152 courses with the subject MUSI, 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.
MUSI 031Introduction to Voice0
Introduction to Voice is a course of private instruction in voice that focuses on vocal technique, musicianship, and performance. Private lessons are offered for 30-minutes for 11 weeks in each fall and spring semester. This course is designed for students who have had limited musical study, and/or who have not had the opportunity to study voice privately. To receive credit, students must take both fall and spring semesters, with credit awarded in the spring. Students may also choose to take lessons for 0.0 credit for both semesters. Fees apply. Courtenay Budd.
Introduction to piano is a course of private instruction in piano that focuses on technique, musicianship, and performance. Private lessons are offered for 30-minutes for 11 weeks in each fall and spring semester. This course is designed for students who have had limited musical study, and/or who have not had the opportunity to study piano privately. To receive credit, students must take both fall and spring semesters, with credit awarded in the spring. Students may also choose to take lessons for 0.0 credit for both semesters. Fees apply. Susan Bialek.
0 or 0.5 unit(s) The study and performance of jazz improvisation. Two sections. James Osborn. Open to qualified students with the permission of the instructor. Students may register for credit each semester, but no student may exceed 2 units of this credit in his or her four years at Vassar. Course Format: INT
0 or 0.5 unit(s) The study and performance of selected works from the ensemble repertoire of instrumental or vocal mediums or their combinations. Eduardo Navega. Open to qualified students with the permission of the instructor. Students may register for credit each semester, but no student may exceed 2 units of this credit in his or her four years at Vassar. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
0 or 0.5 unit(s) The fifty-member ensemble of students and community players performs works of the wind and band repertoire. Open to all woodwind, brass, and percussion players. James Osborn. Open to all students by audition. One period per week plus sectional rehearsals. Course Format: INT
0 or 0.5 unit(s) The jazz ensemble performs literature ranging from the Big Band Era to jazz-rock fusion. Improvisation and ensemble playing in a jazz style are featured. James Osborn. Open to all students by audition. One period per week. Course Format: INT
0 or 0.5 unit(s) The 60-member orchestra performs masterworks of the symphonic literature. Eduardo Navega. Open to all students by audition. Two periods per week. Course Format: INT
0 or 0.5 unit(s) The Treble Chorus is an ensemble of 30-50 women that studies and performs repertoire from the medieval period to the present. The choir performs on campus and occasionally makes concert tours. Christine Howlett. Open to all students by audition. Two periods per week. Course Format: INT
0 or 0.5 unit(s) The choir is a mixed ensemble of between 40 and 60 voices that studies and performs choral/orchestral and a cappella literature for a larger chorus from the Renaissance through the present. The choir performs on campus and occasionally makes concert tours. Drew Minter, Eduardo Navega. Open to all students by audition. Two periods per week. Course Format: INT
0 or 0.5 unit(s) The Chamber Singers is a select mixed ensemble of between 10 and 20 voices that studies and performs literature for solo and chamber vocal ensemble. Drew Minter. Two 90-minute periods. Course Format: INT
Uncredited lessons. Miriam Charney, Marija Ilic, Anna Polonsky, Thomas Sauer. Open to all classes by audition. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Uncredited lessons. Courtenay Budd, Drew Minter, Mary Nessinger, Robert Osborne, Rachel Rosales, James Ruff. Open to all classes by audition. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A beginning study of the elements of music including notation, rhythm and meter, scales and modes, intervals, melody, chord progression, musical terms, and instruments. To facilitate reading skills, class exercises in ear training and sight singing are included. May not be counted in the requirements for concentration. Christine Howlett. Open to all classes. Previous musical training unnecessary. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
The first class of a three-semester sequence devoted to detailed investigation of the fundamental elements of music, including harmony, melody, form, rhythm, meter, texture, and timbre. Skills include analysis, writing, analytical listening and singing, transcription, basic keyboard skills, and musical comprehension. Alan Hankers.
