263 courses with the subject MUS, 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.
A weekly forum for students to perform in public before their peers and the faculty. Attendance at Performance Hour is required of all high school music students. Graded Pass/Fail.
The School of Music offers a variety of courses on topics of special interest. The school makes every attempt to respond to both faculty and student interest in the formulation and scheduling of such courses. The number of hours and units will vary according to the nature and scope of the project.
Preparation and public performance of representative works from the symphonic literature, including opera and dance. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for wind ensemble. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of works for jazz ensemble using arrangements and improvisation. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of contemporary music. Instrumental and/or vocal combinations vary from piece to piece. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by the percussion teacher.
Duets, Trios, Quartets, Quintets and small mixed ensembles as assigned by the studio teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of a wide variety of contemporary percussion music. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment.
Introduction to collaborative skills, through work with both instrumental and vocal partners, in a class setting with individual coaching. Topics include sound and ensemble issues, quick study, stylistic versatility, repertoire, and professional behavior. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor and studio teacher.
Preparation and performance of choral works from the Renaissance through the Modern Period for unaccompanied chorus and chorus with instruments. Singers for the opera chorus of the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute are drawn from Cantata Singers. Performances on- and off-campus. This ensemble is also open to members of the community by audition. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment.
Intended for high school juniors and seniors, this course is designed to help students achieve fluency in written and aural fundamentals of music, including clef reading, intervals, major and minor scales, triads, seventh chords, and introductory melodic and harmonic analysis. Class work is reinforced at the keyboard.
Intended for high school juniors and seniors, this course is designed to help students achieve fluency in written and aural fundamentals of music, including clef reading, intervals, major and minor scales, triads, seventh chords, and introductory melodic and harmonic analysis. Class work is reinforced at the keyboard. Prerequisite(s): MUS 0311.
Weekly performance class for the purpose of refining performance skills. Included are in-class performance and critique, as well as specialized studies related to the particular concentration of study. MUS 0470 Composition Lessons .50 unit per semester One hour per week of individual composition lessons.
This seminar will include presentations by guests, faculty and student composers on a variety of topics.
This course explores the music and history of West African drumming through hands-on experience. Students learn to play djembe, dunun, shekere, iron bell, and their New World descendants: the conga drum, bongo, claves, maracas, and agogo bells. Class meetings take place in a drum circle ensemble setting. Over the last several decades the hourglass-shaped djembe has become the most popular hand drum in the world and is now used cross-culturally in many styles of popular music. Hand drums are also used in community drum circles and team building programs taught by interactive drumming facilitators. Class instruction involves playing hand percussion instruments in drum circles with the instructor. Analysis of audio and video recordings of African folk music, jazz, blues, rock, and Latin American music tracing roots
Free Improvisation is designed for individuals who want to develop their skills in spontaneous creative expression. The course will focus on building competency and confidence in solo and collective improvisation. Students will be led through a sequence specifically created to ease fears about improvisation and increase connectivity, creativity, and individual voice. Classes will be focused on practical experience as well as readings and activities to enhance artistic intuition. The semester will culminate in a performance of improvisation. This course is open to all UNCSA students who are willing to experiment in the art of free improvisation through the creation of sound, regardless of the art school in which they are enrolled for their major concentration.
Study of an instrument other than a student's concentration instrument. Prerequisites: permission of the instructor, the student's studio teacher, and the Dean of the School of Music.
Private composition lessons for non-composition majors. Limited enrollment. Prerequisites: permission of the instructor and the Dean of the School of Music.
A weekly forum for students to perform in public before their peers and the faculty. Graded pass/fail.
One of the most significant challenges facing musicians today is mastering the skills required to continually adapt to a changing technology base. This course introduces the fundamentals of music technology geared to the needs of today's professional musician. Presenting an overview of many aspects of current music technology, the primary goal of the course is to enable students to leverage the use of these types of tools in support of their undergraduate education. Included are such topics as computer music notation, MIDI, properties of sound, digital audio and video file types, and using a digital audio workstation to record, mix, edit, and master audio. A central focus of the course is on student development of the basic skills needed to record, edit, and distribute their own work. Through hands-on assignments culminating in a final project, students learn about and develop skills including audio and video recording, mixing, signal processing, and editing.
This course explores the music and history of West African drumming through hands-on experience. Students learn to play djembe, dunun, shekere, iron bell, and their New World descendants: the conga drum, bongo, claves, maracas, and agogo bells. Class meetings take place in a drum circle ensemble setting. Over the last several decades the hourglass-shaped djembe has become the most popular hand drum in the world and is now used cross-culturally in many styles of popular music. Hand drums are also used in community drum circles and team building programs taught by interactive drumming facilitators. Class instruction involves playing hand percussion instruments in drum circles with the instructor. Analysis of audio and video recordings of African folk music, jazz, blues, rock, and Latin American music tracing roots to African drumming is also included The traditional method of teaching hand drumming is through oral instruction and group repetition. Because of this pedagogical approach, music reading is not a prerequisite and the class is open to all UNCSA students. Enrollment is limited in part by the number of instruments available.
Guitar Foundations is intended for first-year students and features basic material on a number of topics considered a necessary foundation for study in an advanced-level conservatory program. Students bring different levels of accomplishment to their undergraduate work, and successful completion of Guitar Foundations ensures all guitarists in the program have a common baseline understanding and ability in these critical areas. The course is delivered in a hybrid format. Content, consisting of information and assignments, is provided online through our Learning Management System. Pedagogical support and assignments/skills assessment are both offered through in-person meetings. This course is graded P/F.
Introduction to International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols and sounds; sounds presented in correlation to English.
Basic dance technique to familiarize the student with the fundamentals of body movement and coordination as well as basic dance terms and forms.
Basic dance technique to familiarize the student with the fundamentals of body movement and coordination as well as basic dance terms and forms. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1463 or permission of instructor. MUS 1600 Foundations of Music Classes 1 to 12 credits
Theory I introduces the student to essential materials common to musical experience in the 21st century. Instructional techniques emphasize the development of the student's ability to hear, write, and analyze musical ideas. Course content includes elements of pitch and rhythmic notation, major and minor scales, key signatures, intervals, and triads. These concepts are studied in relation to musical examples drawn from a wide diversity of musical styles. Students create improvised and composed melodies based on the models studied in class.
Theory II builds upon the study of triads by relating them to seventh chords. The study of triad and seventh chord construction is explored in various four-part textures including keyboard and vocal styles. Melodic analysis and composition now include the study of two-part counterpoint. Students learn how to support a melody with well-chosen harmonies. The student is introduced to common elaboration of the I-V-I phrase model and learns fundamental strategies for organizing 4-, 8-, 12-, and 16- measure phrase groups. Music chosen for the analysis of common theme types is drawn from diverse musical styles and are used as models for improvisation and composition.
Develops skills including reading fluency, transposition, harmonization, improvisation, figured bass realization, and score reading.
Develops skills including reading fluency, transposition, harmonization, improvisation, figured bass realization, and score reading. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1641.
Students concentrating in certain instruments are required to study a second instrument as an indispensable part of the learning process. Consult the requirements for each concentration.
Lessons in flute as part of a minor applied course of study. 2-credit lessons provide one hour per week (60 minutes) of individual performance instruction. 1-credit lessons provide either one-half hour per week (30 minutes) or one hour every two weeks (60 minutes total) of individual performance instruction.
Lessons in oboe as part of a minor applied course of study. 2-credit lessons provide one hour per week (60 minutes) of individual performance instruction. 1-credit lessons provide either one-half hour per week (30 minutes) or one hour every two weeks (60 minutes total) of individual performance instruction.
Lessons in clarinet as part of a minor applied course of study. 2-credit lessons provide one hour per week (60 minutes) of individual performance instruction. 1-credit lessons provide either one-half hour per week (30 minutes) or one hour every two weeks (60 minutes total) of individual performance instruction.
Lessons in bassoon as part of a minor applied course of study. 2-credit lessons provide one hour per week (60 minutes) of individual performance instruction. 1-credit lessons provide either one-half hour per week (30 minutes) or one hour every two weeks (60 minutes total) of individual performance instruction.
Lessons in saxophone as part of a minor applied course of study. 2-credit lessons provide one hour per week (60 minutes) of individual performance instruction. 1-credit lessons provide either one-half hour per week (30 minutes) or one hour every two weeks (60 minutes total) of individual performance instruction. MUS 2041 Minor Applied Lessons in American Roots Music 2 credits
per semester) This course provides individualized instruction in the technical and stylistic foundations of American roots music, tailored to each student's discipline. Using a repertoire-based approach, students develop technical proficiency and stylistic fluency through the study of old-time, bluegrass, blues, spirituals, gospel, early country, and folk traditions. Through one-on-one lessons and guided listening, students strengthen ear-training skills, refine technique, and explore the cultural and historical contexts that shape the music. Individual instruction emphasizes expressive artistry, stylistic versatility, and collaborative musicianship. Demonstration of development of these skills occurs through a recital performance toward the end of the semester. Disciplines offered: fiddle, banjo, guitar, resophonic guitar, mandolin, upright bass, voice and others by approval. Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into, and good standing within, the Minor in American Roots Music. MUS 2076 Applied Lessons: Improvisation 1 credit The Applied Lessons: Improvisation provides a student in the Minor in Improvised Music and Jazz individualized private lessons focused on the preparation of music for the student's Recital: Improvised Music and Jazz. Students and instructor discuss song selection, explore advanced improvisation techniques that are applicable to the individual songs, and work on concepts applicable to the arrangement/composition's rhythmic feel and genre. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3837. MUS 2077 Applied Lessons: Jazz Arranging and Composition 1 credit Applied Lessons: Jazz Arranging and Composition provides individualized private study in the techniques and approaches to arranging and composing music within jazz and other modern musical genres. Students learn how to compose within the rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic motion frameworks, and how to apply harmonization techniques to melodies and chord progressions that have already been created. For a student who is in the Minor in Improvised Music and Jazz, this class also serves as the workshop to create the arrangements and compositions that will be presented by the student during their Recital: Improvised Music and Jazz. Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of MUS 3833: Music Improvisation Theory and Practice I. This course is available to all appropriately qualified students. MUS 2301 Professional Pathways for Musicians 1 credit This course introduces students to the wide range of professional opportunity available in today's music industry while also helping them to prepare for certain aspects of the business of music. Through a combination of instructor lectures, experiential learning activities, and guest presentations, students investigate a variety of professional paths within today's music world. Challenged to explore not only traditional Western classical paths, students also consider rich professional opportunities arising from the intersection of culturally diverse musical styles and genres with the more traditional paths. Combined, these experiences ready students for the varied professional landscape today and cultivate a broad set of skills that augment and complement the more traditional paths. In addition, students create a variety of professional documents, including items such as a resumé and a curriculum vitae, and they also gain experience in writing compelling and engaging cover letters. MUS 2311 Introduction to Music Pedagogy 1 credit Through the content and experiences provided in this introductory course, students begin to consider the organized teaching of either an instrument or voice. The course presents baseline information regarding culturally responsive pedagogy, and different learning theories, models, and methods to help educators understand and be responsive to unique needs of a diverse student population. It also introduces consideration of issues related to developmental and cognitive psychology. Further, it addresses how educators' own sociocultural backgrounds and positions may influence how they deliver content and evaluate students. From a practical perspective, students reflect on the nature of teaching and learning a skill-based pursuit, including how they themselves have been taught and are continuing to learn. Arising from these considerations, students are prompted to begin the process of formulating their own responsive teaching philosophies that include and transcend their own lived experiences. At this introductory level the intent is not for a student to develop a full and refined pedagogy specific to a particular instrument or voice. Nonetheless, each student considers and applies concepts, skills, and tools in a fashion relevant to their own area of music experience. MUS 2461 Acting for Singers I 2 credits Basic acting technique to familiarize the student with stage movement and character development. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1463. MUS 2462 Acting for Singers II 1 credit Basic acting technique to familiarize the student with stage movement and character development. