Music (MU-UY)

This course, an introduction to the fundamentals of Western music theory, focuses on nomenclature, basic notation literacy and fundamentals of harmony, counterpoint and rhythm. Students complete weekly exercises to learn basic skills in composition and musicianship, including dictation, sight-singing, chord analysis and identification, transposition and voice-leading. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements. Co-requisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This analysis-and-discussion course examines the music of non-Western cultures, from the pre-Colonial period through the present day. The course focuses on performance practices, the relationship between music and the arts, the influence of Western music and technology, and hybridity in contemporary popular music. A topical focus on different cultures will look at the musical traditions of the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, India, and East and Southeast Asia. Students complete regular listening assignments and perform research on musical styles and traditions. | Prerequisites: Completion of first year writing requirements. Co-requisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

In this introduction to music theory as it applies to songwriting, students compose music and lyrics, building on a practical application of scale, chord and harmony theory. An integral part of the course is an introduction to the craft of poetry as applied to song-lyric writing. Students need free access to a guitar or piano, and some experience on either instrument is preferred. However, neither formal training nor technical proficiency is required. | Prerequisites: Instructor’s permission or MU-UY 2124. Co-requisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This course, exploring art music of the 20th century, focuses on social and historical trends and their impact on developments in compositional practice, instrumental forms and technology. Topics covered include the role of nationalism in music, the European serialist avant-garde, the New York School, the changing nature of the composer in society, the increasing role of technology, and the musical dialogue between art and popular music. Students complete regular listening and writing assignments and are required to attend performances outside of class. | Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This course, on the art music of the 20th century, focuses on social and historical trends and their impact on developments in compositional practice, instrumental forms and technology. Topics covered include the role of nationalism in music, the European serialist avant-garde, the New York School, the changing nature of the composer in society, the increasing role of technology, and the musical dialogue between art and popular music. Students complete regular listening and writing assignments and are required to attend performances outside of class. | Prerequisites: MU-UY 2124. Co-requisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This course looks critically at the development of recording technology as a catalyst for trends in popular and art music, from the early 20th century to the present. Topics include the rise (and possible fall) of the record industry in the United States, the development of musique concrète and electroacoustic music, and the massive impact of recording technology on popular urban, electronic and dance music. Students are encouraged to explore how the artistic practices of sampling, dubbing and remixing have expressed themselves in different genres, scenes and musical styles. The course also looks at current legal, ethical and social issues behind musical copyright and distribution. | Prerequisites: MU-UY 2124. Co-requisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This studio examines how music and sound actually “work,” from the view of mathematics, physics and information theory. This is a music-theory course in reverse. The class looks at the underlying mathematical principles behind harmony, melody, rhythm (and their “scientific” equivalents of frequency, timbre and duration). Using acoustics, instrument design, and basic analog and digital-signal theory, students investigate the properties of music from a scientific, engineering and analytic perspective. Students perform research on topics of interest and present their findings semiweekly. | Prerequisites: MU-UY 3XXX or DM-UY 3113. Co-requisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

A variable-credit intensive course combining music theory and practice, which may be repeated for credit under different topics. Satisfies an HuSS Elective. Prerequisites: MU 3XXX

A variable-credit intensive course combining music theory and practice, which may be repeated for credit under different topics. Satisfies an HuSS Elective. Prerequisites: MU 3XXX

A variable-credit intensive course combining music theory and practice, which may be repeated for credit under different topics. Satisfies an HuSS Elective. Prerequisites: MU 3XXX

A variable-credit intensive course combining music theory and practice, which may be repeated for credit under different topics. Satisfies an HuSS Elective. Prerequisites: MU-UY.3XXX

This course looks at how people hear and listen to sound and music from a physiological, psychological and sociological frame of reference. The class investigates the basics of human hearing and auditory perception and examines how sonic and musical practices and vocabularies evolve based on how people hear. Students perform basic research (including developing simple experiments) and present their findings semiweekly. | Prerequisites: MU-UY 3XX4. Co-requisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This variable-credit intensive course, combining music theory and practice, may be repeated for credit under different topics. | Prerequisites: MU 3XXX. Corequisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This variable-credit intensive course, combining music theory and practice, may be repeated for credit under different topics. Credits: Variable. | Prerequisites: MU 3XXX. Corequisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.

This variable-credit intensive course, combining music theory and practice, may be repeated for credit under different topics. | Prerequisites: MU 3XXX. Corequisites: None. Notes: Satisfies a HuSS elective.