79 courses with the subject MUSIC, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
MUSIC 112Introduction to Musicianship
First-semester music majors begin formal musicianship studies. Students perform basic melodies and rhythms at sight, and notate dictations of basic rhythms, melodies and harmonic progressions. Students also analyze and compose Western tonal music employing the rubrics of rhythm and meter, pitch, intervals, scales, tertian chords, inversions, harmonic progression, and SATB voice leading. Offered annually in the fall semester. Does not count toward B.A. music major or any B.M. music major. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in MUSIC 161 is strongly encouraged.
First-semester music majors begin formal musicianship studies. Students perform rhythms and melodies at sight. Students also analyze and compose Western tonal music that employs non-dominant seventh chords, applied chords, sequences, modulations, and small forms. These topics are closely integrated into melodic and harmonic dictations. Class meets four times weekly. Offered annually. Prerequisite: MUSIC 112. Concurrent registration in MUSIC 162 is strongly encouraged.
Designed for students with little or no background in music, this hands-on course presents the fundamental materials of music through creative keyboard experiences, music listening, music reading, and aural and visual analysis. Students gain a basic introduction to the piano and to music notation and music theory. Offered periodically during January term. Does not count toward B.A. music major or any B.M. music major.
Primarily for non-music majors, this course presents the fundamental materials of music and exposes students to the development of styles, ideals, practices, and technologies that provide context for listening with understanding. Through a study of landmark works from the 17th to the 20th century, students develop and practice listening techniques that sharpen critical perception and open the door to a fuller enjoyment of all styles of music. The ability to read musical scores is helpful but not required. Offered periodically. Does not count toward B.A. music major or any B.M. music major. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity; Global Histories and Societies.
This course explores the history and evolution of rock music from rhythm and blues through the present. In addition to covering stylistic trends and significant artists, emphasis is placed on the analysis of rock styles and on the social contexts in which rock music has been and continues to be performed and received. No formal training in music is necessary. Offered periodically. Does not count toward B.A. music major or any B.M. music major. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity.
This course examines how race influences 20th century music. Students study a representative body of music from both popular and art music traditions, learn the basic elements of music and critical listening skills. Offered periodically during January term. Does not count toward B.A. music major or any B.M. music major. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity; Power and Race.
This course introduces students to the study of music in cultural and historical perspective. Students explore a broad array of classical and vernacular traditions from throughout the world with the goal of formulating and answering questions about music's nature and about its use by people in diverse times and places. Students also develop essential skills for thinking and writing critically about music-related subjects. Offered every fall and spring semester. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity.
Contemporary Styles Voice Class is open to all students regardless of music background and will focus on singing techniques utilized in contemporary music. Students will develop healthy techniques for breathing and vocalizing in the three core singing techniques used in all contemporary genres: belt, mix, and legit. Students will choose their own repertoire from any style, including but not limited to: pop, jazz, rock, blues, country, R&B, gospel, contemporary music theater, hip hop, etc. Offered annually each semester. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity.
For music majors with little or no prior keyboard experience, this course introduces basic keyboard patterns and technical foundations, applied music theory, harmonization and transposition, and playing by ear. Development of sight playing skill is a central focus. Class sessions include reading, ensemble playing, performance, skill development and drill, and structured improvisation. A grade of B- or higher satisfies Piano Proficiency Level 1 requirements. Offered annually in the fall semester. Concurrent registration in MUSIC 112 is strongly encouraged. Prerequisite: declared music major.
In this continuation of MUSIC 161, students further develop their reading fluency and technical skill, and work with more advanced harmonic idioms. Class activities include harmonization and transposition, score reading, performance, by-ear playing, and improvisation. A grade of B- or higher satisfies Piano Proficiency Level 2 requirements. Offered annually in the spring semester. Concurrent registration in MUSIC 114 is strongly encouraged. Prerequisite: MUSIC 161, completion of Piano Proficiency Level 1, or audition placement.
Through group instruction, students encounter the fundamentals of singing and an introduction to song literature. In-class performance is required. May be repeated once. Offered each semester.
