Courses of Study
Sections
Department of Music
Last updated: August 14, 2014 at 4:30 p.m.
The Department of Music offers a broad-based undergraduate major that combines the study of history, theory, composition, and performance. The core of the program consists of two years of theory (with associated labs that provide further training in the musicianship skills necessary for all musical endeavors), three semesters of the history of Western music, participation in University ensemble, and three electives chosen from a broad array of topics. Students may, if desired, opt for one of five specialized tracks within the music major or work with a faculty adviser to propose an alternate program in accordance with their own interests.
- Composition
The track in composition, open to qualified students, develops skills in composition and analysis through courses in composition selected in consultation with the faculty adviser. - Cultural Studies
The track in cultural studies encourages students to develop an understanding of music of various traditions in their cultural and social contexts. Students in this interdisciplinary track select courses in cultural studies from offerings in the schools of creative arts, social sciences, and humanities. - History
The track in history, open to qualified students, allows students to focus on the place of music in history through elective courses on historical topics chosen in consultation with the faculty adviser. Students are encouraged to select these courses from related disciplines to focus on a particular time or place. - Performance
The track in performance, open to highly qualified students by audition, develops skill in performance through private study as well as through elective courses selected in consultation with the faculty adviser. Students also present junior and senior recitals. - Musical Theater Performance
The track in musical theater performance, open to qualified students by audition, allows students with an interest in musical theater to pursue that dream. In addition to taking courses in the music department, musical theater students are encouraged to participate in musicals produced by the Theater Arts Department and to enroll in a mix of music and theater electives. Students also present junior and senior recitals.
Graduate Program in Music
The department offers graduate programs in two areas: composition and theory, and musicology.
Composition and Theory
The department offers three degree programs in composition and theory: MA (normally one year), MFA (normally two years), and PhD (normally two or more years following the completion of MFA requirements). The programs are designed to help students develop a command of the craft of composition. That objective is supported by studies in theory and analysis and in electro-acoustic music. The doctoral dissertation consists of two parts: an extended analysis thesis and a composition.
Musicology
The department offers three degree programs in musicology: MA (normally one year), MFA (normally two years), and PhD (normally two or more years following the completion of MFA requirements). The programs offer an integrated approach to the understanding of the nature, structural basis, and historical development of music. Students may elect to emphasize or concentrate in music history, or in theory and analysis. In the music history program, a variety of techniques and methodologies, including source studies, style development, and historiography, are applied to different repertories and historical problems. The theory and analysis program features work in the history of theory as well as analytic work in the context of theory construction involving the evaluation of pretonal, tonal, and contemporary analytic models. Courses consist of proseminars and seminars: proseminars survey an array of topics illustrating the representative avenues of research and methodological approaches and seminars typically concentrate on a single topic.
The learning goals for the Music Department are based on an integrated approach to the study of music, encompassing a number of perspectives:
- Music as a technical discipline, with its own notation, materials and forms.
- Music as an artifact of different historical periods, cultures and societies, both Western and non-Western, in written as well as oral traditions.
- The practice of music in the context of both performance and composition.
- Music as expression and communication, fostering a deeply sympathetic understanding of peoples, a sense of community, and a humane and tolerant outlook on the world.
In addition to the general requirements for the Music Major, students may enrich their experience by choosing to pursue one of five specialized tracks offered by the Department. Whichever route a student follows, course-work is built on three essential ways of knowing about and experiencing the field of music. The THREE PILLARS OF THE STUDY OF MUSIC can be summarized as follows:
- Theory: Mastery of the basic materials of music and the rules governing their arrangement and organization.
- History: The study of musical forms, repertory, and composers as they exemplify different styles and periods.
- Performance: Direct collaborative experience of music through participation in Departmental ensembles including chorus, orchestra, early music ensemble, jazz ensemble and chamber music.
Each of the three Pillars serves the student of music by providing its own set of Core Skills and Knowledge, summarized below.
Theory:
Essential for work in theory is the development of self-criticism in the control of the basic materials of music and mastery of the rules governing their arrangement and organization in different musical styles. Courses in theory are aligned with work in ear training and musicianship, which develop aural skills necessary for identifying, writing and singing the basic elements of music.
Core Skills:
- Train and develop skills for accurately hearing and matching sounds
- Discriminate differences of pitch and duration in single voice and in combination, both in reading music (sight-singing) and notating it (musical dictation)
- Master the control of consonance and dissonance in written exercises
- Shape and develop melodic lines both in terms of single voice continuity and in the simultaneous combination of voices
- Understand the grammar of chords, cadence structures, and the place and function of chords in harmonic progressions
- Synthesize concepts of form, melody, rhythm, and harmonic motion in the writing of music
- Refine the understanding of compositional structure in discussion and performance by professional musicians
Knowledge:
- Capability to write in the style of traditional classical forms (minuet and trio; sonata movement)
- Ability to recognize and describe the structure of standard small musical forms
- Strong foundation in functional harmony and counterpoint
History:
The study of the history of Western music from antiquity to the present day gives us a cultural and sequential context for the understanding of changing musical aesthetics and modes of expression. Evidence for examination includes historical depictions of music in society (written and pictured), theoretical and philosophical writings, notational systems, musical instruments, written and printed music, recordings, and performances.
Core Skills:
- Consider the various ways in which society has used music in private/public, secular/religious contexts
- Evaluate the changing standards of the musical aesthetic over time, including tuning systems, texture, timbre, melody and harmony
- Listen critically to musical examples, identifying performing forces, form, and social function
- Apply the principles of music theory in a historically appropriate manner
- Ability to recognize and categorize historical and national style and to describe musical trends over time
- Familiarity with the major composers of the Western canon and representative repertoire of the significant styles, forms and genres
- Awareness of the nature, causes, directions, and influences of stylistic change
Performance:
Performance of music synthesizes knowledge and skills, bringing together text, context and technique by interaction with well-known, lesser-known, and newly written repertoire. Technical and expressive skills are practiced, and competency in solo and ensemble performance is expected. While strongly anchored in Western European classical repertoire, there are also opportunities for study and performance of historical music, jazz, popular and non-Western traditions.
Core Skills:
- Demonstrate proficiency in chosen instrument/voice as well as a mastery of basic keyboard skills
- Incorporate improvisation and oral learning skills in appropriate musical traditions (jazz, early music)
- Employ effective self-critique and problem-solving in private practice sessions and rehearsals
- Work effectively within an ensemble in both a leading and responding role
- Hear and act on subtle differences in pitch, timbre, balance, and articulation
- Express musically the affective aspect of the compositions
- Communicate verbally the musical ideas involved in creating a convincing performance, with the ability to compare alternatives and justify choices
- Write clear and effective program notes
- Ability to read musical notation fluently on chosen instrument or voice
- Understanding of the information in a musical text: pitch, rhythm, articulations, tempo, dynamics, etc.
- Differentiation between various forms and genres of music, including different periods and traditions
- Application of theoretical and stylistic knowledge to musical interpretation
- Employment of effective listening and communicating techniques to solve ensemble issues (rhythm, intonation, etc.)
- Direct experience with performing in a variety of ensembles and venues
- Familiarity with the works of major composers in the Western European tradition
- Identification of the basic musical instrument families, their sounds and functions
- Collaborate with colleagues in working toward a common goal
- Recognize, respond to, and communicate the shared human expression embodied in all music
- Value the benefit of self-reflection and inquiry in continually striving to become a better musician
The three pillars of theory, history and performance form the core of the music major; students may choose to focus their study further through one of five track options:
COMPOSITION TRACK
In addition to the core requirements of the Music Major, students work closely with the Composition Track advisor to choose electives that focus on the skills necessary to create new works of music. Students in this track employ their knowledge of musical form and function, their awareness of genres and historical trends, and their familiarity with performance issues to develop their creative expression. Upon graduation, students in this track will be prepared to pursue graduate degrees in composition.
HISTORY TRACK
As in the above track, students will enhance the major requirements with electives chosen in consultation with the History Track advisor. Through in-depth focus on specific composers and repertoires, and engagement in research and analysis, students will gain a fuller understanding of the changing ways in which music has served as a means of expression arising from the surrounding culture and ethos. This focus will enhance their own musical experience as well as preparing them for further graduate work in musicology.
PERFORMANCE TRACK
While all music majors incorporate performance into their studies, those in the Performance Track must demonstrate an advanced level of skill through audition. In addition to their core courses, students in this track work with their private instructor and the track advisor to prepare two recitals: a half-length program in their Junior year and a full-length one in their Senior year. Graduates in this track will be prepared go on to further study towards a professional career in performance or music education.