Familiarity with music notation (bass and treble clefs), key signatures, and basic rhythmic notation. Open to all classes. Two 75-minute periods plus a weekly skills lab. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 106Music Theory II1
The second class of a three-semester sequence devoted to detailed investigation of the fundamental elements of music, including harmony, melody, form, rhythm, meter, texture, and timbre. Skills include analysis, writing, analytical listening, and musical comprehension. Susan Bialek (lab), Tamyka Jordon-Conlin and Táhirih Motazedian.
MUSI 105 or successful completion of departmental advanced placement exam at beginning of fall semester. Open to all classes. Two 75-minute periods plus a weekly skills lab. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
MUSI 126Our Bodies, Our Selves, Our World: Improving Your Sense of Self Through the Awareness Through Movement0.5
(Same as DRAM 126 ) Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984) is widely considered to be a pioneer in the field of neuroplasticity. Working initially with individuals with neurological challenges such as cerebral palsy and grave injuries, Feldenkrais developed more than 1500 group lessons in Awareness Through Movement which can be helpful to anyone of any capacity. Each class will teach one of these lessons, which deepen our sensitivity, thoughts and feelings of ourselves and the environment, producing an enhanced way of being and improved abilities in performance and interaction. Senior Lecturer in Music Drew Minter is a certified Feldenkrais practitioner. The class is open to all students (no previous experience required). Maximum of 20 students. Drew Minter.
Students must be currently enrolled in music lessons or a performing ensemble. First six-week course. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 127Being a Music Critic1
The act of criticism often arouses negative attitudes in today’s media landscape. Many modern films and novels depict critics as cold-hearted villains, who reject creativity, beauty, and human feeling itself. Yet history shows these stereotypes to be inaccurate. Notable composers including Hector Berlioz, Robert Schumann, Claude Debussy, and John Cage were important music critics. Famed intellectuals including Mark Twain, George Bernhard Shaw, and Oliver Sacks also wrote extensively on musical subjects. Good criticism is not typified by callous insult. The best critical writing strives to educate readers and elevate artists, while it questions emerging cultural trends and challenges individuals’ long-held assumptions. To develop students’ critical voices, this first-year writing seminar explores the craft of music criticism at its most accomplished levels, using past and present works as models for analysis and discussion. Assignments include reviews of live performances, audio recordings, videos, and publications by professional critics themselves. Alexander Bonus. Open only to first-year students; satisfies college requirement for a First-Year Writing Seminar. May not be counted in the requirements for the concentration. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
Introduction to Voice is a course of private instruction in voice that focuses on vocal technique, musicianship, and performance. Private lessons are offered for 30-minutes for 11 weeks in each fall and spring semester. This course is designed for students who have had limited musical study, and/or who have not had the opportunity to study voice privately. To receive credit, students must take both fall and spring semesters, with credit awarded in the spring. Students may also choose to take lessons for 0.0 credit for both semesters. Fees apply. Courtenay Budd.
Introduction to Piano is a course of private instruction in piano that focuses on piano technique, musicianship, and performance. Private lessons are offered for 30 minutes for 11 weeks each fall and spring semester. This course is designed for students who have had limited musical study, and/or who have not had the opportunity to study piano privately. Students must take both fall and spring semesters to receive credit, with credit awarded in the spring. Students may also choose to take lessons for 0.0 credit for both semesters. Fees apply. Susan Bialek.
Acourse in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 136Introduction to World Music1
(Same as ASIA 136 ) This course examines the development and practices of musical styles in diverse locales around the world from an ethnomusicological perspective. We study the intersection of musical communities and social identity/values, political movements (especially nationalism), spirituality, economy, and globalization. We explore these general issues through case studies from Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Justin Patch. This course is open to students with or without musical training. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
Corequisite(s): A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Not offered in 2026/27.
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Not offered in 2026/27.
