, the research project and knowledge (evaluated by the subject-area board during the admissions proceeding):

• a completed university education at the Master’s level;
• submission of a written research project proposal on a topic falling within the research scope of the programme in Sound Design and Music Directing (mainly issues of sound and its perception from the perspective of theory; aesthetic, historical or technical aspects, as the case may be; as well as topics in basic research which are subsequently beneficial for use in practical applications concerning various sources of sound, the propagation of sound, and its perception within the scope of sound design and the directing of artistic works with sound);
• submission of a compelling and defensible research project proposal for addressing the given research topic (see the current requirements of the admissions proceeding);
• demonstration of personal knowledge, experience and skills, which, together with the additional education acquired in the doctoral programme, would enable the applicant to implement the submitted research project proposal (e.g. documentation of education in fields related to sound and its perception, results in artistic activities hitherto in sound design or music directing, results in scholarly activities, in publishing, etc.).During the presentation of the research project and subsequent interview, the applicant must demonstrate:
• creative music-theoretical and analytical thinking, facility with the scholarly discourse in the field and commensurate ability to articulate his or her ideas (knowledge of the field of sound design or music directing, the interdisciplinary intersections of such knowledge, knowledge of the context in the current state of the research topic, etc.);
• commensurate knowledge of foreign languages (to be demonstrated in the form of an examination at the AMU Language Centre prior to the start of the admissions interview). The required level and group of languages from which it is possible to pass an examination are defined for each academic year by a relevant Decree of the Dean, which is subject to approval by the academic senate of the faculty.

As part of the admissions proceeding, the applicant will also present representative samples of his or her previous research or artistic production which he or she deems relevant for investigating the given research topic (documentation of personal knowledge, experience and skills are also a mandatory annex to the application). The texts or corresponding audio recordings must be presented in 20 minutes or less.

The applicant’s research project proposal must contain in particular:

• a summary of the current state of research on the selected research topic;
• the intended artistic or empirical research activity which the applicant plans to use to address the selected research topic;
• a summary of potential contributions for the field of Sound Design and Music Directing, or to findings in the area of sound and its perception.

Applicability to other types of academic programmes

Parts of the state final examination and their contents

Other academic duties

Characterisation of professional practice

Anticipated job placement for graduates (typical employment)