Students learn the basics of guitar playing as well as how to teach guitar classes. Course topics include: learning to play guitar at a basic level; tuning and maintaining a guitar; common performance issues and possible solutions; best practices for teaching class guitar; materials, methods and assessments for teaching guitar classes; the guitar as a tool for composition; technology for teaching, learning or composing for guitar. Required for BM music education majors. Others may register if space allows. Offered annually in fall semester. Prerequisite: declared music education major.
Students learn basic performance practice on core instruments in each instrument family. Additional topics include: common performance issues and their possible solution; Best Practices in teaching and learning core instruments of the family; and technology for teaching, learning, or composing for instruments as appropriate. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisite: declared music education or composition major or permission of the instructor.
Students learn basic performance practice on core instruments in each instrument family. Additional topics include: common performance issues and their possible solution; Best Practices in teaching and learning core instruments of the family; and technology for teaching, learning, or composing for instruments as appropriate. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisite:declared music education or composition major or permission of the instructor.
Students learn basic performance practice on core instruments in each instrument family. Additional topics include: common performance issues and their possible solution; Best Practices in teaching and learning core instruments of the family; and technology for teaching, learning, or composing for instruments as appropriate. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisite: declared music education or composition major or permission of the instructor.
Students learn basic performance practice on core instruments in each instrument family. Additional topics include: common performance issues and their possible solution; Best Practices in teaching and learning core instruments of the family; and technology for teaching, learning, or composing for instruments as appropriate. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisite: declared music education or composition major or permission of the instructor.
This course introduces students to philosophical, methodological, and pedagogical principles developed by 20th-century composer and ethnomusicologist Zoltán Kodály. Students actively engage in aural skills training, movement, instrumental, and creative work. In-depth readings and discussions of historical foundations of the Kodály-inspired movement challenge students to critically examine its Euro-centric roots and subsequent connections to 21st-century topics in music. This course is open to music majors and non-majors. Offered periodically. Prerequisite: MUSIC 112 or MUSIC 114 or permission of the instructor.
Second-semester music majors continue formal musicianship studies. Students perform advanced rhythms and increasingly chromatic melodies at sight. Students analyze and compose Western tonal music that employs modal mixture, Neapolitan chords, augmented-sixth chords, and remote modulations, all of which are closely integrated into melodic and harmonic dictations. Students analyze the principle movement-length forms. Class meets four times weekly. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 114.
Music majors continue formal musicianship studies. Students analyze and compose Western art music in styles from 1875 to the present, including late-nineteenth-century chromaticism, serialism and set theory, impressionism and neoclassicism, and blues and jazz styles. Performance and dictation studies follow these topics closely, including an introduction to jazz improvisation. Class meets four times weekly. Offered annually in spring. Prerequisite: MUSIC 212.
The music found in rehearsal folders plays a pivotal role in shaping the curricular focus of a school band or orchestra. This class helps students develop skills in assessing, selecting, and creating high-quality music literature appropriate for instructing instrumental ensembles in elementary and secondary schools. A comprehensive review of recommended published repertoire culminates in programming projects. Additionally, students acquire the technical craft and artistic sensibilities needed to create successful arrangements for instrumental ensembles. Required for BM music instrumental education majors. Offered alternate years in the fall semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 114.
Students are introduced to a number of compositional techniques and apply them in creating original works of music and hearing them performed. Participants listen to important 20th- and 21st-century compositions, and discuss current trends in music, the changing role of the composer in society, and practical composition issues. Offered each semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 114, or permission of instructor. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity.
This course is a hands-on study of the science, aesthetics, history and current practices of electronic music. Creative projects include work with MIDI synthesizers and sequencers, as well as digital sampling and software synthesis. Offered alternate years during January term. Prerequisite: sophomore status or above. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity.
