Upcoming Events
The Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble
Dick Forman, director
Saturday, May 5, 8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
La serva padrona (The Servant Turned Mistress) by Giovanni Pergolesi. featuring Julianne Wieboldt ’14 and Nathaniel Rothrock ’13
Sunday, May 6, 3:00 pm
Concert Hall, Mahaney Center for the Arts
Photos & movies of some Music Dept. Events
Courses
Courses offered in the past four years.
▲ indicates offered in the current term
▹ indicates offered in the upcoming term[s]
MUSC 0101 - Introduction to Western Music
Introduction to Western Music
This course is designed to introduce students to the music created by the men and women of Western civilization. The styles and genres of art music from the Middle Ages to the present will be a focus for the course. The relationship of music to society, historical context, and the other arts will also be examined. Music reading skills are not required. 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Fall 2008, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011
MUSC 0102 - Concert Experience ▲
The Concert Experience
Music exists primarily in performance. In this course we will attend various performances and use them as a vehicle for studying the history, form, and social role of the music. While western classical music will be at the center of class activities, we will also explore other musical styles for comparison and try to understand how concert presentation reflects the cultural context and musical meaning of a particular musical style. Attendance at the concerts involved is mandatory. 3 hrs lect.
Spring 2012
MUSC 0130 - Topics in Music ▲ ▹
Topic is determined by the instructor - refer to section for the course description.
ARTSpring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0131 - Everything a cappella
Everything a cappella! Unaccompanied Vocal Music, Medieval to Modern
The phenomenon of the a cappella group is, surprisingly enough, not one that developed on New England's liberal arts college campuses. From royal court entertainment to a few guys on the corner, vocal ensembles have sung about the important things in life for several centuries. In this course we will explore music for unaccompanied vocal groups of different time periods, places and cultures. Students will listen to, study, and experience a cappella music to develop understanding about its inspiration, function, and performance. Why voices-only, and why is a cappella always "in"? (Music reading ability is helpful but not required.) 3 hrs lect./disc.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010
MUSC 0134 - Introduction to World Music ▲
Introduction to Music in World Cultures
In this course we will survey traditional and popular musics of Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America with the goal of understanding non-Western music as sound and as culture. Since this is an introductory course, we will review fundamentals of music theory and use them as a framework for analyzing world music and exploring its cultural importance. We will discuss assigned readings, listen to and analyze musical works, view and study video recordings, and participate in necessary hands-on activities. Through these activities, students will acquire knowledge of non-Western music and develop an understanding how to relate it to universal sociocultural issues.
Spring 2012
MUSC 0160 - Music Theory I: Fundamentals ▲ ▹
Music Theory I: Fundamentals
This course is an introduction to the basic elements and theoretical concepts of Western music. We will focus on such topics as basic keyboard skills, sight singing, musical notation, rhythm, and harmony. Theoretical work and drills will be combined with compositional and performance projects. The goal of the course is to expand students’ musical intuition and skill and to provide the technical basis for further music study. No prior musical experience is required. (Students who wish to take upper-level composition or music theory courses must either complete this course or pass a theory and musicianship test administered by the department to demonstrate equivalent experience.) (Formerly MUSC 0109). 2 hrs. lect./1 hr. lab.
Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0205 - Performance Lab ▲ ▹
Performance Lab
Credit can be conferred for performance in faculty-supervised ensembles: Middlebury College Orchestra, Middlebury College Choir, Middlebury College/Community Choir, Middlebury College Women's Glee Club Choir, Spiritual Ensemble, Middlebury College Men's Glee Club Choir, and the Middlebury College Sound Investment Jazz Ensemble (see "Ensembles" above), one unit of such credit to accrue over two semesters (spring and fall only). The appropriate supervising faculty will give grades, based on attendance and quality of performance. A student should inform the ensemble director of intent to sign up for this course before starting, and should actually register for MUSC 0205 only the SECOND of the two terms by adding it as a fifth course. MUSC 0205 does not fulfill any major course requirements and may not be taken more than once. (Approval required)
Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0209 - Music I ▹
Music I
Music I focuses on the materials and grammar of music through compositional exercises. As part of these explorations, we will examine the elements of harmony (scales, triads and seventh chords), notation, rhythm, polyrhythm, binary and ternary forms, two-voice counterpoint, variation, transposition, as well as skills in conducting, analysis, ear-training, and sight-singing. Students will write short pieces for a variety of instruments and ensembles, notate their pieces, and rehearse and perform them, thereby learning about music through discovery and observation. The assignments are designed for students with or without compositional experience. (Ability to play an instrument or sing; MUSC 0109 or 0160, or passing score on the MUSC 0160 placement exam) 3 hrs. lect./1 hr. lab.
Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
MUSC 0210 - Music II ▹
Music II
This course is a continuation of MUSC 0209. While using the same format, including composing and labs, as in MUSC 0209, the course covers elements of modality (western and non-western), functional harmony, heterophony, fugal processes, strophic forms, melodic analysis, serial processes, and extensions of tonality and atonality. (MUSC 0209) 3 hrs. lect./1 hr. lab.
Spring 2011, Spring 2013
MUSC 0212 - Electronic Music ▹
History, Theory, and Practice of Electronic Music
This course will provide a historical look at the development of electronic music from the earliest analog techniques to present-day computer technology. Students will learn about the theory of digital and analog sound, acoustics, and MIDI. Creative projects will guide the class through a range of techniques. Much of the focus will be on how the electronic medium enables composers to work with sound and musical forms in non-traditional ways. 3 hrs lect.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
MUSC 0213 - Digital Musician ▹
The Digital Musician
In this course, we will explore the potential of smartphones, tablets and interactive web sites for musical experimentation, creation, and performance. Projects will include the creation of multi-media web sites, phone/tablet, web apps, and live performances using these tools. Students should have a laptop that they can bring to class. There is no prerequisite other than a willingness and interest in working directly with computer code (especially Max, HTML5 and javascript).
Spring 2013
MUSC 0220 - Music History I ▹
Music History I: Music to 1800
In this course we will survey Western art music from the earliest notated Medieval music through the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods. Beginning with Gregorian chant and troubadour song, we will explore Renaissance vocal polyphony, the development of opera and instrumental music in the 17th century, the late Baroque music of Bach and Handel, and the Viennese classicism of Haydn and Mozart. Analysis of the music is supplemented by consideration of the ways in which music relates to the other arts and reflects the history and culture of its time. (Assumes ability to read music.) 3 hrs. lect.
Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
MUSC 0221 - Music History II ▲ ▹
Music History II: Music Since 1800
This course is a survey of the principle genres and forms of Western art music from Beethoven to the present day. The approach of the course is historical, analytical, and cultural; we will try to understand the music both as music and as it reflects its times and the concerns of composers and their audience. (Assumes ability to read music.) 3 hrs. lect.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0225 - European and Asian Operas
European and Asian Operas: Crowns, serpents and high Cs
In this seminar we will study operas from early baroque and Mozart, to later works in the classical repertoire such as Madame Butterfly by Puccini and Der Rosenkavalier by Strauss, through to traditional music theater pieces from Asia. We will examine the varying partnerships of libretto to music and discover the philosophy of our cultures embedded in these structures. Along with musical analysis, we will delve into issues of prosody and word painting and engage in discussions, research, and creative projects examining its place in our culture, its aesthetic and relevance. The instructor’s original opera Lotus Lives will be presented. Qualified members of the class will participate in the production as assistants, stage managers, perform as puppeteers, and other stagecraft elements. (Ability to read music)
Fall 2009, Fall 2011
MUSC 0230 - Topics in Music ▲ ▹
Topics in Music History:
Topic is determined by the instructor - refer to section for the course description.
Spring 2009, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0231 - Everything a cappella ▹
Everything a cappella! Unaccompanied Vocal Music, Medieval to Modern
Vocal ensembles have been singing about the important things in life for several centuries. In this course students will explore unaccompanied vocal music of different times, places, and cultures. Students will both analyze and create a cappella music to develop understanding of its inspiration, function, and performance. Repertoire for study includes European art music traditions, African and American "folk" styles and transmission, and popular a cappella of the 20th and 21st centuries. Student group projects will be modeled on various styles of a cappella. (Music reading ability is helpful but not required.) (Not open to students who have taken MUSC 0131) 3 hrs lect./disc.
