Courses

MUS 101 - Music: Imagination and Technique 4 credits An introduction to the shaping forces of music, with emphasis on developing musical imagination. Includes basics of acoustics; rhythm and pitch notation; scales; keys; triadic structures; functional harmony; form; and compositional processes. A computer is required since it replaces a printed text so that sounds can be heard. Designed for students with little or no prior musical knowledge or more advanced students interested in learning about music from the perspective of the composer. Offered every semester. CLA-Breadth/Arts

MUS 102 - Music Fundamentals 4 credits An entry level course in music theory. The course will teach music notation, scales, key signatures and basic harmony. All students will learn basic sight singing skills and perform simple melodic and rhythmic exercises periodically during the semester. CLA-Breadth/Arts

MUS 246 - Counterpoint 4 credits An exploration of contrapuntal compositional techniques, including canon, two-and three-part inventions, and the fugue. Original composition exercises will be assigned to demonstrate application of the various techniques. Prerequisite: MUS 102 or permission of the instructor. Offered spring semester in odd-numbered years.

MUS 260 - Music Composition 4 credits Applied music composition practices in the context of traditional styles of Western music up to and including the first half of the 20th century. Includes development of skills in notation, instrumentation, harmonic structures, and counterpoint. Composing and presenting at least one moderate length work and one multi-movement work is also a goal. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: MUS 101 or MUS 102. Offered every semester.

MUS 324 - Techniques of 20th- and 21st-Century Composition 4 credits A study of techniques developed in this century, applied to original composition work. Techniques derived from composers ranging from Bartok, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, and Britten to Ives, Cage, Oliveros, Glass, and Adams. Emphasizes developments since 1950, with investigation of factors leading to developing one’s own style. Composing and presenting at least one moderate-length work and one large-scale work is also a goal. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisite: MUS 228 or MUS 260. Offered spring semester.

MUS 337 - Electronic Music Composition 4 credits Focus is on original composition using electronic sound systems developed over the past half century. Procedures examined include both analog and digital synthesis techniques ranging from a classic Moog Synthesizer to FM and wave table synthesis, MIDI (Music Instruments Digital Interface), sequencing, sampling, and algorithmic control. Goals include creation and presentation of several short works together with a final substantial composition. Enrollment priority: Enrollment priority: music majors and minors. Prerequisite: MUS 260 or permission of the instructor. Signature of instructor required for registration. Offered spring semester.