MUSICAL THEATER PERFORMANCE TRACK
As in the Performance Track, students are accepted into the MTP Track by audition. Core courses and electives include offerings specific to the track within the Theater Department. Students work with their private voice or instrumental teacher and track advisor to prepare two recitals: a half-length program in their Junior year and a full-length one in their Senior year. Upon graduation, MTP students will be prepared to pursue further study in musical theater or to audition for professional work.
CULTURAL STUDIES TRACK
Cultural Studies is a semi-independent track in music that is a reflective, critical and cross-disciplinary exploration of culture with music as a primary lens. Students are encouraged to take courses across the academy in global studies, the creative arts, religion, languages, the social sciences, and the humanities in order to develop tools and strategies for the serious study of the various expressions of culture across place and time. Students are expected to apply critical thinking to issues of globalization, trans-nationalism, cultural production, and cultural rights, as they explore the flow of artistic expression across traditional boundaries: political, cultural, social. They are encouraged to study a non-Western instrument and to take the opportunity to study abroad. Upon graduating, a CST student will be prepared to pursue graduate study in ethnomusicology, music education, or (in some cases) performance, as well as fields outside of music, including cultural or international studies.
Because of the unique nature of this track, it encompasses its own list of outcomes:
Core Skills:
- Hear and identify unique musical values and aesthetic aims in a variety of Western and non-Western musical traditions
- Make connections between cultural values and cultural expressions from Western and non-Western traditions
- Recognize how cultural/social values are transmitted through music and other forms of human expression and activity
- Investigate socio-political movements across time as well as place
- Examine issues of identity and authenticity
- Familiarity with the theory, practice, and performance of Western and non-Western musical traditions
- Awareness of the intersections between social history and music history
- Understanding of the complexity of cultural production and its effects on local traditions
- Recognition of the intersections of gender, race and class in the formation of cultural values
- Openness to religion and ritual as cultural expressions
- Value the diversity of cultural expression
- Take part comfortably in cross-cultural collaboration
- Appreciate the uniqueness of, as well as the commonalities between, traditions
- Be well-versed in issues of globalization
Students wishing to major in music should arrange to meet with the undergraduate advising head, who will discuss the various options for majoring in music and assign them to a faculty adviser. Students who opt to focus their study by choosing a specific track within the music major will be given information on how to apply. For certain tracks, a writing sample, an original musical composition, or an audition is required. Before admission to the major, candidates will normally pass MUS 101a and b, with accompanying labs MUS 102a and b, preferably during their first year.
Applicants for study in composition and theory are required to submit evidence of qualification in the form of examples of original work in musical composition; they must also take a departmental written test in basic musicianship. Applicants for admission in musicology should submit examples of their prose writing on music. Musicology applicants wishing to specialize in theory and analysis should also submit examples of advanced work in musical theory.
Admission is granted for one academic year at a time. Readmission will be refused in cases where students have not demonstrated a capacity for acceptable graduate work.
Yu-Hui Chang, Chair
Composition. Theory and analysis.
Eric Chasalow, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Composition. Analysis. Electronic music.
Mark Berger
Viola, Lydian String Quartet, Performance, theory and analysis.
Eric Chafe, Graduate Program Chair (Musicology)
Music of Monteverdi. Bach. Wagner. Seventeenth century. Postromantic music. Twentieth-century music. Analysis.
Seth Coluzzi
Music of the Renaissance. Theory and analysis.
Judith Eissenberg, Undergraduate Adviser (Cultural Studies Track)
Violin, Lydian String Quartet. Chamber music performance and analysis. Director, MusicUnitesUS.
Joshua Gordon
Cello, Lydian String Quartet. Performance and analysis.
Neal Hampton
Director, Brandeis Orchestra. Musical theater composition.
Allan Keiler, Undergraduate Adviser (History Track)
Nineteenth-century music. Theory and analysis. Beethoven.
Sarah Mead, Undergraduate Advising Head
Director, Brandeis Early Music Ensemble. The Authenticity Question.
Bob Nieske
Director, Jazz Ensemble. Jazz bass. Jazz improvisation and composition.
David Rakowski, Graduate Program Chair (Composition and Theory), Undergraduate Adviser (Composition Track) (on leave spring 2015)
Composition. Theory and analysis.
Daniel Stepner, Undergraduate Adviser (Performance Track, Musical Theater Performance Track)
Violin, Lydian String Quartet. Performance and analysis.
Vocal Instructors
Pamela Wolfe, soprano
Pamela Dellal, mezzo-soprano
Jason McStoots, tenor
Instrumental Instructors
Violin
Judith Eissenberg
Sharan Leventhal
Daniel Stepner
Paula Zeitlin, jazz violin
Viola
Mark Berger
Cello
Joshua Gordon
Viol
Sarah Mead
Double Bass
Elizabeth Foulser
Robert Nieske
Guitar
Steven Kirby
Flute
Jill Dreeben
Clarinet
Margo McGowan
Oboe
Jennifer Slowik
Bassoon
Margaret Phillips
Saxophone
Kristine Grey
Tom Hall, director, Improv Collective
Trumpet
Phil Grenadier
Dana Russian
French Horn
Frederick Aldrich
Tuba/euphonium
Michael Milnarik
Piano
Ben Cook, jazz piano
Evan Hirsch
Jean Meltaus
Marc Ryser
Harpsichord
Frances Fitch
Organ
Christa Rakich
Percussion
Richard Flanagan
Amit Kavthekar, tabla
Robert Schulz
A. Theory: MUS 101a and 101b or 103a and 103b, along with the corequisite Theory Lab: MUS 102a and 102b or MUS 104a and 104b. Placement at the appropriate level is determined by exam given at the beginning of the semester. Students may be exempt from any portion of this sequence by exam.
B. History (two semesters): chosen from MUS 131a, 133b, 135a.
C. One additional music course. Note: MUS 1a, MUS 5a, MUS 5b, and ensembles MUS 80a,b – MUS 88a,b may NOT count as an elective for the music minor.
D. Students must receive a grade of C- or higher in any course taken to fulfill the requirements for completing the minor.
E. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the minor requirements.
A. The major in music consists of the equivalent of twelve semester courses.
1.Theory: MUS 101a, 101b, 103a, 103b, along with the co-requsite Theory Lab: MUS 102a, 102b, 104a, 104b. Placement at the appropriate level is determined by exam given at the beginning of the semester. Students may be exempt from any portion of this sequence by exam.
2. History (three semesters): MUS 131a, MUS 133b, and MUS 135a.
3. Electives: Three semesters of courses from the music department. A full year of private instruction, MUS 111a,b (Private Instruction: Instrumentalists) or MUS 112a,b (Private Instruction: Voice) may be counted only once for major credit. MUS 1a, MUS 5a, MUS 5b, and MUS 80a,b – MUS 88a,b may NOT count as electives for the music major.
B. All majors in music are required to participate in a music department ensemble MUS 80a,b – MUS 88a,b (such as Early Music Ensemble, Chamber Music, Orchestra, Chorus, Jazz Ensemble) or MUS 116a,b with or without credit, in four separate semesters. Students must be enrolled in the either the credit or non-credit section of the course to receive credit towards the major. Students may petition to fulfill one semester of their ensemble requirement with participation in a professional non-Brandeis ensemble.
C. Piano proficiency: Keyboard proficiency must be demonstrated by the end of the next-to-last semester. Keyboard instruction under the basic piano program is offered for those students who are deficient at the keyboard. No fee is charged for this instruction and no course credit is granted.
D. Additional requirements for candidates for degrees with distinction: To be eligible for honors in music, candidates must demonstrate superior ability through their overall record and a capacity for independent thought beyond the limits of their course program (such as a written thesis, an approved project in original composition, or a senior recital).
E. Students must receive a grade of C- or higher in any course taken to fulfill the requirements for completing the major.
F. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the major requirements.
G. Music majors may choose to specialize in one of five tracks: composition, cultural studies, history, performance, or musical theater performance. These tracks combine core courses in theory and history and electives chosen in consultation with the undergraduate advising head and the track adviser. Students are encouraged to develop areas of interest within the track, in consultation with the respective adviser, and to choose appropriate electives for these areas.
H. Alternative programs: At any time prior to the completion of the junior year, the student may, in consultation with his or her adviser, submit an alternative proposal for the completion of the major. Such proposals will be considered by the department on the basis of their coherence and appropriateness to specific goals.
Composition Track
Admission to the composition track is contingent upon submission of an original musical composition to the composition track adviser. Students in this track are eligible to take a semester of Mus 292, contingent on submitting two or three original compositions to the track adviser at the in the junior year.
Core courses:
1. Theory (six semesters): MUS 101a and 101b (with associated two-credit labs MUS 102a and b), and MUS 103a and 103b (with associated two-credit labs MUS 104a and b). Placement at the appropriate level is determined by an examination given at the beginning of the semester. Students may be exempted from any portion of this sequence by examination.