MUSI 138Jazz Combo0.5
The study and performance of jazz improvisation. James Osborn. Open to qualified students with the permission of the instructor. Students may register for credit each semester, but no student may exceed 2 units of this credit in his or her four years at Vassar. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 143Saxophone0.5
Corequisite(s): A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 160Piano0.5
Miriam Charney, Marija Ilic, Anna Polonsky, Thomas Sauer.
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
MUSI 163Voice0.5
Courtenay Budd, Drew Minter, Mary Nessinger, Robert Osborne, Rachel Rosales, James Ruff.
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 165Viola0.5
Corequisite(s): A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 201Opera1
A study of the history, style, drama, and music in selected operatic masterworks from 1600 to the present.
One unit in One of the following: art; drama; Italian, French, German, or English literatures; music; or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
MUSI 202Black Music1
(Same as AFRS 202 ) An analytical exploration of the music of certain African and European cultures and their adaptive influences in North America. The course examines traditional African and European views of music performance practices while exploring their influences in shaping the music of African Americans from the spiritual to modern. Tamyka Jordon-Conlin. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
The second class of a three-semester sequence devoted to detailed investigation of the fundamental elements of music, including harmony, melody, form, rhythm, meter, texture, and timbre. Skills include analysis, writing, analytical listening, and musical comprehension. Susan Bialek, Tamyka Jordon-Conlin, Tahirih Motazedian. Kathryn Libin.
Familiarity with music notation (bass and treble clefs), key signatures, and basic rhythmic notation. Recommended MUSI 105 . Two 75-minute periods plus extra periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
MUSI 204Music Theory II1
The second class of a three-semester sequence devoted to detailed investigation of the fundamental elements of music, including harmony, melody, form, rhythm, meter, texture, and timbre. Skills include analysis, writing, analytical listening, and musical comprehension. Susan Bialek (lab), Tamyka Jordon-Conlin and Táhirih Motazedian.
MUSI 203 or successful completion of departmental advanced placement exam at the beginning of the fall semester. Two 75-minute periods plus extra periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
MUSI 205Music Theory III1
The third class of a three-semester sequence devoted to detailed investigation of the fundamental elements of music, including harmony, melody, form, rhythm, meter, texture, and timbre. Skills include analysis, writing, analytical listening, and musical comprehension. Táhirih Motazedian.
MUSI 105 / MUSI 106 or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 206Post-Tonal Theory1
A study of principal currents of musical composition in the modern era; analysis of selected works and creative application of techniques, procedures and formal schemes studied. A survey of the procedures, formal schemes, and creative application of techniques in musical composition in the modern era. Composers to be discussed include Béla Bartók, George Crumb, Ruth Crawford Seeger, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sofia Gubaidulina, György Ligeti, Ursula Mamlok, Olivier Messiaen, Alfred Schnittke, Igor Stravinsky, and Anton Webern. Tamyka Jordon-Conlin.
MUSI 205 or permission of the instructor. One 2-hour period. Course Format: INT
Offered
Spring
MUSI 207Musicianship Skills I0.5
An aural-skills class based on diatonic and chromatic melody and harmony. Class exercises include sight singing, ear training, clef reading, keyboard skills, score reading, improvised accompaniment, and basic conducting patterns. A continuation of skills acquired from 105/106 skills lab. Marija Ilic.
MUSI 207 or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
MUSI 209Jane Austen and Music in the Domestic Sphere0.5
(Same as GNCS 209 ) Music is a significant thematic thread running through most of Jane Austen’s novels, reflecting a lively and varied musical practice in the domestic sphere of late Georgian Britain. In this six-week course we examine musical scenes, settings, and characters in the novels, and study the role of music in the extended Austen family through the primary sources of its digitized music collection. We analyze musical works known to Jane Austen and her contemporaries, explore their role in household instruction and entertainment, and also critique musical scenes in selected film adaptations of Austen’s novels. Kathryn Libin.
Ability to read music. One course in music or British literature, or permission of the instructor. First six-week course. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 210Afrofuturism1
(Same as AFRS 210 ) It’s after the end of the world. Don’t you know that yet? This course surveys Black cultural production through the lens of Afrofuturism. Through creative and scholarly work, students will discover the ways Afrofuturists utilize image, text, and sound to design freedom technologies. Readings include Octavia Butler, Marlo David, Kodwo Eshun, Paul Gilroy, Alondra Nelson, Sun Ra, Louise Seamster, Victor Ray, and Alexander Weheliye. Tamyka Jordon-Conlin.
One course in Africana Studies, Music, or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 211Counterpoint1
An in-depth study of modal and tonal counterpoint practices. Course work includes analysis and composition of motets, inventions, canons, and fugues. Táhirih Motazedian.
MUSI 105 / MUSI 106 or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
MUSI 214History of American Jazz1
(Same as ANST 214 ) An investigation of the whole range of jazz history, from its beginning around the turn of the century to the present day. Among the figures to be examined are: Scott Joplin, “Jelly Roll” Morton, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, Thomas “Fats” Waller, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, and Miles Davis. Justin Patch.
One unit in one of the following: Music; studies in American History, Art, or Literature; or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
MUSI 215Composition I1
Creative work in various contemporary idioms. Analysis of selected works; study of instrumental resources.
1.5 units of first-year study in music, including MUSI 105 , and either MUSI 106 or applied work in lessons and ensembles. If a senior project in composition is planned, the student should elect Music 215/ MUSI 216 in the sophomore year and MUSI 315 in the junior year. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 216Composition II1
Creative work in various contemporary idioms. Analysis of selected works; study of instrumental resources.
MUSI 215 and permission of the instructor. If a senior project in composition is planned, the student should elect MUSI 215 /216 in the sophomore year and MUSI 315 in the junior year. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
MUSI 217Studies in Popular Music1
A topics course focusing on the study of popular music. Justin Patch. Recommended One unit in either Music, Sociology, or Anthropology. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
MUSI 136 , or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
MUSI 219Electronic Music, Technology & Culture1
Hands-on introduction to foundational concepts and skills of electronic audio: acoustics, spectra, microphone & recording techniques, digital signal processing, sampling and synthesis. In parallel, the course charts a creative & critical exploration of electronic music histories and technologies—from throughout the last century, and around the globe—amidst their social, cultural and material contexts. A substantial creative final project focuses on two uniquely medium-specific applications of electronic music technologies: radio art and sound installation. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
This course develops students’ technical proficiency and critical listening through hands-on exploration of contemporary music production. Emphasizing creative autonomy, students work across diverse musical styles while engaging with core concepts such as digital signal processing, MIDI sequencing and editing, sampling, sound design, mixing, and mastering. Alan Hankers. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
(Same as WFQS 231 ) A study of women’s engagement in creating and sustaining musical cultures. Drawing on recent work in feminist musicology and ethnomusicology, this course examines women musicians and their music from many perspectives: vocal and instrumental, historical and current, Western and non-Western, classical and popular. First six-week course. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
(Same as GERM 232 ) No literary text of the early Romantic era was read more avidly than Goethe’s Faust . After its publication in 1808, composers rapidly began setting it to music. In this six-week course, we begin with a close reading of Faust Part I (in English translation), then study musical interpretations of it by Schubert, Mendelssohn, Berlioz, Liszt, and others. Kathryn Libin.
Ability to read music. One course in Music or German, or permission of the instructor. Recommended One course in Music or German. First six-week course. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
MUSI 233Sounds of Faith: Sacred Choral Music0.5
The sound of massed voices creates a sense of community and a spiritual reverberation that composers have explored for worship, for celebration, and to reveal or touch the divine. In this six-week course, in coordination with performances by Vassar College choral ensembles, we examine sacred works by composers from varying historical and spiritual contexts, and how they have used music to express faith. Kathryn Libin.
