Hi Everyone, my name is Liz and I am super happy to be taking this class this semester! I am a senior in ILR, but I have been interested in digital music since we played an insanely awesome piece by Christopher Stark in orchestra last year. I have played the violin for almost my entire life, so please feel free to direct any violin-specific questions my way! I am very interested in using nature and the weather to create music, especially after my experiences in crazy Wyoming hailstorms this summer. I am completely hopeless with computer technology, so I apologize in advance for any stupid computer questions I may ask during the semester. I can't wait to get to know you all! 

Hi, I'm Fiona, and I'm a Junior music major. I play the flute in wind symphony, a jazz combo, and the klezmer ensemble, I fool around with guitar and keyboard once in a while, and I'm just starting to get into composition. I don't know anything about digital music yet, but I'm really excited to learn about it. I feel like knowing how to synthesize different sounds will give me a lot more freedom as a composer. I'm also hoping that this class might help me produce some of my own pop music. I listen to a lot of indie pop, but I've never played it, since there aren't a lot of bands looking for a permanent flutist. But if I could learn how to use a synthesizer and make recordings, maybe I could do the kind of thing that Sufjan Stevens does. I mean, his primary instrument is the oboe.

I'm really looking forward to hearing everybody's work this semester!

Hi my name is Kevin B. Cheng and I'm a senior biology major. I played violin as a child, but stopped halfway through high school. Ever since then, I've missed playing and have been looking for ways to make my life more musical. If we indeed think in all ways that we perceive the world, then thinking musically seems to me just as important to as scientifically.

I don't have any experience with computer music, but I have no problem starting off as a beginner.

Hey everyone,

My name is Daniel Sussman, and I'm a freshman in the college of arts and sciences, majoring in Film. I'm in the music 1421 class, and I'm really excited to learn some new things about composing on the computer. I've done a few songs with my m-audio keystation MIDI controller and Session (also garageband), but I havent really understood a lot of the process behind what I've been doing, and I want to learn about that aspect. I also want to learn new techniques and improve my abilities, because I am definitely no expert. I loveeeee hip hop, and all of my music is influenced by the songs i like, but I'm also into alternative, pop, and techno. I hope to find others to collaborate/talk with in this class, so if you see me, feel free to talk about whatever. Also, if you like you can go to

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-Sussman-Beats/132584190829?ref=ts 

and take a look at some of the stuff I've done so far, but like I said, I'm no expert.

I'll see you in class,

Daniel 

Hey everybody,

 My name is Shane Merriman, I am a junior in Arts and Sciences majoring in Economics. My musical past constists of a few years of piano and a year of chorus in middle school. I don't know much about music past very basic music theory, but I'd like to think that I have a good ear. I've spent probably way too much time on FL Studio creating music, from techno to rap beats and everywhere in between.

My name is Elena Siani and I'm a Junior in Arts & Sciences.  I'm a music major and also pre-med, but most of all I am pumped to be in this class!  Mostly I'm a jazz singer, but I also play saxophone with the Cornell Jazz ensembles.  Out side of school I am part of an awesome duo called 'Just wandering' and we have been playing bossa nova, blues, and our own music all over Ithaca since the beginning of freshman year.  Also I'm part of a funk band, 'the Strange Attractors', and I simply cannot help but dance when I hear that funky music....or really any kind of music.

I already have a lot of ideas for what I would like to do in this class, and I can't wait to hopefully hear them become a reality and hear the hip things you all will create. This is an exciting opportunity to collaborate, listen, and learn from eachother's backgrounds in music and in life.

Yay for music, kindness, and good food! 

Hi everyone,

My name is Sam Moghadam and I'm a senior in English and music. I took Music 3421 last semester and I'm looking forward to exploring digital music (particularly, MIDI sequencing in composition) in a different context. I play several instruments, but I'm just as interested in composition as I am in performance. I like to work in many different genres and styles, including bit not limited to rock, electronic, and contemporary art music. I hope to further my compositional palette with the use of the techniques we'll be covering in this course.   

Hey Everyone,

My name is Sarim Shah. I'm currently a junior in Chemical Engineering, but have really been interested in music for most of my life. I started with concert band in highschool and eventually I picked up the Guitar and Drums. I'm into all sorts of music my favorite being Metal, but really i like to listen to anything that sounds good. I'm currently playing drums and composing for a band which covers a lot of South Asian Music as I'm from Pakistan. We have starting writing some originals, so i thought this class would be the perfect opportunity to learn how to record properly and effectivly as well as live perfomance. I'm also really looking forward to meeting with other musicians just to expose myself to more music,

Peace,

Sarim

Hey Everyone,

I'm a junior majoring in Operations Research in the Engineering School. I've been wanting to take this course for quite a while now but somehow have never managed to find a spot. I sing the blues and play with a band called 'The Attic Tones' here in Ithaca. We've had a bunch of gigs here and there and have got some pretty good responses. There are a couple of things I wanted to do through this course: 1) Learn some productions techniques to record and mix music, especially live music 2) Collaborate with you guys 3) Get to know some other people at Cornell who are as into music as I am.

I'm really looking forward to this course and learning from Professor Ernste. I had the chance to hear a snippet of his work during my FWS Futurist Music and Technology in Freshman year and it was GREAT!

Cheers!

Prithvi

Hi, my name is Jeffrey Chen, and I'm a senior biology major.  I've always been interested in music, but it has been usually put on the backburner; being a pre-med bio major hasn't given me much leeway in pursuing my non-academic interests. 

In terms of musical experience, I've sung in various classical choirs for 6 years (most recently with the Cornell Glee Club).  I've been playing guitar for 4 years, and for the past year I've been trying to teach myself piano and music theory.  I'm also part of a student band, the Hogg Party.

What I want to take away from this class is how to record my own songs. It would be amazing if I could single handedly create a drum beat, drop the bass line, play the guitar licks, play the keyboard, and sing the vocals.  I'm actually scared that this class might awaken a hidden beast in me...