Most music encountered today is either processed by computer or created entirely digitally. This course provides an introduction to the creation of computer music using programming languages and emphasizing object-oriented programming. Students develop skills in abstract and quantitative reasoning in a musical context. They develop their ability to recognize and employ musical patterns and structures in creating new pieces of music. Topics include digital synthesis, timbral design, live coding, and intonation. Offered periodically. helpful but not necessary.
a basic knowledge of musical theory or notation is
MUSIC 227Practicing for Musical Success
The musical product is an artistic expression; acquiring the skills necessary to make good music depends on the performer's analytical thinking and good time management - also, at times, imagination. This performance-based course will help students develop good practice management skills, working with several strategies and techniques that may enable them to better discern and achieve their musical objectives. Offered periodically during January term. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
Students learn to create improvised solos based on standard jazz practice from different historical eras. To internalize the styles of jazz masters from different time periods, participants transcribe recorded jazz solos by ear and perform them in class. Students gain appreciation of and experience with different harmonic and scalar conceptions through performing and analyzing selected jazz solos. Open to instrumentalists and vocalists. Offered annually in the spring semester.
This course invites students into a relationship with song literature by African American composers. Students will examine this genre through the lens of social movements that shaped and impacted musical development despite under-representation in the canon. Additionally, students will focus on Black identity and aesthetics while analyzing poetry and researching historical and living composer narratives. This course's primary goal is to prepare students to advocate and perform these works for 21st-century audiences. Offered periodically. OLE Core Requirement: Power and Race.
This course presents a study of the historical development of jazz, from its roots in blues and ragtime at the "beginning" of the 20th century to the present, focusing on its principal forms and styles, its role in American culture, and contributions of major artists. Offered periodically. OLE Core Requirement: Power and Race; Creativity.
MUSIC 233Intergenerational Music Learning in Northeast India (study abroad)
Musical transmission between generations in the context of spiritual practice is a hallmark of music education in India. Students explore the challenges local educators face when bringing folk and ritual traditions into an urban folk school setting in Assam. Students experience connections between music and spirituality first-hand as they learn to perform songs and dances from culture bearers who introduce them to these participatory traditions in intergenerational environments. Open to students in all majors. Offered periodically during January term. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity.
MUSIC 234Perspectives on Flamenco in Seville, Granada and Madrid (study abroad)
Flamenco is the collective protest of an oppressed people, a melting pot of musical influences, an oral tradition, a folkloric art, a fine art, and one of Spain's major cultural practices, globalized and marketed to the world as an expression of national identity. In this course, students study the history, theory, and practice of flamenco music in the region that produced it - Andalusia. Students also visit Madrid, exploring Spain's capital city and examining flamenco's influence on popular and classical music. Offered periodically during January term. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity.
Students study the musical history of hymnody and its relationship to the history of the church. In addition, this course explores the Biblical Psalms and their use in worship of the church and includes references to their musical settings in Gregorian chant, Anglican chant, responsorial settings, and choral music. Offered periodically during January term. Prerequisite: declared music major.
Students develop skills and study materials essential to planning and leading worship and training/rehearsing ensembles in a church music program in various traditions. Musical topics include rehearsing and conducting from the keyboard, hymn playing in various styles, playing from chord symbols, global percussion and handbell techniques. Repertoire includes choral music for all ages and for all parts of the church year. Students also explore current issues in church music, the vocation/philosophy of the church musician, organization and administration. Required for B.M. church music major. Offered alternate years in spring semester. Prerequisite: declared music major.
This course explores how musicians and music researchers impact society. Building on skills and concepts developed in Music 141, this course addresses questions related to ethical musicking in an unequal world. Students study a series of case studies, experience hands-on workshops with local performers, and design community engaged music research proposals. Studying local examples of engagement with music and musicians from around the world prepares students to carry out collaborative musical work wherever they are. Prerequisites: MUSIC 141 or permission of instructor. OLE Core Requirement: Global Histories and Societies; Creativity.
MUSIC 238New York Music Immersion: Harlem Renaissance Connections (study away)
This course explores Harlem, NY, focusing on the Harlem Renaissance, a major cultural movement from the 1920s and 1930s. In January, students attend music performances, cultural events, and site visits. These activities aim to deepen their understanding of this significant era through readings, guest lectures, archival research, and exploration. Students reflect on how, despite challenges related to power, class, race, and gender, the movement promoted progress in arts, ideas, and social change. Offered periodically during January term. OLE Core Requirement: Power and Race; OLE Experience in Practice.