2. History (three semesters): MUS 131a, MUS 133b and MUS 135a.
3. One semester of MUS 106a is required.
Electives:
Two semesters of courses from music and/or related disciplines as approved by the track adviser. MUS 111a and b (Private Instruction: Instrumentalists) or MUS 112a and b (Private Instruction: Voice) may be taken once only for major credit.
Cultural Studies Track
Core courses:
1. Theory (three semesters): MUS 101a and 101b (with associated two-credit labs MUS 102a and b) or MUS 103a and 103b (with associated two-credit labs MUS 104a and b). Placement at the appropriate level is determined by an examination given at the beginning of the semester. Students may be exempted from any portion of this sequence by examination.
2. History (two semesters): MUS 133b plus one additional history course (MUS 131a or MUS 135a).
3. MUS 3b (or alternative courses with permission of the department).
Electives:
Six semesters of courses from music and/or related disciplines, of which three are to be music-related courses approved by the track adviser. At least one course must explore issues of globalization. MUS 111a and b (Private Instruction: Instrumentalists) or 112a and b (Private Instruction: Voice) may be taken once only for major credit. Note: MUS 1a, MUS 5a, MUS 5b, and ensembles MUS 80a,b – MUS 88a,b may NOT count as electives for the cultural studies track. See the full list of electives at the end of this section.
History Track
Admission to the history track is contingent upon submission of a writing sample to the history track adviser. The writing sample should be on a musical topic of your choice.
Core courses:
1. Theory (six semesters): MUS 101a and 101b (with associated two-credit labs MUS 102a and b), and MUS 103a and 103b (with associated two-credit labs MUS 104a and b). Placement at the appropriate level is determined by an examination given at the beginning of the semester. Students may be exempted from any portion of this sequence by examination.
2. History (three semesters): MUS 131a, MUS 133b and MUS 135a.
Electives:
Three semesters of courses from music and/or related disciplines, to be approved by the track adviser. MUS 111a and b (Private Instruction: Instrumentalists) or 112a and b (Private Instruction: Voice) may be taken once only for major credit. Note: MUS 1a, MUS 5a, MUS 5b, and ensembles MUS 80a,b – MUS 88a,b may NOT count as electives for the history track.
Electives include: MUS 32b – 54b, MUS 185a – MUS 189a, MUS 195a. See the full list of electives at the end of this section for electives offered outside of the music department.
Performance Track
Admission to the performance track is contingent upon a successful audition, normally at the end of the sophomore year.
Core courses:
1. Theory (six semesters): MUS 101a and 101b (with associated two-credit labs MUS 102a and b), and MUS 103a and 103b (with associated two-credit labs MUS 104a and b). Placement at the appropriate level is determined by an examination given at the beginning of the semester. Students may be exempted from any portion of this sequence by examination.
2. History (three semesters): MUS 131a, MUS 133b, and MUS 135a.
3. Ensembles: Students in the performance track are required to participate in a music department ensemble, MUS 80a,b – MUS 88a,b, or MUS 116a,b, with or without credit, every semester after acceptance in the track for a minimum of four taken in separate semesters. Students must be enrolled in the either the credit or non-credit section of the course to receive credit towards the major. Students who anticipate pursuing the performance track are encouraged to register for private instruction, MUS 111a,b or MUS 112a,b prior to the audition.
4. Recitals: Students in the performance track must register for private instruction leading to the junior recital (MUS 117a,b) and senior recital (MUS 118a,b). The recital in the senior year may be taken as 99d (Senior Project) by petition.
Electives:
Three additional electives, two of which are concerned primarily with issues of performance, to be approved by the track adviser. MUS 111a and b (Private Instruction: Instrumentalists) or 112a and b (Private Instruction: Voice) may be taken once only for major credit. Note: MUS 1a, MUS 5a, MUS 5b, and ensembles MUS 80a,b – MUS 88a,b may not count as electives for the performance track.
Performance electives include, MUS 113a, MUS 116a,b, MUS 121a, and MUS 175a. See the full list of electives at the end of this section for electives offered outside of the music department.
Musical Theater Performance Track
Admission to the musical theater performance track is contingent upon a successful audition, normally at the end of the sophomore year.
Core courses:
1. Theory (six semesters): MUS 101a and 101b (with associated lab MUS 102a and b), and MUS 103a and 103b (with associated lab MUS 104a and b). Placement at the appropriate level is determined by an examination given at the beginning of the semester. Students may be exempted from any portion of this sequence by examination.
2. History (three semesters): MUS 131a or MUS 135a; MUS 133b; THA 123a.
3. Ensembles: Students in the musical theater performance track are required to participate in an ensemble, MUS 80a,b – 88a,b or MUS 116a,b, with or without credit, every semester after acceptance in the track for a minimum of four taken in separate semesters. Students must be enrolled in the either the credit or non-credit section of the course to receive credit towards the major. Up to two Brandeis Theater Company (BTC) musicals may be substituted for music department ensembles. Students who anticipate pursuing the musical theater performance track are encouraged to register for private instruction, MUS 111a,b or MUS 112a,b prior to the audition.
4. Recitals: Students in the musical theater performance track must register for private instruction leading to the junior recital (MUS 117a,b) and senior recital (MUS 118a,b). The recital in the senior year may be taken as MUS 99d (Senior Project) by petition.
Electives:
Three additional electives concerned primarily with issues of musical theater performance, from the music and theater departments, to be approved by the track adviser. MUS 111a and b (Private Instruction: Instrumentalists) or MUS 112a and b (Private Instruction: Voice) may be taken only once for major credit. Note: MUS 1a, MUS 5a, MUS 5b, and ensembles MUS 80a,b – MUS 88a,b may NOT count as electives for the music major.
Composition and Theory
A. Seven and one-half courses at the graduate level: seminars in composition, proseminars in tonal writing; proseminars and seminars in tonal and nontonal analysis. Private instrumental or vocal instruction and ensemble performance may be counted for credit with permission of the program chair.
B. A composition that is begun during the first semester, completed in time to be performed in the spring graduate composers' concert.
C. One year of residency. The program may take an additional one or two semesters to complete as an Extended Master's student.
D. Attendance at departmental composition colloquia.
Musicology
A. Seven and one-half courses at the graduate level: proseminars and seminars in musicology (including an array of courses in different historical periods, in music analysis, and in history of theory). MUS 171a is required. Private instrumental or vocal instruction and ensemble performance may be counted for credit with permission of the program chair.
C. A seminar paper written during the first semester, expanded with independent supervision of a faculty member during the second semester.
D. One year of residency. The program may take an additional one or two semesters to complete as an Extended Master's student.
E. Attendance at departmental musicology colloquia.
A. Twelve courses at the graduate level: proseminars and seminars in composition, seminars in tonal and nontonal analysis, a course in electro-acoustic music (or demonstrated proficiency). MUS 172a is required.
B. Examinations: Demonstration of competence by means of a portfolio review and written general examination at the end of the second year of study.
C. Thesis: An original composition, the scope to be approved by the faculty in composition. The master’s thesis must be deposited electronically to the Robert D. Farber University Archives at Brandeis.
D. Two years of residency. The program may take an additional one or two semesters to complete as an Extended Master's student.
E. Attendance at departmental composition colloquia.
Musicology
A. Twelve courses at the graduate level: proseminars and seminars in musicology (including an array of courses in different historical periods, in music analysis, and in history of theory). MUS 171a is required unless exemption is earned through examination.
D. Two years of residency. The program may take an additional one or two semesters to complete as an Extended Master's student.
E. Attendance at departmental musicology colloquia.
The Music department offers the opportunity for Ph.D. students to earn a joint M.A. with Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Topics include feminist theory, gender studies, cultural history and the investigation of work by and about women.
Program of StudyA. WMGS 205a, the foundational course in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
B. One course in feminist research methodologies (WMGS 208b, or the Feminist Inquiry course offered through the Graduate Consortium in Women's Studies).
C. Two courses at the graduate level from another department listed as electives in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Normally, only one of these courses may be a Directed Reading course (WMGS 310a,b).
D. Four courses at the graduate level in the Music department. One graduate course from the consortium that is related to music & women’s, gender and sexuality studies may be substituted. One of the four courses must include a seminar paper that focuses on a topic related to women's and gender studies. In cases where this is not possible, an independent study leading to a paper addressing an issue specifically related to music & women’s, gender, and sexuality studies may be substituted. MUS 171a is also required.
E. Attendance at all departmental musicology colloquia.
F. Completion of a Master's research paper of professional quality and length (normally twenty-five to forty pages) on a topic related to the joint degree. The paper will be read by two faculty members, one of whom is a member of the music department and one of whom is a member of the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies core or affiliate faculty. In consultation with the primary advisor, a student may register for WMGS 299a,b, "Master's Project." However, this course may not count toward the eight required courses.
