TWO ELECTRIC ENSEMBLE COURSES AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN:
ELECTRIC ORCHESTRA • MUSC 458, SECTION A • CRN: 72901 •
1 credit hour • Rehearsals in Krannert Orchestra Rehearsal Room, Tuesdays 8:00-10:20 AM
ELECTRIC CHAMBER MUSIC • MUSC 450, SECTION ECM •
CRN: 72868 • 1 credit hour • Rehearsals scheduled for each group
For information on electric strings lessons and degree programs, visit www.rudolfhaken.com/electricstrings
Videos from our inaugural concert Nov. 17, 2024 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcYKXN3ZM3CTJpi1vXNZ2tkSFNDytV8un&si=90l_XWErYXejlT2k
Upcoming performances:
• Electric Orchestra Sunday evening April 6, 2025, 7:30 PM,
Smith Music Hall
• Electric Chamber Music Wednesday evening April 23, 2025,
7:30 PM, Music Building Auditorium
Rudolf Haken, Director • rlhaken@illinois.edu
SYLLABUS – SPRING 2025: electric Orchestra / electric chamber music
Instructor: Rudolf Haken rlhaken@illinois.edu
Electric Orchestra: MUSC 458 • Section A • CRN 72901 • Credit: 1 hour • Krannert Center Orchestra Rehearsal Room (2310 KCPA),
Tuesdays 8:00 - 10:20 AM.
Electric Chamber Music: MUSC 450 • Section ECM • CRN 72868 • Credit: 1 hour • Rehearsals scheduled for each group
1. Eligibility: Open to music majors and non-majors playing electric strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and keyboards; audio engineers; sound designers; composers and arrangers, marketing and management students, and conductors. One (1) undergraduate hour. One (1) graduate hour. May be repeated in separate terms. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Please email Prof. Rudolf Haken rlhaken@illinois.edu with questions.
2, if you are considering joining the electric orchestra or have questions, Please fill out the form at the bottom of this web page. we do not have auditions, but if you can send me a video of your playing it’ll help give me an idea of playing styles and genres.
3. Course structure: The University of Illinois Electric Orchestra AND ELECTRIC CHAMBER ENSEMBLES perform new and traditional music in a great variety of genres. All stringed instruments and keyboards in the ensemble are electric. (Electric Strings Registered Student Organization has a collection of electric bowed instruments available for use. See #7A below.) Winds, brass, and percussion have the option of using MIDI instruments (such as EWIs and drum machines) or acoustic instruments, optionally fitted with clip-on mics.
4. Learning objectives: STUDENTs gain experience with ensemble performance on electric instruments, as well as conducting, composition, program planning, audio engineering, sound design, and stage management.
5. Research objectives: All students in the courseS are involved in what constitutes an important research project - achieving the best audience and performer experience in an electric symphonic OR CHAMBER setting. Research topics include:
a. Achieving a cohesive, organic sound with sections of electric stringed instruments, with the same degree of nuance and range of tone colors found in an acoustic string section. To this end, the electric orchestra can serve as a laboratory for sound designers collaborating with string players. As a starting point, there are already impulse response products on the market that allow an individual electric bowed instrument to mimic the sound of a single acoustic instrument, for example these IR’s by 3 Sigma Audio https://www.3sigmaaudio.com/items/category/violins-violas/ Use of this technology for a string quartet (with one instrument per part) is demonstrated in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHaMFNqaijY However, a large symphony orchestra will often have 12 violinists simultaneously playing exactly the same music, an effect that we will work on duplicating with a much smaller group of electric violins, for performing Classical and Romantic symphonic repertoire. The following video demonstrates methods of creating the illusion of multiple instruments in a rock setting. https://youtu.be/FO5sPBfrDo0?si=5OSejTIPQk5brhsU We can use these techniques as a springboard for developing an orchestral string sound.
b. Integrating traditional acoustic wind instruments, amplified winds, and MIDI wind controllers into an electric strings environment, experimenting with settings, effects, and playing styles.
c. Developing ideal stage setups for rehearsals and performances. With the advent of electric instruments, it is no longer necessary to organize orchestral sectional seating in a way that ensures all instruments are easily heard by the audience. Instead, instruments can be placed in formations ideal for musical communication.
d. Using mixers and monitors. Hearing your own playing while also obtaining a clear audio picture of the ensemble is a challenge for both acoustic and electric ensembles. However, the means to achieving this in an electric orchestra are quite different from in an acoustic orchestra, and will take experimentation and discussion. Ideal placement of stage monitors, as well as the balance of channels fed into each monitor, will be determined by the audio engineering team in coordination with performers.
e. Recording live performances (audio and video) at a professional level. The goal is to combine the excitement of a live performance with the perfection of a studio recording. During performances, each instrument will be individually plugged into the mixer. We’ll need people to export each channel individually during the performance, so the mix can be perfected “in post”. Additionally, we’ll need to record the live hall sound (including audience noise, applause, and hall ambience). The clean, balanced recording of the instruments from the mixer will then be judiciously mixed with the live hall mix to produce an ideal audio recording. In addition to that, we’ll need videographers to capture the performance in a dynamic and interesting way. This video can then be edited and combined with the final audio in a video editing platform. Experience with a Digital Audio Workstation (such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro, or Ableton) and/or video editors (such as Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve) is needed for being part of the editing process.
f. Composing and arranging music specifically for an electric orchestra and electric ensembles. This is an emerging field, presenting opportunities and challenges that differ from traditional orchestration, and will require experimentation and discussion between composers and performers.
g. Conducting and directing rehearsals in the most effective way for an electric orchestra setting.
h. Developing a public image for electric orchestras and ensembles, and maintaining a social media presence. “Selling” this idea to audiences, fellow musicians, educators, and youth orchestra students is key to its success, and will require the work of a marketing team enrolled in the class.
NOTE ON CLASS REGISTRATION: The registration system will block you from enrolling in two classes that have overlapping meeting times. If this happens, email Prof. Haken at rlhaken@illinois.edu for an override approval letter, which you'll submit with the following form; https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/7803287?referrer=https://shibboleth.illinois.edu/
8. FOllowing Equipment is provided by ns design, Krannert center, School of Music, and electric strings Registered Student Organization:
a. Electric violins, electric violas, electric cellos, and electric basses are available on a priority basis. Please let Prof. Haken know if you’d need an instrument, and we’ll see what’s available.
b. Two 8-channel Behringer Ultra-DI Pro DI800v2 Active Instrument DI boxes
c. 18-channel Behringer XR18 digital mixer
d. 32-channel / 46-input analog mixer (Midas Venice 320).
e. Roland Aerophone Plus MIDI wind controller.
f. Yamaha Digital Saxophone
g. MIDI keyboards
h. Pearl EM1 malletSTATION
i, Fishman Loudbox Mini Acoustic Amps
j, Behringer Eurolive Subwoofer