MUSC: Music (Undergraduate)
This introductory course in music appreciation considers how people engage in music-making activities in various cultures. Students will learn to interpret and write about music using terms and concepts from assigned readings, and they will learn to articulate their understanding of particular musical phenomena (pieces, styles, composers or performers, instruments, performance venues, recording technologies, etc.) in social, cultural, and historical contexts. Students will learn to interpret one or more aspects of music-making as artistic or as creative process. Students will have ample opportunity to shape and direct the focus of their learning according to their own interests and purposes. This course was previously ART-221514 Exploring the World of Music.
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
Introduction to Guitar and Guitar Music is designed to introduce students to the instrument of guitar and the music associated with it from a historical, as well as a practical, perspective. We will also explore the mechanical aspects of guitar construction as it evolved over the centuries by considering various materials such as wood, metal, bone, glue, synthetics, and strings, and we’ll look at the building techniques/tools of luthiers (guitar-builders).
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
In this course, the student will develop an understanding of Western music in an historical context from antiquity through the late seventeenth century. The student will learn about the elements of music, become knowledgeable about musical works and composers in an historical context, and investigate various musical styles and forms. The study will include listening assignments in conjunction with the readings. The student will acquire a vocabulary for speaking about music, gain an historical understanding of the roles music plays in Western culture and society, and develop an appreciation for music as a discipline and as an art.
Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
In this course, the student will develop an understanding of Western music in an historical context from the early eighteenth century to the end of the twentieth century. The student will learn about the elements of music, become knowledgeable about musical works and composers in an historical context, and investigate various musical styles and forms. The study will include listening assignments in conjunction with the readings. The student will acquire a vocabulary for speaking about music, gain an historical understanding of the roles music plays in Western culture and society, and develop an appreciation for music as a discipline and as an art.
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Music (MUSC). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.
This course is a practical investigation of the song writer's craft. Work by master song writers will be analyzed and used as models for student work. The student will develop lyrics and/or music for songs in one or more genres. Students will present their completed songs at the end of the term. Note: Students may take either the introductory or advanced version of this course, but not both.
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Music (MUSC). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.
This advanced level course is an investigation of the songwriter’s craft. Works by master songwriters will be analyzed and used as models for student work. The student will write lyrics and/or compose music for songs in one or more genres. Students will be engaged in the creative process directly while also acquiring a broader understanding of the theory, history, and aesthetic principles of songwriting. Note: Students can take either the introductory or advanced version of this course, but not both.
Attributes: *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
From disco to country, hip-hop to jazz, classical to gospel, Americans have adopted, adapted, appropriated, developed, and invented many musical traditions, genres, and institutions. In this course, students will sample some of the vast diversity of American music. Each student will also explore in some depth a particular area of American music of their own interest (such as an artist, genre, performance, practice, or issue). Students taking this course should have advanced level reading, writing and research skills. This course was previously ART-223414 American Popular Music in the Twentieth Century.
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
This course will explore children's music and its effect on child development, from nursery rhymes to lullabies and story songs. The main objective of this study is for students to discover the joy and benefits of children’s participation in music, whether it be singing, clapping, rhyming, or playing an instrument. Students will also engage in developing strategies for sharing music with children, using creativity and child participation.
Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
This course is an exploration of popular music in relation to social movements and cultural change, primarily in the United States, from the early decades of the twentieth century to the present. We will consider the importance of music and song in modern American culture, focusing on songs that have contributed to the development of labor, civil rights, peace, and feminist movements. Students will learn about musical artists who have emerged as voices of opposition, articulating issues of race, class, and gender. Throughout, we will examine the tensions between the music of activism and its production and consumption. (Students should take either the introductory or advanced version of this course but not both.)
Cross-listed with ARTP 3035.
Attributes: American History Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, *The Arts Gen Ed, *US History & Civ Engmt Gen Ed, Liberal
This course is an advanced level investigation of topics in world music and culture identified with one or more of the following geographical areas: South America and Mexico, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Canada, and the U.S. Prerequisites for advanced level credit include prior training and/or expertise in some aspect of music.
Attributes: Liberal
What is music and why does it matter? How and why do different musics matter differently to different people, and powerfully so? How might our own experiences with listening to music or making music inform our understanding of music's relevance to and importance in human life and culture? In this course, students will read, think, and write about music in philosophical ways, with ample opportunity to shape questions, ideas, and arguments in relation to their own musical experiences, interests, and preferences.
Cross-listed with PHIL 3015.
Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, *Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal
This research-based study in Western Music is for advanced students. Student projects will focus on analyzing and writing about musical works in an historical context. Students should have taken at least one music history study and/or experiential knowledge of Western Music.
Attributes: Liberal
This is a special topics course in music.
Attributes: Liberal
Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Music (MUSC). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.
This course investigates cultural theory, philosophy, and aesthetic practices as they pertain to the history of music from the early twentieth century to the present. We will explore works by influential composers in a social and cultural context. The impact of technology on music composition, production, and consumption will be examined. Students should have a background in some aspect of music together with upper-level critical thinking and writing skills.
Attributes: *The Arts Gen Ed, Liberal
This research-based study in Western Music is for advanced students. Student projects will focus on analyzing and writing about musical works in an historical context. Prerequisites include at least one music history study and/or experiential knowledge of Western Music.
Attributes: Liberal
Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Music (MUSC). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.