G. Additional requirements as listed in the accompanying Ph.D. program.
Language Requirement
There is no foreign language requirement for the joint Master's degree.
Residence Requirement
One year. The program may take an additional one or two semesters to complete as an Extended Master's student.
Composition and Theory
A. Sixteen courses at the graduate level. MUS 172a is required.
B. Teaching: Preparation of graduate students for teaching careers is an integral part of the PhD programs in music. Beginning with the second year of residence, PhD candidates in composition participate as teaching fellows in the relevant undergraduate courses, for a minimum of six semesters. All teaching comes under the guidance of the primary course instructors and the department chair.
C. Satisfactory completion of the language requirement in one language (French, German, Italian, or another language by petition).
D. Examinations: General examinations during the second year. Oral qualifying examination in the third year.
E. Dissertation: An original musical composition and a thesis on a theoretical or analytical subject. Two copies of the thesis, as well as an abstract not to exceed 350 words in length, should be submitted to the program chair no later than December 1 for a February degree, or March 1 for a May degree, of the academic year in which the PhD degree is to be conferred. Upon completion of the thesis, the candidate is expected to defend it in a final oral examination. The faculty in composition attempts to arrange for the performance of dissertation compositions whenever possible.
F. Three years of residency.
G. Attendance at departmental composition colloquia.
Musicology
A. Twelve courses at the graduate level: proseminars and seminars in musicology (including an array of courses in different historical periods, in music analysis, and in history of theory). MUS 171a is required unless exemption is earned through examination.
B. Satisfactory completion of the language requirement in French and German. Students may substitute another language for French by petition. The German requirement should be satisfied by the end of the first year.
C. Teaching: Preparation of graduate students for teaching careers is an integral part of the PhD programs in music. Beginning with the second year of residence, PhD candidates in musicology participate as teaching fellows in the relevant undergraduate courses, for a minimum of six semesters. All teaching comes under the guidance of the primary course instructors and the department chair.
D. Examination: At the end of the second year, candidates must demonstrate competence by means of a written general examination.
E. Four additional courses at the graduate level, normally MUS 401d (Dissertation Research), or other courses as recommended by the faculty.F. Dissertation proposal: fifteen- to twenty-page page prospectus of the dissertation developed in consultation with the dissertation adviser and presented to the musicology faculty for their approval, no later than the end of the third year of residency.
G. Dissertation on a historical, theoretical, or analytical subject. Two copies of the doctoral dissertation, as well as an abstract of the dissertation not to exceed 350 words in length, should be submitted to the program chair no later than December 1 for a February degree, or March 1 for a May degree, of the academic year in which the PhD degree is to be conferred.
Dissertations should demonstrate the competence of the candidate as an independent investigator, his or her critical ability, and effectiveness of expression. Upon completion of the dissertation, the candidate is expected to defend it in a final oral examination.
H. Three years of residency.
I. Attendance at departmental musicology colloquia.Students may normally hold only one master's degree in the department.
Language Requirements
Language examinations to test reading proficiency are administered by the music department. Students will be asked to translate several passages with the aid of a dictionary. Foreign language course credits do not in themselves constitute fulfillment of the language requirements. Examinations will be offered once per semester. In case of failure, an examination may be retaken.
Instrumental Proficiency
At least moderate proficiency at the piano is required of all candidates for advanced degrees.
Electronic Music Studio
The Brandeis Electro-Acoustic Music Studio (BEAMS) with facilities for the composition of electronic music is available to qualified student composers. Director: Mr. Chasalow.
Private Instruction and Ensembles in Fulfillment of the Creative Arts Distribution Requirement
Please note that ensembles and private instruction (MUS 80a,b – MUS 88a,b, MUS 111a,b, MUS 112 a,b, and MUS 116a,b) yield half-course credit each; therefore, two semesters of ensemble or one semester of private instruction plus the corequisite ensemble are required to fulfill the creative arts distribution requirement.
Courses of Instruction
(1-99) Primarily for Undergraduate Students
MUS
1a
Exploring Western Music
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Does not meet requirements for the major or minor in music.
A general introduction to the materials and forms of music, and a study of western musical literature. Training in analytical listening, based on selected listening assignments. Open to non-majors who are assumed to have little or no previous knowledge of music. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Coluzzi
MUS
3b
World Music: Performing Tradition through Sound
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Open to all students. Required of all Cultural Studies track majors.
What are we listening to? Applies engaged listening skills and critical analysis for a deeper appreciation of (non-Western) music as a cultural expression. Focuses on particular traditions as well as social context, impact of globalization, cultural production, cultural rights, etc. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Eissenberg
MUS
4a
Introduction to Chinese Music and Its Development in the Modern Era
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Open to all students; no musical background is required.
A general introduction to the history and practice of Chinese music, with a focus on existing musical activities. Specific topics include instrumental music, folk and dance music, musical drama and narrative, ritual and religious music, interaction with Western music, popular music, musical aesthetics and ideology, and music of ethnic minorities. Through listening, reading, and class discussion, students explore different musical genres and gain an understanding and appreciation of Chinese music idiom, as well as a general picture of how music lives and functions in Chinese-speaking communities. Usually offered every third year.
Ms. Chang
MUS
5a
The Beginner's Toolbox: Fundamentals of Music Notation and Performance
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Does not meet requirements for the major or minor in music.
For the general student with no musical background. Two hours a week will be devoted to the notation of music, including scales, intervals, keys, triads, rhythm, and meter. The third hour will be devoted to sight-singing and dictation. Reading knowledge of music is not required; a placement exam will be given on the first day of instruction. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Berger
MUS
5b
Fundamentals of Music II
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Prerequisite: MUS 5a or by examination. Continuation of MUS 5a. Does not meet requirements for the major or minor in music.
Studies the fundamentals of music. Two hours per week are devoted to continued study on elementary harmony, rhythmic training, and songwriting, including formation of teams of students to perform exercises live. The third hour is devoted to ear training, sightsinging, and dictation. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
31a
Broadway Bound: The Craft of Composing Music and Lyrics for the Theater
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Open to music majors and non-majors.
Do you like to write poetry or plays? Have you written music and/or lyrics and want to try your hand at writing musical theatre? In this class, you will learn how music functions in a dramatic context by writing songs (alone or in collaboration with others) and regularly presenting your material for peer and instructor feedback. Contemporary and traditional musical theater masterpieces will be analyzed. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Hampton
MUS
32b
Elements of Jazz
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Open to music majors and non-majors.
Examines the development of Jazz styles from the origins of Jazz in the late 1800’s through today's Jazz masters. Early Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Cool, the year 1959, and Avant Garde are some of the styles we will be examining through recordings, videos, and in-class performances by local jazz musicians. The emphasis will be on learning how to listen to the various layers of the music and recognize specific stylistic techniques. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Nieske
MUS
33a
The Beatles: From "Yesterday" to "Tomorrow Never Knows"
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Open to music majors and non-majors. Requires ability to read and perform music. Prerequisite: MUS 5a or MUS 101a or by permission via audition with the instructor.
Explores why the Beatles were much more than simply the most famous band of all time. Their musical thinking and that of their producer George Martin has been deeply and pervasively influential. In this class we will delve into why this is so. We will play the songs, analyze the music and its technical production, and create our own arrangements. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Chasalow
MUS
34b
Songwriting
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Prerequisite: MUS 5a or the basic understanding of the fundamentals of music (chords, scales, notation). The ability to sing or play a musical instrument preferred.
Teaches the tools and techniques of songwriting through lectures, study of representative works, composition assignments, and in-class workshops. Topics include song forms and styles, harmony and phrase structure, prosody, and processes of songwriting. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Coluzzi
MUS
45a
Beethoven
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Open to music majors and non-majors.
A study of the most influential musician in the history of Western civilization. Although attention is given to his place in society, emphasis falls on an examination of representative works drawn from the symphonies, concertos, chamber music, and solo piano works. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Keiler
MUS
51b
The Symphony
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Open to music majors and non-majors.
Examines a major genre of Western classical music: the symphony. By analyzing representative masterpieces, students acquire an understanding of the development of musical style in the classic, romantic, and modern periods. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Chafe
MUS
52a
The World of Opera: Music and Drama
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Open to music majors and non-majors.
