The mission of the Yale Open Music Initiative (OMI) is to foster a community of practice around the development and use of open source audio tools in the context of artistic expression. OMI facilitates the exploration of creative computation and digitally-enabled music production though weekly workshops, reading groups and through associated research projects. OMI is an open, welcoming community that values diversity in all forms. Our programming is driven entirely by our membership and our membership is open to all.
Workshops
Throughout 2018-19 we will offer a series of introductory and in-depth workshops on subjects that **may** include: audio recording and editing; audio production (mixing and mastering); using the OMI Cluster in AKW 123; installing OMI/open source software on your own computer; Linux OS basics; Linux configuration for multimedia environments; notation software on Linux; audio I/O; Linux audio systems and technologies; audio-specific software; audio production on Linux; audio programming using SuperCollider & PureData; interfacing with open source and DIY hardware; analog sound synthesis; electronic instrument building; more!
Hangouts
In addition to the above formal workshops we schedule regular hangouts in the studio to answer questions and dive more deeply into subjects than is practical in the workshops. These hangouts are great for learning how to best use the OMI Cluster, getting one-on-one instruction, and for member planning and organization. It is our hope that these hangouts can eventually be run and sustained entirely by student members of the initiative.
Participation
The shape and scope of OMI depends largely on the involvement of the community. The more people participate and contribute, the more flexible and capable the initiative will be to respond to the evolving needs of its membership and the community at large. There are a lot of ways you can help contribute to the success of OMI, but the best is to become a member and participate in workshops, hangouts, and to help us plan future workshops and events. Another great way to help out is simply to tell your friends and colleagues about OMI.
Membership
What do you need to do to become a member? Just tell us! Send an email to scott.petersen@yale.edu and mention you are interested. All future announcements and updates sent out to our mailing list to which you can subscribe -- the link is in the sidebar.
Open Source Code
You can find our own open source projects listed on our Github page at https://github.com/Yale-OMI. For information on contributing, send an email to an OMI officer, or just join one of our meetings.
FAQ
Q. Who can become a member?
A. Anyone, faculty, student or staff. Depending on your responsibilities at the University you may not be able to participate in *everything* but we will do our best to make the schedule flexible.
Q. What is the benefit of membership?
A. Having people sign up will give us an indication of the needs and desires within the community and will help us plan our workshops (days/times, number of sessions, etc.) as well as ensure there are always enough people around to help out.
Q. What are the commitments?
A. You decide your own level of involvement. If you just want to help out with workshops, great! Or, maybe you just want to work on publicity and design, or write blog posts. It’s all good.