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2461. MUS 2613 Foundations of Music: Theory III 2 credits Theory III completes the study of counterpoint and four-part diatonic writing. The focus then shifts to the topics of tonicization and modulation. Music for analysis emphasizes the modulation to closely related key areas and how these concepts apply to binary and ternary forms. Students demonstrate their understanding through improvisation and composition assignments based on the diverse models studied in class. MUS 2614 Foundations of Music: Theory IV 2 credits Theory IV builds on previous work with increasing focus on melodic and rhythmic dissonance. The study of chromatic harmony includes leading-tone 7th chords, mode mixture, and applied dominant chord function. Students explore elements of melodic and rhythmic figuration in instrumental textures drawn from diverse musical styles. Analytic work addresses issues of large-scale modulation and form. MUS 2615 Foundations of Music: Theory V 2 credits Theory V studies chromaticism associated with intermediate chord function and chromatic voice leading. These topics include 7th chords with added dissonance (“extensions”), Neapolitan, and Augmented 6th chords. Topics also include advanced uses of mode mixture and non-functional chromaticism. Formal analysis of large forms including fugue, rondo, sonata, and sonata-rondo. Students study these concepts through the analysis of large chamber and ensemble music drawn from diverse musical styles. MUS 2623 Foundations of Music: Aural Skills III 1 credit Through the aural skills curriculum, students develop a strong set of musicianship skills. Applicable to a diversity of musical styles and genres, these skills include recognition of elements of musical notation, transformation of written notation into musical sound, and identification and transcription of heard musical sounds. Aural Skills III builds upon the development of the previous courses. Pitch work consolidates development of intervals and triads from previous semesters, and expands to include all seventh chords; sight singing adds decorative chromaticism to continued work with diatonic melodies; harmonic (chord progression) dictation focusing on standard tonal gestures. Rhythm work explores asymmetric meters and asymmetric division of the beat (quintuplets and septuplets). Clef work continues to support further development of alto clef; introduction of tenor clef. Projects in score reading (sing and play), combined melody and chord progression dictation, and composition of short melodic phrases support overarching synthesis of concepts and skills. Students continue to explore appropriate ways to apply aural skills to their daily musical experiences. MUS 2624 Foundations of Music: Aural Skills IV 1 credit Aural Skills IV continues to build upon the development of the previous courses. Pitch work continues final consolidation of intervals, triads, and all seventh chords; sight singing adds structural chromaticism (modulation and applied function) to continued work with decorative chromaticism and diatonic melodies; harmonic (chord progression) dictation expands to encompass longer musical examples. Rhythm work explores changing meters with a consistent beat and changing meters with a changing beat. Clef work continues to support growing fluency of both alto and tenor clefs. Projects in score reading (sing and play), combined melody and chord progression dictation, and composition of short melodic phrases support overarching synthesis of concepts and skills. Students continue to explore ways to apply aural skills to their personal development as musicians. MUS 2625 Foundations of Music: Aural Skills V 1 credit Aural Skills V provides additional strengthening and refinement of the skills developed throughout the aural skills curriculum. Through a combination of exercises and projects involving activities such as sight singing, sing and play score reading, melody and harmonic (chord progression) dictation, rhythm performance, and short composition, students continue to consolidate and synthesize their aural skills development and to seek opportunities to apply the skills to a diversity of musical styles and genres in their daily experiences as musicians. MUS 2641 Foundations of Music: Keyboard Skills III for Pianists and Organists 1 credit Continued development on more advanced level of skills from Keyboard Skills II for Pianists and Organists. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1642. MUS 2642 Foundations of Music: Keyboard Skills IV for Pianists and Organists 1 credit Continued development on more advanced level of skills from Keyboard Skills II for Pianists and Organists. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2641. MUS 2711 History of Musical Styles I 3 credits The History of Musical Styles course sequence helps students gain knowledge and understanding of the styles, genres, and cultural contexts of Western art music; develop skills in musical and cultural analysis; and acquire aesthetic and historical appreciation for the music studied. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1614. MUS 2712 History of Musical Styles II 3 credits The History of Musical Styles course sequence helps students gain knowledge and understanding of the styles, genres, and cultural contexts of Western art music; develop skills in musical and cultural analysis; and acquire aesthetic and historical appreciation for the music studied. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1614. MUS 2861 Percussion Internship-Composition and Coaching in the Marching Arts 1 credit In this internship, the student will learn to write and arrange percussion scores for use with the indoor and outdoor drum lines in varying styles at both the university and high school levels. Through direct contact with area groups, the student will also gain experience working with and coaching drum lines. Activities will be coordinated by UNCSA Percussion Faculty with band directors at appropriate area universities and high schools and will involve a minimum of 45 hours of off-campus work. Evaluation of student progress will be through regular observation of student work and a final music arranging project to be performed and recorded by a drum line. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Percussion Faculty. MUS 2862 Percussion Internship-Fundamentals of Music Education and Outreach in Public Schools 1 credit In this internship, the student will learn to work with public school music teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, providing instrument demonstration, interactive class activities, individual and group instruction, percussion ensemble coaching, instrument repair and maintenance, and rehearsal assistance. Placement of the student with appropriate public school music teachers will be coordinated by UNCSA Percussion Faculty with local public school officials and will involve a minimum of 45 hours of off-campus work. Evaluation of student progress will be made through regular observation of student work and the development of two business plans, one for a private teaching studio and the other for community percussion instruction. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Percussion Faculty. MUS 2863 Percussion Internship-Fundamentals of Dance Accompanying 1 credit In this internship, the student will learn to work with dance instructors and staff accompanists to provide appropriate percussion music with which to accompany dance classes. Activities will be coordinated by UNCSA Percussion Faculty with the Music Director of the UNCSA School of Dance and will involve a minimum of 45 hours of work in appropriate UNCSA dance classes. Evaluation of student progress will be made through regular observation of student performance as a dance accompanist. Initially, this performance will be in collaboration with UNCSA Dance Staff, while the final project will pair the student with a UNCSA Dance Faculty to perform for a class as an unassisted accompanist. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Percussion Faculty. MUS 2864 Percussion Internship - Fundamentals of Interactive Community Drumming 1 credit In this internship, the student will learn to facilitate drumming activities with community members and institutions, using such activities as hand drumming and drum circles. Partnerships with local organizations such as hospitals, retirement facilities, boys and girls clubs, YMCA/YWCA, and local charities will introduce the student to the possibilities of building a business that integrates interactive and recreational drumming with other professional musical activities. Partnerships and other activities will be coordinated by UNCSA Percussion Faculty and will involve a minimum of 45 hours of work in appropriate community organizations. Evaluation of student progress will be made through regular observation of the student's activities and the development of a video portfolio of drumming activities that highlights work with different demographic groups. In addition, partnerships with area medical professionals will result in a written report on drumming as an aspect of health care, as well as the preparation of a mock grant application that would seek funding for further investigation of the connections between drumming activities and healthcare. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Percussion Faculty. MUS 3010 Lessons 2 to 3 credits One hour per week of individual performance instruction. Number of credits earned determined by the concentration teacher with approval of the Dean of the School of Music (or designee). MUS 3011 Master Class 1 credit Weekly performance class for the purpose of refining performance skills. Included are in-class performance and critique, as well as specialized studies related to the particular concentration of study. MUS 3020 Major Applied Study: Lessons & Studio Classes 3 to 4 credits The central component of music performance study, this course focuses on the development of artistic and technical skills progressing toward professional employability. The training for this development is a unified whole delivered through multiple types of engaged instruction. A weekly total of one-hour (60-minutes) of individual lesson time provided by the major teacher of the student is supported by weekly studio classes attended by all students in the studio. The studio class encompasses a wide range of supportive activities, including an opportunity to refine performance skills, to practice appropriate verbal critique, and to explore and develop specialized skills, topics, and content pertinent to the specific concentration of study. At times, multiple studios, especially from within the same department, might meet together, thereby fostering cross-learning opportunities. The major teacher serves as a mentor and advisor for the individual students in the studio. This ongoing mentoring provides guidance for artistic and professional development, as well as space in which to address issues that arise throughout the growth of each student-artist. Each section of this course is specific to an area of concentration as identified through the complete course title. MUS 3070 Composition Lessons 2 to 3 credits One hour per week of individual composition lessons. Number of credits earned determined by the concentration teacher with approval of the Dean of the School of Music (or designee). MUS 3071 Composition Seminar 1 credit This seminar will include presentations by guests, faculty and student composers on a variety of topics. MUS 3072 Major Applied Study: Composition Lessons & Seminars 3 to 4 credits The central component of music composition study, this course focuses on the development of artistic and technical skills progressing toward professional engagement. The training for this development is a unified whole delivered through multiple types of engaged instruction. A weekly total of one-hour (60-minutes) of individual lesson time provided by the major teacher of the student is supported by composition seminars attended by all students in the department. The seminar encompasses a wide range of supportive activities, including an opportunity to work with professional ensembles through readings and recording sessions and to attend talks by a range of leading composers, conductors and performers in the field. The major teacher serves as a mentor and advisor for the individual students in the studio. This ongoing mentoring provides guidance for artistic and professional development, as well as space in which to address issues that arise throughout the growth of each student-artist. MUS 3088 Independent Study 1 to 3 credits Independent study in the form of performance, composition, or research under the supervision of a member of the faculty. The number of credits and grading mode (standard letter grade or pass/fail) will vary according to the nature and scope of the project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and approval of the Associate Dean of the School of Music. MUS 3089 Pre-Professional Internship 1 to 3 credits A work experience occurring in some aspect or area of the music industry for which a student earns elective credit. The number of credits varies according to the nature and scope of the internship. Graded Pass/Fail. Prerequisite(s): Approval of the Associate Dean of the School of Music in consultation with appropriate faculty. MUS 3098 Special Topics in Music 1 to 3 credits The School of Music offers a variety of courses on topics of special interest. The school makes every attempt to respond to both faculty and student interest in the formulation and scheduling of such courses. The number of hours and credits will vary according to the nature and the scope of the topic. Prerequisite(s): permission of the instructor. MUS 3121 Seminar in Multiple Woodwinds 1 credit The seminar in multiple woodwinds addresses the needs, complications, and techniques required to become a viable performer on multiple woodwind instruments. The weekly meetings survey the performance strategies of a multiple woodwind artist and the practice and performance logistics needed to successfully navigate a multiple woodwind career. They engage the student in developing the ability to understand and interpret the range of styles encountered through the repertoire, as well as prompting the student to consider and reflect upon not only the various national schools of playing but also pertinent social and cultural styles. In addition, the seminar provides both a history of the instruments and information about current manufacturers. Finally, drawing upon the repertoire of the instruments chosen by the student as part of the minor, the student prepares and performs standard excerpts. Prerequisite(s): At least 3 credits of MUS 202X: Minor Applied Study in the first of the chosen minor instruments; at least 2 credits of MUS 202X: Minor Applied Study in the second chosen minor instrument; at least 1 completed credit of ensemble in the first chosen minor instrument; at least 1 completed or in-process credit of ensemble in the second chosen minor instrument. MUS 3310 Woodwind Repertoire & Pedagogy: Orchestral Winds 1 credit Study of the major symphonic repertoire, including development of skills and techniques needed in successful orchestral playing. Teaching tools and techniques are discussed and practiced. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher. MUS 3320 Woodwind Repertoire & Pedagogy 1 credit A survey of important solo and chamber works for saxophone, as well as literature about and resources for the saxophone. Teaching tools and techniques are discussed and practiced. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher. MUS 3330 Brass Symphonic Repertoire 1 credit Study of major symphonic repertoire, including the development of skills and techniques needed for successful orchestral playing. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher. MUS 3340 Symphonic Repertoire: Violin 1 credit Applied study of orchestral works, both excerpted and entire, which commonly appear as required symphony audition repertoire. Weekly in-class performances are critiqued on style, tempi and technical problems. The final exam is a mock audition behind a screen as in the professional world. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher. MUS 3350 Symphonic Repertoire: Viola 1 credit Applied study of orchestral works, both excerpted and entire, which commonly appear as required symphony audition repertoire. Weekly in-class performances are critiqued on style, tempi and technical problems. The final exam is a mock audition behind a screen as in the professional world. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher. MUS 3360 Symphonic Repertoire: Violoncello 1 credit Applied study of orchestral works, both excerpted and entire, which commonly appear as required symphony audition repertoire. Weekly in-class performances are critiqued on style, tempi and technical problems. The final exam is a mock audition behind a screen as in the professional world. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher. MUS 3370 Symphonic Repertoire: Double Bass 1 credit Applied study of orchestral works, both excerpted and entire, which commonly appear as required symphony audition repertoire. Weekly in-class performances are critiqued on style, tempi and technical problems. The final exam is a mock audition behind a screen as in the professional world. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher. MUS 3381 Harp Literature 2 credits Surveys the literature for the harp (solo and with other instruments, including orchestra) from Renaissance through Contemporary periods. MUS 3382 Harp Pedagogy 2 credits Study of effective teaching techniques for teaching basic harp studies to students. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3381. MUS 3441 Organ History and Literature I 2 credits Principles of organ design and construction and the history of the development of the organ. A survey of organ literature from the Robertsbridge Codex (1325) to present compositions will be covered in two semesters. Each semester will include research and performance projects focusing on the performance practices of each period. MUS 3442 Organ History and Literature II 2 credits Principles of organ design and construction and the history of the development of the organ. A survey of organ literature from the Robertsbridge Codex (1325) to present compositions will be covered in two semesters. Each semester will include research and performance projects focusing on the performance practices of each period. MUS 3443 Sacred Music Skills I 2 credits Emphasis on skills necessary to become a successful church musician. Improvisation will be an integral part of the course each semester. Units in hymnology, liturgy and worship styles, creative hymn-playing, accompanying, sight-reading, transposition, conducting from the console, rehearsal techniques and church music administration. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1641, MUS 2614, and MUS 2624, or permission of instructor. MUS 3444 Sacred Music Skills II 2 credits Emphasis on skills necessary to become a successful church musician. Improvisation will be an integral part of the course each semester. Units in hymnology, liturgy and worship styles, creative hymn-playing, accompanying, sight-reading, transposition, conducting from the console, rehearsal techniques and church music administration. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3443. MUS 3445 Organ Pedagogy 1 credit Students will review, examine, and evaluate pedagogical materials and methods sources, and explore teaching techniques to develop a working knowledge of the instructional literature. Supervised applied teaching will be a significant part of the course. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2612, MUS 2622, and MUS 2642, or permission of instructor. MUS 3460 Opera Workshop 1 credit Preparation and public performance of fully staged opera productions in cooperation with the School of Design and Production. Workshop productions of opera scenes from several operas, with students learning a variety of roles. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher. MUS 3462 Vocal Diction 2 credits Using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), study of the rules of "lyric diction" for singing in Italian, rules of diction for singing in German, and rules of Classical "style soutenue" diction for singing in French; for all three languages, application of rules and sound production through singing of repertoire. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1461. MUS 3463 Vocal Literature I 2 credits Surveys the vocal literature from the major stylistic periods with emphasis on style, interpretation, poetic content, performance and program building. MUS 3464 Vocal Literature II 2 credits Surveys the vocal literature from the major stylistic periods with emphasis on style, interpretation, poetic content, performance and program building. MUS 3471 Music Technology: Synthesis and Multimedia 2 credits An introduction to the techniques, equipment and software used in creating music for the concert stage and multimedia. Topics include acoustics, MIDI sequencing, synthesis techniques, sound design and working with multimedia. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. MUS 3472 Music Technology: Digital Audio and Recording 2 credits An introduction to the techniques, equipment and software used in recording and creating music with digital audio. Topics include acoustics, recording with digital audio, microphones, editing, multi-track mixing, signal processing and mastering. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. MUS 3473 Film Composition 2 credits Students are introduced to the creative and technical aspects of composing music for film. Topics include sequencing, synchronization, recording, sound design and sound editing. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. MUS 3481 Guitar History and Literature I 1 credit MUS 3481 is the first half of a year-long sequence that surveys the important solo and ensemble literature for the guitar from the Renaissance through Contemporary periods. Includes consideration of the social history and physical development of the guitar, as well as attention to transcription of early tablatures. MUS 3482 Guitar History and Literature II 1 credit MUS 3482 is the second half of a year-long sequence that surveys the important solo and ensemble literature for the guitar from the Renaissance through Contemporary periods. Includes consideration of the social history and physical development of the guitar, as well as attention to transcription of early tablatures. MUS 3483 Guitar Pedagogy I 2 credits Study of the psychological and physical aspects of teaching the guitar. Survey of important guitar methods and materials. Application to classroom and studio teaching. MUS 3484 Guitar Pedagogy II 2 credits Study of the psychological and physical aspects of teaching the guitar. Survey of important guitar methods and materials. Application to classroom and studio teaching. MUS 3541 Piano Literature I 2 credits Surveys the literature for the piano from the Baroque (keyboard works suitable for performance on the modern piano) through Contemporary periods. MUS 3542 Piano Literature II 2 credits Surveys the literature for the piano from the Baroque (keyboard works suitable for performance on the modern piano) through Contemporary periods. MUS 3543 Piano Literature III 2 credits Survey of major works involving piano either in collaboration with voice or in diverse instrumental ensembles. MUS 3544 Piano Pedagogy 2 credits This course is a seminar style exploration of methods of teaching early piano studies and the available music and exercise books and methods for the student to use. MUS 3611 Symphonies of Johannes Brahms 2 credits The four symphonies of Johannes Brahms form an essential component of late 19th century orchestral repertory. As symphonic masterpieces, they stand in fundamental opposition to Richard Wagner's and Franz Liszt's "Music of the Future." Although considered by many as a reactionary, Brahms was as aware of contemporary musical innovations as he was of earlier music. The symphonies represent the composer's mature work that blends elements from the musical past with contemporary innovation. Our study of this music focuses on Brahm's reinvigoration of classical theme types and formal architectonics. We will also explore Brahm's progressive use of motive and rhythm, as well as his subtle use of musical reference. In addition to gaining factual knowledge about Brahms and his music, the student will learn to identify music from each of the symphonies, recognize abstract phrase categories and important formal structures, engage in discussion about these concepts and learn to express their ideas in written work. In addition, this course will deepen the student's curiosity about Brahm's relation to several of his musical contemporaries. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor. MUS 3612 The Etude as Genre 2 credits An etude is generally considered to be a musical composition that develops a specific point of technique. This course explores the historical origins of this genre, its creative maturity during the mid-19th century, and subsequent treatments by late 19th and 20th century composers. Our study will focus on the caprices of Niccolo Paganini and the etudes of Frederic Chopin. Both composers surmount the compositional and aesthetic challenges posed by a genre that served initially a pedagogic function only. Students work individually with the instructor in formulating a paper topic, constructing an outline, writing a draft, and editing a research paper. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor. MUS 3613 The Lied Tradition 2 credits The Lied Tradition explores the song settings of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Mahler and Strauss. Representative works by each composer are analyzed in great detail, illuminating the varied approach to setting a poetic text in the 19th century. In this course, students will sharpen their analytic skills and study major figures in German literature beginning with Goethe and progressing through Romantic poetry and its aftermath. Students will have the opportunity to sing and accompany in class, criticize and learn from recorded performances, and apply their understanding by providing online written assignments that test reading comprehension and completing detailed analyses of four works discussed in class. A take home final exam will consist of two short essays and a score analysis. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor. MUS 3614 Survey and Analysis of Twentieth-Century Music 2 credits Survey and Analysis of Twentieth-Century Music introduces students to a varied selection of influential composers whose major works were composed in the twentieth century. The repertory studied in this class range from 1886 to 1980. In addition to learning basic biographical information about each composer, students will encounter differing approaches to musical composition characteristic of the modern era. Some of the musical approaches explored in this class include transitional, free atonal, serial, poly- or neo-tonal and post-structural techniques. Students learn to identify each of these approaches in specific compositions and recognize them in other twentieth-century works. Students will also acquire a theoretic terminology to speak and write intelligently about twentieth-century music. Most importantly, students will listen actively to a rich and varied musical repertoire. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor. MUS 3615 Music Since 1945: Challenges to Serialism 2 credits With the publication of the article "Schoenberg is Dead," Pierre Boulez articulates both a critique of Arnold Schoenberg's 12-tone serialism and offers a new vision for the future. Music Since 1945: Challenges to Serialism explores several post-war musical trends that either extend or reject aesthetic principles posited by the Second Viennese School. Students in the class study works by major composers from the second half of the 20th century, learn to identify stylistic features, and practice writing critically about modern music from 1945 to the present. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor. MUS 3616 Fugues of J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier 2 credits Fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier offers performers and composers an opportunity to study one of Bach's monumental achievements. Analysis of Bach's fugal writing reveals his contrapuntal, motivic, and formal ingenuity that served as a model for subsequent composers. By the end of the course, students will have the ability to identify the exterior features of Bach's fugues, recognize instances of invertible counterpoint, and execute a harmonic analysis in a densely contrapuntal texture. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 and permission of instructor. MUS 3617 Introduction to Schenkerian Analysis 2 credits The analytic method of Heinrich Schenker holds special relevance for performers. More than just a cognitive way of understanding music, Schenkerian analysis offers a hierarchical approach to musical listening and performance. Experiencing music as a synthesis of foreground, middleground, and background structures, performers experience a deeper level of musical expression not readily apparent even after many hearings. These insights can shape musical performance in original and compelling ways. By the end of the course, students will be able to relate complex musical surfaces to a simpler harmonic and contrapuntal framework. In addition to completing exercises in rhythmic and voice leading reductions of short musical passages, the student will learn how both small and large musical forms may be conceived as a single linear impulse. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor. MUS 3619 Debussy, Stravinsky, and the Rise of Musical Modernism 2 credits The lives of Claude Debussy (1868 - 1918) and Igor Stavinsky (1882 - 1971) overlap at a significant point in the early compositional development of the younger composer. In the ten-year period between 1908 and 1918, Stravinsky formulated a visceral harmonic and rhythmic language characteristic of his music. This course explores several works by Debussy that Stravinsky used as compositional models in his early music and the pre-war ballets of the Russian Period (Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring). Working with basic scalar constructs, each composer found his own solution to the aesthetic issues posed by late romantic music. Moreover, certain compositional features of Stravinsky's youth persist in his neoclassic and atonal music, thereby unifying this composer's distinct compositional voice. By the end of the course, the student will be able to articulate key historical and stylistic differences between late romanticism and early modernism, gain experience analyzing music in a post-tonal idiom, identify and recognize important musical works by Debussy and Stravinsky, and achieve greater fluency in reading orchestral scores. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor. MUS 3698 Special Topics in Music: Theory Analysis 2 credits Focused topics involving various aspects of theoretical analysis. Complements and extends theory work accomplished through the Foundations of Music sequence. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor. MUS 3711 Performance Practices in Early Music 2 credits This course introduces students to technical and aesthetic issues involved in the performance of early music. Although the course primarily focuses on music before c. 1750, performance practices up through the early 19th century will also be explored. Students will develop an intellectual and experiential framework for making historically informed decisions in musical performance. Through reading, class discussion and listening, hands-on music making, and a term-end performance project, students will gain knowledge of such topics as expression, gesture, and phrasing; articulation, bowings, tonguings, and fingerings; melodic ornamentation and embellishment; vocal production; developments in instrument making; tuning and temperament; notational formats; continuo practices; and improvisation. Assessment will be based on class participation, a bibliography project, and a term-end lecture-performance. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 or permission of instructor MUS 3712 Beethoven's Symphonies 2 credits This course will focus on the symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, addressing primarily questions of musical style and structure but also including biographical and cultural contexts and reception history. Students will develop analytical skill and gain understanding of the development of Beethoven's compositional style through listening, score study, and analysis. Assessment will be based on class participation, including small presentations on biographical topics, as well as listening and written tests. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor. MUS 3713 Chamber Music of the Classical and Romantic Eras 2 credits This course addresses the development of instrumental chamber music between 1750 and 1900, with a primary emphasis on string chamber music in the Austro-German tradition (including music with piano, clarinet, or other instruments). Enrollment permitting, the primary mode of instruction will be live performance and group analysis. Students will develop the ability to explicate orally the style and structure of chamber music and will gain understanding of individual composers' styles and the historical development of chamber genres. In addition to the primary emphasis on style analysis, we will also address the social contexts of chamber music. Assessment is based on class participation as well as listening and written examinations. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor. MUS 3714 Mozart's Operas 2 credits This course surveys Mozart's operas, focusing especially on his three collaborations with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte: Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte. Of particular interest is the composer's use of musical style to effect characterization. Through viewing, listening, score study, reading, and class discussion, students will gain familiarity with conventions of 18th-century opera as well as with the particular works studied in the course. Assessment will be based on class participation, tests, and a term paper/presentation. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 or permission of instructor. MUS 3715 Twentieth-Century Opera 2 credits This course explores selected masterpieces of opera from multiple perspectives, including cultural background, libretto, compositional process, analysis of style, tonal language, and structure, staging history, and critical reception. Diverse modern critical perspectives will be incorporated, including feminist readings. Assessment will be based on class participation, tests, and a term paper/presentation. MUS 3716 Minimalism & Post-Minimalism 2 credits This course explores the origins, development and the aesthetic philosophy of musical minimalism, focusing on the contribution of the four main minimalists of the late 20th century, LaMonte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass, as well as on the assimilation of minimalist techniques by younger composers including John Adams and Arvo Part. Students will deepen their understanding of minimalist music through readings, class discussion, immersion in minimalist experiences, and through collaboratively presenting a minimalist performance event or experience for the broader campus community. Assessment based on class participation, individual presentations, tests, and a term project. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor. MUS 3717 Music in the Visual Arts 2 credits This course examines the cultural meaning of music as reflected in the visual arts and especially painting of selected periods in Western European art history, including the Italian Renaissance, Dutch Baroque, and English Pre-Raphaelite movements. Students will view paintings involving musical subjects from a variety of different perspectives, as social documents, as record of musical performance practices and instrument construction, as aesthetic objects, including as corollaries to music and literature, whose themes they often share. Through readings and class discussion, students will develop a conceptual framework for approaching works of visual art as well as gain familiarity with the methods and research resources of musical iconography. Assessment based on class participation, tests, and a term paper/presentation. This course is open to non-Music UNCSA students. Prerequisite(s): HUM 2101 and HUM 21XX (Paths to the Present course) or permission of instructor. MUS 3718 World Music 2 credits This course introduces students to the music of selected world cultures from a variety of geographical regions as well as to the methodologies involved in the study of music of other cultures. Students will gain familiarity with the musical practices of selected cultures through in-class video, guest artists, listening, and reading. Students will develop skills in ethnomusicological analysis by attending and reviewing world music events and by critiquing their own musical culture through an ethno-musicological lens. Assessment based on class participation, tests, and a term paper/presentation. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor. MUS 3719 Music in the United States of America 2 credits This survey traces the development of music in the United States from colonial days to the present. Students will develop familiarity with the works and styles of important American composers and gain understanding of the cultural forces that shaped and continue to shape music in this country. Assessment will be based on tests and a term paper/presentation. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor. MUS 3741 Roots of American Music - Listening Survey 1 credit
offered spring semester only Advanced Improvisation Forum. Note: A one-hour lessons, every other week, offset by the student’s Applied Lesson: Jazz Arranging and Composition. The focus will be on preparation of material for the recital.
offered spring semester only of instructor. This course is available to all appropriately qualified students, including those not pursuing the Minor in IMJ. Note: For a student in the Minor in IMJ, a one-hour lesson, every other week; the focus will be on preparation of material for the recital. For a student not in the Minor in IMJ, a half-hour lesson each week.
This course introduces students to the wide range of professional opportunity available in today's music industry while also helping them to prepare for certain aspects of the business of music. Through a combination of instructor lectures, experiential learning activities, and guest presentations, students investigate a variety of professional paths within today's music world. Challenged to explore not only traditional Western classical paths, students also consider rich professional opportunities arising from the intersection of culturally diverse musical styles and genres with the more traditional paths. Combined, these experiences ready students for the varied professional landscape today and cultivate a broad set of skills that augment and complement the more traditional paths. In addition, students create a variety of professional documents, including items such as a resumé and a curriculum vitae, and they also gain experience in writing compelling and engaging cover letters.