Surveys the history of opera from its emergence around 1600 to the present day. In addition to tracing musical changes, the social, cultural, and intellectual trends that influenced (and were shaped by) these changes are also considered. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
MUS
54b
Music and Poetry in the German Art Song During the Nineteenth Century
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Surveys the interaction of poetry and music in major masterpieces of the German art song (Lied) for voice and piano from the time of Beethoven and Schubert (c. 1815) to that of Strauss, Wolf and Mahler (c. 1900). All the major composers of Lieder will be covered. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Chafe
MUS
80a
Early Music Ensemble
Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Yields half-course credit. Open to singers and instrumentalists interested in learning about the historical ancestors of their modern instruments. Instrumental and/or vocal experience and competency in sight-reading required. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (80a,b – 88a,b) alone or Private Instruction and Ensemble together. May be undertaken as an extracurricular, noncredit activity by registering in the XC section.
Examines the performance of music written before 1700. A large number of historical instruments are available for student use and instruction. Solo, ensemble, and one-on-a-part opportunities. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Mead
MUS
80b
Early Music Ensemble
Continuation of MUS 80a. See MUS 80a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every year.
Ms. Mead
MUS
81a
Chamber Choir: Loving the Classics
Corequisite: MUS 80a,b or MUS 82a,b. Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. Vocal experience and sight-reading skill required. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (80a,b – 88a,b) alone or Private Instruction and Ensemble together. May be undertaken as an extracurricular, noncredit activity by registering in the XC section.
Explores unusual repertory, Bach cantatas, seventeenth-century oratorios, sixteenth-century motets and madrigals, nineteenth-century lieder, and twentieth-century works. Singers prepare independently outside of scheduled rehearsals. Opportunities for one-on-a-part ensemble singing and solo works. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Mead
MUS
81b
Chamber Choir: Gaining Expertise, Exploring the Repertory
Continuation of MUS 81a. See MUS 81a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every year.
Ms. Mead
MUS
82a
University Chorus
Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. Placement auditions will be held at the start of the semester. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (80a,b – 88a,b) alone or Private Instruction and Ensemble together. May be undertaken as an extracurricular, noncredit activity by registering in the XC section.
Performs in concert great literature from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. Aspects of singing, musicianship skills, and ensemble building are emphasized. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hampton
MUS
82b
University Chorus
Continuation of MUS 82a. See MUS 82a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hampton
MUS
83a
Jazz Ensemble
Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. Admission by the consent of the instructor based on an audition. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (80a,b – 88a,b) alone or Private Instruction and Ensemble together. May be undertaken as an extracurricular, noncredit activity by registering in the XC section.
The Brandeis Jazz Ensemble has about 15 musicians from the Brandeis community. Instrumentation will vary according to annual fall auditions. Repertoire consists of pieces by jazz greats including Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, Sun Ra...as well as arrangements of tunes and original compositions by the director, Bob Nieske and students. Students are also encouraged to compose or arrange for the group with the assistance of the director. Each semester the ensemble performs 5 or 6 pieces as a full group and 4 or 5 as small groups for a different musical experience. Although saxophone, brass, piano, guitar, bass and drums are the traditional jazz instruments, the ensemble is also open to more “classical” instruments (strings and woodwinds). Lower brass such as French horn, trombone, euphonium and tuba are especially encouraged to audition. Students do not have to have any experience improvising but must be able to read well and have a good command of their instrument. At least one concert per semester. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Nieske
MUS
83b
Jazz Ensemble
Continuation of MUS 83a. See MUS 83a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every year.
Mr. Nieske
MUS
84a
Orchestra
Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. Acceptance into ensemble contingent on instructor’s approval based on auditions held at the start of the semester. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (80a,b – 88a,b) alone or Private Instruction and Ensemble together. May be undertaken as an extracurricular, noncredit activity by registering in the XC section.
The orchestra gives several concerts each year performing major works from the symphonic repertory. Students prepare independently, outside of scheduled rehearsals. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hampton
MUS
84b
Orchestra
Continuation of MUS 84a. See MUS 84a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hampton
MUS
85a
Wind Ensemble
Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields half-course credit. Placement auditions will be held at the start of the semester. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (80a,b – 88a,b) alone or Private Instruction and Ensemble together. May be undertaken as an extracurricular, noncredit activity by registering in the XC section.
The Wind Ensemble gives one to two concerts a semester. Members of the Wind Ensemble may be asked to play with the orchestra as needed for large-scale works. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Souza
MUS
85b
Wind Ensemble
Continuation of MUS 85a. See MUS 85a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every year.
Mr. Souza
MUS
86a
Improv Collective
Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Yields half-course credit. Placement auditions will be held at the start of the semester. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (80a,b – 88a,b) alone or Private Instruction and Ensemble together. May be undertaken as an extracurricular, noncredit activity by registering in the XC section.
Open to all Brandeis students who play an instrument or sing, regardless of skill or experience in improvising, the Improv Collective focuses on both individual creativity and group improvisation. The semester culminates with a performance in Slosberg Recital hall. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Hall
MUS
86b
Improv Collective
Continuation of MUS 86a. See MUS 86a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Hall
MUS
87a
Music and Dance from Ghana
Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Yields half-course credit. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (80a,b – 88a,b) alone or Private Instruction and Ensemble together. Instruments will be supplied by instructor.
Students in this course will study and perform a repertory of traditional music and dance of a variety of ethnic traditions from Ghana, West Africa. The drum ensemble includes bells, rattles and drums. The vocal music features call-and-response singing in local languages. The dances have choreographic formations as well as opportunity for individual expression. Drumming and dancing are closely intertwined; work will culminate in a final performance. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
87b
Music and Dance from Ghana
Continuation of MUS 87a. See MUS 87a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
88a
Chamber Music for Leonard Bernstein Fellows
Offered exclusively on a credit/no credit basis. Yields half-course credit. Only open to Leonard Bernstein scholars. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (80a,b – 88a,b) alone or Private Instruction and Ensemble together. May be undertaken as an extracurricular, noncredit activity by registering in the XC section.
Organizes Leonard Bernstein Fellows into chamber ensembles and assigned specific works to prepare for the semester. They will be coached by a member of the music department faculty and are expected to rehearse weekly in addition to the coaching sessions. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Berger, Ms. Eissenberg, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Stepner, and Staff
MUS
88b
Chamber Music for Leonard Bernstein Fellows
Continuation of MUS 88a. See MUS 88a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Berger, Ms. Eissenberg, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Stepner, and Staff
MUS
92a
Internship and Analysis
Staff
MUS
97a
Independent Projects
Yields two semester-hours credit (one half-course credit). Normally open only to music majors in their junior and senior years. May be taken twice for credit if no undue duplication of content is involved.
Reserved for projects such as directed readings, preparation of a work for performance, or internships that do not require written work (papers or compositions). Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
97b
Independent Projects
Yields two semester-hours credit (one half-course credit). Normally open only to music majors in their junior and senior years. May be taken twice for credit if no undue duplication of content is involved.
Reserved for projects such as directed readings, preparation of a work for performance, or internships that do not require written work (papers or compositions). Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
98a
Directed Independent Study
Yields four semester-hours credit (one course credit). Open to qualified undergraduates.
One-semester course with one semester credit. Requires written work such as a historical or analytical essay, preparation of a critical edition, or the creation of an original musical composition. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
98b
Directed Independent Study
Yields four semester-hours credit (one course credit). Open to qualified undergraduates.
One-semester course with one semester credit. Requires written work such as a historical or analytical essay, preparation of a critical edition, or the creation of an original musical composition. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
99d
Senior Project
Yields eight semester-hours credit (two course credits).
A full-year course with two semester course credits. Open to seniors with a GPA in music of 3.00 or above. Admission by petition. May involve a thesis, musical performance, or composition. In all cases, it must produce written work. Usually offered every year.
Staff
(100-199) For Both Undergraduate and Graduate Students
MUS
101a
Theory and Musicianship I: Part 1
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Admission by placement exam to be given in class on the first day of instruction. Corequisite: MUS 102a.
A first course for students who already read music, but wish to develop a deeper involvement. Students investigate how music "works" by composing exercises based on examples of tonal music and literature that students are practicing for performance. Focuses on elementary harmony and voice-leading, counterpoint, analysis, and model composition. In the required one-hour lab (MUS 102a), students practice sight-singing and dictation, skills essential to music literacy. Usually offered every year.
Mr. McAneny
MUS
101b
Theory and Musicianship I: Part 2
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Prerequisite: MUS 101a. Corequisite: MUS 102b.
The second semester introduces broad concepts of theory and begins the process of learning to write and analyze music. By the end of the year, students will gain experience in counterpoint, harmony, and formal analysis, and will compose in a simple form. Throughout the year, the relationship of repertoire and theory is stressed. The required ear-training and keyboard lab meets separately. Usually offered every year.
Mr. McAneny
MUS
102a
Theory and Musicianship Lab I: Part 1
Corequisite: MUS 101a. Yields half-course credit.
Designed to help students develop essential music literary skills. Beginning sight-singing, simple melodic and harmonic dictation, and rhythmic studies. Materials drawn from the corequisite lecture course. Keyboard harmony. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
102b
Theory and Musicianship Lab I: Part 2
Corequisite: MUS 101b. Yields half-course credit.
