Course Descriptions
Music
MUSI 70 - Wind Symphony
The Macalester Wind Ensemble performs music in a wide variety of styles, from as early as the 17th century to the classics of band literature, to music composed within the last few years. It is open without audition to wind and percussion students with at least high-school level performance skills.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 71 - Wind Symphony
The Macalester Wind Ensemble performs music in a wide variety of styles, from as early as the 17th century to the classics of band literature, to music composed within the last few years. It is open without audition to wind and percussion students with at least high-school level performance skills.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 72 - African Music Ensemble
Study of traditional African music through performance modes of drumming, singing, flutes, marimba, gyil, and dancing. Instrumental and vocal pieces will be selected from a variety of musical styles such as unaccompanied vocal chants, songs, music from life cycle events, royal music and music for social and other festive occasions. The repertoire includes music from Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 73 - African Music Ensemble
Study of traditional African music through performance modes of drumming, singing, flutes, marimba, gyil, and dancing. Instrumental and vocal pieces will be selected from a variety of musical styles such as unaccompanied vocal chants, songs, music from life cycle events, royal music and music for social and other festive occasions. The repertoire includes music from Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 74 - Macalester Concert Choir
The Concert Choir is the advanced, select vocal ensemble of Macalester College, directed by Michael McGaghie. Members are held to an exceptional standard of musicianship and commitment. The choir draws its repertoire from music of the last six centuries and tours annually through the United States or abroad. The ensemble commissions and premieres at least one new work every year. Membership is open to all Macalester students by audition. Three 90-minute rehearsals per week.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 75 - Macalester Concert Choir
The Concert Choir is the advanced, select vocal ensemble of Macalester College, directed by Michael McGaghie. Members are held to an exceptional standard of musicianship and commitment. The choir draws its repertoire from music of the last six centuries and tours annually through the United States or abroad. The ensemble commissions and premieres at least one new work every year. Membership is open to all Macalester students by audition. Three 90-minute rehearsals per week.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 76 - Macalester Chorale
The Chorale is the large choral ensemble of Macalester College, directed by Michael McGaghie. The choir's repertoire includes a cappella and accompanied music from various Western and non-Western vocal traditions. The Chorale and Concert Choir combine annually to perform a major work with orchestra. Membership is open to all Macalester students by audition. Two 90-minute rehearsals per week.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 77 - Macalester Chorale
The Chorale is the large choral ensemble of Macalester College, directed by Michael McGaghie. The choir's repertoire includes a cappella and accompanied music from various Western and non-Western vocal traditions. The Chorale and Concert Choir combine annually to perform a major work with orchestra. Membership is open to all Macalester students by audition. Two 90-minute rehearsals per week.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 78 - Asian Music Ensemble
The Macalester Asian Music Ensemble performs chamber genres and repertoires from across Asia. Students may choose to specialize in one or more of the music traditions represented by the department's instrument collections and faculty expertise. These include, but are not limited to, Javanese gamelan, East and Southeast Asian chamber instrumental music, as well as Indian, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian traditions. We perform two major concerts (fall and spring) every academic year, and take part in a number of College and outside events and performances.
MUSI 79 - Asian Music Ensemble
The Macalester Asian Music Ensemble performs chamber genres and repertoires from across Asia. Students may choose to specialize in one or more of the music traditions represented by the department's instrument collections and faculty expertise. These include, but are not limited to, Javanese gamelan, East and Southeast Asian chamber instrumental music, as well as Indian, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian traditions. We perform two major concerts (fall and spring) every academic year, and take part in a number of College and outside events and performances.
