Dham Dham Method: Digital Music Production "Bootcamp" using free and accessible tools
With fugitive radio
An 8-day introductory course on digital music production focused on producing a song using free and accessible tools. Participants will record sounds on their phones, edit these into sample banks, which will be then used to form the basis of their tracks. We will then move through making patterns, sequences and eventually a song. It covers basic audio recording, editing, looping and sampling, MIDI, virtual instruments and plug-ins using Reaper Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). No prior knowledge needed. Participants will need a laptop (MacOS, Windows, Linux) with the recommended software installed, and headphones. Participants can work in pairs.
- Dates
- Mon 20 Jul, Tue 21 Jul, Wed 22 Jul, Thu 23 Jul, Mon 27 Jul, Tue 28 Jul, Wed 29 Jul, Thu 30 Jul
- Time
- 13:00–18:00
- Cost
- €150–200 full course (+ €5 membership fee for new members)
- Attendance type
- You should attend the full course
- Class type
- Music
- Space
- Basement
- Desired audience
- Anyone with a desire to learn these basics and participate in an intensive structured program focused on producing a song. It is not a course on Ableton Live, although skills and techniques can be transferred. It is an accumulative course, with each session building on what was covered previously, so participants should be able to commit to the entire ten days.
- What should I bring?
- A laptop (MacOS, Windows, Linux) with Reaper and other recommended software installed, and headphones. I will send links on registration. Participants can share a laptop if need be, but no more than two people per computer as this will compromise learning. No prior knowledge needed.
About the artist
Sumugan Sivanesan is an artist, researcher and writer whose interests include: music, minority politics, activist media, artist infrastructures and more-than-human rights. He intiated Dham Dham in Sri Lanka 2022 as means to collectively learn digital music production using free and open source tools and under conditions of economic and political crises. Since 2020 he has been developing fugitive radio to explore post-internet radio as a counter culture to corporate social media.
Instagram: @fugitive.radiohttps://sivanesan.net/dhamdham/
Accessibility
The solidarity spot for this course is now booked. This course is in a room which is not wheelchair accessible. If you'd like to join but this is a barrier, please let us or the course coordinators know. Please see the yellow section below for more on accessibility.
Sliding scale
We use a sliding scale to make courses as affordable as possible. Here’s how to use it: Lower end: You don’t have a stable income. Mid range: You have a less stable financial situation and are more selective about where you spend your money. Higher end: You experience relative financial stability. Solidarity spot: You’re experiencing financial precarity and wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford to come to a workshop.