This course introduces students to the cultural, theoretical, and aesthetic discourses of the Javanese Gamelan tradition. Incorporating lectures, discussions, audiovisual materials, and performance sessions with internationally renowned artists, this interdisciplinary course teaches students about historical and contemporary contexts for gamelan performance, shadow puppet theatre, and dance, and their relationship to religious practice, gender roles, and social and political life in Java and beyond. No previous musical experience required. Offered annually. OLE Core Requirement: Global Histories and Societies.
Students encounter the history and development of Western European music from the Middle Ages to ca. 1750 and study the genres and styles of music from monophonic chant to concerted music of the Baroque. Offered periodically in the fall semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 114.
Continuing the study begun in MUSIC 241, students encounter the history and development of Western European music from ca. 1750 to the present and study the major forms, styles and representative literature of the Classic and Romantic eras and the 20th and 21st centuries. Offered periodically during spring semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 114.
In this course, students explore the profound relationship between music and social change, examining how songs and sound have served as powerful tools for activism across cultures and movements. Through historical case studies, critical listening, and hands-on workshops, this class emphasizes experiential learning, culminating in a group project where students organize and lead a community event in collaboration with local organizations. This course carries an ACE component. OLE Core Requirement: Ethical Reasoning in Context.
In this course, students build an audition book of repertoire, surveying eras and genre-specific styles within the musical theater canon. Students develop an understanding of contemporary vocal styles unique to each repertoire category and practice techniques for both in-person and self-taped auditions according to industry standards. Coursework includes in-class and self-taped performances, goal-setting, and career preparation. Offered annually in Spring semester. Prerequisites: MUSPF 152 or MUSIC 148.
Students learn basic conducting gestures (with and without baton) through exercises in meter patterns, preparatory beats and cut-offs, cueing, dynamics, fermata, articulations, phrasing, left hand independence, and face/eye usage. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 114 and sophomore status, or permission of instructor.
Students learn conducting techniques for choral literature including research-based rehearsal techniques, vocal preparation, score study, and video self-evaluation of gesture and rehearsal. Course work also includes observation of conductors on campus and in the community. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 251.
Students learn conducting techniques for instrumental literature, including rehearsal techniques, score preparation, and reading full score. Repertoire includes characteristic examples from standard band and orchestra literature. Students gain practical experience in conducting an instrumental ensemble. Course work includes observation of conducting faculty. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 251.
This advanced piano class for music majors only emphasizes sight playing, score reading, harmonization and transposition, advanced harmonic idioms, improvisation, ensemble playing, and performance preparation. A grade of B- or higher satisfies Piano Proficiency Level 3 requirements. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 162, completion of Piano Proficiency Level 2, or audition placement; concurrent registration in MUSIC 212 recommended.
This continuation of 261 emphasizes sight playing, score reading, harmonization and transposition, more advanced improvisation and harmonic usage, performance preparation, and leadership from the keyboard. A grade of B- or higher satisfies Piano Proficiency Level 4 requirements. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 261, completion of Piano Proficiency 3, or audition placement; concurrent registration in MUSIC 214 recommended.
Students study and practice principles for singing in English and Italian with good pronunciation, enunciation, and expression. Course content includes phonetic analysis using the International Phonetic Alphabet and identifying and exercising the phonemic features of English and Italian through class performances and listening assignments. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: two semesters of voice lessons.
Students study and practice principles for singing in French and German with good pronunciation, enunciation, and expression. Course content includes phonetic analysis using the International Phonetic Alphabet and identifying and exercising the phonemic features of French and German through class performances and listening assignments. Offered spring semester in alternate years. Prerequisite: MUSIC 263 and two semesters of voice lessons.
This course delves into the unique history of Musical Theatre in Japan. Students explore Japanese theatrical traditions and observe their influence on contemporary productions and pop culture. Activities include performances of Noh, Kabuki, Takarazuka, translated American musicals, Disneyland, and original Japanese musicals. Guest lectures from industry professionals provide insights into training, career trajectory, and considerations for translation. The course culminates in reflections on the role of musical theater in society, both locally and globally. Offered alternate years during January term. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity.
