OLD SCHOOL CRAFTS FOR THE ASPIRING BEDROOM PRODUCER

KDMC is a part-time course and free learning resource dedicated to the basics of digital music making. Each module covers a different concept, allowing you to learn complex subjects in manageable increments.

Knowing what to leave out is 75% of what orchestration is all about
Guy Michelmore
Ask not where music is sold, but where music is used...find your niche. Discover an area of music that provides you with enough satisfaction for both your soul and you wallet, and then master it.
Peter Spellman
Probably the most reliable way to waste your time in a small studio is by trying to mix before you can actually hear what you are doing
Mike Senior
The joys of making music will find a way, regardless of the context and form that emerges to best fit it.
David Byrne
It is better to master a few tools, than having no skill in using many
Roey Izhaki
Being subject to limited resources will develope your sense of detail and it will free you from techincal considerations allowing you to concentrate on what you want to express
William Russo
There's an unfortunate inclination for large educational institutaions to get bogged down in regulations and guidelines...herein lies a great potential for the DIY niche course
Tom Dunmore
Flashy studio shots of students working behind large mixing desks are of little practical use today, new technology empowers cottage-industry style production...but you still need to learn the craft
Robert Ends

THE COURSE

Laid out over three years each twelve month block focuses on a different area of digital music making; sampling, synthesis and orchestration. All lessons and course material will be freely available on the KDMC site. The first year is planned for September 2016.

FUNDAMENTALS

A good deal of recording and sound engineering skills are required by the contemporary digital musician. The KDMC course teaches this in parallel to each year of music making beginning with the creative limitations of a 2-track recording.

PRESET-LESS

No synth presents or sample loop libraries are used on the KDMC course. Students will learn to programme and design sounds from the ground up. During the third year they will experiment with building and multi-sampling a simple ethnic instrument.

RESTRICTIONS

With the ease of access and immediacy of software downloads the digital audio world can quickly become overwhelming to the new-comer, as such this course is specifically hardware based for the first eighteen months.

MUSIC THEORY

Music theory basics are presented in three sections divided over three years. The first year deals exclusively with rhythm, students will be expected to develop rudimentary drum chops, the second with melody and first species counterpoint and the last with four part harmony.

APPLICATIONS

Although musically speaking the possibilities are many, the primary goal of KDMC is to provide affordable skills training presented in a non-classical manner for three specific fields: digital music performance, dramatic-composition and foley related work.

COMMUNITY

Every six months students will organize a showcase event in a unique venue. Door charges will be minimal and will go towards a specific charity. Also planned: guest lectures/talks via regional festivals and collaborative projects with local choirs and youth orchestras.

Knowing what to leave out is 75% of what orchestration is all about
Guy Michelmore
Ask not where music is sold, but where music is used...find your niche. Discover an area of music that provides you with enough satisfaction for both your soul and you wallet, and then master it.
Peter Spellman
Probably the most reliable way to waste your time in a small studio is by trying to mix before you can actually hear what you are doing
Mike Senior
The joys of making music will find a way, regardless of the context and form that emerges to best fit it.
David Byrne
It is better to master a few tools, than having no skill in using many
Roey Izhaki
Being subject to limited resources will develope your sense of detail and it will free you from techincal considerations allowing you to concentrate on what you want to express
William Russo
There's an unfortunate inclination for large educational institutaions to get bogged down in regulations and guidelines...herein lies a great potential for the DIY niche course
Tom Dunmore
Flashy studio shots of students working behind large mixing desks are of little practical use today, new technology empowers cottage-industry style production...but you still need to learn the craft
Robert Ends

COURSE DETAILS

Full course Syllabus, FAQ section, and development blog coming soon. Please e-mail me if you would like to be kept up to date with the latest news from KDMC.

Show all

Knowing what to leave out is 75% of what orchestration is all about
Guy Michelmore
Ask not where music is sold, but where music is used...find your niche. Discover an area of music that provides you with enough satisfaction for both your soul and you wallet, and then master it.
Peter Spellman
Probably the most reliable way to waste your time in a small studio is by trying to mix before you can actually hear what you are doing
Mike Senior
The joys of making music will find a way, regardless of the context and form that emerges to best fit it.
David Byrne
It is better to master a few tools, than having no skill in using many
Roey Izhaki
Being subject to limited resources will develope your sense of detail and it will free you from techincal considerations allowing you to concentrate on what you want to express
William Russo
There's an unfortunate inclination for large educational institutaions to get bogged down in regulations and guidelines...herein lies a great potential for the DIY niche course
Tom Dunmore
Flashy studio shots of students working behind large mixing desks are of little practical use today, new technology empowers cottage-industry style production...but you still need to learn the craft
Robert Ends