MUSI 80 - Mac Jazz Band
MUSI 81 - Mac Jazz Band
MUSI 82 - Jazz/Popular Music Combos
Jazz and Popular Music Combos are open to all who wish to concentrate on repertoire, improvisation and original music. Students will focus on developing their composition and performance skills while exploring many different styles of contemporary music. The combos present two concerts each year.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 83 - Jazz/Popular Music Combos
Jazz and Popular Music Combos are open to all who wish to concentrate on repertoire, improvisation and original music. Students will focus on developing their composition and performance skills while exploring many different styles of contemporary music. The combos present two concerts each year.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 84 - Pipe Band
Bagpipe and highland drum lessons are available free of charge to all students. Beginners and musicians of any experience level are encouraged to participate in lessons and/or ensemble. We perform traditional and modern music at concert and competitions.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 85 - Pipe Band
Bagpipe and highland drum lessons are available free of charge to all students. Beginners and musicians of any experience level are encouraged to participate in lessons and/or ensemble. We perform traditional and modern music at concert and competitions.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 86 - Chamber Ensemble
The Chamber Music program offers an opportunity for students to explore and perform repertoire for small ensembles. All instrumentalists and vocalists are eligible to participate and entrance is by audition or by arrangement with Mr. Mandarano. Students who are accepted into Chamber Music are placed in various ensembles and over the course of the semester immerse themselves in learning a challenging and varied repertoire. Rehearsal times are arranged based on schedule availability and individual practice is required. Ensembles receive periodic coaching from department faculty or professional studio instructors and there is least one performance required per semester. Examples of chamber ensemble include: string quartet, piano trio, woodwind quintet, brass sextet, piano trio, flute and clarinet choirs.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 87 - Chamber Ensemble
The Chamber Music program offers an opportunity for students to explore and perform repertoire for small ensembles. All instrumentalists and vocalists are eligible to participate and entrance is by audition or by arrangement with Mr. Mandarano. Students who are accepted into Chamber Music are placed in various ensembles and over the course of the semester immerse themselves in learning a challenging and varied repertoire. Rehearsal times are arranged based on schedule availability and individual practice is required. Ensembles receive periodic coaching from department faculty or professional studio instructors and there is least one performance required per semester. Examples of chamber ensemble include: string quartet, piano trio, woodwind quintet, brass sextet, piano trio, flute and clarinet choirs.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 88 - Macalester Symphony Orchestra
The Macalester Symphony Orchestra prepares and performs a wide range of repertoire for symphony orchestra from the time of Bach to the present day, including the music of living composers. Playing in the orchestra blends individual and group achievement to build toward several challenging, rewarding performances each semester. Social interaction among the members of the orchestra is facilitated by various events, including orchestra dinners and a brief tour. In the spring semester, there is a concerto competition concert, featuring student soloists. Auditions for orchestra are held at the start of the fall semester. Space permitting, a limited number of students may be able to join at the start of the spring semester.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 89 - Macalester Symphony Orchestra
The Macalester Symphony Orchestra prepares and performs a wide range of repertoire for symphony orchestra from the time of Bach to the present day, including the music of living composers. Playing in the orchestra blends individual and group achievement to build toward several challenging, rewarding performances each semester. Social interaction among the members of the orchestra is facilitated by various events, including orchestra dinners and a brief tour. In the spring semester, there is a concerto competition concert, featuring student soloists. Auditions for orchestra are held at the start of the fall semester. Space permitting, a limited number of students may be able to join at the start of the spring semester.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 90 - Mac Early Music Ensemble
Historical performance has changed the aesthetic and musical experiences of audiences all over the world. The new ways to interpret music before 1750 has changed the way the audiences listen to this kind of music. Macalester Early Music Ensemble approaches instrumental and vocal music from Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque period. No audition needed.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 91 - Mac Early Music Ensemble
Historical performance has changed the aesthetic and musical experiences of audiences all over the world. The new ways to interpret music before 1750 has changed the way the audiences listen to this kind of music. Macalester Early Music Ensemble approaches instrumental and vocal music from Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque period. No audition needed.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 92 - Other Ensembles
MUSI 93 - Other Ensembles
MUSI 94 - Private Studio Instruction
MUSI 95 - Private Studio Instruction
MUSI 98 - Keyboard Skills
Development of keyboard (piano) technique and performance/analytical skills complementary both to the music theory curriculum and the general study of music. Technical foundations and repertoire study. 1 credit awarded upon successful completion of the semester. May be repeated for credit.