See MUS 102a for course description. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
103a
Theory and Musicianship II: Part 1
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Prerequisites: MUS 101a,b and 102a,b. Corequisite: MUS 104a.
This course builds on MUS 101. Chromatic tonal harmony is covered, and short pieces of nineteenth century music are analyzed in depth. Students will analyze pieces on their own and write analytical papers. Students will also harmonize various chorale melodies. The required ear training and keyboard lab meets separately. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Brown
MUS
103b
Theory and Musicianship II: Part 2
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Prerequisite: MUS 103a. Corequisite: MUS 104b.
A continuation of MUS 103a. Twentieth century styles and techniques are covered, including extended tonality and atonality. Several compositional projects are assigned and performed in class. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Brown
MUS
104a
Theory and Musicianship Lab II: Part 1
Corequisite: MUS 103a. Yields half-course credit.
A continuation of MUS 102. More advanced exercises in sight-singing and dictation. Keyboard harmony. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
104b
Theory and Musicianship Lab II: Part 2
Corequisite: MUS 103b. Yields half-course credit.
A continuation of MUS 104a. Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
106a
Undergraduate Composition
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Prerequisite: MUS 5a or equivalent experience. Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. May be repeated once for credit.
Students are introduced to a variety of compositional issues by writing five or six short pieces and one longer project. Concurrently, pertinent examples from the twentieth-century classical repertoire will be discussed. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Chasalow
MUS
107a
Introduction to Electro-Acoustic Music
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Prerequisite: Any music course or permission of the instructor.
A course designed to give students basic studio skills and a context for listening to and working in electronic music. Topics include basic acoustics, sound design, digital and analog recording techniques, and assignments on the pioneers and current practitioners of electro-acoustic music. Involves hands-on experience in the use of MIDI-controlled synthesizers, samplers, production equipment, and includes individual studio projects based on individual studio time. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
MUS
108a
Introduction to Music Production and Recording Technologies
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Takes a historical and creative approach to the development of studio recording practices since 1950, offering the opportunity to work in the music production facilities at Brandeis, creating musical compositions across genres while gaining competency in recording and mixing techniques. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Lane
MUS
111a
Private Instruction: Instrumentalists
Offered on a credit/no-credit grading basis. Yields two credits (one semester half-course credit). Placement auditions will be held at the start of the semester. Students registering for MUS 111a must also register for a departmental Ensemble (MUS 80a,b – 87a,b or 116a,b); 111a may NOT be taken alone. Students may petition to substitute one semester of a professionally directed non-university ensemble for their university Ensemble co-requisite. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (MUS 80a,b – 87a,b) alone or Private Instructions and Ensemble together. Successful completion of MUS 111a,b may be applied only once toward the requirements for the major or minor in music. Course may be taken as a noncredit activity by registering in the XC section. Studio fee: $250 fee for majors; $650 for non-majors.
Instrumentalists will take ten one-hour, private lessons per semester in the field of early music, jazz, or classical music while participating in a departmental ensemble on that instrument. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Nieske
MUS
111b
Private Instruction: Instrumentalists
Continuation of MUS 111a. See MUS 111a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every year.
Mr. Nieske
MUS
112a
Private Instruction: Voice
Offered on a credit/no-credit grading basis. Yields two credits (one semester half-course credit). Placement auditions will be held at the start of the semester. Students registering for MUS 112a must also register for a departmental Ensemble (MUS 80a,b – 87a,b or 116a,b); 112a may NOT be taken alone. Students may petition to substitute one semester of a professionally directed non-university ensemble for their university Ensemble co-requisite. A maximum of four course credits will be allowed for all enrollments in Ensemble (MUS 80a,b – 87a,b) alone or Private Instructions and Ensemble together. Successful completion of MUS 112a,b may be applied only once toward the requirements for the major or minor in music. Course may be taken as a noncredit activity by registering in the XC section. Studio fee: $250 fee for majors; $650 for non-majors.
Voice students will take ten one-hour, private lessons per semester. Fundamental skills of breathing, resonating, and relaxing will be taught along with repertory appropriate to the individual student. A ten-minute jury is required in second semester. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hampton and Ms. Mead
MUS
112b
Private Instruction: Voice
Continuation of MUS 112a. See MUS 112a for special notes and course description.
Usually offered every year.
Mr. Hampton and Ms. Mead
MUS
113a
Introduction to Conducting
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Prerequisite: MUS 103a,b or permission of instructor; proficiency on an instrument or as a singer required. Corequisite: Participation in departmental ensemble.
Involves score-reading, score study and analysis, conducting technique, and conducting. Usually offered every third year.
Staff
MUS
116a
Chamber Music: from Page to Stage
Offered exclusively on a credit/no-credit basis. Yields two semester-hours credit (one half-course credit). May be repeated for credit. May be undertaken as an extracurricular, noncredit activity by registering in the XC section. Vocalists will be admitted on an individual basis and must take MUS 82 a,b: University Chorus or MUS 80 a,b: Early Music Ensemble as a corequisite. Informal auditions at the beginning of the semester.
Musicians bring their own experience, instinct, and theoretical knowledge to music-making through study and performance of chamber music in a supportive master class setting. Through coaching by a professional performer, readings, and listening to recordings, this course examines how performance practice, basic structural analysis, and historical context affect interpretation. Individual and ensemble preparation required. Class meetings include coaching, discussion/listening salon, masterclass and rehearsals, to be scheduled. Final public performance. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Eissenberg
MUS
116b
Chamber Music from Page to Stage
Continuation of MUS 116a. See MUS 116a for special notes and course description. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Gordon
MUS
117a
Junior Recital I
Yields two semester-hours credit (one half-course credit). For music majors accepted into the performance or musical theater performance tracks only. Admission by the consent of the instructor based on an audition. Students may not enroll in MUS 111a,b or MUS 112a,b for credit while enrolled in MUS 117a,b.
Students will take ten one-hour private lessons in preparation for performance of a recital, to be given in the spring semester, of significant representative repertory appropriate to the instrument or voice of the student, including the selecting of repertory for a coherent program. Students are expected to demonstrate command of stylistic, technical, and expressive aspects of the chosen music. Requires passing a jury at the end of the fall semester. Studio fee: $250. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Stepner
MUS
117b
Junior Recital II
Continuation of MUS 117a. Includes final preparation for spring full recital. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Stepner
MUS
118a
Senior Recital I
Yields two semester-hours credit (one half-course credit). For music majors accepted into the performance or musical theater performance tracks only. Admission by the consent of the instructor based on an audition. Students may not enroll in MUS 111a,b or MUS 112a,b for credit while enrolled in MUS 118a,b.
Students will take ten one-hour private lessons in preparation for performance of a full recital, to be given in the spring semester, of significant representative repertory appropriate to the instrument or voice of the student, including the selecting of repertory for a coherent program. Students are expected to demonstrate command of stylistic, technical, and expressive aspects of the chosen music. Requires passing a jury at the end of the fall semester. Studio fee: $250. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Stepner
MUS
118b
Senior Recital II
Continuation of MUS 118a. Includes final preparation for spring full recital. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Stepner
MUS
121a
Introduction to Jazz Improvisation
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Prerequisites: Ability to read music and facility on an instrument. May not be taken for credit by students who have taken MUS 191a in prior years.
This course explores some of the tools improvisers use to develop their craft: melody, harmony, rhythm, articulation, listening, and phrasing. This is approached through a series of exercises along with the playing and analysis of standard jazz tunes and the composing of solos over standard chord changes. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Nieske
MUS
131a
History of Music I: Ancient through Early Baroque
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Prerequisites: MUS 101a and b, or by permission of the instructor. This course may not be repeated for credit by students who have taken MUS 131b in prior years.
A survey of music history from antiquity to the mid-17th century, considering major styles, composers, genres, and techniques of musical composition from a historical and analytical perspective. Topics include Gregorian chant, the motet and madrigal, Monteverdi and early opera, and developments in instrumental genres.
Ms. Mead
MUS
133b
History of Music II: Late Baroque and Classical
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Prerequisite: MUS 101a and b. This course may not be repeated for credit by students who have taken MUS 133a in prior years.
A survey of music from Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel through Beethoven and Schubert. Major styles, genres, and techniques of musical composition are discussed from historical and analytic perspective, based on a study of representative works.
Mr. Coluzzi
MUS
135a
History of Music III: Romantic and 20th Century
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Prerequisites: MUS 101a and b. May not be taken for credit by students who took MUS 134b or 135a in prior years.