Through the content and experiences provided in this introductory course, students begin to consider the organized teaching of either an instrument or voice. The course presents baseline information regarding culturally responsive pedagogy, and different learning theories, models, and methods to help educators understand and be responsive to unique needs of a diverse student population. It also introduces consideration of issues related to developmental and cognitive psychology. Further, it addresses how educators' own sociocultural backgrounds and positions may influence how they deliver content and evaluate students. From a practical perspective, students reflect on the nature of teaching and learning a skill-based pursuit, including how they themselves have been taught and are continuing to learn. Arising from these considerations, students are prompted to begin the process of formulating their own responsive teaching philosophies that include and transcend their own lived experiences. At this introductory level the intent is not for a student to develop a full and refined pedagogy specific to a particular instrument or voice. Nonetheless, each student considers and applies concepts, skills, and tools in a fashion relevant to their own area of music experience.
Basic acting technique to familiarize the student with stage movement and character development. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1463.
Basic acting technique to familiarize the student with stage movement and character development. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2461.
Theory III completes the study of counterpoint and four-part diatonic writing. The focus then shifts to the topics of tonicization and modulation. Music for analysis emphasizes the modulation to closely related key areas and how these concepts apply to binary and ternary forms. Students demonstrate their understanding through improvisation and composition assignments based on the diverse models studied in class.
Theory IV builds on previous work with increasing focus on melodic and rhythmic dissonance. The study of chromatic harmony includes leading-tone 7th chords, mode mixture, and applied dominant chord function. Students explore elements of melodic and rhythmic figuration in instrumental textures drawn from diverse musical styles. Analytic work addresses issues of large-scale modulation and form.
Theory V studies chromaticism associated with intermediate chord function and chromatic voice leading. These topics include 7th chords with added dissonance (“extensions”), Neapolitan, and Augmented 6th chords. Topics also include advanced uses of mode mixture and non-functional chromaticism. Formal analysis of large forms including fugue, rondo, sonata, and sonata-rondo. Students study these concepts through the analysis of large chamber and ensemble music drawn from diverse musical styles.
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In this internship, the student will learn to write and arrange percussion scores for use with the indoor and outdoor drum lines in varying styles at both the university and high school levels. Through direct contact with area groups, the student will also gain experience working with and coaching drum lines. Activities will be coordinated by UNCSA Percussion Faculty with band directors at appropriate area universities and high schools and will involve a minimum of 45 hours of off-campus work. Evaluation of student progress will be through regular observation of student work and a final music arranging project to be performed and recorded by a drum line. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Percussion Faculty.
In this internship, the student will learn to work with public school music teachers at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, providing instrument demonstration, interactive class activities, individual and group instruction, percussion ensemble coaching, instrument repair and maintenance, and rehearsal assistance. Placement of the student with appropriate public school music teachers will be coordinated by UNCSA Percussion Faculty with local public school officials and will involve a minimum of 45 hours of off-campus work. Evaluation of student progress will be made through regular observation of student work and the development of two business plans, one for a private teaching studio and the other for community percussion instruction. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Percussion Faculty.
In this internship, the student will learn to work with dance instructors and staff accompanists to provide appropriate percussion music with which to accompany dance classes. Activities will be coordinated by UNCSA Percussion Faculty with the Music Director of the UNCSA School of Dance and will involve a minimum of 45 hours of work in appropriate UNCSA dance classes. Evaluation of student progress will be made through regular observation of student performance as a dance accompanist. Initially, this performance will be in collaboration with UNCSA Dance Staff, while the final project will pair the student with a UNCSA Dance Faculty to perform for a class as an unassisted accompanist. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Percussion Faculty.
In this internship, the student will learn to facilitate drumming activities with community members and institutions, using such activities as hand drumming and drum circles. Partnerships with local organizations such as hospitals, retirement facilities, boys and girls clubs, YMCA/YWCA, and local charities will introduce the student to the possibilities of building a business that integrates interactive and recreational drumming with other professional musical activities. Partnerships and other activities will be coordinated by UNCSA Percussion Faculty and will involve a minimum of 45 hours of work in appropriate community organizations. Evaluation of student progress will be made through regular observation of the student's activities and the development of a video portfolio of drumming activities that highlights work with different demographic groups. In addition, partnerships with area medical professionals will result in a written report on drumming as an aspect of health care, as well as the preparation of a mock grant application that would seek funding for further investigation of the connections between drumming activities and healthcare. Prerequisite(s): Permission of the Percussion Faculty.
One hour per week of individual performance instruction. Number of credits earned determined by the concentration teacher with approval of the Dean of the School of Music (or designee).
Weekly performance class for the purpose of refining performance skills. Included are in-class performance and critique, as well as specialized studies related to the particular concentration of study.
The central component of music performance study, this course focuses on the development of artistic and technical skills progressing toward professional employability. The training for this development is a unified whole delivered through multiple types of engaged instruction. A weekly total of one-hour (60-minutes) of individual lesson time provided by the major teacher of the student is supported by weekly studio classes attended by all students in the studio. The studio class encompasses a wide range of supportive activities, including an opportunity to refine performance skills, to practice appropriate verbal critique, and to explore and develop specialized skills, topics, and content pertinent to the specific concentration of study. At times, multiple studios, especially from within the same department, might meet together, thereby fostering cross-learning opportunities. The major teacher serves as a mentor and advisor for the individual students in the studio. This ongoing mentoring provides guidance for artistic and professional development, as well as space in which to address issues that arise throughout the growth of each student-artist. Each section of this course is specific to an area of concentration as identified through the complete course title.
One hour per week of individual composition lessons. Number of credits earned determined by the concentration teacher with approval of the Dean of the School of Music (or designee).
This seminar will include presentations by guests, faculty and student composers on a variety of topics.
The central component of music composition study, this course focuses on the development of artistic and technical skills progressing toward professional engagement. The training for this development is a unified whole delivered through multiple types of engaged instruction. A weekly total of one-hour (60-minutes) of individual lesson time provided by the major teacher of the student is supported by composition seminars attended by all students in the department. The seminar encompasses a wide range of supportive activities, including an opportunity to work with professional ensembles through readings and recording sessions and to attend talks by a range of leading composers, conductors and performers in the field. The major teacher serves as a mentor and advisor for the individual students in the studio. This ongoing mentoring provides guidance for artistic and professional development, as well as space in which to address issues that arise throughout the growth of each student-artist.
Independent study in the form of performance, composition, or research under the supervision of a member of the faculty. The number of credits and grading mode (standard letter grade or pass/fail) will vary according to the nature and scope of the project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and approval of the Associate Dean of the School of Music.
A work experience occurring in some aspect or area of the music industry for which a student earns elective credit. The number of credits varies according to the nature and scope of the internship. Graded Pass/Fail. Prerequisite(s): Approval of the Associate Dean of the School of Music in consultation with appropriate faculty.
The School of Music offers a variety of courses on topics of special interest. The school makes every attempt to respond to both faculty and student interest in the formulation and scheduling of such courses. The number of hours and credits will vary according to the nature and the scope of the topic. Prerequisite(s): permission of the instructor.
The seminar in multiple woodwinds addresses the needs, complications, and techniques required to become a viable performer on multiple woodwind instruments. The weekly meetings survey the performance strategies of a multiple woodwind artist and the practice and performance logistics needed to successfully navigate a multiple woodwind career. They engage the student in developing the ability to understand and interpret the range of styles encountered through the repertoire, as well as prompting the student to consider and reflect upon not only the various national schools of playing but also pertinent social and cultural styles. In addition, the seminar provides both a history of the instruments and information about current manufacturers. Finally, drawing upon the repertoire of the instruments chosen by the student as part of the minor, the student prepares and performs standard excerpts. Prerequisite(s): At least 3 credits of MUS 202X: Minor Applied Study in the first of the chosen minor instruments; at least 2 credits of MUS 202X: Minor Applied Study in the second chosen minor instrument; at least 1 completed credit of ensemble in the first chosen minor instrument; at least 1 completed or in-process credit of ensemble in the second chosen minor instrument.
Study of the major symphonic repertoire, including development of skills and techniques needed in successful orchestral playing. Teaching tools and techniques are discussed and practiced. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher.
A survey of important solo and chamber works for saxophone, as well as literature about and resources for the saxophone. Teaching tools and techniques are discussed and practiced. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher.
Study of major symphonic repertoire, including the development of skills and techniques needed for successful orchestral playing. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher.
Applied study of orchestral works, both excerpted and entire, which commonly appear as required symphony audition repertoire. Weekly in-class performances are critiqued on style, tempi and technical problems. The final exam is a mock audition behind a screen as in the professional world. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher.
Applied study of orchestral works, both excerpted and entire, which commonly appear as required symphony audition repertoire. Weekly in-class performances are critiqued on style, tempi and technical problems. The final exam is a mock audition behind a screen as in the professional world. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher.
Applied study of orchestral works, both excerpted and entire, which commonly appear as required symphony audition repertoire. Weekly in-class performances are critiqued on style, tempi and technical problems. The final exam is a mock audition behind a screen as in the professional world. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher.
Applied study of orchestral works, both excerpted and entire, which commonly appear as required symphony audition repertoire. Weekly in-class performances are critiqued on style, tempi and technical problems. The final exam is a mock audition behind a screen as in the professional world. (May be repeated for elective credit up to two times beyond the minimum curriculum requirement.) Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher.
Surveys the literature for the harp (solo and with other instruments, including orchestra) from Renaissance through Contemporary periods.
Study of effective teaching techniques for teaching basic harp studies to students. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3381.
Principles of organ design and construction and the history of the development of the organ. A survey of organ literature from the Robertsbridge Codex (1325) to present compositions will be covered in two semesters. Each semester will include research and performance projects focusing on the performance practices of each period.
Principles of organ design and construction and the history of the development of the organ. A survey of organ literature from the Robertsbridge Codex (1325) to present compositions will be covered in two semesters. Each semester will include research and performance projects focusing on the performance practices of each period.
Emphasis on skills necessary to become a successful church musician. Improvisation will be an integral part of the course each semester. Units in hymnology, liturgy and worship styles, creative hymn-playing, accompanying, sight-reading, transposition, conducting from the console, rehearsal techniques and church music administration. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1641, MUS 2614, and MUS 2624, or permission of instructor.
Emphasis on skills necessary to become a successful church musician. Improvisation will be an integral part of the course each semester. Units in hymnology, liturgy and worship styles, creative hymn-playing, accompanying, sight-reading, transposition, conducting from the console, rehearsal techniques and church music administration. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3443.
Students will review, examine, and evaluate pedagogical materials and methods sources, and explore teaching techniques to develop a working knowledge of the instructional literature. Supervised applied teaching will be a significant part of the course. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2612, MUS 2622, and MUS 2642, or permission of instructor.
Preparation and public performance of fully staged opera productions in cooperation with the School of Design and Production. Workshop productions of opera scenes from several operas, with students learning a variety of roles. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and studio teacher.
Using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), study of the rules of "lyric diction" for singing in Italian, rules of diction for singing in German, and rules of Classical "style soutenue" diction for singing in French; for all three languages, application of rules and sound production through singing of repertoire. Prerequisite(s): MUS 1461.
Surveys the vocal literature from the major stylistic periods with emphasis on style, interpretation, poetic content, performance and program building.
Surveys the vocal literature from the major stylistic periods with emphasis on style, interpretation, poetic content, performance and program building.
An introduction to the techniques, equipment and software used in creating music for the concert stage and multimedia. Topics include acoustics, MIDI sequencing, synthesis techniques, sound design and working with multimedia. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
An introduction to the techniques, equipment and software used in recording and creating music with digital audio. Topics include acoustics, recording with digital audio, microphones, editing, multi-track mixing, signal processing and mastering. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
Students are introduced to the creative and technical aspects of composing music for film. Topics include sequencing, synchronization, recording, sound design and sound editing. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. MUS 3481 Guitar History and Literature I 1 credit MUS 3481 is the first half of a year-long sequence that surveys the important solo and ensemble literature for the guitar from the Renaissance through Contemporary periods. Includes consideration of the social history and physical development of the guitar, as well as attention to transcription of early tablatures. MUS 3482 Guitar History and Literature II 1 credit MUS 3482 is the second half of a year-long sequence that surveys the important solo and ensemble literature for the guitar from the Renaissance through Contemporary periods. Includes consideration of the social history and physical development of the guitar, as well as attention to transcription of early tablatures.
Study of the psychological and physical aspects of teaching the guitar. Survey of important guitar methods and materials. Application to classroom and studio teaching.
Study of the psychological and physical aspects of teaching the guitar. Survey of important guitar methods and materials. Application to classroom and studio teaching.
Surveys the literature for the piano from the Baroque (keyboard works suitable for performance on the modern piano) through Contemporary periods.
Surveys the literature for the piano from the Baroque (keyboard works suitable for performance on the modern piano) through Contemporary periods.
Survey of major works involving piano either in collaboration with voice or in diverse instrumental ensembles.
This course is a seminar style exploration of methods of teaching early piano studies and the available music and exercise books and methods for the student to use.
The four symphonies of Johannes Brahms form an essential component of late 19th century orchestral repertory. As symphonic masterpieces, they stand in fundamental opposition to Richard Wagner's and Franz Liszt's "Music of the Future." Although considered by many as a reactionary, Brahms was as aware of contemporary musical innovations as he was of earlier music. The symphonies represent the composer's mature work that blends elements from the musical past with contemporary innovation. Our study of this music focuses on Brahm's reinvigoration of classical theme types and formal architectonics. We will also explore Brahm's progressive use of motive and rhythm, as well as his subtle use of musical reference. In addition to gaining factual knowledge about Brahms and his music, the student will learn to identify music from each of the symphonies, recognize abstract phrase categories and important formal structures, engage in discussion about these concepts and learn to express their ideas in written work. In addition, this course will deepen the student's curiosity about Brahm's relation to several of his musical contemporaries. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor.