Fall 2012
MUSC 0232 - Music in the United States
Music in the United States
In this course we will examine folk, classical, and popular music in the United States from the 18th century to the present. We will use historical and analytical approaches to gain insight into the music, the musicians, and the social and cultural forces that have shaped them. Students will explore music’s relation to historical events, other artistic movements, technological changes, and questions of national identity and ethnicity. Topics may include music in the British colonies, minstrelsy, American opera and orchestras, the rise of the popular music industry, and the experimentalist composers of the 20th century. (Assumes ability to read music.) 3 hrs lect./disc.
Fall 2010, Fall 2011
MUSC 0234 - Music in World Cultures ▹
Music in World Cultures
The primary goal of this course will be to broaden our appreciation for and understanding of how music interacts with various aspects of society within selected world cultures. We will explore a variety of World musical genres and styles, paying close attention to their cultural importance in traditional and neo-traditional contexts. To this end, we will read current research, listen to and analyze musical works, write weekly journal responses to our listening experiences and reading assignments, lead and participate in class discussions, and take part in necessary hands-on activities. Assuming a strong background in music, this course will be open to music majors and others by approval.
Fall 2011, Fall 2012
MUSC 0236 - Introduction to African Music ▲ ▹
Introduction to African Music
In this course, we will examine case studies of musical cultures from the African continent, emphasizing their cultural and social relevance within Africa and its diaspora. The objective of this course is to become familiar with the diversity of African cultures through their musical practices. We will accomplish this objective through reading and discussing current research on African music, viewing and studying documentaries and video recordings of African musical performances, listening to and analyzing audio recordings of African music, and taking part in hands-on activities.
Spring 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0240 - Performing Chamber Music ▹
Performing Chamber Music
Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, composers have sought to express the ever changing sounds of society and describe the accompanying emotions through music. We will focus on the performance and investigation of this body of work by exploring the extended techniques found in the orchestration. We will examine the ever-developing sense of harmony, the wealth of expression possible on the instruments, and the extension of this vocabulary into the realm of electronic music. In the practice rooms we will hold weekly coaching sessions and informal presentations leading to a public concert at the end of the semester. Students may take this course as members of formed ensembles. Choice of repertoire to be discussed with instructor. (Approval required; MUSC 0160 or equivalent; auditions will be held in the first week of November) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2012
MUSC 0241 - Performing Music ▲
Performing Chamber Music
Topic is determined by the instructor - refer to section for the course description.
Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2012
MUSC 0243 - Conducting ▲ ▹
Conducting
In this course students will develop basic skills of conducting including movement, aural skills, creative gesture, and score study. Daily work will include preparation to conduct an ensemble of classmates. (MUSC 0160 or by approval of instructor. Score-reading ability is required.)
Spring 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0244 - African Music Dance & Perform. ▲ ▹
African Music and Dance Performance
In this course we will meet as an ensemble to learn and master how to play, sing, and dance to various African traditional musical instruments. With emphasis on technique, style, and form, we will get hands-on experience playing various types of East African musical instruments (drums, fiddles, harps, lyres, zithers, flutes, panpipes, trumpets, thumb pianos, rattles, shakers, and xylophones). At the end of the semester we will stage a concert highlighting the repertoire we have learned. This course is open to all students and will not require any prior knowledge of performing African music and dance.
Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0256 - Topics in Eur Culture and Hist
MUSC 0259 - Musicianship ▲ ▹
Musicianship
In this course students will develop aural perception and listening skills, music reading ability, and enhanced ensemble performance skills. Daily work will include fundamental and advanced musicianship concepts in these areas along with the study of score analysis and interpretation in performance. Special topics will include musical styles and forms, world music, American music, and the avant garde. (MUSC 0109 or MUSC 0160 or passing score on the MUSC 0160 placement exam) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Fall 2009, Spring 2012, Fall 2012
MUSC 0260 - Music Theory II: Diatonic ▹
Music Theory II: Diatonic Theory
This course is an in-depth technical study of the materials of music, a study which expands one’s ability to analyze and create music and to understand different musical styles. We will cover harmonic materials, introduce musical form, and work with traditional compositional skills. These techniques are applied to the analysis of classical music, jazz and popular music. (MUSC 0160 or passing score on the MUSC 0160 placement exam.) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
MUSC 0261 - Music Theory III: Chromatic ▲ ▹
Music Theory III: Chromatic Theory
This course is a continuation of MUSC 0260. Students study more advanced harmonic devices including modulation and chromaticism, jazz harmony and post-tonal techniques. In-depth analysis of classical music, jazz, and popular music supports a more advanced study of musical form. (MUSC 0260) 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0309 - Advanced Composition I ▹
Advanced Composition
In this course we will focus on writing for string quartet, brass quintet, a cappella singing, piano, or performance art and involve issues of technique, style, and practical considerations, as well as study of selected elements of the literature. The course will culminate with a reading of student works by a professional ensemble or solo performer. This semester we focus on composing for the string quartet. We will discuss a variety of string techniques as well as issues of form and orchestration. We will listen to important works for that medium and discuss the styles from the Classical period to this century. Students will compose exercises, leading to a substantial string quartet to be "read" by the Jupiter String Quartet. (MUSC 0209 and 0210 or approval of instructor). 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
MUSC 0310 - Adv Composition II
Advanced Composition II
This course will focus on writing for string quartet, brass quintet, a cappella singing, piano, or performance art and involve issues of technique, style, and practical considerations, as well as study of selected elements of the literature. The course will culminate with a reading of student works by a professional ensemble or solo performer. (MUSC 0209 and 0210 or approval of instructor). 3 hrs. lect./disc.
