MU-102 Understanding Music Fundamentals (2 credits)
The student explores the basic concepts of music by listening and by analysis, creation, and simple performances of musical examples.
Prerequisite(s): Open to all students interested in basic elements of reading & making music. Basic music reading skills required.
MU-125 Music & Wellness Workshops (1 credit)
A range of topics related to music and wellness are the subject of this 1-credit workshop. Open to non-music majors.
Prerequisite(s): Open to all students.
MU-129 A Cappella Vocal Group (1 credit)
Music Major or audition for non-music majors. Auditions will be held the first week of class to remain registered in the class. A Cappella involves creating modern commercial music only with voices, including vocal percussion/beatboxing instead of traditional drums. This course requires students to have strong intonation and rhythm skills, a willingness to experiment vocally across genres, and an ability to work well in a team.
Prerequisite(s): Music majors must have MUY-171 completed or must concurrently register for MU-130.
MU-130 Alverno College Choir (1 credit)
Open to all students; basic ability to match pitch required. Success of the choir as a whole require that you make a commitment to be in this course for the entire semester and attend all class sessions. The Women's Choir offers students from all areas of study an opportunity to learn and perform choral music for women's voices. The chorus performs one concert each semester as well as performing at various local and college functions. (Non-music majors welcome)
MU-133 Instrumental Ensemble: Strings (1 credit)
This course provides small ensemble experience for all string players. The student learns, practices and performs a wide variety of repertoire at both on- and off-campus events.
Prerequisite(s): Audition for non-music majors. Ability to read & play written music for violin, viola or cello. Students should be comfortable playing in the first three positions on all four strings and be able to play two octave scales in those positions.
MU-134 Guitar Ensemble (1 credit)
Music major, declared minor or permission of Instructor. Meeting time scheduled by Instructor emailing students. Experience reading music notation for guitar & playing a variety of chords. Permission of Instructor required for non-majors. Students will play duos, trios and jazz pieces from written notation and lead sheets, learning to coordinate guitar techniques with other players and how to arrange ensemble pieces.
MU-135 Instrumental Chamber Ensembles (1 credit)
Ability to play instrument. Contact chair for further information. Music meant to be played by a small ensemble of like instruments, directed by a Music faculty member specializing in that instrument.
MU-137 Flute Ensemble (1 credit)
Music major or permission of instructor for non-majors or minors. Ability to play instrument. Contact Music Department Chair for further information. Explore flute ensemble repertoire across eras and genres, including, but not limited to, baroque, classical and contemporary music. Players will develop skills in a range of areas including sight-reading, rhythmic accuracy, intonation and balance in a collaborative atmosphere. Opportunities to explore the flute family, including piccolo and alto flute, will be offered when repertoire requires their use.
MU-138 Instrumental Ensemble: Winds (1 credit)
Music major or permission of instructor for non-majors or minors. Ability to play wind instrument. Contact Music Dept Chair for further information. Students will learn and perform music for wind instruments in various combinations with an emphasis on music from the classical tradition from the baroque through contemporary eras. This course emphasizes development of chamber music skills such as balance, blend, rhythm and phrasing in a collaborative small-group setting. Weekly rehearsals and outside practice prepare students for performances on Music Department concerts.
MU-141 Latin Percussion Ensemble (1 credit)
The Percussion Ensemble learns and performs some of the most popular rhythms from Latin America. The group explores the roots and traditions of music from Latin American cultures, but with a modern approach. Players will develop skills in a range of areas including hand and mallet techniques, rhythmic reading, and balance in a collaborative setting. The ensemble performs at least one major concert per semester. The Latin Percussion ensemble is open to all students, no experience necessary. Instruments will be provided.
MU-157 Theory 1 (3 credits)
The student studies scales, chords, musical notation, and rhythm with an emphasis on aural perception and ear training. This course introduces Common Practice Theory, figured bass, and four-part writing.
Prerequisite(s): Must register concurrently for MU-157L. Offered Spring Term only.
MU-157L Theory 1 Lab (1 credit)
Prerequisite(s): Must register concurrently for MU-157. Offered Spring Term only.
MU-158 Theory II (3 credits)
Theory II - This course is a continuation of the material introduced in Theory I with expanded emphasis on aural perception, ear training, and part writing. The student is introduced to music analysis with examples of Baroque and Classical compositions.
Prerequisite(s): MU-157
MU-158L Theory II Lab (1 credit)
Prerequisite(s): Take concurrent with MU-158.
MU-210 Improvisational Music (2 credits)
This course focuses on the fundamentals of 'instant music making' through drum circles, basic scales, improvisation, and familiar musical forms such as 12 bar blues. Designed for both music and non-music majors, this class will provide the opportunity for hands-on exploration of personal aesthetic engagement and development of leadership skills, while exploring the cultural backgrounds of specific styles of improvisation. No musical experience required.
Prerequisite(s): HUM-150 Series & CM-125 . Preference given to students required to take this course if enrollment exceeds the limit.
MU-217 Jazz History (2 credits)
This course will examine the development of jazz and its forms, practices, and style periods from a musical, cultural, and historical perspective. Students will gain insight into American culture during the 20th century by studying the development of jazz and its forms, practices, and style periods from a musical, cultural, and historical perspective.
MU-218 Hip Hop Music in American Culture (2 credits)
Since its emergence in the South Bronx in the 1970s, hip hop has encompassed not just a musical genre, but also an approach to dance, art, and fashion. This class will focus primarily on the music, while also looking at the social contexts that produced it. We will analyze developments in DJing, rapping, and beat-making, and how this music grew from an underground culture to become one of the most dominant forms of popular music.