Surveys music history from c.1830 to the present, considering major styles, genres, and techniques of musical composition from a historical and analytical perspective. Styles and composers represented include Chopin, Liszt, Wagner, impressionism, serialism, Debussy, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Bartok, and Babbitt. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Chafe
MUS
160b
Electro-Acoustic Music Composition (Laptopping)
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Preference given to students who have taken MUS 107a and majors in the departments of the School of Creative Arts.
A continuation of work begun in MUS 107a, with emphasis on composition and performance in the electro-acoustic medium. Course focus is on individual and collaborative projects. Work is carried out in BEAMS (Brandeis Electro-Acoustic Music Studio), but every effort will be made to equip students to compose on their own computers and to work collaboratively using the Internet. Composition projects are based on models since 1948 in the genres of musique concrete, "pure" and "live" electronic music, music for instruments and tape, and multidisciplinary works. A final project leads to the production of a concert. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
MUS
161a
Electro-Acoustic Music Composition
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Prerequisite: MUS 107a or MUS 160b, or permission of the instructor. Intended for graduate students and advanced undergraduates.
Composing for electronic media. Advanced topics in software synthesis, sound design, studio production. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Chasalow
MUS
162b
Seminar in MAX/MSP
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Advanced undergraduate students may enroll with permission of the instructor.
Topics related to the use of the MAX/MSP graphical programming language for composition, sound design, installation, and live performance. Participants engage in individual projects and study MAX patches by established practitioners. Individual and group research and presentations are required. Usually offered every third year.
Staff
MUS
171a
Form and Analysis
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Required of all musicology graduate students during their first year, and composition MA students. Prerequisite for undergraduate students: MUS 103a and permission of instructor. May not be counted for credit toward the course requirements for the MFA and PhD programs.
A proseminar in analytical approaches to Western music through representative examples from major composers from the Middle Ages through the early 20th century. Emphasis will be placed on the common practice period. Different theories of musical form will be applied to representative genres. Work on close harmonic analysis as well as large scale tonal and rhythmic structure will be included. Graduate students may be exempted by examination. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Coluzzi
MUS
172b
Proseminar in Theory and Composition
[
ca
]
Required of all composition MFA and PhD students. May be repeated for credit.
Composition in classical forms with particular emphasis on sonata form. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Rakowski
MUS
175a
Instrumentation and Orchestration
[
ca
]
Prerequisites: MUS 101a and b.
Technical projects in the art of writing for instruments and for groups of instruments, from chamber groups of various sizes to full orchestra. Score study of examples from 1770 to the present. Additional focus on notation and on rules for instrumental parts. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
MUS
185a
Proseminar in Music of the Renaissance
[
ca
]
An introduction to the fundamentals of Renaissance musical language. Investigation of selected topics in Renaissance musicology, such as editorial methods, archival research, printed and manuscript sources, historiography, and analytical approaches to Renaissance music. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Coluzzi
MUS
187b
Proseminar in Music of the Baroque
[
ca
]
Selected topics in the music of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Sample topics: Monteverdi operas; tonality in seventeenth-century music; Bach and theology; the beginnings of music criticism in the eighteenth century. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Chafe
MUS
189a
Proseminar in Music of the Nineteenth Century
[
ca
]
A broad study of the principal stylistic developments and musical genres of the nineteenth century. Topics include significance of Beethoven on the musical thinking of the nineteenth century, the rise of national schools of composition, especially opera, and program music and its aesthetic and compositional bases. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Chafe
MUS
190b
Proseminar in Schenkerian Analysis
[
ca
]
The systematic study of the approach to music analysis developed by Heinrich Schenker. The basic concepts of diminution, voice leading, prolongation, and structural level are studied and their significance is applied to smaller examples as well as the principal longer forms of tonal music. The student gradually masters all of the notational techniques of linear analysis as they are applied to the tonal repertory. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Keiler
MUS
191b
Analysis of Extended Tonal Music
[
ca
]
Works in this course are selected from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Composers such as Wagner, Wolf, Debussy, early Schoenberg, Bartok, and Stravinsky. Music from the Renaissance and early baroque may also be examined. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Chang
MUS
192a
Topics in Analysis of Early Twentieth-Century Music
[
ca
]
Detailed examination of selected works composed between 1908 and 1951. Usually offered every second year.
Staff
MUS
193b
Topics in Analysis of Contemporary Music
[
ca
]
Detailed examination of selected works since 1951. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Chang
MUS
195a
Seminar: Music and Meaning
[
ca
]
The problem of meaning has reemerged as a central concern in musicology. Contemporary approaches to musical meaning in which interdisciplinary connections are emphasized will be considered. Possible topics of study include narratology, hermeneutics, gender studies, psychoanalytic approaches to biography and musical content, and the work of Peter Kivy. Changes in attitudes toward musical meanings that have occurred in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries will also be explored. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Keiler
(200 and above) Primarily for Graduate Students
MUS
200b
Teaching Music
Approaches to teaching music subjects at the college level. Subjects include strategies for teaching music appreciation, history and theory; evaluating and choosing textbooks; crafting a syllabus; grading; and teaching philosophies. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Rakowski
MUS
212a
Seminar: Analyzing Early Music (1300-1600)
An investigation of analytic approaches to pretonal music, including such issues as text-music relations, tonal structures, compositional planning, use of preexisting material. Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Coluzzi
MUS
213b
Seminar in Music of the Renaissance
An investigation of a selected topic in Renaissance music. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Coluzzi
MUS
214b
Seminar: Baroque Topics
An in-depth investigation of one selected topic in baroque music. Topics may include the Monteverdi madrigals, seventeenth-century instrumental music, and the Bach Passions. The methodology employed varies according to the subject; emphasis is given to more recent research in most cases. Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Chafe
MUS
217b
Topics in Music of the Eighteenth Century
An in-depth examination of selected topics in eighteenth century music. Usually offered every fourth year.
Staff
MUS
218b
Seminar in the Music of the Nineteenth Century
A detailed exploration of one historical, analytical, or stylistic issue of current significance to nineteenth-century musicology. Topics include the two versions of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra and cyclic organization in the song cycles of Robert Schumann. Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Keiler
MUS
219a
Seminar: Wagner
This seminar will study one of Wagner's major works in depth and from a variety of approaches: analytical questions; the sketches and drafts; Wagner's writings. Special emphasis will be given to Wagner's Schopenhauerian aesthetics. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Chafe
MUS
220a
Seminar: The German Postromantic Period
This course will study topics drawn from the period between 1860 and 1914. Topics may include Mahler's songs and symphonies, the aesthetics of late nineteenth-century music, the postromantic lied with particular emphasis on Hugo Wolf. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Chafe
MUS
225a
Seminar: Topics in the History of Theory to 1700
An investigation of topics in music theory (including the tonal system, solmization, modality, counterpoint, composition, musica ficta, notation) based on a close reading of theoretical treatises.
Staff
MUS
226a
History and Literature of Western Music Theory: Baroque to 1850
Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Keiler
MUS
226b
History and Literature of Western Music Theory: 1850 to the Present
Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Keiler
MUS
292a
Seminar in Composition
Group meetings and individual conferences. Opportunities for the performance of student works is provided. Usually offered every year. Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.
Staff
MUS
292b
Seminar in Composition
Group meetings and individual conferences. Opportunities for the performance of student works are provided. Usually offered every year. Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested.
Staff
MUS
299a
Individual Research and Advanced Work
Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
299b
Individual Research and Advanced Work
Usually offered every year.
Staff
MUS
401d
Dissertation Research
Specific sections for individual faculty members as requested. Required of all doctoral candidates.
Staff
Cross-Listed in Music/Composition Track
FILM
100a
Introduction to the Moving Image
[
hum
]
An interdisciplinary course surveying the history of moving image media from 1895 to the present, from the earliest silent cinema to the age of the 500-channel cable television. Open to all undergraduates as an elective, it is the introductory course for the major and minor in film, television and interactive media. Usually offered every year.
Staff
Cross-Listed in Music/Cultural Studies Track
AAAS
155b
Hip Hop History and Culture
[
ss
]
Examines the history of hip hop culture, in the broader context of U.S., African American and African diaspora history, from the 1960s to the present. Explores key developments, debates and themes shaping hip hop's evolution and contemporary global significance. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Williams
AMST
129a
From American Movie Musicals to Music Videos
[
ss
]
Examines the spectacle of song and dance in movie musicals and music videos, beginning with the earliest talking pictures in the late 1920's and continuing to the present. Particular emphasis will be on technological change, race, gender and the commodification of culture, among other topics. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Mandrell
ANTH
1a
Introduction to the Comparative Study of Human Societies
[
nw
ss
]
Examines the ways human beings construct their lives in a variety of societies. Includes the study of the concept of culture, kinship, and social organization, political economy, gender and sexuality, religion and ritual, symbols and language, social inequalities and social change, and globalization. Consideration of anthropological research methods and approaches to cross-cultural analysis. Usually offered every semester.
