Summer Session

MUS 101: Intro/Western Classical Music

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: D SBC: ARTS

An introduction to music of the Western classical tradition. This course covers basic concepts and vocabulary such as melody, harmony, rhythm, counterpoint, and form, as well as particular pieces of Western classical music. Various compositions and genres are considered in relation to the cultural and ideological values they embody, and the historical contexts in which they emerge. No previous musical training is assumed. Not for credit after MUS 130.

MUS 103: Intro to Music and the Cinema

Undergraduate 3 credits

SBC: ARTS

This course studies the history of music in cinematic productions, the basic concepts and terminology used to describe music and sound in cinema, techniques of audio-visual design, and the roles that music and sound play in the overall aesthetic effects in the cinema. The course studies music and sound in cinema from the earliest instances in the beginning of the 20th century to the most recent instances in the 21st century. No previous musical training is assumed.

MUS 105: Music Cultures of the World

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: G SBC: ARTS

An introduction to music traditions from around the world with an emphasis on political, social, and cultural aspects of music. Geographic areas are studied with attention to issues such as migration, gender, nationalism, belief, philosophy, and cosmology, as well as relationships with dance, drama, and poetry in particular music genres.

MUS 106: Intro to African Amer Music

Undergraduate 3 credits

SBC: ARTS; DIV; HUM

This course offers a broad overview of black music in the U.S., spanning from its African genesis to the contemporary era. While there is a significant historical component to this course, the focus is on critically engaging with the aesthetics, the compositional formats, and the performance methodologies of various iterations of African-American music in a way that furthers our understanding of the concept of black music in America.

MUS 109: Rock, Popular Music, & Society

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: D SBC: ARTS

A study of rock and related popular musical traditions in the United States. The music is investigated through consideration of its: 1) musical constituents (rhythm, form, pitch structure, instrumental texture, and vocal style), 2) historical development, beginning with its roots in earlier folk and popular styles through to the present, and 3) social meanings, uses, and ramifications.

MUS 119: Elements of Music

Undergraduate 3 credits

DEC: D SBC: ARTS

Beginning with the rudiments of music, such as meter, tempo, rhythm, and how to read notes in several clefs, this "hands on" course goes on to examine how music is organized, covering scales, keys, intervals, chords, form, and style in classical music. Students also compose throughout the semester and sharpen their listening skills through attendance at concerts. Serves as prerequisite to many music department courses.

MUS 300: Music, Technol, & Digital Cult

Undergraduate 3 credits

Advisory Prerequisite: MUS 101, 103, 105, 109, 119, 130, or equivalent musical experience

DEC: H SBC: STAS

Study of the interactions between music, technology, and culture in popular and concert music since World War I. Issues of production, distribution, and reception, involving such topics as the impact of radio on composition in the 1920s and 1930s, early synthesizers, and the rise of electronic music, digital sampling and DJs, the MP3 phenomenon, cross-cultural borrowings, gender and technology, the internet, interactivity, and new models of consumption. Not for major credit.

MUS 308: History of Jazz

Undergraduate 3 credits

Advisory Prerequisite: MUS 101, 103, 105, 109, 119, 130, or equivalent musical experience

DEC: K SBC: HFA+; USA

Historical study of the origins, evolution, and influence of jazz, a musical art form originating in and evolving with the experiences of black Americans. Examination of styles, figures, and places connected to jazz, from Louis Armstrong in New Orleans to Billie Holiday in New York to Kendrick Lamar in Los Angeles. Consideration of central issues including improvisation, commercialization, race, and gender. Not for music major credit.

MUS 320: U.S. Popular Music

Undergraduate 3 credits

Advisory Prerequisite: MUS 101, 103, 105, 109, 119, 130, or equivalent musical experience

DEC: G SBC: HFA+; USA

The study of popular music in the United States. Topics may include popular music in the U.S. since 1945; American popular music of colonial times; and American musical theatre. The course explores such aspects as musical structure and form, the nature of the commercial music industry, and how issues of gender, race, geography, economics, and technology affect the creation, performance, and reception of popular music. Not for music major credit.