Spring 2011
MUSC 0400 - Senior Seminar ▹
Topic is determined by the instructor - refer to section for the course description.
Fall 2008, Fall 2009, Fall 2010, Fall 2011, Fall 2012
MUSC 0500 - Independent Study ▲ ▹
Independent Study
Admission by approval. Please consult published departmental guidelines and paragraph below.
Project and budget proposals for Independent Study and Senior Work should be submitted by the previous April 1 for fall and winter term projects, and the previous October 15 for spring term projects. Budget proposals will not be considered after those dates. Project proposals will be considered after the deadline but are more likely not to be approved due to previous commitments of faculty advisors or other scheduling reasons.
Fall 2008, Winter 2009, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 0704 - Senior Work ▲ ▹
Senior Work
Senior work is not required of all music majors and joint majors. However, students interested in and eligible for departmental honors (see guideline above, in "Departmental Honors" section) may propose one or two-semester Senior Work projects. Projects may be in history, composition, theory, ethnomusicology, performance, or electronic music, and should culminate in a written presentation, a public performance, or a combination of the two. MUSC0704 does not count as a course toward fulfillment of the music major.
Project and budget proposals for Independent Study and Senior Work should be submitted by the previous April 1 for fall and winter term projects, and the previous October 15 for spring term projects. Budget proposals will not be considered after those dates. Project proposals will be considered after the deadline but are more likely not to be approved due to previous commitments of faculty advisors or other scheduling reasons.
Fall 2008, Winter 2009, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Winter 2010, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013
MUSC 1006 - Who's Afraid of Guiseppe Verde
Who's Afraid of Giuseppe Verdi?
Can't tell a cabaletta from a cannoli? Do you ever have the uncomfortable feeling that "Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit" might NOT be the real words to that song? This course will set you straight. We will explore the grandeur, passion, subtlety, humor, human insight, and astonishing beauty of opera, from its beginnings in the aristocratic courts of 17th-century Italy to the masterpieces of Handel and Mozart, the larger-than-life canvasses of Verdi and Wagner, the expressionist horrors of Strauss and Berg, and on to the present day.
Winter 2010
MUSC 1008 - Bob Dylan's America
MUSC 1010 - Craft of Popular Song Writing
MUSC 1011 - Arranging A Cappella
MUSC 1012 - The Philosophy of Music
MUSC 1013 - American Musical/Performance
The American Musical in Performance
A survey of the American Musical will lay the groundwork for a fully-mounted production of a significant work. The production, staged at Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater, will be a collaboration of college faculty, student actors, musicians and designers, and area residents. The production also involves collaboration with the Department of Theater. A theater major gets advanced credit for designing and building costumes for the show. This course counts as a performance elective or as an elective for courses at the 0200-level and above. (Approval Required, please contact Doug Anderson at danders@middlebury.edu">middlebury.edu or Carol Christensen at christen@middlebury.edu)
Winter 2009, Winter 2010, Winter 2011, Winter 2012
MUSC 1014 - Blues Women-Ladies That Swing
MUSC 1016 - Motown/Jazz/Detroit
Motown/Jazz/Detroit
In this course we will study the music of Motown exploring how its evolution related to jazz and the unique elements of Detroit, giving rise to one of America's corporate recording giants. We will examine how Berry Gordy recruited jazz musicians to back-up the various vocalists at Motown to develop a unique sound and style resulting in the production of more hits than any other recording label. Students will learn the tools of jazz that were employed by Motown — including the jazz swing feel as opposed to a rigid 8th note feel of rock or disco — and they will have the opportunity to improvise using the tools we study. The one focus of the course will be on performing the music of Motown, which will culminate in a concert by the students accompanying a professional singer of this genre. (Pass/Fail)
Winter 2010
MUSC 1017 - Beethoven
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was perhaps the most influential figure in the history of Western music. In this course we will explore Beethoven’s life and work in the context of European political, social, and musical currents in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Through intensive listening, reading, and discussion, we will pursue three related goals: the development of critical listening skills; an examination of the relationship between an artist’s biography and creative work; and the critique of how and whether social and political events shape the development of music and vice versa. No previous musical experience is required.
