Graduate Courses

Musical, aesthetic, and technical processes of assembling and shaping a film's soundtrack in collaboration with the filmmaker and composer. Collaborative projects encompassing film score recording sessions, an understanding of the music editor's position, responsibilities, and techniques in the post-production process of a film.

Study of philosophical, psychological, and sociological concepts that form a foundation for the teaching of music.

Chorus, Recorder Pedagogy, and Ensembles are custom-designed for students' needs. Course work includes Modally methodology 3 (fifth and sixth grade school levels, middle school, continuing work with the older beginners, and curriculum planning) and Choral Conducting 3 (all beat patterns, expressive gestures, rehearsal planning). Students continue advanced Modally based musicianship in Solfeggi 3 (modal, diatonic, and chromatic solfeggi, complex chord progressions). Students complete their traditional song collections

Kodaly's philosophy through seven subject areas: Voice Pedagogy, Modally Methodology 1 (preschool through second grade level, and older beginners); Solfege 1 (pentatonic, major, minor solfeggi); Chorus; Traditional Materials and Research (world music); Choral Conducting 1 (arm, hand, and body choreography, beat patterns, basic expression); and Recorder Pedagogy; and Ensembles (beginning and advanced

Chorus conducting, Recorder Pedagogy and Ensembles are designed to best utilize students' skills. Course work also includes Modally Methodology 2 (third and fourth grade levels, continuing work with the competent and proficient school students, and daily and long-range lesson planning). Students develop traditional song collections and prepare to videotape a Kodaly-based lesson. Students follow Kodaly-based musicianship in Solfeggi 2 (addition of modal solfege and chord work), and Choral Conducting 2 (complex beat patterns, expressive gestures for dynamics and articulation, phrasing).

This teacher education course provides training to meet the needs of a wide spectrum of exceptional learners, all grade levels, in inclusive and special education school music settings. Course covers a study of laws, due process, trends, and events in special education, current co-teaching and collaborative practices, field work observations, assessment and evaluation techniques, research advances, and design of standards-based adaptive lessons for differentiating instruction to meet grade level expectations for all learners.

The development of fundamental musical skills and understanding through creative
application of listening, singing, playing, writing, and analysis. Emphasis on aural development as essential to musical growth. Topics include staff notation, clefs, major and minor keys, time signatures, meter and rhythm, intervals, triads, 7th chords, Roman numerals, and rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ear training. Open to all members of the University community. This course does not count towards
graduate degree requirements.

The history of music and musical styles from the antiquity through the Renaissance. This course does not count towards graduate degree requirements.

The history of music and musical styles from the baroque period to the present. This course does not count towards graduate degree requirements

The study and analysis of 19th and early 20th century works in various genres associated with the "Romantic Era," issues relating to racial and gender diversity during that period, and connections to late 20th and 21st century musical culture. This course does not count towards graduate degree requirements.

Evolution of contemporary compositional techniques traced from impressionism to the latest avant-garde experiments. This course does not count towards graduate degree requirements.

This course explores the history of music as a space for signaling, performing and imagining gender and sexuality. We consider expressions of gender and sexuality in western classical music (medieval era to the present) as well as in popular music (disco, glam rock, hip hop, synthpop), and in film. While course readings include essays from a variety of research areas, emphasis will be placed on a critical reading of current discourse against what we hear and see in the musical works. This course does not count towards graduate degree requirements.

Throughout history, individuals and communities have used music as a powerful
means of expressing dissent and challenging injustices. This course explores how music has served as a vehicle for protest from antiquity to the present day. Through case studies, we examine music from various genres and periods, from medieval chant and spirituals to heavy metal. By analyzing these works, students gain insight into how music has been used to confront deities, systems, and authorities. This course does not count toward graduate degree requirements.

This course provides an overview of music therapy theories & methods that use music improvisation for personal & artistic growth. The course is highly experiential & students participate in improvisational musical exercises in each class session. Students will enhance their musicianship & develop a stronger connection to their musical identity. Class experiences translate into skills relevant for all musical situations such as instruction, performing, & band leading and/or conducting.

Comprehensive overview of research in the multi-disciplinary field of Music Information Retrieval (MIR) which uses knowledge from diverse areas such as signal processing, machine learning and information and music theory. Exploration of how this knowledge can be used to develop novel methodologies for browsing and retrieval of large music collections. Emphasis would be given to audio signal processing techniques.

An in-depth analysis of how music artists, songs, & concerts create contemporary media narratives about health, equality, & social change through public service announcements & advocacy campaigns in the public & non-profit sectors. We investigate the impact of the work of music celebrities’ promotion of social change to the general public, & use interdisciplinary approaches in music, informal education, & entertainment to evaluate innovation & social enterprise in the music industry.

This course tells the stories of composers, inventors, & entrepreneurs who opened music up to electronic instruments, new sounds, & new ideas of composition between 1900 & the beginning of the 21st century. Specific instruments will be examined, including the Theremin, RCA Synthesizer, Moog synthesizer, Buchla synthesizer, Synclavier, & Kyma. Specific compositions will be discussed. This course will define a starting point for ongoing innovation in sound design, composition, & the creation of new musical instruments.

This course provides the advanced knowledge in music notation and music preparation required for the professional world. Students learn the best practices to present and produce scores using industry standard notation software programs. Students also learn how to be efficient in creating, revising, and preparing their scores. In addition, students learn how to incorporate advanced or non-standard notation in their scores.

A survey of traditional and recent music making from areas of East Asia (China, Tibet,
Japan, Korea, Mongolia), Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, Myanmar) and the Indian subcontinent. In addition to examining the musical systems and techniques that define specific practices, readings and discussions cover issues from Asian American cultural studies. Open to
undergraduate and graduate students familiar with music terminology and notation.

An in-depth exploration of the vocabulary, legal foundation, and business of music publishing as it relates to music creators,songs and songwriters, music users, record companies, digital music services, broadcasters, film & television studios and game developers in the modern marketplace. Topics include background study in copyright law, artist & repertoire, contracts, licensing, royalties and sub-publishing.