Minor in Creative Coding
The Creative Coding Minor at Berklee engages students in the use of highly innovative digital techniques to enhance and transform musical creation and performance across a range of interdisciplinary and modern artistic expressions. Students minoring in Creative Coding will acquire a versatile skill set that encompasses algorithmic thinking, interactive design, and software development. These skills will prepare them for diverse careers, including those in artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), digital live performance, music software development, multi-media installations, playback engineering, instrument building, and more. The minor is designed to complement a range of musical disciplines and genres so that each student can integrate technological innovations into their primary area of study.
The program builds on a core course, Introduction to Computer Programming, and then offers students a wide selection of hands-on elective courses. In these elective courses, students may gain knowledge about various programming languages and areas of study, or they may follow a more focused track based on particular interests. The minor concludes with a directed study capstone project, which provides a demonstration of students' skills for their work portfolios.
Areas of focus in the Creative Coding Minor include audio engine and DSP design, machine learning and AI techniques, audio plugin development, virtual and augmented reality for music, music visualization and graphics programming, networked music performance, accessible music technology, user interface development, music software app development, live coding performance, game sound design, hardware instrument building, and interactive performance design. Through these areas of focus, students will gain expertise in combining programming languages and software development processes with musical creativity, enabling them to pioneer new forms of artistic expression.
Specific studies may include industry standard programming languages, JavaScript, Python, C, C++, and C#, as well as common software development and product design environments such as Github, XCode, SuperCollider, Max, Csound, Unity, Unreal Engine, Juce, Touch Designer, and more.
Please follow the regular declaration of minor procedure as outlined in the Registration Guide. This minor is managed by the Electronic Production and Design Department.
Upon completion of this program and select areas of focus, students will:
- demonstrate computational thinking and design skills applicable to music and digital arts;
- develop and modify innovative audio and music software applications, including plugins, virtual instruments, and interactive music experiences, through the use of industry-standard programming languages and tools;
- design effective and accessible graphical user interfaces for musical applications;
- leverage big data and machine learning techniques to process and visualize music-related data;
- use version control to organize and collaborate on programming projects;
- design and implement real-time systems for live musical performance;
- prototype and develop new musical instruments and interactive systems that integrate sensors with hardware and software computing resources in order to enable novel forms of musical interaction, creation, and performance; and
- develop interactive media performance works that blend music, technology, and visual arts.
Required Course (3 credits):
- LMSC-261: Introduction to Computer Programming (3 credits)
Electives (choose three or four courses; at least 7 credits):
- MTEC-340: Programming Indie Game Sound (2 credits)
- MTEC-343: Live Coding: Coding for Performance (2 credits)
- MTEC-345: Machine Learning for Musicians (3 credits)
- MTEC-347: Audio Programming in SuperCollider (2 credits)
- MTEC-353: Advanced Audio Programming: Theory, Implementation, and Application (3 credits)
- MTEC-498: Advanced Projects in Creative Coding (1 credit)
- ISEL-202: Berklee Network Orchestra (1 credit)
Additional Electives (Only available to ELPD Majors)