Winter 2011
MUSC 1018 - Vocal Arranging
Vocal Arranging
Singing carries a unique power to communicate ideas and emotions. Singing in a group creates a fascinating spectrum of timbre and technique for creative expression. In this course, students will explore techniques of arranging for a cappella ensembles and voices for vocal and instrumental groups. Students will study the process of adapting various musical textures to voices, and explore techniques of arranging for variety and interest. Coursework will include study of concepts related to vocal arranging including transcription, voicing for singers, basic vocal pedagogy, and how to manage the challenges of voices in ensembles with instruments. Students may also explore instrumental arranging in combination with voices. Music reading ability is not required, but students will need to sing and teach their vocal arrangements.
Winter 2012
MUSC 1019 - Motown II
Motown II
In this course we will study the music of Motown and how its evolution relates to jazz and the unique elements of Detroit that gave rise to one of America's corporate recording giants. We will look at how Berry Gordy recruited jazz musicians to backup Motown vocalists to develop a unique sound and style that resulted in more hits than any other recording label. During the course we will learn the tools of jazz that were employed by Motown, including the jazz swing feel as opposed to a rigid 8th note feel of rock or disco. Students will have the opportunity to improvise using the tools we study, and the course will center on a performing band playing the music of Motown and culminating in a concert by the students accompanying a professional singer of this genre. During this process we will look at the music of Motown as it relates to Detroit and race relations in America. This course counts as a performance elective or as an elective for courses at the 0200-level and above. (Approval Required, interested students should contact Mr. Donahue at milesdonahue@comcast.net by November 7 for an audition) (Pass/Fail)
Winter 2012
MUSC 1020 - Introduction to Opera
Introduction to Opera
Opera takes place in a strange world where everyone sings. All the time. That world resonates with passions that cannot be expressed in words alone; its inhabitants cannot help but burst into song. When we visit a world where no feeling or thought is left unsung, the barriers between us are broken down, empathy becomes beguiling, and the human condition is exposed in all its beauty and terror. In this course we will explore in depth through readings, discussion, and screenings some of the most powerful statements about that condition in operas by Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, and Alban Berg. This course counts as a performance elective or as an elective for courses at the 0200-level and above.
Winter 2012
MUSC 1066 - American Negro Spiritual
The History of The American Negro Spiritual and Its Influence On Western Civilization
In this course we will survey in broad terms the gathering of indigenous African peoples from numerous tribes and countries for the New World 'slave trade' and its impact on the burgeoning economies. We will discuss the role of religion and music in controlling and focusing the slave population in the agrarian economy. Influences, changes, and trends will be discussed and compared to modern technologies. The role of universities and churches will be discussed (specifically the Fisk Jubilee Singers and other university choirs). Further development will center on how gospel music emerged from this tradition, and how the two are interwoven in today's church. The lives of abolitionists and their legacy will be reviewed. In addition, we will explore the uniqueness of the Harlem Renaissance, its writers, artists, and musicians, and the role of the American Negro Spirituals in their lives and work. Singers and non-singers will be welcome. During the month of January, participants will be required to attend 4 regular Tuesday and Thursday evening chorus rehearsals from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in Mead Chapel to put our classroom theory into practice. As a bonus, the combined ‘ad hoc chorus’ will be asked to sing 3 or 4 Negro Spirituals at the traditional Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration. This course counts as a performance elective or as an elective for courses at the 0200-level and above.
Winter 2009, Winter 2010, Winter 2011, Winter 2012