Frequency: Every semester
MUSI 99 - Piano Proficiency Exam
MUSI 110 - Introduction to Western Classical Music
This course offers a systematic exploration of Western Art Music, commonly referred to as
"Classical Music." We focus specifically on pivotal composers and their representative works
from the late Baroque era to the present. By analyzing and comparing their compositions,
students will gain insights into the creative processes and artistic pursuits within their historical
and social contexts, thereby enhancing their ability to appreciate music more efficiently and
professionally. This course is not merely a music history or theory class but a combination of
both, achieved through active listening. The goal of learning in this course is to open a gateway
for students to explore classical concert music from various eras, styles, and genres. Students are
encouraged to listen to more music, think more actively, and ask questions. This approach aims
to deepen their understanding and appreciation of classical music, fostering a proactive and
inquisitive mindset toward musical exploration.
"Classical Music." We focus specifically on pivotal composers and their representative works
from the late Baroque era to the present. By analyzing and comparing their compositions,
students will gain insights into the creative processes and artistic pursuits within their historical
and social contexts, thereby enhancing their ability to appreciate music more efficiently and
professionally. This course is not merely a music history or theory class but a combination of
both, achieved through active listening. The goal of learning in this course is to open a gateway
for students to explore classical concert music from various eras, styles, and genres. Students are
encouraged to listen to more music, think more actively, and ask questions. This approach aims
to deepen their understanding and appreciation of classical music, fostering a proactive and
inquisitive mindset toward musical exploration.
Frequency: Spring semester.
MUSI 111 - World Music
This course surveys traditional, folk, and pop genres from major musical traditions in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. We approach music as both aesthetic and social processes, and explore the relationship between music making and other domains of human experience. Students will develop basic skills in critical listening, analysis, and writing about music. Course readings and audiovisual examples are designed primarily for non-music majors or minors. Previous knowledge of musical instrument or notation is not required.
MUSI 113 - Musicianship
In this course, students will learn the basics of Western staff notation and explore melody, harmony, texture, and rhythm & meter in European classical music, as well as some other tonal genres, including pop, rock, and folk. Students will apply knowledge in written and online exercises, analysis activities, and music composition. In addition, students will learn how to convert sound into notation and notation into sound through ear training activities, including aural exercises, dictation, and sight singing.
Frequency: Every semester.
MUSI 131 - African Music
Study of music in various African traditions within a social and historical context. Interrelationships between music and society (function, context, structure, gender roles, political considerations). Instruments, life-cycle rites, genres, musical organizations, traditional musicians, contemporary popular music.
Frequency: Fall semester.
MUSI 153 - Electronic Music
Electronic music composition explores the art of creating experimental sound compositions using analog and digital technology. Although we will survey the historical development of electronic music, the emphasis of the class is on composition, including multi-media and experimental work. The class format includes listening, discussion, lab sessions and a final concert showcasing works created throughout the semester.
MUSI 154 - Songwriting
In this course, students will (1) learn and improve songwriting skills, with equal emphasis on lyrics and musical content, (2) embrace vulnerability and risk taking in their creative practice, (3) develop a consistent, daily practice of creative engagement, (4) engage with the local music community in the Twin Cities, and (5) become more familiar with music business practices related to songwriting. This course is run as a practical, hands-on workshop where all participants take turns sharing and critiquing each other's creative work, in a welcoming and encouraging environment. Experience needed to succeed in the class includes the ability to sing and play an accompanying instrument, such as guitar, ukulele, or piano.
Frequency: Every other year.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
MUSI 155 - Music and Freedom
The concept of freedom both lies at the heart of human rights discourse and provides the spark that ignites any number of musical movements. Intended for students with strong interests in the intersection between the performing arts and humanities, this course serves as an introduction both to the concept of freedom as it developed in Western societies since the late eighteenth century and to the history of music in the cultures that have fostered such ideals. It intends to introduce students to the study of music (and, by association, arts in general) from social, cultural, and critical perspectives, using the framework of freedom as a common theme. It also aims to contextualize the discourse of human rights within the history of arts and ideas, providing students with a a sense of the term's changing meanings and emphases over time and across space. We will explore traditions in both Western art music (also known as "classical music") and the American popular (recorded) music in a search for ways in which music has served social-political ideologies - overtly through the aims of its composers and performers, and unintentionally through the conditions of its reception. Historical readings on the concept of freedom from a variety of disciplinary perspectives (history, philosophy, political science, critical theory) will introduce students to several of the most influential thinkers on the subject and the central concerns and questions that animate the discourse on freedom. No prior background in music is required for the course, although it is assumed that students will have a true interest not only in popular music of the twentieth century but also other traditions and genres, such as opera and symphonic music. "Freedom" signifies a number of ideals, which operate in real-political and abstract-aesthetic realms. Music can represent, convey, and "mean" freedom in infinite ways, and it is the intention of this course to introduce students to this diversity.