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 235Studies in Composition1
This course delves into specific genres, approaches and techniques of music making, arranging, writing, performing and recording. The course is a combination of practical, theoretical and experiential approaches and offers a laboratory for students to learn new techniques and experiment with music making within particular styles and genres.
MUSI 105 and permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
MUSI 237Other Instruments0.5
Corequisite(s): A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
A course in music theory or history should be taken during the first year of credited lessons. MUSI 101 , MUSI 105 , MUSI 140 , or MUSI 141 are strongly recommended. Open to all students who have passed the audition or upon recommendation of the instructor. One 50-minute period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
MUSI 238Music and Sound in Film1
(Same as FILM 238 ) Why do films have music? How do music and sound influence (and sometimes even control) what we see and experience in film? This course delves into the terminology and methodologies for analyzing and interpreting the interaction between filmic image and sound. Táhirih Motazedian.
One course in Music (not performance) or Film. Two 75-minute periods plus outside screenings. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 239Politics and Music0.5
This course examines the varied uses of music by political actors. Such uses include musical acts at rallies, playlists, musical propaganda, advertising, and musical performances by politicians. Course readings cover various countries with particular attention paid to the 2024 US Presidential election, as the first primaries happen as class starts. Justin Patch.
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 243Saxophone0.5
Prerequisite(s): Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 246Music and Ideas I — Medieval and Renaissance Music in Global Context1
This team-taught course introduces major historical, theoretical, and intellectual ideas of music in cultural centers of the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, from the ancient world to the early 17th century. The first six weeks explore music and its transmission along the Silk Road between Persia, the Middle East, and Asia. In the second six weeks the focus shifts to development of sacred and secular musical genres in the West. Justin Patch, Kathryn Libin.
MUSI 105 , MUSI 136 , or a 100-level MRST course. Includes an additional listening/discussion section. Two 75-minute periods and one 75-minute lab. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 247Music and Ideas II — Enlightenment, Revolution, Romanticism1
A study of musical genres and trends over the course of the “long eighteenth century” from 1660 to 1830. The course explores significant shifts in musical language from the high Baroque through the age of revolution and early Romanticism, as revealed in great works from Purcell through Beethoven. Kathryn Libin.
MUSI 105 / MUSI 106 or permission of the instructor. Includes an additional listening/discussion section. Two 75-minute periods and one 75-minute lab. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Spring
MUSI 248Music and Ideas III — Modernism and its Challenges1
This course begins with progressive composers Berlioz, Liszt, and Wagner and traces the development of their schools of thought through the late nineteenth century, the rising importance of popular song and jazz in the twentieth century along with major composers who have found new expression within classical traditions, and “postmoderns” who have worked to bridge genres. Justin Patch.
MUSI 105 / MUSI 106 and MUSI 247 , or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods plus an additional listening/discussion period. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 251Deconstructing Pop: Theory about Popular Music0.5
“Pop” offers upper-level students who are interested in including popular music in their senior theses and correlate projects an opportunity to dig into some of the fundamental texts that have set the debate. These texts derive from a number of different fields: music, sociology, cultural studies, and area studies. This 6-week course provides students with an opportunity to read through these difficult texts slowly and have the opportunity to discuss and get a deeper understanding of the scholarly debate, better preparing them to pursue their senior research projects. The course starts with the conflicting theories of the Frankfurt and Birmingham schools and then moves into feminist critique, analysis of racialization in popular music, and criticism of global pop and world music. These areas deploy a wide variety of theories from around the social sciences and humanities. This intensive expands the conceptual tool kit available to students for analysis through primary source engagement, analysis, and application. Justin Patch.