An etude is generally considered to be a musical composition that develops a specific point of technique. This course explores the historical origins of this genre, its creative maturity during the mid-19th century, and subsequent treatments by late 19th and 20th century composers. Our study will focus on the caprices of Niccolo Paganini and the etudes of Frederic Chopin. Both composers surmount the compositional and aesthetic challenges posed by a genre that served initially a pedagogic function only. Students work individually with the instructor in formulating a paper topic, constructing an outline, writing a draft, and editing a research paper. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor.
The Lied Tradition explores the song settings of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Mahler and Strauss. Representative works by each composer are analyzed in great detail, illuminating the varied approach to setting a poetic text in the 19th century. In this course, students will sharpen their analytic skills and study major figures in German literature beginning with Goethe and progressing through Romantic poetry and its aftermath. Students will have the opportunity to sing and accompany in class, criticize and learn from recorded performances, and apply their understanding by providing online written assignments that test reading comprehension and completing detailed analyses of four works discussed in class. A take home final exam will consist of two short essays and a score analysis. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor.
Survey and Analysis of Twentieth-Century Music introduces students to a varied selection of influential composers whose major works were composed in the twentieth century. The repertory studied in this class range from 1886 to 1980. In addition to learning basic biographical information about each composer, students will encounter differing approaches to musical composition characteristic of the modern era. Some of the musical approaches explored in this class include transitional, free atonal, serial, poly- or neo-tonal and post-structural techniques. Students learn to identify each of these approaches in specific compositions and recognize them in other twentieth-century works. Students will also acquire a theoretic terminology to speak and write intelligently about twentieth-century music. Most importantly, students will listen actively to a rich and varied musical repertoire. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor.
With the publication of the article "Schoenberg is Dead," Pierre Boulez articulates both a critique of Arnold Schoenberg's 12-tone serialism and offers a new vision for the future. Music Since 1945: Challenges to Serialism explores several post-war musical trends that either extend or reject aesthetic principles posited by the Second Viennese School. Students in the class study works by major composers from the second half of the 20th century, learn to identify stylistic features, and practice writing critically about modern music from 1945 to the present. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor.
Fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier offers performers and composers an opportunity to study one of Bach's monumental achievements. Analysis of Bach's fugal writing reveals his contrapuntal, motivic, and formal ingenuity that served as a model for subsequent composers. By the end of the course, students will have the ability to identify the exterior features of Bach's fugues, recognize instances of invertible counterpoint, and execute a harmonic analysis in a densely contrapuntal texture. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 and permission of instructor.
The analytic method of Heinrich Schenker holds special relevance for performers. More than just a cognitive way of understanding music, Schenkerian analysis offers a hierarchical approach to musical listening and performance. Experiencing music as a synthesis of foreground, middleground, and background structures, performers experience a deeper level of musical expression not readily apparent even after many hearings. These insights can shape musical performance in original and compelling ways. By the end of the course, students will be able to relate complex musical surfaces to a simpler harmonic and contrapuntal framework. In addition to completing exercises in rhythmic and voice leading reductions of short musical passages, the student will learn how both small and large musical forms may be conceived as a single linear impulse. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor.
The lives of Claude Debussy (1868 - 1918) and Igor Stavinsky (1882 - 1971) overlap at a significant point in the early compositional development of the younger composer. In the ten-year period between 1908 and 1918, Stravinsky formulated a visceral harmonic and rhythmic language characteristic of his music. This course explores several works by Debussy that Stravinsky used as compositional models in his early music and the pre-war ballets of the Russian Period (Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring). Working with basic scalar constructs, each composer found his own solution to the aesthetic issues posed by late romantic music. Moreover, certain compositional features of Stravinsky's youth persist in his neoclassic and atonal music, thereby unifying this composer's distinct compositional voice. By the end of the course, the student will be able to articulate key historical and stylistic differences between late romanticism and early modernism, gain experience analyzing music in a post-tonal idiom, identify and recognize important musical works by Debussy and Stravinsky, and achieve greater fluency in reading orchestral scores. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor.
Focused topics involving various aspects of theoretical analysis. Complements and extends theory work accomplished through the Foundations of Music sequence. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2615 or permission of instructor.
This course introduces students to technical and aesthetic issues involved in the performance of early music. Although the course primarily focuses on music before c. 1750, performance practices up through the early 19th century will also be explored. Students will develop an intellectual and experiential framework for making historically informed decisions in musical performance. Through reading, class discussion and listening, hands-on music making, and a term-end performance project, students will gain knowledge of such topics as expression, gesture, and phrasing; articulation, bowings, tonguings, and fingerings; melodic ornamentation and embellishment; vocal production; developments in instrument making; tuning and temperament; notational formats; continuo practices; and improvisation. Assessment will be based on class participation, a bibliography project, and a term-end lecture-performance. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 or permission of instructor
This course will focus on the symphonies of Ludwig van Beethoven, addressing primarily questions of musical style and structure but also including biographical and cultural contexts and reception history. Students will develop analytical skill and gain understanding of the development of Beethoven's compositional style through listening, score study, and analysis. Assessment will be based on class participation, including small presentations on biographical topics, as well as listening and written tests. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor.
This course addresses the development of instrumental chamber music between 1750 and 1900, with a primary emphasis on string chamber music in the Austro-German tradition (including music with piano, clarinet, or other instruments). Enrollment permitting, the primary mode of instruction will be live performance and group analysis. Students will develop the ability to explicate orally the style and structure of chamber music and will gain understanding of individual composers' styles and the historical development of chamber genres. In addition to the primary emphasis on style analysis, we will also address the social contexts of chamber music. Assessment is based on class participation as well as listening and written examinations. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor.
This course surveys Mozart's operas, focusing especially on his three collaborations with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte: Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi fan tutte. Of particular interest is the composer's use of musical style to effect characterization. Through viewing, listening, score study, reading, and class discussion, students will gain familiarity with conventions of 18th-century opera as well as with the particular works studied in the course. Assessment will be based on class participation, tests, and a term paper/presentation. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 or permission of instructor.
This course explores selected masterpieces of opera from multiple perspectives, including cultural background, libretto, compositional process, analysis of style, tonal language, and structure, staging history, and critical reception. Diverse modern critical perspectives will be incorporated, including feminist readings. Assessment will be based on class participation, tests, and a term paper/presentation.
This course explores the origins, development and the aesthetic philosophy of musical minimalism, focusing on the contribution of the four main minimalists of the late 20th century, LaMonte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass, as well as on the assimilation of minimalist techniques by younger composers including John Adams and Arvo Part. Students will deepen their understanding of minimalist music through readings, class discussion, immersion in minimalist experiences, and through collaboratively presenting a minimalist performance event or experience for the broader campus community. Assessment based on class participation, individual presentations, tests, and a term project. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor.
This course examines the cultural meaning of music as reflected in the visual arts and especially painting of selected periods in Western European art history, including the Italian Renaissance, Dutch Baroque, and English Pre-Raphaelite movements. Students will view paintings involving musical subjects from a variety of different perspectives, as social documents, as record of musical performance practices and instrument construction, as aesthetic objects, including as corollaries to music and literature, whose themes they often share. Through readings and class discussion, students will develop a conceptual framework for approaching works of visual art as well as gain familiarity with the methods and research resources of musical iconography. Assessment based on class participation, tests, and a term paper/presentation. This course is open to non-Music UNCSA students. Prerequisite(s): HUM 2101 and HUM 21XX (Paths to the Present course) or permission of instructor.
This course introduces students to the music of selected world cultures from a variety of geographical regions as well as to the methodologies involved in the study of music of other cultures. Students will gain familiarity with the musical practices of selected cultures through in-class video, guest artists, listening, and reading. Students will develop skills in ethnomusicological analysis by attending and reviewing world music events and by critiquing their own musical culture through an ethno-musicological lens. Assessment based on class participation, tests, and a term paper/presentation. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor.
This survey traces the development of music in the United States from colonial days to the present. Students will develop familiarity with the works and styles of important American composers and gain understanding of the cultural forces that shaped and continue to shape music in this country. Assessment will be based on tests and a term paper/presentation. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor. MUS 3741 Roots of American Music - Listening Survey 1 credit
This listening survey explores the broad landscape of American roots music; blues, early jazz, non-Appalachian string band traditions, New England, Canadian, Cajun, Southwestern, Mexican, and Native traditions. Through guided listening and discussion, students examine how African, European, Indigenous, and Creole influences shaped these styles their regional evolution. The course develops critical listening skills and a deeper appreciation for how these living traditions continue to shape America's musical identity and cultural heritage. Note: Offered fall semester only. May be taken non-sequentially. American Roots Music. MUS 3742 North Carolina/Southern Regional Music - Listening Survey 1 credit
This listening survey explores the living traditions of bluegrass and old-time music rooted in the Appalachian Mountains and foothills, with a particular focus on North Carolina and Virginia. Through guided listening and discussion, students examine instrumental techniques, modal melodies, vocal harmonies, improvisational styles, and modes of storytelling that define these traditions. The course studies the influence of Scottish and Irish ballads and African American music to modern bluegrass and contemporary string band innovations. Note: Offered spring semester only. May be taken non-sequentially. Prerequisite(s): None. Open to all students, including those not enrolled in the Minor in American Roots Music. MUS 3743 Spirituals and the Language of the Blues - Listening Survey 1 credit
This immersive listening survey introduces students to the foundational sounds of American roots music including the blues and spirituals. Through guided listening and discussion, students examine the cultural, historical, and musical elements that define these genres, exploring their characteristic features such as call-and-response, pentatonic and blues scales, blue notes, and improvisational phrasing. The course traces the evolution of these traditions and their enduring influence on modern American music from jazz to early country, rock, soul and hip-hop emphasizing their role as a living language of resilience, storytelling, and cultural identity. The course cultivates critical listening skills, stylistic awareness, and an appreciation for the historical significance of these genres in shaping the broader narrative of American music. Note: Offered fall semester only. May be taken non-sequentially. Prerequisite(s): None. Open to all students, including those not enrolled in the Minor in American Roots Music. MUS 3798 Special Topics in Music History/Literature 2 credits Focused topics involving various aspects of music history and/or literature. Complements and extends work accomplished through the History of Musical Styles sequence. Prerequisite(s): MUS 2711 and MUS 2712 or permission of instructor. MUS 3813 Instrumentation 2 credits A detailed study of writing for standard orchestral instruments based on their technical capabilities, acoustics and usage within an ensemble context. MUS 3814 Orchestration 2 credits A detailed study of how to write for a variety of large ensembles, including orchestra and wind ensemble, centered in the technical capabilities and acoustics of an ensemble based on its size and instrumental composition. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3813 or permission of instructor. MUS 3823 Counterpoint: Modal 2 credits Students develop skills in modal counterpoint, working from species studies through canon to the composition of brief motets. MUS 3824 Counterpoint: Diatonic & Beyond 2 credits Students develop skills in diatonic counterpoint, working up to the writing of 3-voice fugues, with additional work with more recent innovations. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3823 or permission of instructor. MUS 3835 IMJ Multilateral Listening Perspective Workshop 1 credit The IMJ Multilateral Listening Perspective Workshop promotes active understanding of the rhythmic motion, bass-line counterpoint, and harmonic motion necessary to unlock real-time improvisation of music. The Listening Perspectives Workshop utilizes an immersion-style system where students study and perform on all standard jazz rhythm section instruments: piano, bass, and drum set. This quickly elevates the student's ability to hear the component parts of an interactive ensemble, including the underlying rhythmic and harmonic framework of basic chord progressions, and lays the groundwork for advanced improvisation study. Students are instructed in basic introductory techniques on each instrument. Each student is then assigned particular tasks that concurrently combine elements of each instrument, all while the student overlays vocals to create real-time active counterpoint. By the end of the semester, students will be able to control the rhythmic and harmonic motion of both 12 bar blues and 32 bar song forms, and will understand how to serve on each of the rhythm instruments in beginning level small group/combo applications. Prerequisite(s): Completion of, or current enrollment in, MUS 3843, or permission of instructor. MUS 3836 Improvisation Forum 2 credits The companion class to MUS 3844: Music Improvisation Theory and Practice II, the Improvisation Forum is offered only to students who are in the Minor in Improvised Music and Jazz program. For these students, the course teaches intermediate techniques that build upon those taught in the Music Theory and Practice sequence. The Improvisation Forum also provides additional assignments of analyses and transcription unique to each student, with material drawn from the repertoire of the student's Ensemble for Minors in IMJ. Students meet for one hour per week in a forum to discuss improvisations strategies and advanced theory techniques tied to their Music Improvisation Theory and Practice II material. In addition, they receive unique project assignments specific to their individual needs, based on their ensemble repertoire. Students must concurrently take both MUS 3844 and MUS 5197. MUS 3837 Advanced Improvisation Forum 2 credits The Advanced Improvisation Forum serves as the upper-level analysis and practicum for students in the Minor in Improvised Music and Jazz program. Students learn to navigate advanced jazz standards and are tasked with analyses and transcriptions relevant to both these new standards as well as to their current repertoire for their Ensemble for Minor in Improvised Music and Jazz. The class exposes students to a variety of listening examples across today's active artists in multiple genres, and also provides further advanced techniques for musical improvisation. Students must concurrently take MUS 5197. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3844 and MUS 3836. MUS 3839 Jazz Historical Listening Survey 1 credit The Jazz Historical Listening Survey class provides a brief overview of the evolution of jazz music from its early influences from the late 1800s up to today's diverse styles. Students receive weekly listening assignments and create and develop a listening journal. Weekly, during seminar-format class time, students compare and contrast stylistic developments in the music by looking both to examples from the same time period as well as comparisons of works from separate eras of jazz history. Included in the discussions are component aspects of the socio-cultural climate that fueled the creation and development of the music. Prerequisite(s): None. MUS 3841 Free Improvisation 1 credit Free Improvisation is designed for individuals who want to develop their skills in spontaneous creative expression. The course will focus on building competency and confidence in solo and collective improvisation. Students will be led through a sequence specifically created to ease fears about improvisation and increase connectivity, creativity, and individual voice. Classes will be focused on practical experience as well as readings and activities to enhance artistic intuition. The semester will culminate in a performance of improvisation. This course is open to all UNCSA students who are willing to experiment in the art of free improvisation through the creation of sound, regardless of the art school in which they are enrolled for their major concentration. MUS 3843 Music Improvisation Theory and Practice I 2 credits While the techniques and theory of modern improvisation have been developed most fully within the Jazz artform, these skillsets are now applicable in all subsets and genres of a modern performer's repertoire. Consequently, Music Improvisation Theory and Practice I introduces to any instrumentalist or vocalist the techniques used to develop melodic solos and improvisations across standard chord changes, creations that can appear in any style of music. Students learn modern jazz chord notation and construction, a new approach to the creation and utilization of scales for improvisation, and “chord to scale to chord transmutation.” Additionally, students are taught to generate linear, single-note melody and bass lines that outline and control the harmony over standard chord progressions. The class also introduces music composition techniques that mirror the rhythmic and harmonic control techniques used in improvisation, which can then be utilized to construct two- and three-part harmonies for composed melodies. Finally, the student will be exposed to simple jazz and popular music song forms, including 12 bar blues and a variety of 32 bar forms, with the semester culminating in a juried performance of solos across the studied progressions. Prerequisite(s): MUS1613 or permission of instructor. MUS 3844 Music Improvisation Theory and Practice II 2 credits Applicable to all modern performance majors, the melody building skills of improvisation provide students techniques that are now increasingly necessary to navigate all genres of modern music. Music Improvisation Theory and Practice II picks up where Music Improvisation Theory and Practice I leaves off, as students begin to apply melody-building techniques across more advanced song forms and begin to learn assigned songs at a faster pace. Students learn to analyze standard chord progressions, navigate common turnarounds, and apply basic alterations to V7 chords. Included in the class material is an introduction to the concept of transcription, as well as to melodic devices such as enclosures, harmonic motion insertion, and anticipated/delayed resolutions. Students are introduced to a variety of intermediate jazz standards and contemporary chord progressions. Using basic analytical concepts that pinpoint primary loci of key tension/release points within these chord progressions, students will prepare solo ideas to present to the class during weekly performance seminars. The class provides the necessary concepts for students to achieve an entry-level professional understanding of how to build improvisations in projects they might encounter during the beginnings of a performance career. Students who are pursuing the Minor in Improvised Music and Jazz must concurrently register for and take MUS 3836: Improvisation Forum. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3843. MUS 3880 Introduction to Conducting 2 credits This introductory course provides students with a set of basic conducting skills applicable to both instrumental and choral conducting. Emphasis is placed on developing clear aural expectations, followed by training the body in principled movement to convey those expectations to other performers. Concepts are explored and exercises are provided that lead to intentional and efficient movement, clear and complete gestures, and a growing ability to utilize both verbal and non-verbal communication skills. MUS 3882 Instrumental Conducting II 2 credits Study of the basic conducting techniques pertinent to instrumental performance, with emphasis upon instrumental balance, articulation and phrasing. Laboratory conducting sessions with School of Music instrumental ensembles. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3880 or permission of instructor. MUS 3884 Choral Conducting II 2 credits Study of basic conducting techniques, with emphasis on those needed for choral singing. The course begins with basic conducting gestures, continues with an exploration of choral singing and choral sound, and concludes with considerations involving orchestral techniques and choral/orchestral works. Includes laboratory conducting session with School of Music vocal/choral ensembles. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3880 or permission of instructor. MUS 4080 Graduation Recital 0 credit Performance project by the student with permission from the area of concentration. It may include specific requirements as dictated by the concentration teacher.
A detailed study of writing for standard orchestral instruments based on their technical capabilities, acoustics and usage within an ensemble context.
A detailed study of how to write for a variety of large ensembles, including orchestra and wind ensemble, centered in the technical capabilities and acoustics of an ensemble based on its size and instrumental composition. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3813 or permission of instructor.
Students develop skills in modal counterpoint, working from species studies through canon to the composition of brief motets.
Students develop skills in diatonic counterpoint, working up to the writing of 3-voice fugues, with additional work with more recent innovations. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3823 or permission of instructor.
offered fall semester only Theory and Practice I, or permission of instructor. This course is available to all appropriately qualified students, including those not pursuing the Minor in IMJ. Note: Can be taken non-sequentially but strongly recommended to pair with MUS 3843. This course should be prioritized over MUS 3839 if room for only one credit exists.
offered spring semester only registration in MUS 3844: Music Improvisation Theory and Practice II.
offered fall semester only Music Improvisation Theory and Practice II and MUS 3836: Improvisation Forum.
offered fall semester only including those not pursuing the Minor in IMJ. Note: Can be taken non-sequentially, completed prior to acceptance into the Minor in IMJ, or during any fall semester while pursuing the minor.
Free Improvisation is designed for individuals who want to develop their skills in spontaneous creative expression. The course will focus on building competency and confidence in solo and collective improvisation. Students will be led through a sequence specifically created to ease fears about improvisation and increase connectivity, creativity, and individual voice. Classes will be focused on practical experience as well as readings and activities to enhance artistic intuition. The semester will culminate in a performance of improvisation. This course is open to all UNCSA students who are willing to experiment in the art of free improvisation through the creation of sound, regardless of the art school in which they are enrolled for their major concentration.
offered fall semester only knowledge of how to build major and minor scales; or permission of instructor. This course is available to all appropriately qualified students, including those not pursuing the Minor in Improvised Music and Jazz (Minor in IMJ).
offered spring semester only This course is available to all appropriately qualified students, including those not pursuing the Minor in IMJ. Note: If a student aims to earn the Minor in IMJ, they should seek acceptance into the minor before taking this class.
This introductory course provides students with a set of basic conducting skills applicable to both instrumental and choral conducting. Emphasis is placed on developing clear aural expectations, followed by training the body in principled movement to convey those expectations to other performers. Concepts are explored and exercises are provided that lead to intentional and efficient movement, clear and complete gestures, and a growing ability to utilize both verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
Study of the basic conducting techniques pertinent to instrumental performance, with emphasis upon instrumental balance, articulation and phrasing. Laboratory conducting sessions with School of Music instrumental ensembles. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3880 or permission of instructor.
Study of basic conducting techniques, with emphasis on those needed for choral singing. The course begins with basic conducting gestures, continues with an exploration of choral singing and choral sound, and concludes with considerations involving orchestral techniques and choral/orchestral works. Includes laboratory conducting session with School of Music vocal/choral ensembles. Prerequisite(s): MUS 3880 or permission of instructor.
Performance project by the student with permission from the area of concentration. It may include specific requirements as dictated by the concentration teacher.
Produce a public performance of original music reflecting undergraduate compositional accomplishments. Present a lecture to the Composition Department about music composed during the student's undergraduate years. Graded Pass/Fail.
The student cultivates a performance project that focuses on the use of the multiple woodwind instruments chosen to be studied through this minor. Performance projects can include, but are not limited to: • a performance in a musical that utilizes the instruments studied during the minor (on campus or in the surrounding musical theatre community); • a solo recital comprised of music that uses the instruments studied during the minor; or • a chamber performance that involves the instruments studied within the minor. This performance project includes a significant presence of the minor instruments, but it can also include the major instrument, depending upon the repertoire of the project. As a facet of the project, the repertoire selected should demonstrate the student's ability to quickly switch between the necessary instruments for the performance. Prerequisite(s): At least 3 credits of MUS 202X: Minor Applied Study in each of the chosen minor instruments; at least 1 credit of ensemble in each of the chosen minor instruments; MUS 3121: Seminar in Multiple Woodwinds.
The required recital will consist of arrangements and original compositions by the minor candidate.
The required capstone project consists of a performance of arrangements or original compositions by the minor candidate. Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into, and good standing within, the Minor in American Roots Music. MUS 5010 Private Lessons for Non-Matriculated Students (Special Students) 4 credits Private instruction in an instrument, voice or composition for special (non-matriculating) students. This includes a one-hour weekly lesson and participation in the instructor's weekly studio class. This class includes in-class performance and critique in addition to specialized studies related to the particular concentration area, such as reed-making for oboists. MUS 5100 Ensemble Placeholder 1 credit Course is used as a registration placeholder only. MUS 5110 Orchestra 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works from the symphonic literature, including opera and dance. Performance on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5111 Orchestra (Supplemental Registration) 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works from the symphonic literature, including opera and dance. Performances on- and off-campus. This course corresponds to MUS 5110: Orchestra. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5120 Wind Ensemble 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works for wind ensemble. Performances on- and off-campus. teacher. MUS 5121 Wind Ensemble (Supplemental Registration) 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works for wind ensemble. Performances on- and off-campus. This course corresponds to MUS 5120: Wind Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5130 Jazz Ensemble 1 credit Preparation and public performance of works for jazz ensemble using arrangements and improvisation. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5131 Jazz Ensemble (Supplemental Registration) 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works for jazz ensemble using arrangements and improvisation. Performances on- and off-campus. This course corresponds to MUS 5130: Jazz Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5140 Contemporary Music Ensemble 1 credit Preparation and public performance of contemporary music. Instrumental and/or vocal combinations vary from piece to piece. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5141 Contemporary Music Ensemble (Supplemental Registration) 1 credit Preparation and public performance of contemporary music. Instrumental and/or vocal combinations vary from piece to piece. This course corresponds to MUS 5140: Contemporary Music Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5150 Large Ensemble for Winds 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5151 Large Ensembles for Winds (Supplemental Registration) 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Contemporary Music Ensemble. This course corresponds to MUS 5150: Large Ensembles for Winds. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5152 Large Ensembles for Applied Minor: Flute 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied flute teacher. MUS 5153 Large Ensembles for Applied Minor: Oboe 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied oboe teacher. MUS 5154 Large Ensembles for Applied Minor: Clarinet 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied clarinet teacher. MUS 5155 Large Ensembles for Applied Minor: Bassoon 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied bassoon teacher. MUS 5156 Large Ensembles for Applied Minor: Saxophone 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied saxophone teacher. MUS 5160 Large Ensembles for Brass 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5161 Large Ensembles for Brass (Supplemental Registration) 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Contemporary Music Ensemble. This course corresponds to MUS 5160: Large Ensembles for Brass. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher. MUS 5170 Large Ensembles for Percussion 1 credit Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by the percussion teacher. MUS 5180 Chamber Ensemble 1 credit Duets, Trios, Quartets, Quintets and small mixed ensembles as assigned by the studio teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of studio teacher. MUS 5181 Chamber Ensemble (Supplemental Registration) 1 credit Duets, Trios, Quintets and small mixed ensembles as assigned by the studio teacher. This course corresponds to MUS 5180: Chamber Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of studio teacher. MUS 5182 Chamber Ensemble for Applied Minor: Flute 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied flute teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied flute teacher. MUS 5183 Chamber Ensemble for Applied Minor: Oboe 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied oboe teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied oboe teacher. MUS 5184 Chamber Ensemble for Applied Minor: Clarinet 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied clarinet teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied clarinet teacher. MUS 5185 Chamber Ensemble for Applied Minor: Bassoon 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied bassoon teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied bassoon teacher. MUS 5186 Chamber Ensemble for Applied Minor: Saxophone 1 credit Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied saxophone teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied saxophone teacher. MUS 5191 American Roots Ensemble 1 credit
Private instruction in an instrument, voice or composition for special (non-matriculating) students. This includes a one-hour weekly lesson and participation in the instructor's weekly studio class. This class includes in-class performance and critique in addition to specialized studies related to the particular concentration area, such as reed-making for oboists. MUS 5100 Ensemble Placeholder 1 credit Course is used as a registration placeholder only.
Preparation and public performance of representative works from the symphonic literature, including opera and dance. Performance on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works from the symphonic literature, including opera and dance. Performances on- and off-campus. This course corresponds to MUS 5110: Orchestra. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for wind ensemble. Performances on- and off-campus. teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for wind ensemble. Performances on- and off-campus. This course corresponds to MUS 5120: Wind Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of works for jazz ensemble using arrangements and improvisation. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for jazz ensemble using arrangements and improvisation. Performances on- and off-campus. This course corresponds to MUS 5130: Jazz Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of contemporary music. Instrumental and/or vocal combinations vary from piece to piece. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of contemporary music. Instrumental and/or vocal combinations vary from piece to piece. This course corresponds to MUS 5140: Contemporary Music Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Contemporary Music Ensemble. This course corresponds to MUS 5150: Large Ensembles for Winds. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied flute teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied oboe teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied clarinet teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied bassoon teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of representative works by any of the School of Music large ensembles. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the minor applied saxophone teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Contemporary Music Ensemble. This course corresponds to MUS 5160: Large Ensembles for Brass. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by the percussion teacher.
