MUS 109
Applied Music Lessons
Equivalent to one-quarter unit for a one-half hour private lesson per week per semester. This applied music credit cannot be used to satisfy the general studies requirement. The course may be repeated. Four applied music semesters will count as one elective course. Students are expected to spend three hours per week in outside preparation and to advance according to the level of their ability. Students registering for any section of MUS 109 are automatically placed with a teacher who will contact them to arrange a lesson time. Students wishing to take lessons without academic credit must fulfill credited lesson requirements. See the department chair for details. There is also an additional music lab fee.
NOTE: A student will receive one course unit of credit after successfully completing (with a grade of C or better) four semesters of MUS 109. The grade for each semester is determined by a jury performance evaluation. This course unit is for elective credit only and cannot be used to satisfy the general studies arts requirement.
MUS 113
Rags, Rock and Rap: Popular Music and American Culture
This course explores the genesis of popular music in English-speaking North America from the colonial period to the present, with emphasis on the period beginning in the 1890s just before the breakout of jazz, to the present-day multi-billion dollar industry of rock, pop, R&B, rap/hip-hop, country, dance/electronica and the emergent world styles that also form part of the evolving contemporary American musical scene. Lectures place equal emphasis on the musical styles themselves and their social context, including the role of composers, audiences, promoters, money and music industry organizations. Lectures and discussion are enlivened by diverse music listening experiences.
MUS 115
Introduction to the Music Industry
From software to sound mixer, music management to music sales, composer to copyright administrator, advertising to attorney, teacher to technician, this course examines the many different career fields that make the music industry profitable and progressive. Each week focuses on a different area of the music business that drives performing artists to stardom—or not. Class discussion includes basic information about potential earnings, education required, job potential and personal qualifications and skills required for a career in the music industry. Guest artists and visits to music retail and manufacturing outlets augment the learning experience. Elective credit only. This course does not fulfill the general studies fine arts requirement.
MUS 120
Music Appreciation: Introduction to Western Music
This course offers an overview of Western classical musical styles, with an emphasis on the symphonic repertory and music by well-known composers such as Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Tchaikovsky. Other genres including opera, chamber music, the art song and church music are also explored. The course focuses on developing basic musical vocabulary and listening skills, skills that are also applicable to listening to and thinking about popular musical styles. The connections between music and social context are also discussed. Concert attendance and listening assignments are part of the course experience.
MUS 122
Music in World Cultures: An Introduction
A grand tour of the musical styles of the world's large culture regions: sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and the Islamic world, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, East Asia, Amerindia and the Western world. Students are introduced to basic musical concepts with emphasis on understanding musical instrument types and their characteristic sounds. Students listen to recordings of ancient and medieval folk music types of traditional rural communities (work songs, harvest songs, lullabies); the art music of the aristocratic courts (including the South Asian raga and the Western symphony); and the modern musical styles emerging in the contemporary urban and electronic age, from Chinese rock to African rap. Film viewings help students link the diverse musical sounds with social contexts. A visit from a world musician is planned each semester.
MUS 125
All That Jazz
This course covers jazz history from its obscure origins in the post-Civil War period to the present. The focus is on important instrumentalists and vocalists of the 20th century, and how they helped to create the different jazz and jazz-related styles, including: ragtime, blues, hot jazz, Dixieland, swing, bebop, cool jazz, free jazz and jazz fusion. Among the key performers and composers to be discussed are Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett. Basic concepts of jazz performance and various jazz styles are explored through independent research, listening and discussion. When possible, field trips to live jazz performances are incorporated.
MUS 126
Music and the Cinema
This is an introduction to the role of music in cinema, with emphasis on North American films between the 1930s and the present. Students learn how music aids in the creation of mood, atmosphere and characterization in films. Special topics include music in the silent film era, musicals, science fiction and horror films, the role of women as subjects and creators in modern cinema, music in the avant-garde and experimental cinema, popular music, rock and rap in film soundtracks, and music in selected non-Western film industries. Films to be discussed include classics such as Star Wars, The Godfather and Casablanca, as well as popular recent releases.
MUS 135
Introduction to Music Theory
This course is an introduction to the basic concepts and applications of music theory. Topics include pitch notation, scales, key signatures, intervals, chords and simple harmonization, and rhythmic notation. This course is designed for students with little or no musical background.
MUS 195
First-Year Seminar in Music
A discussion-based course for first-year students, this course is designed to help students explore fundamental concepts of music and how it responds to social and cultural change. Emphasis is placed on in-class listening as well as live concert performances with reactions and observations recorded in journals.