MUSIC 266Opera in Context: Austria and Germany (study abroad)
Opera was conceived in Italy in the 16th century and has continued to evolve into the living artistic expression presented worldwide today. In this course, students explore and reflect on opera while being embedded in the unique cultural settings of two countries of its origin: Austria and Germany. Through readings, research, reflection, discussion, and group projects, students connect history, architecture, politics, society, and art to performances on the stage and the places that shaped them. Offered periodically during January Term. Apply through Smith Center for Global Engagement. Open to all students. OLE Core Requirement: OLE Experience in Practice.
This studio course focuses on advanced techniques of acting and singing for the musical stage with emphasis on opera. Students explore voice, movement, improvisation, and characterization at an advanced level. Participants receive coaching in musical and dramatic style through solo and small ensemble literature and prepare scenes for class performance. The course culminates with public performances of a fully staged and costumed lyric theater work. May be repeated once. A production fee will be charged to all students participating in the production. Offered annually. Prerequisites: two semesters of voice study or permission of instructor.
MUSIC 268Opera Creation Residency in the Schools: Civic Engagement
This course is designed for students interested in civic engagement in the arts and arts fusion projects. Participants mentor students from a local elementary school in an Opera Creation Residency as the elementary students compose and perform their own original works. The course culminates in staged public performances. Enrollment is subject to a fall interview/audition. Open to all students. May be repeated once. A class fee may be required. Offered during January term in alternate years. Prerequisites: two semesters of voice study or permission of instructor.
Participants prepare for performance of a one-act opera or opera scenes. Students receive coaching and performance experience through individual and group singing/acting exercises. The course culminates with staged and costumed public performances. Open to all students. May be repeated once. A class fee may be required. Offered periodically during January term. Prerequisites: two semesters of voice study or permission of instructor.
For music majors with organ or piano as their principal instrument, this course provides intensive practical experience with and development of functional keyboard skills including sight-reading, score reading, keyboard harmonization, transposition, improvisation, and figured bass/continuo realization. Open to other advanced organists and pianists by permission of instructor. A grade of B- or higher satisfies the keyboard proficiency level 4 requirements. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: concurrent registration in, or successful completion of, MUSIC 114.
Drawing from the fields of biology, neuroscience, physics, and psychology, this course introduces students to the biological and psychological aspects of music performance. Students develop an understanding of the origins of performance-related injury, the mechanism of hearing, the sources of workplace stress in the lives of professional musicians. Each student will design and complete an exercise program tailored to their individual needs as a musician. Offered periodically during January term. OLE Core Requirement: Active Body.
MUSIC 273Professional Practices for the Individual Musician
How does a musician find work with little or no prior professional experience? What skills do musicians need to refine before and after graduation? This course invites students to engage in self-reflection, topical discussions, capacity-building, and best professional practices for individual musicians in the performance industry. Topics include the basics of the music business (roles in the industry, copyright law and contracts), artist identity development, and practical skills for a musical career. Offered periodically in the fall semester of January term.. OLE Core Requirement: OLE Experience in Practice.
Through regular rehearsals and coaching sessions, new or already-formed chamber groups prepare and perform selected literature, learn about related repertoire, and cultivate observation, communication, and leadership skills. Typical ensembles include string quartets, brass or woodwind quintets, piano trios, saxophone quartets, etc. May be repeated. Offered each semester. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
Students survey the solo art song repertoire of Germany, Italy, the Iberian peninsula, and Latin America. The course highlights the significant features and development of the art song; provides context, approaches, and resources for studying this literature; and explores the differences and similarities between art song and other solo vocal literature. Offered fall semester in alternate years. Prerequisite: MUSIC 141 and MUSIC 214 or permission of instructor; MUSIC 263 and MUSIC 264 preferred.
