Art 'n' Sound
As a rule, in the course Communication & Multimedia Design, multimedia design is employed to find solutions for communication problems in commercial environments. Although in these environments there is some room for audio and sound, they are there usually in a minor capacity confined as they are to voice-overs and little tunes.

Occasionally, however, a student might actually come up with an idea that allows audio/sound a much more significant role, and in combination with design leads to a product that is artistic rather than commercial.
More and more it is felt by a number of students that here is a whole world left unexplored, a world of artistic possibilities expressing themselves through a combination of audio/sound on one hand and design on the other. What’s more, here lie possibilities for products that would look great in any portfolio.

At the same time CMD has been looking for opportunities to increase its international appeal and raise its profile abroad. A minor completely conducted in English (the language of multimedia) and offering students the possibility to create their very own project may go a long way towards achieving this goal.

And so the minor Art ‘n’ Sound came into being. Led by Gerjan Kelder (minor owner, audio/music teacher), Saskia Plaat (audio and event teacher) and Swanhilde de Jong (video/research teacher) it is expected to fill the gap between purely commercial assignments and the student’s wish to ‘do his or her own thing’.

So, would you like to learn how to produce a jaw-dropping art and sound event? Are you interested in what makes an interactive video work? Would you like to explore the elements which determine the success of a vodcast? Would you like to know how Mozart overcame his composer’s block? And are you prepared to learn all this in an all-English environment?

Then this minor might be just what you’re looking for.

Together with talented fellow-students you’ll be working on a perfect integration of design and audio elements to produce a work of art fit to be shown at exhibitions, events, in real life or on the internet.
And lots of creative talent. And, perhaps most important of all, the will and enthusiasm to overcome all the problems and pitfalls that are a creative artist’s lot.

If this description fits you then here’ s what you’ll learn:

* How to kick-start your creativity
* How to collaborate in a group consisting of visual design- and sound specialists
* How to merge sound and visuals into an end-product that is more than the sum of its constituent parts.

More specifically you may work on:

* Composing
* Recording
* Producing
* Mixing, editing, mastering
* and/or
* Storyboarding
* Scriptwriting
* Filming
* Editing

Imagine the fun you will have learning the tricks of a trade that already engages the most creative talents, and pouring all your own artistic skills into a dazzling production that’ll boost your portfolio no end.

Profile

The student who wishes to join should be:

- an impassioned graphic designer with a strong affinity for audio in combination with multimedia,
or
- a sound designer with extensive musical knowledge who, apart from being able to work with various music-software applications, is also at home in the designing side of things.

Minor description

The world of media and sound plays an increasingly important role in our society.
In a future that is constantly changing, creative minds are needed to come up with innovative ideas and solutions. Due to the increase in technological developments, there is a great need for specialists who can design the content for these media in a professional and creative way.
Creative thinking has to do with being able to combine existing knowledge, the reflective capacity, and the reorganization of insights in order to come up with new ideas or solutions or to make connections that were not there before. Therefore, In addition to technical skills, the minor Art ‘n Sound also focuses on developing creative skills.
From an artistic perspective, we focus on developing a unique creative vision and stimulating the cultural entrepreneurial capacity of the multimedia student.

In Art ‘n Sound you create, experience and indicate meaning by creating artistic work, experiencing art and giving meaning, students develop an artistic-creative capacity. This ability enables students to use imaginative power in making and thinking processes, to question artistic expressions, to research and to give meaning and /or expression to experiences.
These are skills that contribute to functioning as a person in society and as a person in study and work.
In Art ‘n Sound we give focus on creative making and thinking strategies.
Make strategies is about skills such as playing, (intuitive) experimenting, improvising, investigating, in (moving) image, sound, word and movement or a combination.
Creative thinking strategies is about wondering, researching, critically and philosophically questioning and analyzing artistic expressions.

Students are encouraged to take a different view and learn to take different positions.
In dialogue, students learn to formulate thoughts, substantiate opinions and apply subject terms.
Sound plays an undeniable role within this minor. Immerse yourself in the world of Sound Design and increase your musical skills and knowledge of music productions. Learn to understand the structure and effect of sound and to produce it.
What kind of emotions or image does the sound evoke, how does this come and how does it work? Compose music, create sound effects through foley, work with dialogues and ADR (Automatic Dialogue Recording) or mix sound elements in professional DAW software into a full-fledged soundtrack for a film or documentary. Do the research and experiment with new developments in the field of 3D sound and new techniques. Such as object-based audio where the listener can influence the sound image. But also designing a multimedia installation with an interactive composition or building your own instrument can have a place in our minor.
Image (and moving images in particular) plays an increasingly important role in society.

Art n ’Sound offers a broad and inspiring program with interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary projects in collaboration with clients from the cultural field and non-profit organizations such as artists, museums, and festivals. Together with talented fellow students you’ll be working on media art projects which include a perfect integration of design, sound, video and new technologies fit to be shown at exhibitions, events, festivals, in real life or online.
The minor is especially suitable for students who are interested in working within the creative field, who are not afraid to step outside their comfort zone, enjoy an experiment and have an affinity with (media) art, music, video and new technologies.
The minor has a strong international character due to a large number of external students from all over the world.
Therefore, the minor is entirely in English.

No doubt you’ll wish to know more.

Detailed information can be obtained from Peter Wassenaar email: peter.wassenaar@nhlstenden.com
or Gonzalo Cid Araneda email: gonzalo.cid.araneda@nhlstenden.com