Duets, Trios, Quartets, Quintets and small mixed ensembles as assigned by the studio teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of studio teacher.
Duets, Trios, Quintets and small mixed ensembles as assigned by the studio teacher. This course corresponds to MUS 5180: Chamber Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied flute teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied flute teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied oboe teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied oboe teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied clarinet teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied clarinet teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied bassoon teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied bassoon teacher.
Preparation and public performance, as part of a minor applied course of study, of an unconducted small ensemble, as assigned by the minor applied saxophone teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of the minor applied saxophone teacher. MUS 5191 American Roots Ensemble 1 credit
per semester) This performance-based ensemble brings together instrumentalists and vocalists to explore the diverse traditions of American roots music, including old-time string band music, bluegrass, blues, spirituals, gospel, early country, and folk performing both traditional and original repertoire. Through regular rehearsals, students will develop ensemble cohesion, stylistic versatility, and performance confidence, culminating in a required public concert each semester. Prerequisite(s): Acceptance into, and good standing within, the Minor in American Roots Music. MUS 5192 American Roots Harmony Singing 1 credit
This vocal-intensive performance course engages students in the vocal traditions of American roots music, including African American spirituals, gospel, folk hymns, work songs, Appalachian ballads, and early blues, country, old-time, and bluegrass styles. Through ensemble singing, ear training, and rehearsal, students develop stylistic awareness and expressive performance skills. The course emphasizes the cultural and historical contexts that shape these traditions, revealing their emotional depth, storytelling power, and continuing influence on American music. Prerequisite(s): Open to all students, but audition required if not enrolled in the Minor in American Roots Music. MUS 5197 Ensemble for Minor in Improvised Music and Jazz 1 credit The Ensemble for Minor in Improvised Music and Jazz provides the laboratory setting for student implementation and exploration of the techniques taught in the Music Improvisation Theory and Practice classes, as well as the higher-level techniques taught in the Improvisation Forums. An ensemble consists of a small number of musicians, and the focus is on improvisation involving active interaction and collaboration between the participants. A variety of styles and genres of music can be explored by these combo settings, and the flexibility of music and instrumentation allows for participation by any instrument of vocal student who is enrolled in the Minor for IMJ. The ensembles will also serve as the source material for individualized assignments for the students who are concurrently enrolled in either MUS 3836: Improvisation Forum or MUS 3837: Advanced Improvisation Forum. Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in the Minor for Improvised Music and Jazz. MUS 5230 Percussion Ensemble 1 credit Preparation and public performance of a wide variety of contemporary percussion music. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment. MUS 5240 Collaborative Piano Class 1 credit Introduction to collaborative skills, through work with both instrumental and vocal partners, in a class setting with individual coaching. Topics to include sound and ensemble issues, quick study, stylistic versatility, repertoire, and professional behavior. Prerequisite for those for whom the course is not required: permission of the instructor and studio teacher. MUS 5260 Cantata Singers 1 credit Preparation and performance of choral works from the Renaissance through the Modern Period for unaccompanied chorus and chorus with instruments. Singers for the opera chorus of the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute are drawn from Cantata Singers. Performances on- and off-campus. This ensemble is also open to members of the community by audition. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment. MUS 5371 Electronic and Computer Music 2 credits Topics covered in this course will include: advanced recording, digital sound editing, MIDI sequencing, sound design, and computer music programming environments. The course will also include compositional strategies and analysis of recognized classic works in the genre. MUS 5372 Electronic and Computer Music II 2 credits Topics covered in this course will include: advanced recording, digital sound editing, MIDI sequencing, sound design, and computer music programming environments. The course will also include compositional strategies and analysis of recognized classic works in the genre. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
4 semesters required for total of 4 credits)
Preparation and public performance of a wide variety of contemporary percussion music. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment.
Introduction to collaborative skills, through work with both instrumental and vocal partners, in a class setting with individual coaching. Topics to include sound and ensemble issues, quick study, stylistic versatility, repertoire, and professional behavior. Prerequisite for those for whom the course is not required: permission of the instructor and studio teacher.
Preparation and performance of choral works from the Renaissance through the Modern Period for unaccompanied chorus and chorus with instruments. Singers for the opera chorus of the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute are drawn from Cantata Singers. Performances on- and off-campus. This ensemble is also open to members of the community by audition. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment.
Topics covered in this course will include: advanced recording, digital sound editing, MIDI sequencing, sound design, and computer music programming environments. The course will also include compositional strategies and analysis of recognized classic works in the genre.
Topics covered in this course will include: advanced recording, digital sound editing, MIDI sequencing, sound design, and computer music programming environments. The course will also include compositional strategies and analysis of recognized classic works in the genre. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
Weekly performance class for the purpose of refining performance skills. Included are in-class performance and critique, as well as specialized studies related to the particular concentration of study. MUS 6070 Composition Lessons 3 credits One hour per week of composition lessons at an advanced level.
This seminar will include presentations by guests, faculty and student composers on a variety of topics.
The central component of film music composition study, this course focuses on the development and refinement of artistic and technical skills qualifying for professional engagement. The training for this development and refinement is a unified whole delivered through multiple types of engaged instruction. A weekly total of 45-minutes of individual lesson time provided by the major teacher of the student is supported by weekly seminars attended by all students in the Composition for Film and Visual Media program. The lessons are tailored to the needs of each individual student. Topics of discussion may include, but are not limited to, composition for film and visual media, film scoring technology, orchestration, music theory, analysis, mixing, mastering, filmmaking and relationships with filmmakers. In the fall semester, the seminar focuses on exploring the language of music in film and visual media. Central is consideration of how music is used to enhance the dramatic intentions of the filmmaker and how music impacts story through the selection of such elements as instrumentation, style, motifs, rhythm, and tempo. Each week throughout the fall semester, students are assigned a cue to score which is then presented during the following class. First-year students compose short cues through which they are introduced to the fundamental terminology and techniques of composition for film. In addition, they are introduced to the individual roles of the filmmaking team as well as career path options for a musician in the film and visual media industries. Second-year students compose 90-second main-title cues for various styles and genres, including classical Hollywood drama, romantic drama, comedy, film noir, action/adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, suspense/thriller, war and the western, as well as main-titles influenced by the study of ethnomusicology and sound design. In the spring semester, the content of the seminar shifts toward collaborative endeavors. First-year students submit demos to the third-year undergraduate filmmakers. After pairings are established the graduate composer then meets with the undergraduate filmmaker to spot and compose original music for the undergraduate film. Second-year graduate students focus most of their work on their thesis project completion (MUS 7084). During both fall and spring semesters, each week students present their current work to each other, and the major teacher leads the students in group exploration and critique of what is currently being developed and scored. Because the second-year students have previously worked through first-year concepts, they are in a unique position to share personal reflections with the first-year students regarding the work under discussion. For their part, the first-year students can observe the more advanced scoring of the second-years and begin to anticipate the direction their own development will take. Through both lessons and seminar, the major teacher serves as a mentor and advisor for the individual students in the studio. This ongoing mentoring provides guidance for artistic and professional development, as well as space in which to address issues that arise throughout the growth of each student-artist.
Performance project by the student with permission from the area of study and the Associate Dean of the School of Music. It may include specific requirements as dictated by the studio teacher. Graded Pass/Fail. MUS 6081 Orchestral Conducting Lessons 3 credits One hour per week lesson of orchestral conducting at an advanced level.
Weekly performance class for the purpose of refining performance skills. Course will also engage in issues of instrumental techniques and score reading. MUS 6083 Recital Presentation 1 credit Students prepare and perform a recital/lecture program. MUS 6084 Major Opera Role 1 credit Students prepare and perform a major opera role.
Independent study in the form of performance, composition, or research under the supervision of a member of the faculty. The number of credits and grading mode (standard letter grade or pass/fail) will vary according to the nature and scope of the project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and approval of the Associate Dean of the School of Music.
A work experience occurring in some aspect or area of the music industry for which a student earns elective credit. The number of credits varies according to the nature and scope of the internship. Graded Pass/Fail. Prerequisite(s): Approval of the Associate Dean of the School of Music in consultation with appropriate faculty. MUS 6091 Preparing to Teach 1 credit
This course is designed to introduce students to the art of teaching from theory to practice. Topics include theories of learning, reflective practice, and course and lesson design. Students will gain practical experience in syllabus creation, lesson planning and delivery, and assessment strategies. MUS 6092 Preparing to Teach Practicum 1 credit
This course is designed to provide practical experience with teaching. Students will study a variety of classroom strategies and techniques, observe master teachers in action, and create and deliver their own lessons and portions of lessons. Prerequisite(s): MUS 6091 or permission of instructor.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS Fall 2025 Book List VIRTUAL BOOK STORE LINK Hanning Concise History of Western Music 9780393421682 Palisca Norton Anthology of Western Music, Volume 1 9780393656411 Palisca Norton Anthology of Western Music, Volume 2 9780393656428 Hanning Concise History of Western Music 9780393421682 Palisca Norton Anthology of Western Music, Volume 1 9780393656411 Palisca Norton Anthology of Western Music, Volume 2 9780393656428 Hanning, Barbara Russano A Concise History of Western Music 9780393421583 Burkholder, Grout, Palisca Norton Anthology of Western Music 9780393656411 Hanning, Barbara Russano A Concise History of Western Music 9780393421583 Burkholder, Grout, Palisca Norton Anthology of Western Music 9780393656411
Preparation and public performance of representative works from the symphonic literature, including opera and dance. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works from the symphonic literature, including opera and dance. Performances on-and off-campus. This course corresponds to MUS 6110: Orchestra. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for wind ensemble, Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for wind ensemble. Performances on-and off-campus. This course corresponds to MUS 6120: Wind Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of works for jazz ensemble using arrangements and improvisation. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for jazz ensemble using arrangements and improvisation. Performances on- and off- campus. This course corresponds to MUS 6130: Jazz Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by the ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of contemporary music. Instrumental and/or vocal combinations vary from piece to piece. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of contemporary music. Instrumental and/or vocal combinations vary from piece to piece. This course corresponds to MUS 6140: Contemporary Music Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of representative works for Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by ensemble director in consultation with the studio teacher.
Duets, trios, quartets, quintets and small mixed ensembles as assigned by the studio teacher. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of studio teacher.
Duets, trios, quartets, quintets and small mixed ensembles as assigned by the studio teacher. This course corresponds to MUS 6180: Chamber Ensemble. Its use is appropriate when a student is assigned to more than one ensemble in a given semester. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment with approval of studio teacher.
Preparation and public performance of a wide variety of contemporary percussion music. Performances on- and off-campus. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment.
Preparation and public performance of representative works from the symphonic, wind ensemble, and new music repertoire. Performance on- and off-campus with the Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, and the Contemporary Music Ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Audition/assignment by the percussion teacher.
In-depth study of the psychological, physical and creative aspects of teaching percussion. Survey of important percussion methods, materials and repertoire.
In-depth study of the psychological, physical and creative aspects of teaching percussion. Survey of important percussion methods, materials and repertoire.
Practical training in collaborative piano including the following topics: quick study skills, the piano as orchestra, keyboard skills, and professional issues.
Introduction to collaborative skills, through work with both instrumental and vocal partners, in a class setting with individual coaching. Topics to include sound and ensemble issues, quick study, stylistic versatility, repertoire, and professional behavior. Prerequisite(s): Approval of instructor and major teacher of student.
Intensive, regular chamber music rehearsal and weekly, one-hour coaching with Chrysalis Chamber Music Institute faculty and guests. Groups typically range from duos to quintets. Assignments made by the Institute faculty. The number of credits earned determined by the Institute Director (or designee) with approval of the Dean of the School of Music (or designee) and based upon such factors as scope of repertoire, amount to be covered, the number and types of performances to be presented, and whether or not the group will be mentoring a younger chamber ensemble. Prerequisite(s): Permission of Institute faculty.
A seminar course taught by the Chrysalis Chamber Music Institute faculty and guests on topics such as rehearsal techniques, repertoire, interpersonal relations within a chamber ensemble, professional ethics, and preparing for festivals, competitions, and engagements. Prerequisite(s): Permission of Institute faculty; Corequisite(s): Enrollment in MUS 6280.
A significant project of sufficient scope that serves as the capstone for the work accomplished throughout the student's participation in the Chrysalis Chamber Music Institute. Devised by students and approved by Institute faculty, projects are collaborative among Institute students and potentially include such activities as engaging in a recording project, commissioning and premiering a new work, or creating and executing engagement activities with outside organizations. Under the mentorship of Institute faculty and guests, including weekly chamber ensemble coachings, students plan, create, rehearse, and execute the project. The number of credits earned is determined by the Institute Director (or designee) with approval of the Dean of the School of Music (or designee) and based upon the scope of the project. Prerequisite(s): MUS 6281.
An advanced study of the orchestral repertoire for violin with emphasis on style and technical problems.
An advanced study of the orchestral repertoire for viola with emphasis on style and technical problems.
An advanced study of the orchestral repertoire for violoncello with emphasis on style and technical problems.
An advanced study of the orchestral repertoire for double bass with emphasis on style and technical problems.
This course presents principles of organ design and construction as well as the history of the development of the organ. Through a broad survey of the literature written for the organ and the contexts for which it was written, this course examines compositions from the Robertsbridge Codes (1325) to Bach, placing particular emphasis upon the relationship of the repertoire to the instruments for which it was written. Student-led research and performance projects aim to connect aspects of performance practice with particular instruments tied to specific bodies of repertoire.
