PAT 204/504: Creative Coding (Fall 2026)

   
Instructor Hao-Wen (Herman) Dong (ude.hcimu@gnodwh)
Room Music 378 (Music Tech Lab) or Zoom
Days & times 3–4:30pm, Mondays & Wednesdays
Office hours By appointment

[Gradescope] [Last year’s course website]


Description

An introduction to principles and practices of computer programming for musical applications. Students learn visual, procedural, and object-oriented programming in general-purpose and music-specific languages. Projects address important musical programming concepts including algorithmic composition, real-time interaction, and audio buffer processing. Emphasis is on creative and artistic uses of code.

This course counts towards the PAT Minor (PAT Practice), CS-Eng/DS-Eng (Flex Tech Elective), and PCAS Minor (Depth Electives) programs.


Objectives


Schedule

Week Date Lecture Recording Materials Assignment
1 Aug 31 Introduction      
    Processing Programming      
  Sep 2 ├ Processing Basics      
2 Sep 7 No Class (Labor Day)      
  Sep 9 ├ Keyboard Controls & Randomness      
3 Sep 14 ├ Loops & Recursion     HW 1 due
  Sep 16 ├ Data Types & Arrays      
4 Sep 21 ├ Objects      
  Sep 23 ├ Lists & Data I/O     HW 2 due
5 Sep 28      
  Sep 30      
6 Oct 5 ├ Images & Videos     HW 3 due
  Oct 7 ├ Transformations & 3D Graphics      
7 Oct 12 └ Motion & Physics     HW 4 due
  Oct 14 Intro to Max/MSP      
8 Oct 19 No Class (Fall Study Break)      
  Oct 21 Midterm Assignment Showcase     Midterm assignment due
    Max Programming      
9 Oct 26 ├ Max/MSP Basics      
  Oct 28 ├ Max/MSP Basics II      
10 Nov 2 ├ Additive & AM Synthesis      
  Nov 4 ├ FM Synthesis & Polyphony     HW 5 due
11 Nov 9 ├ Catch-up      
  Nov 11 ├ Filters      
12 Nov 16 ├ Drums      
  Nov 18 ├ Networking & Open Sound Control     HW 6 due
13 Nov 23 ├ Sampling & Delay      
  Nov 25 └ Recording, Panning & Balancing      
14 Nov 30 Case Studies & Project Consultation      
  Dec 2 No Class (Thanksgiving)     HW 7 due
15 Dec 7 Project Presentation      
  Dec 9 No Class (Travel)      

All slides are licensed under CC BY 4.0.


Assignments

Assignment Due
HW 1: Bouncing “Hello, World!” Sep 8
HW 2: Paddle Ball Game Sep 15
HW 3: Solar System Sep 29
HW 4: Spectrum Visualizer Oct 6
Midterm Assignment: Build Your Own Music Visualizer Oct 15
HW 5: MIDI Keyboard Oct 29
HW 6: Polyphonic FM Synth Nov 14
HW 7: Singing Balls Nov 26

Project

Milestone Due
Presentation Dec 1
Report Dec 15

Grading

All grading and regrade requests will be handled on Gradescope.

The final grading scale is as follows.

                   
A+ 97+ B+ 87–89 C+ 77–79 D+ 67–69 F <60
A 93–96 B 83–86 C 73–76 D 63–66    
A− 90–92 B− 80–82 C− 70–72 D− 60–62    

Resources


Optional Reading


Policies

Attendance & Course Recordings

Generative AI Usage

Plagiarism & Academic Misconduct

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities/Disability Statement

The University of Michigan recognizes disability as an integral part of diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable educational environment for students with disabilities. Students who are experiencing a disability-related barrier should contact Services for Students with Disabilities ((734) 763-3000 or ssdoffice@umich.edu). For students who are connected with SSD, accommodation requests can be made in Accommodate. If you have any questions or concerns please contact your SSD Coordinator or visit SSD’s Current Student webpage. SSD considers aspects of the course design, course learning objects and the individual academic and course barriers experienced by the student. Further conversation with SSD, instructors, and the student may be warranted to ensure an accessible course experience.

Sexual Misconduct Policy

Title IX prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, which includes sexual misconduct — including harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. We understand that sexual violence can undermine students’ academic success and we encourage anyone dealing with sexual misconduct to talk to someone about their experience, so they can get the support they need. Confidential support and academic advocacy can be found with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center (SAPAC) on their 24-hour crisis line at (734) 936-3333. Alleged violations can be non-confidentially reported to the Office for Institutional Equity (OIE).

Mental Health and Well-Being

Students may experience stressors that can impact both their academic experience and their personal well-being. These may include academic pressure and challenges associated with relationships, mental health, alcohol or other drugs, identities, finances, etc. If you are experiencing concerns, seeking help is a courageous thing to do for yourself and those who care about you. If the source of your stressors is academic, please contact me so that we can find solutions together. For personal concerns, U-M offers many resources, some of which are listed at Resources for Students on the Well-being Collective website. You can also search for additional resources on that website.


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