|
|
Sample Personal Statement for Electro-Acoustic Music
As a special musical genre, electro-acoustic music is obviously not
for everyone to learn and to practice. A true practitioner of
electro-acoustic music must be a talent both in music and in
electronic technology. In the country where I come from—China,
computer technology has been primarily applied to solve practical
problems of immediate utility to people’s daily life. People have
rarely interested themselves in using computer technology to give vent
to your creative impulses, especially their creativity in music.
Another factors that might have contributed to the absence of computer
music in China is the fact that people face a double-bind—those who
excel in music are rarely proficiency in computer science and
technology and those who are computer genii might be musically
insensitive. Hence, computer music has failed to emerge as an academic
discipline in any standard academic institutions in China, either in
the department of computer science and technology or in the department
of music. In a word, computer music is the a little-known subject.
With important backgrounds both in music and in computer science and
technology, I believe that computer music is where my true talent and
potential lie and a Master’s program in this area is the most
appropriate choice for me at the stage of my intellectual development.
Compared with my classmates at the School of Electronic Information
Engineering, xx University, I am the first student ever to choose such
a program and it is most exciting for me to be a precursor in a virgin
area.
In applying for your program, my primary motivation is to fulfill my
long-cherished wish to become a musician. I started practicing piano
at the age of 5 and it did not take long for my piano teacher to point
out to me that I was quite musically talented. Although I had many
classmates from elementary school to high school who were also exposed
to the piano playing, only I had consistently served as accompanist of
school choruses throughout. I would have entered a conservatory to
practice music, but my exceedingly good performance in science
subjects during the highly competitive national college entrance
examinations convinced my parents that my talents lied that way.
Therefore, under my parents’ insistence, I became a student of
electronic and information engineering at xx University.
However, my musical aspirations have been kept alive through my own
persevering endeavors. I was a mezzo-soprano at the chorus under the
university’s art troupe from 1st to 5th semester and, concomitantly,
its piano accompanist. Since the 6th semester and beyond my
graduation, I have been a cellist at the national music troupe,
playing cello while teaching cello lessons to newcomers with basic
skills. In addition, I was responsible for adapting the staff into
numbered musical notations suitable for performance by Chinese
traditional musical instruments. Throughout my undergraduate program,
I was constantly involved in performance on and off campus, in major
cities across the country, as well as in various intercollegiate
competitions. For my contributions to our university’s chorus and art
troupe, I was awarded “Outstand Member Honor” in addition to
scholarship.
While performing those important extracurricular responsibilities, I
did not allow myself to be lax in my academic efforts. On the
contrary, as I realized I was to concentrate on computer music, I did
my coursework with greater initiative and passion. All the courses
related to computer science and electronic engineering fascinated me,
particularly courses like computer programming, electronic circuitry,
digital signal processing and information theory that were highly
relevant to computer music. After learning Information Theory and
Coding as a senior, I applied it to my composition. The broad
curriculum in my specialty allowed me to acquire knowledge and skills
in computer, electronic engineering and communication. I can undertake
programming skillfully with C++ and Java languages and attempt at
complicated circuit design.
Two books played an important role in defining my interest in computer
music. Reading The Computer Music Tutorial by Curtis Roads and New
Sounds: A Listener’s Guide to New Music by John Schaefer gave me the
epiphany that by combining my electronic engineering expertise with my
musical talents, I may become one of the emerging computer musicians
in China. Yet I was also aware that, to become a well-trained computer
musician, I need to improve my theoretic knowledge of musical
composition. Therefore, I self-studied a number of books on musical
composition and on MIDI in my spare time and, based on my skills of
playing the piano, cello, and erhu (a two-stringed traditional Chinese
instrument), I have succeeded in creating several pieces of my own
small-scale independent compositions.
By undertaking my graduation project xx, I took a major step toward
the creation of full-length computer music. In my project, I developed
a DirectX9.0-based Win32 program that, through the synchronization of
DirectDraw and DirectMusic, demonstrated the entire process of playing
the MIDI in the form of “piano roll”. At the same time, the
DirectMusic component in the then latest edition of Microsoft DirectX
9.0 controlled the playing of the animation to realize the rhythmic
synchronization between the flash and the music. My advisor commented
on my programming as “first-class” while the rest of the academic
board thought my design “interesting.”
Another important experience of mine is doing internship as RA at
Research Institute of xx under xx from December 2003 to February 2004.
My responsibility was designing and testing small-scale digital
circuits. In addition, I provided assistance to other researchers in
designing the experiments of large-scale electronic circuits.
With all the qualifications I have, I would like to apply for a
Master’s program in computer music at xx which will prepare me for
advanced work in areas of music where technology occupies an essential
role. Among the three tracks offered by your program–Composition,
Performance/Concert Production, and Research/Music Technology, I am
interested in the final track, which will allow me to develop new
music technology. I will be able to work with practicing composers and
performers in developing technology such as real-time performance
systems. Being one of the best institutions in the field of computer
music in the United States, with your small, friendly and intensive
environment, your program will permit me to fully tap my potential in
music and computer science in perfect fusion.
In my proposed study, I will focus on music theory and music
technology. I will try to develop in-depth knowledge of the
technological requirements of the composers and performers so as to
provide my full technical support to them. Meanwhile, I will do my own
compositions to develop my creativity. In particular, I hope to create
electro-acoustic compositions modeled on traditional Chinese national
music. It is my conviction that your exciting program will be a major
starting point for my professional development. |