Declared major in a thesis required or thesis optional major; intention to write a thesis that includes analysis of popular music. First six-week course. One 2-hour period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
MUSI 252Book Club1
In-depth exploration of a multi-disciplinary musical topic through student-selected readings and student-led group discussions. The course begins with a pre-selected book, with subsequent readings researched and selected by students. Each week students take turns leading the class through directed discussions of the readings, with summary presentations and prepared discussion points. After the initial pre-selected readings, the reading itinerary expands based on student interest. Each student (in consultation with the professor) selects readings for the entire class to read (books chapters or journal articles either referenced in our primary readings or researched independently), so that by the second half of the semester, the curriculum is entirely student-driven. The course culminates with presentations on subtopics of each student’s choosing. This course is open to students with backgrounds in music or other fields related to the topic, with the hopes of generating richly cross-pollinated discussions from multiple points of view.
One course in music, science, history, or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
MUSI 254Opera Workshop0.5
The study and performance of selected operatic repertoire. Open to qualified students by audition. Alexander Bonus and Drew Minter. No student may exceed two units of this credit in his or her four years at Vassar. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
Vassar’s Skinner Hall of Music houses a valuable collection of historical instruments that represent the tastes and affinities of many generations of collectors, and offer important insights into social history, performance practices, and material culture. In this Intensive course, students work individually and in collaborative teams to combine research with hands-on examination and analysis of the instruments. The data generated will be used to build a new digital collection, Vassar Music Treasures, which will permanently reside in Vassar’s Digital Library as a resource for study and research. Kathryn Libin.
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
MUSI 263Voice0.5
Courtenay Budd, Drew Minter, Mary Nessinger, Robert Osborne, Rachel Rosales, James Ruff.
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 265Viola0.5
Prerequisite(s): Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Two semesters of credited study in this instrument.
Corequisite
A course in music theory or history is required unless two such courses have previously been completed. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 285Composing for Film and Video Games1
This course explores the tools and techniques used by contemporary composers working across film, television, video games, and interactive media. Students learn digital orchestration and production techniques, score linear media projects, and design adaptive music systems using middleware. By the end of the course, students create a portfolio of media compositions, including fully produced cues for film and interactive environments. Alan Hankers.
0.5 to 1 unit(s) Special projects in theory, history, or performance that supplement the curriculum. Open to qualified students with permission of department. Proposals for a project must first have the approval of a faculty advisor and then be submitted for departmental approval by the end of the previous semester. Course Format: OTH
A minimum of five semesters of private lessons must be completed prior to the semester of the recital. At least three semesters of lessons must be taken for credit.
Corequisite
1.5 units.
Offered
Fall or Spring
MUSI 315Composition III1
Further work in original composition; analysis of examples illustrating current practice. Alan Hankers.
MUSI 105 / MUSI 106 and MUSI 215 / MUSI 216 or equivalent. Permission of the instructor required; qualification to be determined by submission in advance of original work. Music 315 may be taken twice for credit. Two 75-minute periods. Course Format: CLS
Offered
Fall
MUSI 320Advanced Studies in Musical Genres1
A seminar offering advanced studies in analyses of musical genre.
MUSI 205 . Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
MUSI 321Composer in Focus1
This seminar for advanced music students offers an investigation of the life and works of a single composer, with study of primary sources, biography, reception history, analysis, and criticism.
MUSI 105 / MUSI 106 ; MUSI 205 ; MUSI 246 / MUSI 247 , or permission of the instructor. Two 75-minute periods. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: CLS
MUSI 337Other Instruments0.5
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of credited study in this instrument. One 50-minute period. Not offered in 2026/27. Course Format: INT
Four semesters of credited study in this instrument. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Offered
Fall and Spring
MUSI 3804th Year Instruction0.5
After six full semesters of study in any instrument, all students, no matter which instrument, register for Music 380. Two semesters of study at the 380 level counts as one full credit of senior-level work. One 50-minute period. Unscheduled. Course Format: INT
Permission of the department. A proposal is required in the junior year. Open to qualified students with permission of department. Proposals for a project must first have the approval of a faculty adviser and then be submitted for departmental approval by the end of the junior year. Individual conferences with the instructor. Course Format: OTH