MUSI 180 - Music, Race, and Ethnicity
This course examines issues of race and ethnicity in the history and performance of music across world cultures. Students develop an awareness of how racial and ethnic processes are ingrained in the production and consumption of musical sound. Assignments include critical listening, reading, class discussion, and writing projects. Previous knowledge of musical instrument or notation is not assumed.
Frequency: Alternate years.
MUSI 194 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
MUSI 205 - Chinese and Sinophone Music
This course explores the multitude of music as practiced and listened to among Chinese-identifying communities by closely studying selected genres, musicians, and styles in various temporal and geographical localities. Course contents cover the musical procedures and performance practices of such genres as operas, chamber instrumental music, folk singing, pop and jazz, film and theatrical music, modern concert repertoire, as well as ancient court and ritual music.
Frequency: Offered periodically.
Prerequisite(s): No prior knowledge of musical instrument, notation, or Chinese languages is assumed
Cross-Listed as: ASIA 205
MUSI 211 - World Music Theory and Analysis
This course is designed primarily for music majors, music minors, and students with previous music background. We study the organization of musical sounds in selected traditions across the world through the development of analytical skills. Music theory is approached here "not as a codification of Western harmonic practice, but as symbolic systems for conveying musical knowledge" (Roeder 2011). Course materials also examine the discourse of "world music" against the changing ideas of musical otherness. The ability to read staff notation is preferred.
Frequency: Every year.
MUSI 214 - Advanced Musicianship
In this course, students will study chromatic harmony based in European classical and romantic music and some popular musical genres and learn about some common large-scale form designs, such as binary, ternary, song form, and forms associated with pop & rock music. Students will apply knowledge in written and online exercises, analysis activities, and music composition. In addition, students will develop skills in converting sound into notation and notation into sound through ear training activities, including aural exercises, dictation, and sight singing.
Frequency: Spring semester.
Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113
MUSI 220 - Language and Music
Language and music are two uniquely human enterprises with a number of parallels: both rely on sound and convention, display hierarchical organization and culturally-specific practices, and can convey both communicative and social meaning. This course examines the intersection of language and music from a linguistic perspective. We will engage with questions such as: How can syntax, phonology, and morphology change between spoken and sung language? How do speakers of tone languages understand lyrics in sung melodies? Is hip hop different in different languages? What does it mean to study melody and rhythm in speech? Can music help people learn languages? How do drum- and whistle-languages work? How does music contribute to language revitalization? No musical ability is required.
Frequency: Offered periodically.
Cross-Listed as: LING 220
MUSI 225 - Musical Fictions
From E. M. Forster's Lucy Honeychurch, who "entered into a more solid world when she opened the piano," to James Baldwin's Sonny, who "moved in an atmosphere which wasn't like theirs at all," fictional musicians encounter trouble when negotiating the conflicting realms of art and society. Experts in one kind of expression, they fail in others. What draws these characters to music? What does it offer them? What is its value to us? In the musical novel and short story, we encounter music as an agent of violence, of consolation, of transcendence and redemption as well as damnation. We witness empathy through music, but we also learn that shared feeling can be both beautiful and dangerous, that music unites and divides. This course combines the close reading of literary texts (as well as works of literary theory and musicology) with the examination of the musical contexts that inform and inspire them. We will explore, for example, the relationship between Kazuo Ishiguro's novel The Unconsoled and Richard Wagner's music drama Parsifal. We will talk about syncopation in "jazz" by Charles Mingus and Toni Morrison. We will watch Marguerite Duras and Katherine Mansfield turn innocuous music lessons into spaces of wretchedness. We will try to understand what David Mitchell's young composer Robert Frobisher means when he says, "One writes music because winter is eternal and because, if one didn't, the wolves and blizzards would be at one's throat all the sooner."