Students survey the solo art song repertoire of France, England, the Nordic countries, and the United States. The course highlights the significant features and development of the art song; provides context, approaches, and resources for studying this literature; and explores the differences and similarities between art song and other solo vocal literature, with a focus on the Great American Songbook. Offered spring semester in alternate years. Prerequisites: MUSIC 141 and MUSIC 214 or permission of instructor; MUSIC 263 and MUSIC 264 preferred.
Beginning with the 17th century, students trace the evolution of literature for piano through the major works of such diverse composers as Bach, Boulez, Couperin, and Cage. Course content includes lectures, readings, listening, analysis, performance, and written assignments. Special attention is paid to performance practice traditions and historical context. Offered periodically. Prerequisites: MUSIC 141, MUSIC 212, and one 300-level musicology or music theory elective, or permission of instructor.
This course is a study of the smaller forms of choral music from the Renaissance to the present with an emphasis on music suitable for junior and senior high school and church choirs. Students study scores and recordings and discuss representative style features and characteristics, interpretation, and conducting problems. Offered annually in the spring semester. Prerequisites: MUSIC 252.
MUSIC 290Fundamentals of Vocal Development for Instrumentalists
Through group instruction, students encounter the fundamentals of singing and an introduction to song literature. In-class performance is required. Additionally during the second half of the course, class participants are introduced to the principles of vocal pedagogy as applied to the child and adolescent voice in the class or ensemble rehearsal. There is an emphasis on understanding the developing young voice and establishing good vocal habits with healthy pedagogical techniques as well as exploration of appropriate choral literature. Required for BM instrumental music education majors. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 251 or permission of instructor.
This course introduces a systematic approach to the study of voice production for use in the studio or classroom. Students examine basic vocal anatomy and physiology approached through body mapping strategies. Students then apply these principles of vocal pedagogy to the child and adolescent voice with emphasis on the developing voice, establishing healthy vocal habits, appropriate teaching techniques, and literature. Offered annually during fall semester. Prerequisite: at least three semesters of MUSPF 152 (voice lessons) or permission of instructor.
This course focuses on applying the foundations of vocal production learned in MUSIC 291 - Vocal Development and Pedagogy to the practice of teaching voice in a solo setting. Students in this course take on a private voice student for the semester and develop a systematic, personalized curriculum for this student. Topics include developing a pedagogical approach to warm-ups and vocalizations, choosing repertoire, vocal registration, vocal acoustics and format training, training different voice types, musical theater belting technique, and the aging voice. Offered annually in spring semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 291.
An introduction to principles, methods and resources for effective and creative music teaching through the piano. Students observe demonstration teaching at various levels and individual and group settings, engage in peer teaching, analyze and perform teaching literature, and discuss topics such as technical development, learning stages and styles, and studio management. Offered spring semester in alternate years. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.
Students examine scores and listen to a broad range of string etudes, solos, sonatas, concertos, and orchestral excerpts with attention to notable performers of the past and present. Through required readings, listening assignments, video viewing, discussion, and hands-on teaching, students engage with practical issues of teaching, repertoire selection for beginning and intermediate players, performance and basic studio management. Prerequisites: MUSIC 214 and MUSIC 141, or permission of instructor.
Independent work is guided by a faculty member. Students need to have the necessary background, including appropriate coursework, before an independent project is approved. A student may not substitute an IS/IR course for a course regularly offered in a department or program. IS/IR culminates in at least one product (a paper, laboratory report, work of art, etc.). Normally, the student and faculty instructor are expected to meet at least once a week. See catalog for more information under registration and course enrollment. Prerequisites: at least second-year standing; at least 2 relevant courses for 298 (IS); approval from the faculty instructor, the academic advisor, and the department chair or program director.
To deepen awareness and understanding of performance music, and to gain tools to produce textural interest in composition, students study the contrapuntal techniques of composers from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Modern periods including Palestrina, Bach, and Barber. Offered fall semester in alternate years. Prerequisite: MUSIC 214.
Analysis is a course of discovery, using advanced tools of music theory to examine the ways in which great works of music are put together. Students examine principles of form and style and, using a range of analytical techniques, come to a deeper understanding of tonal music. The course focuses on Classical and Romantic literature, with some work in 20th-century tonality. Offered during spring semester alternate years. Prerequisite: MUSIC 214.
