Sonology (formerly Computer Music)

*The Computer Music major will become Sonology from the 2026 enrollment date.

Faculty of Music, Department of Performance & Composition, Sonology

Learning Features

Exploring a wide range of musical practices from a comprehensive perspective.
Learn programming, recording/PA, and creative techniques as an integrated skill set.
Learn not only about the production process, but also the process of delivering the product to the recipient.

Expanding the concept of "musician"

Sonology is a broad musical practice that takes a comprehensive approach, including media and environment. Its foundational skills are defined as computer, sound, and creative production, and are taught through a unique, integrated curriculum. Centered around sound and music, students explore various fields such as video, stage, and interactive devices, according to their individual interests. By creatively handling sound with cultivated skills, a refined aesthetic sense, and a deep awareness of social issues, students expand the concept of what it means to be a "musician."

Class and Activity Introduction

Music Design Seminar

Each student plans their own project and explores a wide range of musical practices, including live electronics, media art, installations, and game development.

Acoustic exercises

After learning the fundamentals of acoustics, students acquire practical skills ranging from sound recording methods and audio processing to amplification methods and sound field adjustment.

Music Programming

From the fundamentals of coding to multimedia expression, music app development, sensor utilization, and AI composition, students will acquire a wide range of software technologies related to sound art. The program aims to cultivate the ability to design user experiences and to fuse art and technology.

in Focus - “Sonic Interaction”

This music event, held twice a year, involves students not only presenting their work but also handling everything from planning and production to sound, operation, and publicity. Students present their work in the form of concerts and installations, utilizing a variety of methods and media, including live electronic pieces combining acoustic instruments and computers, as well as video and dance performances. It also serves as a platform for integrating their university studies through collaborative work.

Student's Voice

Under the guidance of professors with diverse expertise
A place where you can fully explore your artistic and expressive abilities.

Mio WAKAO
Fourth year student, Computer Music Specialization Department of Performance & Composition
Graduated from Tokyo Gakugei University International Secondary School, Tokyo.
*Starting with students entering in 2026, Sonology be available.

In my third year, I took a music design seminar where I developed a game centered on "sound" x "psychology." I faced various challenges, such as the music becoming unnecessarily frightening despite the theme being relaxation, or the emphasis being too heavily on visual expression. However, I made the entire game creation process, from planning and development to composing the game sound and implementation, my own challenge, and I was able to complete it all. The advice from professors with diverse expertise was also helpful. In Sonic Interaction, I was in charge of stage PA, and not only did I acquire knowledge of equipment and how to operate it, but I also developed the ability to respond quickly to problems. I feel that this specialization, which allows for free expression without being bound by format, is a place where I can fully explore my own artistry and expressiveness.

Faculty Message

Creative lessons where people of all generations learn together

Shintaro IMAI
Sonology
Specialty: Computer Music

What is creativity? D. Cope, a pioneer who has long explored computer-generated music composition, defines creativity as "the first connection between two or more multifaceted things, ideas, or phenomena that have not previously been actively considered as being connected." We aim to provide classes that are full of creativity, where faculty and students learn together across generations and interests, exploring these connections through trial and error.

<Story>
My initial love for music was sparked by the game music of the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System) when I was in elementary school. In my graduation essay, I wrote that my dream was to become a game programmer. After many twists and turns, I've become involved in various computer-based music projects. It seems that my childhood dream has come to fruition in an unexpected way.

<Profile>
Computer musician. Studied at Kunitachi College of Music and IRCAM in Paris, conducted research at ZKM in Germany as an overseas training fellow for artists dispatched by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, and created music based at the Technical University of Berlin as a visiting artist of DAAD Berlin. Frequently composed stage music for Bauhaus Dessau. Won first prize at the Musica Nova International Electronic Music Competition and first prize at the ZKM International Electronic Music Competition, among others. In recent years, has been working on musical practices using humanoid robots.

Mock Lesson

Educational Goals

This major aims to cultivate "musicians" in the broadest sense of the word, who explore new forms of artistic expression using technology such as computers and apply the results of their work to creative work, research, and ultimately the diverse world of sound.

Admissions Policy

We are looking for people who are interested in art and technology, with a particular focus on music, who have the ability to learn and the curiosity to take on unknown fields with initiative.

Curriculum Policy

In the basic course, students will learn the fundamentals of computer technology, sound technology, and creative technology, and then integrate these individual technologies through the creation of works, allowing them to acquire these skills in a practical and multifaceted way.In the specialized course, students will be able to select their own classes and attempt to expand into the creation and research of advanced computer music and media art works, application development, etc., and will also acquire comprehensive skills and perspectives related to music and technology through the construction and management of a presentation environment.

Diploma Policy

Students have broad and practical knowledge and understanding of the role of technology in artistic expression, and have acquired the ability to integrate computer technology, primarily programming, with sound technology and creative techniques.
They have a broad approach to exploring new forms of expression, centered on sound and technology, and also consider video, stage, and interactive media, and have acquired the ability to think and make decisions in both individual and collaborative work.