MUS 211
Theory and Aural Skills I
This course focuses on developing a foundation of basic knowledge in musical theory, tonal harmony, ear training, sight-singing and dictation. Students increase their ability to read, write and understand music according to prescribed guidelines of musical structure through skills obtained by examining and practicing the musical elements of intervals, scales, chord construction, diatonic part-writing, and melodic and rhythmic sight-singing and dictation. Prerequisite: MUS135 (may be exempted by placement exam)
MUS 212
Theory and Aural Skills II
A continuation of MUS211, this course expands upon the musical elements previously studied and includes the use of chromatics, secondary dominants, seventh and ninth chords and analysis of harmonic structure. Individual student projects are oriented towards analysis and introductory composition. The course also includes further development of aural skills introduced in the previous semester. Prerequisite: MUS211 (may be exempted by placement exam)
MUS 215
Music Business I
This course provides an overview of the music business, including the history of the recording industry, the foundations and coordination of music business systems, and the specific functions and processes involved in the operation of entertainment companies, the creation of sound recordings, in music publishing, artist management, promotion, administration, merchandising, copyright, licensing and touring. Career planning strategies are also discussed.
MUS 216
Music Business II
Music Business II explores advanced concepts of the foundational material introduced in Music Business I. Topics covered include various recording deal structures, new media, music supervision in film, TV and advertising, ticketing and venue management, sub-publishing and international markets. Students perform practical applications, such as songwriting, registering the copyright, synchronizing music to visual image, and preparing an itinerary and budget for a live performance tour. Through discussions on marketing, artist management, and record label functions, the student will be prepared to make a choice of more specialized music business courses.
Prerequisite: MUS 215 or permission of the instructor.
MUS 241
Sonic Arts: An Introduction to Electronic Music
This course combines a basic introduction to the history and the tools of electronic music, with an exploration of our own musical creativity. We begin with considerations of the nature of music and the types of sounds - both conventional and apparently "weird" sounds - that have been preferred for musical composition throughout history. The rise of a persistent and innovative musical avant-garde and the invention of electronic musical instruments, from the late 19th century to the present, will be the focus of subsequent lectures. Class lectures are combined with a practical introduction to the production of electronic music, using both digital synthesis programs and MIDI compositional environments. No specialized computer programming skills are required. Emphasis is on creative musical projects using digital media tools (including a combination of MIDI, digital synthesis, sampling and live recordings). The course includes required Electronic Music Studio lab sessions of at least 50 minutes per week per student. Enrollment is limited to eight students.
Prerequisite: MUS 216
MUS 242
Sonic Arts/Electronic Music II
A continuation of MUS 241. This course is designed for students who have already mastered the basics of digital audio design and electronic music composition. Class time is devoted to listening to and analyzing a variety of pieces of electronic music, from diverse genres (avant-garde, hip-hop, new age, dance-electronica, and others). In required lab sessions (a minimum of two hours per week, one of which is supervised lab time), students complete a variety of creative projects, including a final project of the student's own devising.
Prerequisite: MUS 241
MUS 275
Healing Affects of Music: An Introduction to Music Therapy
This course examines the beneficial effects of music on the human mind and body. Students who have an interest in the relationship between music and health will explore the varied uses of music therapy, both within and without mainstream medical practices, educational institutions, correctional facilities, senior centers and private practice. This is accomplished through a combination of course materials, guest speakers, research and field observations.
MUS 340
Music Marketing and Promotion
Music Marketing and Promotion is for students currently involved in, or thinking about getting involved in, selling music to the listening public. Lectures and projects analyze the steps involved in planning and carrying out a complete music marketing program, including packaging, pricing, store-based distribution, direct marketing, retail, promotion, live performing and managing the entire process.
MUS 342
From Demo to Distribution
This course is designed for those aspiring to a career in the music business, namely working for a record label or entertainment company. Students take part in simulating the day to day operations of a recording company, from selection of the artist through to distribution of recorded product. Students experience the process by applying their skills and interest in one of the various departments such as A & R, publicity, promotion, creative services, business affairs, administration or special markets. Through actual “one on one” contact with the artist, students learn the intricacies of music production, copyright and trademark clearance, creation of publicity and marketing tools, and the exploitation of a sound recording – taking the class-created product from original demo to distribution to the consumer.
MUS 344
Artist Management
How does the manager help the artist succeed in the music business? Through contacts and an insight into the music industry; by being prepared, realistic, flexible and persistent; and by having a strategy for the artist to make his or her own opportunities. This course introduces students to the dynamic world of music management by exploring contracts, legal issues, marketing of the artist, record companies, touring, merchandising, endorsements and sponsorships. Students select an artist to manage over the course of the semester and must prepare an Artist Career Plan, detailing short- and long-term goals along with tools to be used in the marketing plan. Through the process, the student will learn the challenges and rewards of a career in artist management.
MUS 345
Music Law and Ethics
This course serves as a foundation for later studies in entertainment and business law. Its purpose is to help "demystify" the music business and complex body of law which shapes it. In addition, the course covers various ethical issues, such as music piracy and bootlegging, copyright infringement, sampling, fair use, breach of contract and the exploitation artists. The course suggests ways in which artists can protect themselves by arming themselves with knowledge and proper representation. The course concludes with students analyzing an exclusive recording agreement.
MUS 491
Music Business Seminar and Internship
The music business seminar is a practical, off-campus work experience that requires students to participate in daily operations of a music business career. A minimum of 11 on-site hours per week is required.
Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. This course does not satisfy the general studies fine arts requirement.