An analytical study of the wide range of musical styles found in the 20th- and 21st-centuries, this course provides an opportunity to study important modern works and to come to a deeper understanding of their structure and meaning. Students study atonal music theory in depth and examine some of the new approaches to tonality in our time. Offered during spring semester alternate years. Prerequisite: MUSIC 214.
Drawing from the fields of biology, neuroscience, psychology, and sociology, this course offers a deep dive into the psychology of music performance anxiety. Students develop an understanding of (1) the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, (2) causes, triggers, and symptoms of music performance anxiety, and (3) the current state of music performance anxiety research including prevention, intervention, and treatment protocols. Students complete a literature survey examining both quantitative and qualitative research on a topic related to music performance anxiety. Prerequisite: MUSIC 141 or permission of instructor. OLE Core Requirement: Social Science.
Students develop more advanced technique in writing or arranging for instruments and voice through study in creative orchestration, focusing on large ensembles. Offered alternate years. Prerequisite: MUSIC 114. OLE Core Requirement: Creativity.
Students encounter in-depth studies in a specific topic or area of musicology. The content and nature of this course are determined by the instructor and the music department. Sample topics include American music, South Asian music, Opera, and Music, Gender, and Sexuality. May be repeated if topic is different. Offered each semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 141 or permission of instructor.
Students consider how norms of masculinity and femininity are expressed through music in historical and contemporary contexts around the world. Through investigating relationships between music, gender, and sexuality from a variety of analytical perspectives structured around ethnographic case studies, students encounter multiple models of music research, which they use to guide their own ethnographic projects. Prerequisite: MUSIC 141 or permission of instructor. OLE Core Requirement: Social Science; Creativity.
MUSIC 347Somali Community Engagement through Music
Students explore how Somali diaspora communities have made important visible and audible contributions to the cultural landscape of Minnesota, while studying and learning to perform the interconnected arts of Somali poetry, music, dance, and theater. Interactions with local Somali musicians and community leaders, a visit to the Somali mosque, and collaboratively working to discern and support the needs of a community partner organization that serves Somali families provides students with hands-on experience in community engagement. Prerequisite: MUSIC 141 or permission of instructor. OLE Core Requirement: OLE Experience in Practice.
Students explore the intersections of music and community engagement through case studies on topics such as music and healthcare, education, Indigenous cultural agency, development, and immigration. Coursework includes a significant project developing a partnership between students and local community organizations. Students build skills in reading, writing, oral communication, project management, and community relations. Assignments include reading, listening, written reflections, research on issues relevant to community partners, and on- and off-campus engagement with community partners. Offered alternate years in spring semester. Prerequisite: MUSIC 141 Introduction to Musicology and MUSIC 237 Local and Global Musicking. OLE Core Requirement: OLE Experience in Practice.
Working with a live instrumental or choral ensemble, students learn and conduct complete movements and/or entire works and encounter a variety of advanced baton techniques. Course activities develop skills in reading, preparing, interpreting and memorizing scores, with further focus on rehearsal procedures, performance practice, and concert programming. Participants are required to observe a variety of rehearsals on- and off-campus. Offered annually in the fall semester. Prerequisites: MUSIC 251 and either MUSIC 252 or MUSIC 253.
This course provides a comprehensive research opportunity, including an introduction to relevant background material, technical instruction, identification of a meaningful project, and data collection. The topic is determined by the faculty member in charge of the course and may relate to their research interests. Offered based on department decision. May be offered as a 1.00 credit course or .50 credit course. Prerequisite: determined by individual instructor.
Independent work is guided by a faculty member. Students need to have the necessary background, including appropriate coursework, before an independent project is approved. A student may not substitute an IS/IR course for a course regularly offered in a department or program. IS/IR culminates in at least one product (a paper, laboratory report, work of art, etc.). Normally, the student and faculty instructor are expected to meet at least once a week. See catalog for more information under registration and course enrollment. Prerequisites: at least second-year standing; at least 5 relevant courses for 398 (IR); approval from the faculty instructor, the academic advisor, and the department chair or program director.