Frequency: Alternate years.
Cross-Listed as: ENGL 225
MUSI 233 - Musical Architectures
Analysis of musical structures: the "architectural" assemblage of music into formal, harmonic, and temporal units; how these units evolved into standard models; and the endless variation within and among these models. Repertoire will be wide-ranging and include classical, jazz, and popular music.
Frequency: Fall semester.
Prerequisite(s): MUSI 214
MUSI 254 - Cover Songs
In this course, we explore recorded music since the 1950s, through the lens of musical borrowing, specifically cover song recordings. To this end, students will (1) examine cover versions of previously recorded songs and how the intersection of gender, sexuality, race, class, and genre through changing socio-historical and cultural contexts can shape different meanings listeners ascribe to the songs, (2) explore how artists covering other people's songs can emulate, pay homage to, comment upon, subvert meanings of, and create parodies of previously recorded works, (3) investigate and interrogate meanings around the concept of authenticity and its role in music criticism, and (4) apply basic musical analysis and transcription skills to aid the understanding of musical processes at play in various cover song recordings.
Frequency: Every other year.
MUSI 264 - History of Jazz
This course surveys the rich history and development of jazz music and its associated culture. A thorough exploration of jazz's principal artists and style periods will be undertaken, along with related studies of race and conflict, gender, geography, and African-American cultural values. A particular emphasis is placed on listening; students will become familiar by ear with a wide variety of jazz repertoire, artists, and styles.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
MUSI 294 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
MUSI 315 - A Song of Love and Death: Opera in History
This course provides a critical and historical introduction to opera from the early eighteenth century to the present. No background in music is required: the course is meant to serve students wanting a first experience with the art form as well as those who come with some experience and wish to deepen their engagement. If you've ever been curious about what all the fuss is about opera, this course is for you! We will occasionally look at musical scores, but students without skills in reading Western musical notation may succeed in the course by focusing on other aspects of opera (e.g. the text of the opera and its source material, performance and staging, critical reception history) in their written work. Along with the close study of individual operas on a variety of subjects--myth and legend, politics and religion, the bourgeois center and its margins--we will read critical commentary that contextualizes these artworks within the history of ideas. We will be interested above all in the ways in which opera tells us what it sounds like, and feels like, to be human.
Frequency: Alternate years.
MUSI 342 - Sacred, Secular, Sublime: Music and Meaning in Europe, 1300-1800
What is involved in claims that music, even music without words, can "express" things, "mean" things, be "about" things? Where did the desire to conceive of music as representation come from, when and where did it emerge historically, and what political, ideological, and aesthetic paradigms does such an idea reflect, reinforce, or reject? In this course, we will trace music's developing sense of autonomy, its changing relationship with words and its eventual freedom from them, from the Middle Ages through the late eighteenth century. We will look closely into musical works in the primary genres of European music in the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical eras: mass, motet, madrigal, variation, suite, opera, concerto, symphony. As such, we will engage with modal and tonal repertories, as well as music that exists in the space in between those fixed categories. Course readings in musicology, critical theory, and history will provide a framework for understanding how these repertories responded to changes in intellectual and political life, bringing about profound transformations in what people (composers and performers, patrons and audiences, critics and philosophers) believed music was for and what it could do, what it could say without saying. If in the European Medieval imagination music was fundamentally an adornment of the Word, by the end of the eighteenth century, its powers of signification had developed to the point where commentators would feel justified in claiming that some pieces of music were "about music itself." In this course, we trace that story, in sounds and in words.
Frequency: Every year.
Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113 or permission of instructor.