Mr. Anjaria, Ms. Lamb, or Ms. McIntosh
ANTH
26a
Communication and Media
[
ss
]
An exploration of human communication and mass media from a cross-cultural perspective. Examines communication codes based on language and visual signs. The global impact of revolutions in media technology, including theories of cultural imperialism and indigenous uses of media is discussed. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. McIntosh
ANTH
63a
Non-Western Musical Traditions
[
ca
nw
ss
]
Explores non-Western musical traditions in social and cultural contexts, including music of the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Americas. Focuses on methodologies within the field of ethnomusicology, and the study of music in the social sciences. Usually offered every fourth year.
Ms. Lucas
ANTH
129b
Global, Transnational, and Diasporic Communities
[
ss
]
Examines the social and cultural dimensions of globalization from an anthropological perspective. It starts by critically engaging with more fundamental concepts such as state, identity, and movement. It then proceeds to debate the various contributions that anthropologists have presented to the understanding of human life in global, transnational, and diasporic contexts. Topics to be discussed include place, migration, religion, global sexual cultures, kinship, and technology—all within a global perspective. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Anjaria, Ms. Ferry or Ms. Lamb
CAST
150b
Introduction to Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation
[
ss
]
May not be taken for credit by students who took PAX 250b in prior years.
How can music, theater, poetry, literature, and visual arts contribute to community development, coexistence, and nonviolent social change? In the aftermath of violence, how can artists help communities reconcile? Students explore these questions through interviews, case studies, and projects. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Cohen
ECS
100a
European Cultural Studies Proseminar: Modernism
[
hum
wi
]
Explores the interrelationship of literature, music, painting, philosophy, and other arts in the era of high modernism. Works by Artaud, Baudelaire, Benjamin, Mann, Mahler, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Kandinsky, Schiele, Beckett, Brecht, Adorno, Sartre, Heidegger, and others. Usually offered every fall semester.
Mr. Dowden
ED
101b
Elementary School Curriculum and Teaching: Science, Arts and Other Topics
[
ss
]
Limited to students enrolling in ED 111e spring semester.
Focuses on principles and effective procedures for teaching elementary students. Examines how art, creative drama, multicultural education, special education, and physical education affect teaching and learning. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Moriarty and Staff
ENG
64b
From Libertinism to Sensibility: Pleasure and the Theater, 1660-1800
[
hum
]
Investigates the exchange between performance texts and contemporaneous discussions of class, nationality, and political party. Emphasizes the emergence of modern gender and sexual roles and the impact of the first professional women actors. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. King
ENG
101a
Studies in Popular Culture
[
hum
]
A critical analysis of contemporary culture, including television, film, video, advertising, and popular literature. Combines applied criticism and theoretical readings. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Morrison
ENG
151b
Performance Studies
[
hum
]
Prerequisite: A course in dramatic literature and familiarity with theatrical production.
The theater, etymologically, is a place for viewing. Theory, etymologically, begins with a spectator and a viewing. Reading theories of theater and performance against paradigmatic dramatic texts and documents of social performance, speculation, and spectatorship are reviewed. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. King
HIST
61a
Cultures in Conflict since 1300
[
ss
wi
]
Explores the ways in which cultures and civilizations have collided since 1300, and the ways in which cultural differences account for major wars and conflicts in world history since then. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Freeze and Mr. Jankowski
HIST
169a
Thought and Culture in Modern America
[
ss
wi
]
Developments in American philosophy, literature, art, and political theory examined in the context of socioeconomic change. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. Engerman
IGS
10a
Introduction to International and Global Studies
[
ss
]
"Globalization" touches us more every day. Introduces the challenges of globalization to national and international governance, economic success, individual and group identities, cultural diversity, the environment, and inequalities within and between nations, regions of the globe, gender, and race. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Chase or Mr. Rosenberger
PHIL
113b
Aesthetics: Painting, Photography, and Film
[
ca
hum
wi
]
Explores representation in painting, photography, and film by studying painters Rembrandt, Velázquez, and Vermeer, as well as later works by Manet, Degas, Cézanne, and Picasso; photographers Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Edward Weston, Walker Evans, Alfred Stieglitz, and Diane Arbus; and filmmakers Renoir and Hitchcock. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Teuber
RECS
149b
Russian Modernism in: Culture and Arts
[
hum
]
Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
An interdisciplinary immersion in the period, emphasizing the connections between historical and artistic trends and employing prominent theories of culture. Focuses on major figures, works, and events in film, literature, the performing and visual arts, and political, philosophical, and religious thought. Usually offered every fourth year.
Mr. Powelstock
SOC
120b
Globalization and the Media
[
ss
]
Investigates the phenomenon of globalization as it relates to mass media. Topics addressed include the growth of transnational media organizations, the creation of audiences that transcend territorial groupings, the hybridization of cultural styles, and the consequences for local identities. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Miller
SOC
154a
Community Structure and Youth Subcultures
[
ss
]
Examines how the patterning of relations within communities generates predictable outcomes at the individual and small-group level. Deals with cities, suburbs, and small rural communities. Special focus is given to youth subcultures typically found in each community type. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Cunningham
WMGS
105b
Feminisms: History, Theory, and Practice
[
oc
ss
]
Prerequisite: Students are encouraged, though not required, to take WMGS 5a prior to enrolling in this course.
Examines diverse theories of sex and gender within a multicultural framework, considering historical changes in feminist thought, the theoretical underpinnings of various feminist practices, and the implications of diverse and often conflicting theories for both academic inquiry and social change. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Smith
Cross-Listed in Music/History Track
AAAS
79b
Afro-American Literature of the Twentieth Century
[
hum
ss
wi
]
An introduction to the essential themes, aesthetic concerns, and textual strategies that characterize Afro-American writing of this century. Examines those influences that have shaped the poetry, fiction, and prose nonfiction of representative writers. Usually offered every second year.
Ms. Abdur-Rahman
AMST
55a
Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration in American Culture
[
ss
]
Provides an introductory overview of the study of race, ethnicity, and culture in the United States. Focuses on the historical, sociological, and political movements that affected the arrival and settlement of African, Asian, European, American Indian, and Latino populations in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Utilizing theoretical and discursive perspectives, compares and explores the experiences of these groups in the United States in relation to issues of immigration, population relocations, government and civil legislation, ethnic identity, gender and family relations, class, and community. Usually offered every year.
Staff
AMST
100b
Twentieth-Century American Culture
[
ss
]
Prerequisite: AMST 100a. Permission of the instructor required.
The democratization of taste and the extension of mass media are among the distinguishing features of American culture in the twentieth century. Through a variety of genres and forms of expression, in high culture and the popular arts, this course traces the historical development of a national style that came to exercise formidable influence abroad as well. Usually offered every spring.
Staff
FA
45b
Art of the Early Renaissance in Italy
[
ca
]
May not be taken for credit by students who took FA 51a in prior years.
Examines major painters, sculptors, and architects in Florence, Rome, and Venice from Giotto to Bellini (1290-1500). Important themes include the revival of Antiquity, the visual arts and the culture of Humanism, the Rise of the Medici, art and the ideal of the Republic, the development of art theory and criticism, Naturalism and the Sacred image, and the relation of artists and patrons during times of crisis (black death, Pazzi Conspiracy, and Savonarola). Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Unglaub
HIST
147a
Imperial Russia: From Westernization to Globalization
[
ss
wi
]
Examines the processes and problems of modernization--state development, economic growth, social change, cultural achievements, and emergence of revolutionary and terrorist movements. Usually offered every year.
Mr. Freeze
RECS
148a
Russian Drama: Text and Performance
[
hum
]
Open to all students. Conducted in English. Students may choose to do readings either in English translation or in Russian.
Examines the rich tradition of Russian drama and theater. Readings include masterpieces of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including those by Chekhov, Pushkin, Gogol, Ostrovsky, Mayakovsky, Erdman, and others. Usually offered every second year.
Mr. Powelstock
Cross-Listed in Music/Performance Track
ED
101b
Elementary School Curriculum and Teaching: Science, Arts and Other Topics
[
ss
]
Limited to students enrolling in ED 111e spring semester.
Focuses on principles and effective procedures for teaching elementary students. Examines how art, creative drama, multicultural education, special education, and physical education affect teaching and learning. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Moriarty and Staff
ENG
151b
Performance Studies
[
hum
]
Prerequisite: A course in dramatic literature and familiarity with theatrical production.
The theater, etymologically, is a place for viewing. Theory, etymologically, begins with a spectator and a viewing. Reading theories of theater and performance against paradigmatic dramatic texts and documents of social performance, speculation, and spectatorship are reviewed. Usually offered every third year.
Mr. King