As the second semester of a year-long sequence, this course continues to provide a broad survey of the literature written for the organ, examining compositions from the Classical Era to the present day, and placing particular emphasis upon the relationship of the repertoire to the instruments for which it was written. As in the first semester, student-led research and performance projects aim to connect aspects of performance practice with particular instruments tied to specific bodies of repertoire.
The two-course Sacred Music Skills sequence develops skills necessary to become a successful church musician. This first course focuses primarily on hymnody - both the historical context and the performance of various styles - and on liturgy music of various traditions. Improvisation is an integral part of this course.
This second semester of the year-long Sacred Music Skills sequence continues the development of playing-related skills by studying choral accompaniments, Psalm accompaniments, and transposition. Additional units survey conducting from the console, rehearsal techniques, the Liturgical Year, and church music administration.
A survey for pianist and instrumental partner, including sonatas, short pieces, and concertos. Open to students in partnering areas.
A survey for pianist and instrumental partner, including sonatas, short pieces, and concertos. Open to students in partnering areas.
A survey for pianist and vocal partner, including song, oratorio, and operatic literature. Open to students in voice.
A survey for pianist and vocal partner, including song, oratorio, and operatic literature. Open to students in voice.
This course involves preparation and public performance of opera scenes, with emphasis on movement, acting, character development, and exposure to a variety of operatic and musical theatre roles.
Introduction to Italian, German, French phonetics, mastery of international phonetic alphabet as it applies to Italian, German and French. The study of principles of diction, phonetics and sound production as applied to singing in Italian, German and French.
Introduction to Italian, German, French phonetics, mastery of international phonetic alphabet as it applies to Italian, German and French. The study of principles of diction, phonetics and sound production as applied to singing in Italian, German and French.
Film Scoring Technology introduces the essential technological tools used for modern film scoring and recording. Students will learn how to build a home studio and create scores using industry-standard music technology hardware and software. Topics covered include workflow within a digital audio workstation (DAW), MIDI editing, audio editing, virtual instruments, synthesizers and samplers, score creation and preparation, effects and plug-ins, mixing, video editing, template creation and custom sample library creation. Film and Visual Media concentration.
Film Score Recording, Mixing and Mastering provides a comprehensive overview of digital audio production using a digital audio workstation (DAW). Throughout the course, students are introduced to various concepts such as the stereo field, signal flow, microphone types, MIDI, audio editing, acoustics, microphone placement, mixing and mastering in stereo and surround. There are opportunities for hands-on practice and class participation in setting up a DAW, conducting mock recording sessions, editing and mixing multi-track recordings, and mastering two-track recordings. The course also includes a field trip to a local recording studio to apply what has been learned in an unfamiliar environment. Prerequisite(s): MUS 6473 or permission of instructor.
Scoring for Video Games introduces the study of music composition for video games. Topics include video game history, types of game music, interactive music composition, spotting a game, the game development team, an overview of implementation software and delivery expectations, and the business of video games. The course also incorporates interaction with portions of the video game industry, which might include such activities as conference calls with major video game composers, or a visit to a regional game company, including a tour of their facilities and a discussion with a lead audio director. Film and Visual Media concentration.
Survey of literature for guitar and lute from Renaissance through Contemporary periods, social history and physical development of the guitar. Transcriptions of early tablatures. Study of contemporary notation and techniques. Participation in MUS 3481.
Survey of literature for guitar and lute from Renaissance through Contemporary periods, social history and physical development of the guitar. Transcriptions of early tablatures. Study of contemporary notation and techniques. Participation in MUS 3482.
This course is an in-depth study of the psychological, physical, and creative aspects of teaching the guitar. Topics include: studying the components of developing skill playing the guitar; ways in which the teacher facilitates this growth; careful sequencing of technical and musical tasks within a method; and designing detailed lesson and course plans.
The second semester of this year-long sequence continues in-depth study of the psychological, physical, and creative aspects of teaching the guitar. Topics include: continued consideration of important teaching strategies; working with younger students and groups; supervised in-class teaching and outside observation; and additional guitar-specific career development and teaching scenario projects.
This course explores the music and history of West African drumming through hands-on experience. Students learn to play djembe, dunun, shekere, iron bell, and their New World descendants: the conga drum, bongo, claves, maracas, and agogo bells. Class meetings take place in a drum circle ensemble setting. Over the last several decades the hourglass-shaped djembe has become the most popular hand drum in the world and is now used cross-culturally in many styles of popular music. Hand drums are also used in community drum circles and team building programs taught by interactive drumming facilitators. Class instruction involves playing hand percussion instruments in drum circles with the instructor. Analysis of audio and video recordings of African folk music, jazz, blues, rock, and Latin American music tracing roots to African drumming is also included. The traditional method of teaching hand drumming is through oral instruction and group repetition. Because of this pedagogical approach, music reading is not a prerequisite and the class is open to all UNCSA students. Enrollment is limited in part by the number of instruments available.
A course leading to a juried performance of a previously unstudied work prepared for performance within seven days without coaching. A student will be given two chances to pass this exam before the degree can be granted.
Film Music Theory is a study of basic through advanced music theory concepts specifically as they relate to film music. The first half of the course uses examples from film scores to break down traditional concepts of music theory such as melody, harmony, modes and scales, rhythm and meter, countermelody, counterpoint and form. The second half introduces more advanced 20th-century compositional styles and techniques with specific focus on how they can be utilized to drive narrative and support emotion in film. Film and Visual Media concentration.
Advanced Film Score Analysis is an in-depth analytical course that builds on the skills, techniques and terminology learned in MUS 6713: Film Music History I, MUS 6714: Film Music History II and MUS 6613: Film Music Theory. Each week, students intensively examine a single film score, with a focus on the impact of each cue in relation to the entire score. Through in-depth discussions, students lead the class in exploring the composer's contribution to the film's narrative, including their unique composing style and tendencies in melody, harmony, rhythm, counterpoint, texture, style, orchestration and use of 20th-century techniques, if applicable. Access to full scores for analysis is available to students at the UNCSA Music Library. The ultimate objective is to impart to students a mastery of the concepts of film score composition, enabling them to advance their skills as composers and to cultivate a distinctive creative compositional voice using advanced craft and technique.
A review of fundamental aural skills including sight singing, ear training and dictation.
Enrichment and practical application of Italian, German and French through conversation, literature and poetry with emphasis on the historical, cultural and artistic aspects of each language as it relates to opera. Graded pass/fail.
A new opera studies research topic is offered each year. The topics offered engage issues of history, analysis, performance practice and interpretation as appropriate.
A new opera studies research topic is offered each year. The topics offered engage issues of history, analysis, performance practice and interpretation as appropriate.
Students attend undergraduate theory and composition classes as assigned by the teacher. Meetings are scheduled to discuss strategies for teaching basic compositional and theoretical concepts. Assignments may include teaching projects in the undergraduate curriculum under the observation of the theory/composition faculty.
A new musicology research topic is offered each year. The topics offered also engage issues of analysis, performance practice and interpretation as appropriate.
A new musicology research topic is offered each year. The topics offered also engage issues of analysis, performance practice and interpretation as appropriate.
A review of music theory from the Common Practice to 20th and 21st century theory and analysis. MUS 6712 Graduate Review: History 1 credit A review of Western music history from ancient Greece to the 21st century.
Film Music History I focuses on influential American and international film composers who worked primarily between 1930 and 1970. Each week students present in a forum format, with the aggregate of student sharing creating an overall understanding of each composer's historical contribution to the advancement of the craft of film scoring. A specific focus is placed both on the composer's interaction with the narrative of the film and on his/her unique composing style and tendencies in terms of melody, harmony, rhythm, counterpoint, texture and orchestration. Each week one film is studied thoroughly while also placing it within the context of clips from several other films scored by the same composer. Film and Visual Media concentration.
Film Music History II focuses on influential American and international film composers who worked primarily between 1970 and the present day. Each week students present in a forum format, with the aggregate of student sharing creating an overall understanding of each composer's historical contribution to the advancement of the craft of film scoring. A specific focus is placed both on the composer's interaction with the narrative of the film and on his/her unique composing style and tendencies in terms of melody, harmony, rhythm, counterpoint, texture and orchestration. Each week one film is studied thoroughly while also placing it within the context of clips from several other films scored by the same composer. Film and Visual Media concentration.
A new analysis research topic is offered each year. The topics offered also engage issues of history, performance practice and interpretation as appropriate.
A new analysis research topic is offered each year. The topics offered also engage issues of history, performance practice and interpretation as appropriate.
Film Score Orchestration explores modern film music orchestration techniques using three separate approaches. The first is to analyze significant film scores that most effectively utilize the selected instrument and related instruments presented each week. The second is to identify the unique possibilities and challenges related to each instrument's technique and notation. The third is to compare the best sample libraries for that instrument, which can then be added to an orchestral template within a digital audio workstation. Film Score Orchestration I covers strings, brass and percussion. Weekly assignments culminate in a final project that includes a fully orchestrated score and mock-up recording. Film and Visual Media concentration.
Film Score Orchestration explores modern film music orchestration techniques using three separate approaches. The first is to analyze significant film scores that most effectively utilize the selected instrument and related instruments presented each week. The second is to identify the unique possibilities and challenges related to each instrument's technique and notation. The third is to compare the best sample libraries for that instrument, which can then be added to an orchestral template within a digital audio workstation. Film Score Orchestration II covers woodwinds, keyboards, choir, guitars, drum set, world instruments and aleatoric techniques. Weekly assignments culminate in a final project that includes a fully orchestrated score and mock-up recording. The course will also address specific topics related to a career as a professional film orchestrator, including a discussion with a guest artist at the end of the course. Film and Visual Media concentration.
Free Improvisation is designed for individuals who want to develop their skills in spontaneous creative expression. The course will focus on building competency and confidence in solo and collective improvisation. Students will be led through a sequence specifically created to ease fears about improvisation and increase connectivity, creativity, and individual voice. Classes will be focused on practical experience as well as readings and activities to enhance artistic intuition. The semester will culminate in a performance of improvisation. This course is open to all UNCSA students who are willing to experiment in the art of free improvisation through the creation of sound, regardless of the art school in which they are enrolled for their major concentration. MUS 6883 Composition Thesis Defense 1 credit An oral presentation before a faculty jury on an original composition. MUS 6888 Music Technology Research Project 1 credit A supervised research project in the use of new technology in creating music.
A seminar on career path perspectives and developing materials for a professional portfolio. Topics including resumes, cover letters, printed program writing, royalties, copyrights and intellectual properties.
A seminar/workshop on taking successful professional orchestra auditions. The course includes topics on the application process, preparation, audition and etiquette, contracts and contract negotiations.
A seminar/workshop on working as a musician in the free enterprise market and creating a promotional website. The course includes topics on agencies, grant writing, networking, financial issues and taxes, contracting other musicians, promotional website design and creation.
A seminar/workshop on creating recordings for commercial release. Course topics include acoustics, microphones, digital audio editing and signal processing, mastering a compact disc recording, marketing and distribution.
Introduction to the tools of bibliographic research including new technology, fair use of published material and copyright law, proper form in writing, annotating and presenting information on musical subjects.
The thesis project in Composition for Film and Visual Media is composition of an original score for one of the fourth-year films or other film production. The focus and resulting product of this course, MUS 7083, constitutes the preparation phase of the student's overall work on their master's thesis. Guided closely by their faculty mentor, students determine the parameters of and begin working on their individualized project. During the following semester, building upon the products of this preparation phase the student brings their thesis project to completion through the work of MUS 7084. Graded Pass/Fail.
Building upon the products of the previous semester's thesis preparation phase (MUS 7083), under the guidance of their faculty mentor the student brings their thesis project to completion. The thesis project represents the culmination of the Master of Music in Composition for Film and Visual Media, and as such draws upon a wide array of content and skill developed through the other courses of the degree. There is a special connection between this course and the lessons/seminar course, with much of the work in lessons and seminar feeding into this capstone project. Graded Pass/Fail.
Film Music Business focuses on the practical aspects of a career in composition for film and visual media. Students learn the various skills needed to function as a working professional in the entertainment industry. Lectures cover a diverse body of information, including where to find internships, where to live, where to start in several music career paths and what to expect as a composer's assistant. Topics such as contract negotiation and preparation, publishing and copyright, and cue sheet creation are also addressed. In addition, areas involving how to hire musicians, how to book a studio, how to manage a budget, and how to deal with agents, contractors, and unions all receive attention. Finally, guidance related to self-promotion is provided through exploration of website and business card design, as well as the preparation of demo materials. Multiple guest artists, including industry professionals and alumni working in the industry, join either in-person or virtually to offer insights and real-world perspectives. Film and Visual Media concentration. MUS 8010 Lessons 3 credits One hour per week of individual performance instruction at an advanced level.
Weekly performance class for the purpose of refining performance skills. Included are in-class performance and critique, as well as specialized studies related to the particular concentration of study.
This course involves preparation and public performance of opera scenes by Fletcher Opera Institute fellows, including emphasis on movement, acting, character development, and exposure to a variety of operatic and musical theatre roles.
An advanced course of study in all aspects of opera performance. The project will include participation in two productions each year, workshops, master classes, coaching sessions, performances and tours.
A significant project devoted to the performance of a specialized repertoire or area of artistic interest that will bridge the student's entry into his/her professional career.
Source: University of North Carolina School of the Arts's catalog, linked per course · table learning_unit · CourseShelf publish 61