MUSI 343 - Romanticism and Nationalism
This course explores music of the European nineteenth century from two perspectives that together define the era. Romanticism is an aesthetic orientation that pits itself against Enlightenment and Classicism. Unlike the refined music of the eighteenth century, Romantic music (piano music, operas, even symphonies) sold itself to bourgeois audiences as wild, tuned to the supernatural, the transcendent, touched by madness, intoxicated by drugs, obsessed with sex. Meanwhile, these same cultural consumers, the bourgeoisie, were driven to identify themselves as national subjects, citizens of unique and independent cultural and political nations. National music sold itself as an expression of the spirit of a language community. In class, guided by listening and reading assignments, we will discuss the ways in which these two framing ideas shaped musical composition, performance, and audience listening habits, leading to changes in the way music was discussed in philosophical and political discourse.
Frequency: Every year.
Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113 or permission of instructor.
MUSI 344 - Musical Modernism
This course delves into the evolution of musical modernism, focusing on how contemporary
composers globally, after the 20th century, explore and manipulate musical parameters. We will
examine how these sound-explorers push the boundaries of musical elements in composition,
analyzing cases that employ innovative techniques to reshape our understanding of these
elements. Students will engage in independent research, investigating various acoustic and
electronic idioms, while embracing a wide array of musical practices, instruments, concepts,
compositional philosophies, and cultural traditions. The course aims to foster a deep appreciation
of modern musical innovations and includes practices and examination of score study. By
studying case by case and musical elements by elements, students are encouraged to contribute
their own interpretations and creative explorations, examining the musical frameworks of
Western contemporary music composed by composers whose roots are in both Western and
Eastern traditions.
composers globally, after the 20th century, explore and manipulate musical parameters. We will
examine how these sound-explorers push the boundaries of musical elements in composition,
analyzing cases that employ innovative techniques to reshape our understanding of these
elements. Students will engage in independent research, investigating various acoustic and
electronic idioms, while embracing a wide array of musical practices, instruments, concepts,
compositional philosophies, and cultural traditions. The course aims to foster a deep appreciation
of modern musical innovations and includes practices and examination of score study. By
studying case by case and musical elements by elements, students are encouraged to contribute
their own interpretations and creative explorations, examining the musical frameworks of
Western contemporary music composed by composers whose roots are in both Western and
Eastern traditions.
Frequency: Spring semester.
Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113
MUSI 354 - Gender and Music
In this course, students will explore how gender is constructed in a variety of American and European musical styles and contexts, with an emphasis on popular genres. Learning objectives include for students to: (1) better understand the intersectional ways in which gender relates to and is informed by other aspects of identity formation, including class, race, and sexuality, (2) investigate issues that have affected women's participation in musical life, such as musical canons, gendered musical discourse, and gender stereotypes, (3) explore contributions of trans and non-binary musicians, as well as issues that affect their musical lives, (4) interrogate constructions of gender, masculinity, and femininity as they relate to music, and (5) to develop reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and argumentative writing skills.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
Cross-Listed as: WGSS 354
MUSI 361 - Composition
This course is designed to provide students with the fundamental tools for composing expressive
and cohesive concert music. Through a combination of lectures, individual lessons, seminars,
instrumental workshops, group projects, reading sessions, guest lectures, and a final recital,
students will engage with diverse teaching formats that foster both technical mastery and creative
exploration. The curriculum emphasizes the analysis and application of compositional
techniques, spanning from traditional to contemporary styles. Students will be encouraged to
conduct independent research and explore their own compositions, working with both acoustic
and electronic idioms. The course embraces a wide array of musical techniques, instruments,
styles, and genres based on Eastern and Western practices and traditions, allowing students to
develop a broad understanding of music's diverse possibilities. Furthermore, students will have
opportunities to engage with the global music community through guest lectures, reading
sessions, and masterclasses. These experiences enrich the learning process and prepare students
to contribute to the wider musical landscape.