MU-250 Musical Theatre:on Stage & Screen (4 credits)
In this studio-and-discussion class, students will study the most popular theatrical genre of the 20th and 21st Centuries--the musical. By analyzing scripts, libretti, scores and production practices, the students will explore the musical's evolution in terms of form and content. Using performance-based analytic frameworks, the students will investigate the relationship among spoken text, music, movement and visual production practices. Through cultural and historical analysis, students will explore how the musical reflects or envisions political, economic, and social realities. The students will also analyze how the medium of film has influenced the musical's development. These multi-dimensional analyses will assist students in making creative physical, vocal and music choices to present scenes from musicals in class.
MU-257 Theory III (3 credits)
This course is a continuation of the material introduced in Theory II with emphasis on chromatic harmony and formal analysis. Musical examples of the Baroque and Classical periods are analyzed vertically and holistically.
MU-257L Theory III Lab (1 credit)
Prerequisite(s): MU-158 & MU-158L, Must register concurrently for MU-257. Offered Spring Term only.
MU-258 Theory IV (3 credits)
This course is a continuation of the material introduced in Theory III with study devoted to the analysis of Late Romantic and 20th Century music. Examples of modal, atonal, twelve-tone, and minimal music are explored.
Prerequisite(s): MU 241 or MU-257
MU-261L Music History Lab (1 credit)
Course Offered Fall Term only. In this first of two period courses, the student is introduced to music within a historical perspective. They learn how to explore the interrelationships of music events, muscial styles, forms and genres, and contemporaneous social conditions. Representative works of early Western music through Baroque are studied along with selected world music. The 3-credit course includes a lab.
Prerequisite(s): FA-110 Series, HUM-150 Series completed; CM-125 completed. Preference given to students req to take this course if enrollment exceeds limit. Music background helpful, involves analysis of classical music. Non-music majors take section 01 (2cr); Music majors take section 02 (3 cr) plus 1 hr.
MU-262 Music History II (2 credits)
Offered Spring Term only. The student continues to examine music within its historical setting. The music studied is from the Classical and Romantic periods; music from the 20th century is introduced. The 3-credit course includes a lab.
Prerequisite(s): FA-110 FA-111 FA-112 FA-113 FA-114 FA-115 FA-116 LA 230 LA 230A LA 230B LA 230C or LA 230D, HUM-150 Series Course, CM-125
MU-270 History of Western Music (4 credits)
This course is a survey of the development of Western Music of the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras. This survey will include discussion of particular composers, their works, and the historical contexts (political, religious, cultural, and social) that have influenced musical composition. Through interaction with the music of each era, students will learn to recognize traits of the various style periods and how those traits reflect the aesthetic and cultural values of the societies from which they originate. This course is designed for music majors and minors only.
Prerequisite(s): MU-157
MU-276 Music Technology (2 credits)
The student is introduced to the MIDI-based (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) electronic music studio. They have hands-on experience with music software and hardware, and analyze operating principles through course readings and discussion. Hardware used includes synthesizers, samplers, computers, mixers, and digital audio recorders. Software applications include music notation, sequencing, digital audio processing, and music education. The 3-credit course includes a lab.
Prerequisite(s): FA-110 Series or LA 230 ; HUM-150 Series ; CM-125 . Preference given to students req to take this course if enrollment exceeds limit.
MU-297 Independent Study (1 credit)
Under the approval and direction of a faculty member, independent study is available to students.
MU-310 Rock & Roll History (2 credits)
Rock & roll has been the mainstream popular music of America since the 1950's. In this course, the student examines parallels between popular music styles and American society from the 1950s through the present. They analyze the music of major performers for its artistic quality and discusses values issues related to Western popular music.
Prerequisite(s): One Communication Level 3 ICM; one course in HFA-210 elective. Preference given to students required to take this course if enrollment exceeds limit.
MU-372 Contemporary Music (2 credits)
This course begins with composers active in the early part of the 20th century, such as Debussy, Schoenberg, and Stravinsky, and progresses in a chronological fashion to survey contemporary composers, such as Berio, Crumb, Reich, and Glass. Major stylistic trends - their origins and compositional techniques as well as structural and harmonic analysis - enable the student to gain greater insights into the music of the last century. The 3-credit course includes a lab. Preference given to students required to take this course if enrollment exceeds limit. Non-Music majors must get permission of instructor to enter class.
MU-397 Independent Study (1-3 credits)
Independent Study
MU-399 Formal Introduction to Advanced Work (0 credits)
The Advanced-Level Event marks a significant accomplishment for each student as they proceed into the work of their major department. When a department determines that a student is ready for advanced work within a discipline, the student is invited to participate in a ceremony that is both a celebration and an explanation of future requirements of the major and support areas. They register for this experience at a point determined by their major department: for most majors the registration is connected to the taking of a particular course. Students and faculty gather for an afternoon during Mid-semester Assessment Days. Following a general program, students meet in departmental sessions with their faculty to discuss advanced outcomes, department courses, advising procedures, and so on.
Prerequisite(s): MU 241 or MU-257 Enroll in semester prior to final year.
MU-493 Form & Analysis (2 credits)
This course is a comprehensive study of the primary forms and structural techniques used in Western Music from the Baroque era through the 20th Century.
Prerequisite(s): MU-257
MU-494 Songwriting & Arranging (1 credit)
This course is a study of songwriting in pop, rock, and folk styles. Students will compose original songs and learn techniques for effective arrangements.
Prerequisite(s): MU-257
MU-495 Applied Music Culmination Project (0 credits)
This culmination program is required of all bachelor of music majors. The student is given the opportunity to demonstrate their music performance at an advanced level.
Prerequisite(s): Consent of applied instructor. Six prior semesters of MUA lessons required.