By the end of the course, students will have developed the skills necessary to transform their
musical ideas into complete, professionally notated works and will have enriched their portfolios
with polished compositions and recorded performances.
and cohesive concert music. Through a combination of lectures, individual lessons, seminars,
instrumental workshops, group projects, reading sessions, guest lectures, and a final recital,
students will engage with diverse teaching formats that foster both technical mastery and creative
exploration. The curriculum emphasizes the analysis and application of compositional
techniques, spanning from traditional to contemporary styles. Students will be encouraged to
conduct independent research and explore their own compositions, working with both acoustic
and electronic idioms. The course embraces a wide array of musical techniques, instruments,
styles, and genres based on Eastern and Western practices and traditions, allowing students to
develop a broad understanding of music's diverse possibilities. Furthermore, students will have
opportunities to engage with the global music community through guest lectures, reading
sessions, and masterclasses. These experiences enrich the learning process and prepare students
to contribute to the wider musical landscape.
By the end of the course, students will have developed the skills necessary to transform their
musical ideas into complete, professionally notated works and will have enriched their portfolios
with polished compositions and recorded performances.
Frequency: Once a year.
Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113 or permission of the instructor.
MUSI 370 - Conducting
Emphasizes basic techniques, including beat patterns, baton techniques, score preparation and rehearsal techniques.
Frequency: Alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor.
MUSI 394 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
MUSI 405 - Ethnomusicology
This course introduces students to the field of ethnomusicology through its philosophical foundation, theoretical models, and disciplinary practices. Topics include comparative approach, structuralist/functionalist models, cultural relativism, organology, bi-musicality, reflexivity, post/modernism, among other recent research directions. Assignments are designed to develop skills in musical fieldwork, transcription and analysis, as well as preparing and presenting scholarly findings in ethnographic disciplines. This course is aimed primarily for students of music and/or anthropology.
Frequency: Offered occasionally.
Prerequisite(s): Basic knowledge or experience in world music and performance recommended.
Cross-Listed as: ANTH 405
MUSI 425 - Late Beethoven and Critical Musicology
In this course, we will combine the close study of Ludwig van Beethoven's late works, composed two hundred years ago, with the close reading of contemporary critical writing about this music. The course intends to deepen students' experience with Beethoven's music and provide an introduction to the discipline of critical musicology. The musical works we will examine include piano sonatas, string quartets, symphonies, and a setting of the Catholic (Latin) Mass. Our reading will consider these works from aesthetic, phenomenological, ethical, theological, and other critical perspectives. Our questions will include: Does this music put forth a vision of a unified, coherent experience, or an alienated, fractured one? To what extent is this music affirmative, oppositional, critical? How does late Beethoven's musical language engage with the ideologies of Enlightenment and Romanticism? How might we characterize the ethical dimension of Beethoven's late work? What is the role of biography in our engagement with these (and any) artworks? How might we speak of the status of Beethoven's music today, in senses that include but also extend beyond its value as a commodity?
Frequency: Offered alternate years.
Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113 or permission of instructor.
MUSI 488 - Senior Project
Intensive guided preparation for the presentation of a project involving recital performance, composition and/or music research.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
MUSI 494 - Topics Course
Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing.
MUSI 601 - Tutorial
Tutorials are available for advanced study. Typical areas include counterpoint, composition, advanced choral or instrumental conducting, orchestration, and research. See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
MUSI 602 - Tutorial
Tutorials are available for advanced study. Typical areas include counterpoint, composition, advanced choral or instrumental conducting, orchestration, and research. See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
MUSI 603 - Tutorial
Tutorials are available for advanced study. Typical areas include counterpoint, composition, advanced choral or instrumental conducting, orchestration, and research. See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
MUSI 604 - Tutorial
Tutorials are available for advanced study. Typical areas include counterpoint, composition, advanced choral or instrumental conducting, orchestration, and research. See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
MUSI 611 - Independent Project
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
MUSI 612 - Independent Project
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
MUSI 613 - Independent Project
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
MUSI 614 - Independent Project
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair.
MUSI 621 - Internship
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
MUSI 622 - Internship
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
MUSI 623 - Internship
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
MUSI 624 - Internship
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office.
MUSI 631 - Preceptorship
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
MUSI 632 - Preceptorship
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
MUSI 633 - Preceptorship
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.
MUSI 634 - Preceptorship
See the Independent Study section of this catalog.
Frequency: Every semester.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs.