Department Chair: Joseph Rapolla
The Music curriculum is designed to provide specific knowledge and skills in music and a basic education in the liberal arts. Students entering the Department of Music are required to present evidence of proficiency in their major area of performance.
The Music Industry concentration is designed to prepare students for careers in the music business in areas of specialization, such as music publishing, marketing, talent acquisition, concert production, media relations, and merchandising. Students will also be required to take courses that deal with popular music history and complete an internship program.
Sheri R. Anderson, Senior Specialist Professor. B.A., William Jewel College; M.F.A., University of California, San Diego; M.A., Monmouth University. Ms. Anderson has extensive Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional experience as both a director and stage manager. To date, she has done thirteen Broadway productions, two national tours, and numerous regional and off-Broadway shows. Highlights include the Broadway productions of Phantom of the Opera, Little Me, and The Full Monty. She has been privileged to work with such theatrical legends as Neil Simon, Cy Coleman, Jerry Herman, Marvin Hamlisch, Terence McNally, John Guare, Chita Rivera, Rob Marshall, and Horton Foote, as well as Hollywood heavyweights Martin Short, John Lithgow, John Ritter, Henry Winkler, Kevin Spacey, and Madeline Kahn. She spent much of 2003 at Oxford University studying Shakespeare in performance. Fields of interest include theatre history, postcolonial drama, and musical theatre. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and Mensa.
shanders@monmouth.edu
Jeffrey Cook, Lecturer.
Pep Band Director. B.A., M.A., University of Miami; A.B.D., University of Kentucky.
jcook@monmouth.edu
Jonathan McElroy, Assistant Professor. B.A., M.A., William Paterson University; Ph.D., New York University.
jmcelroy@monmouth.edu
Joseph Rapolla, Specialist Professor and Chair. M.B.A., Monmouth University. A recognized music industry innovator, who built and led Award Winning Marketing departments at both Universal and Warner Music Group. Professor Rapolla has directed programs for top talent, such as Madonna, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, U2, and Sting, and has partnered with the world's leading entertainment and media companies. He has earned multiple Gold Records for his work. He is also a songwriter, musician, and producer. He has released three studio CD's and a film soundtrack, collaborates with top writers and artists in NYC and Nashville, and continues to perform internationally.
jrapolla@monmouth.edu
David Tripold, Professor. B.M., M.M., Westminster Choir College of Rider University; Ph.D., Drew University. Field of interest is American sacred music. He is a composer, choral director, vocal teacher, and organist. Dr. Tripold is a nationally recognized choral conductor, singer, voice teacher, organist, and liturgical scholar who oversees Monmouth University’s music education degree program and directs the concert chorus and chamber choir. For over thirty years he has been engaged as a church organist and choir director and has performed as a baritone soloist and organist in the United States and Europe. His present scholarship focuses on American church music, especially pertaining to the origins of church choirs, church music collections known as tune books, and patterns and developments in contemporary American worship.
dtripold@monmouth.edu
Kenneth Womack, Professor (Graduate Faculty). B.A., Texas AM University; M.A., Texas AM University/Moscow Institute of Communication, U.S.S.R.; Ph.D., Northern Illinois University. Professional interests include the Beatles, twentieth-century British literature, and creative writing. He serves as Editor of Interdisciplinary Literary Studies: A Journal of Criticism and Theory, published by Penn State University Press, and Co-Editor of the English Association's Year's Work in English Studies, published by Oxford University Press.
kwomack@monmouth.edu
George Wurzbach, Specialist Professor. B.A., Brooklyn College, C.U.N.Y.; M.A., Hunter College C.U.N.Y. Professor Wurzbach is a multi-award-winning composer, performer, and producer. His work with the music comedy group Modern Man earned a BackStage Magazine Bistro Award and several MAC Award nominations. His recent contribution to the album Comedians and Angels earned a 2009 Grammy Award nomination for folk music legend Tom Paxton. As a composer he recently scored theme and segment music for the PBS series Real Simple and created the sound design for the “Roaring Mountain” with composer John Deak and librettist Bill Gordh, debuted by the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. During the past four theater seasons as Music Director at Monmouth University he has composed and conducted original scores that were premiered by the Music and Theatre Arts student.
gwurzbac@monmouth.edu
MU-REC Senior Recital - Music MajorCredits: None
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Senior Recital - Music Major. This is a pass/fail course.
MU-101 Music AppreciationCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Development of insights into historically significant examples of Western vocal and instrumental music.
MU-121 Fundamentals of MusicianshipCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
MU-121 is a prerequisite for MU-221. Students have the option to test-out of MU-121 if they pass the Music Theory I, MU-221, placement assessment. MU-121 is a course requirement for Music Majors who do not pass the Music Theory I, MU-221, placement assessment. This is a pre-music theory course designed to introduce and develop students' fundamental understanding of musical concepts, terminology, and music reading abilities. Topics of discussion include clefs, key signature, time signatures, notation, rhythm, scales, intervals, chords, and the circle of fifths. Three hours per week. Requirement for Music Majors who do not pass the Music Theory I, MU-221, placement assessment. This course cannot be used to satisfy graduation requirements.
MU-140 The Music Industry LandscapeCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Students will be introduced to the modern music business ecosystem, find out how all facets of the evolving business function, and learn about the skills needed for a variety of diverse careers in the industry.
MU-142 Monmouth University Pep BandCredits: 1
Course Type(s): AT, ENS
The Monmouth University Pep Band is a campus-wide ensemble that is open to all students, and performs a wide array of music in varied styles. Attendance is required for all scheduled athletic events throughout the semester. Students may take this course up to eight semesters.
MU-145 Concert BandCredits: 1
Course Type(s): AT, ENS
Instrumental experience in concert and stage band combinations to improve one's musicianship; public performances on campus and in the community; two concerts a year. May be taken for as many as eight semesters.
MU-147 ChorusCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT, ENS
Training in choral music of various styles, in vocal technique, and in aspects of expressive performance; concert participation required. Each semester, new repertoire is advanced, making each course unique in its new content. May be taken for as many as eight semesters.
MU-150 Introduction to PianoCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Group instruction in piano with an emphasis on developing beginning skills in keyboard technique, music reading, harmonization, and performance of repertoire. Designed for students with little or no previous musical experience.
MU-151 Group Piano ICredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Group instruction in piano with an emphasis on music reading, music theory, piano technique, harmonization, improvisation, and performance of repertoire. Designed for music majors and students with some previous musical experience.
MU-152 Group Piano IICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-151
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): AT
Group instruction in piano with an emphasis on more advanced music reading, music theory, piano technique, harmonization, improvisation, and performance of repertoire. Designed for students who would like to continue to develop the skills acquired in MU-151.
MU-154 Blue Hawk House BandCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT, ENS, HY
The Blue Hawk House Band is a pop music recording ensemble reinterpreting classic songs from seminal albums. House Band members select songs, analyze, arrange, create and record their individual parts culminating in live performances and in web-streamed music videos.
MU-156 Chamber OrchestraCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
The Monmouth University Chamber Orchestra is a small orchestral ensemble of strings with woodwinds, brass, and percussion that is designed to meet the needs of the Music and Theatre Department and public performances on campus and in the community. Each semester, new repertoire is advanced, making each course unique in its new content. May be taken for as many as eight semesters.
MU-157 Chamber ChoirCredits: 1
Term Offered: Fall Term
Course Type(s): ENS
The Monmouth University Chamber Chorus is an ensemble of sixteen to twenty-four auditioned singers who wish to extend their knowledge and skills in choral arts in a challenging musical setting. The repertoire for this ensemble requires a moderate/high degree of individual musicianship and mastery of specific singing techniques and period music interpretation. The group functions as a concert-ready and portable ensemble that responds to requests for particular types of venues, such as: sporting events, concert tours as a vehicle for a wider public performance experience with regard to public relations, meaningful connections with other academic institutions, and university recruitment. Each semester, new repertoire is advanced, making each course unique in its new content. Audition is required and registration is by the instructor. This course is repeatable for credit.
MU-161 Group Instrument ICredits: 2
Course Type(s): None
Designed to develop instrumental technique and repertoire; open to students who have some proficiency in strings, woodwinds, brass, or percussion.
MU-162 Group Instrument IICredits: 2
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Designed to develop instrumental technique and repertoire; open to students who have some proficiency in strings, woodwinds, brass, or percussion.
MU-163 Group StringsCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Designed especially for music education students who are required to have some proficiency in group strings to meet state certification guidelines. Open to beginners only. Non-music majors may enroll by permission of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
MU-164 Group WoodwindsCredits: 1
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): AT
Designed especially for music education students who are required to have some proficiency in group woodwinds to meet state certification guidelines. Open to beginners only. Non-music majors may enroll by permission of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
MU-165 Group BrassCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Designed especially for music education students who are required to have some proficiency in group brass to meet state certification guidelines. Open to beginners only. Non-music majors may enroll by permission of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
MU-166 Group PercussionCredits: 1
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): AT
Designed especially for music education students who are required to have some proficiency in group percussion to meet state certification guidelines. Open to beginners only. Non-music majors may enroll by permission of the Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
MU-167 Introduction to Electronic MusicCredits: 3
Course Type(s): None
Fundamentals of electronic music acquired through lectures, recordings, and hands-on use of electronic synthesizers.
MU-170 Electronic Music CompositionCredits: 3
Course Type(s): None
A course designed for musicians who wish to compose and record music in a soundtrack, avant- garde, or classical genre. Students will be required to use university recording facilities.
MU-171 Group VoiceCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Fundamentals of technique and performance of song literature; voice production and principles of singing, including breath control, resonance, tone quality, diction, and pronunciation. Each semester, new repertoire is advanced, making each course unique in its new content.
MU-172 Group Voice IICredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): AT
Fundamentals of technique and performance of song literature; voice production and principles of singing, including breath control, resonance, tone quality, diction, and pronunciation. Each semester, new repertoire is advanced, making each course unique in its new content.
MU-180 Applied Music: Jazz PianoCredits: 1
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in jazz piano; may be repeated for additional credits. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-181 Applied Music: BassCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in bass; may be repeated for additional credits. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-188 Fundamentals of GuitarCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
General music skills as applied to guitar playing; students develop left- and right-hand technique; introduction to basic repertoire and history of repertoire.
MU-190 Applied Music: PercussionCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in percussion; may be repeated for additional credit. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-191 Applied Music: VoiceCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in voice; may be repeated for additional credit. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-192 Applied Music: PianoCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in piano; may be repeated for additional credit. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-193 Applied Music: Upper BrassCredits: 1
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in upper brass; may be repeated for additional credit. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-194 Applied Music: Lower BrassCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in lower brass; may be repeated for additional credit. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-195 Applied Music: WoodwindsCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in woodwinds; may be repeated for additional credit. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-196 Applied Music: GuitarCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in guitar; may be repeated for additional credit. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-197 Applied Music: StringsCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Weekly, fifty-minute private lessons in strings; may be repeated for additional credit. Student must complete Applied Lessons for Music ETrieve form.
MU-198 Special Topics in Music (100 Level)Credits: 1-3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in music to be announced prior to registration. May be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. If a prerequisite is required it will be announced in the course schedule.
MU-199 Applied Music: Private InstructionCredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Private instrumental and vocal instruction. The instructor is selected by the student with the approval of the Music faculty. Students must consult the Music Department.
MU-216 From Blues to Rap: The African-American Music TraditionCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): EN-101 and EN-102 or permission of the instructor
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): WT
Contributions of African-Americans to American music: slave songs, spirituals, blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and rap music.
MU-217 The American Music TraditionCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): EN-101 and EN-102 or permission of the instructor
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): WT
A survey of American music from the colonial period to the present, including folk and ethnic music, military and parade music, war songs, Tin Pan Alley pop, Broadway show tunes, and composers, such as Stephen Foster, Woody Guthrie, and Irving Berlin.
MU-218 History and Literature of Music ICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): EN-101 and EN-102 or permission of the instructor
Term Offered: Fall Term
Course Type(s): WT
Survey of musical idioms and forms from Ancient Greek to the Baroque periods. Primary focus on Western music in Western culture; some time will be spent exploring the music of Asia, Africa, and South America; exploration of the great musical literature that has survived from antiquity through 1700 AD.
MU-219 History and Literature of Music IICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): EN-101 and EN-102 or permission of the instructor
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): WT
Survey of musical forms and idioms from the Classical period until the present. Primary focus is to expose the student to the vast body of musical masterworks created in the modern era, as well as exploration of "world music."
MU-221 Theory ICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-151 or departmental approval
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Basic knowledge of the procedures of harmony and melody.
MU-221L Ear Training ICredits: 1
Term Offered: Fall Term
Course Type(s): None
The development of sight singing, dictation, and rhythmic skills is the objective of this course. Alto and tenor clefs are introduced during the first level.
MU-222 Theory IICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-221 or departmental approval
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
The rudiments of music writing, from the harmonization of simple melodies to the writing of more complex music. Emphasis on more advanced compositions.
MU-222L Ear Training IICredits: 1
Prerequisite(s): MU-221L
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
The development of sight singing, dictation, and rhythmic skills is the objective of this course. Topics, skills, and abilities introduced in Ear Training I are further developed.
MU-223 Musical Cultures of the WorldCredits: 3
Course Type(s): AT, GU
Provides an introductory survey of music in selected traditions and cultures in global perspective. It explores music both as a phenomenon of sound and a phenomenon of culture. It aims to familiarize students with music sound and music structure of different peoples, to help them appreciate music in its cultural context, to guide them in listening to music on a basic analytical level, and to give them a broad global view of music as a human activity/behavior with social functions and as artistic expression. Special attention is placed on how political, economic, social, and religious factors influence musical aesthetics and notions of identity among performers and audiences-all concerns of Ethnomusicology.
MU-224 Global Popular MusicCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): AT, GU
In the age of globalization and the Internet, popular music (music produced for commercial purposes and transmitted through mass media to a large audience) is an increasingly global phenomenon and can provide a unique perspective into the social, political, and economic conditions of various cultures around the world. This course introduces students to some of the popular musics from around the world through the perspective of ethnomusicology, the study of music and culture and the ways that they intersect and influence one another. Emphasis is placed on analyzing musical innovations, trends, and movements in relation to location, culture, counter-culture, and the social/geo-political climate. In doing so, this course draws upon geographical case studies of popular music (for example, Algerian Rai, K-Pop, Bollywood, Indonesian dangdut, or the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti) to view how historical, social, and political factors have influenced their development. These issues will be explored through directed reading and listening assignments, response papers, a mix tape project, and focused class presentations and discussions.
MU-227 Introducing the Beatles!Credits: 3
Term Offered: Fall Term
Course Type(s): AT, HY
This course addresses the Beatles' musical career in terms of their wide-ranging cultural and artistic influence. Particular attention will be devoted to examining their songs within the context of their composition and in terms of their place (and placement) on the band's albums. In addition to investigating their biographical lives, we will discuss the Beatles' overtly literary and textual intentions, especially their various attempts at irony, parody, and satire. This course's chronological design is arranged in order to capture the band's artistic trajectory from two-track recording and the relatively primitive Please Please Me album through the sonic heights of Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, and Abbey Road. The thrust of this course is interpretive in nature, with the Beatles' songs and albums receiving considerable scrutiny in terms of their composition, production, and attendant musicianship. Developments in recording and instrument technology are germane to our understanding of the Beatles' evolving aesthetic, as is the bandmates' development as songwriters who eventually eschew issues associated with romance in order to address larger and more prescient subjects in their music such as loneliness, oppression, nostalgia, ethics, and redemption.
MU-240 Record Label StrategiesCredits: 1
Prerequisite(s): MU-140 and MU-301.
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Students will be introduced to a variety of skills needed in the music industry. Each student will be required to complete specific, hands-on projects in preparation for a major internship off campus.
MU-241 Advanced Record Label StrategiesCredits: 1
Prerequisite(s): MU-140, MU-240, and MU-301
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Students will be introduced to a variety of skills needed in the music industry. Each student will be required to complete a specific hands-on project as preparation for a major internship off campus. Limited to Music majors.
MU-254 Arts Administration and Concert PromotionCredits: 3
Term Offered: Fall Term
Course Type(s): None
Explore in-depth arts administration and management for a major Performing Arts Center, including concert promotion, operations and fundraising.
MU-290 Rock and Roll in American CultureCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): WT
Impact of rock and roll on American culture and music history; rock genres, including rockabilly, protest rock, blues-rock, punk, heavy metal, and rock and roll as a global phenomenon.
MU-291 Jazz in AmericaCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): RE, WT
Musical and cultural overview of the jazz tradition in America, with special emphasis on Dixieland, swing, bop, and jazz fusion, and artists such as Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane.
MU-292 Roots, Rock, ReggaeCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): RE
A survey of Jamaican reggae music from its inception to the present. The music form's political, religious, and cultural connections will also be examined, as will the major works of reggae composers, such as Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Peter Tosh.
MU-298 Special Topics in Music (200 Level)Credits: 1-3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in music to be announced prior to registration. May be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. If a prerequisite is required it will be announced in the course schedule.
MU-299 Independent Study in MusicCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Reading and research on a selected topic under the direction of a faculty member.
MU-301 The Business of MusicCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
An introduction to the inner workings and business strategies of the music industry. In addition to an analysis of the recording arm of the industry, other areas such as concert production, management, media relations, and talent acquisition will also be examined.
MU-321 Music Theory IIICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-221 and MU-222
Term Offered: Fall Term
Course Type(s): None
Music Theory III is the third semester of a sequential, two-year music theory curriculum. After a brief review of the material covered in Music Theory I (MU-221) and Advanced Theory and Harmony (MU-222), an introduction to the music materials and stylistic practices associated with nineteenth-century music is provided. Procedure will entail examining and working with melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, and structural elements found in the music being studied.
MU-322 Music Theory IVCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-221, MU-222, and MU-321
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Music Theory IV is the fourth semester of a sequential, two-year music theory curriculum. After a brief review of the material covered in Music Theory 1 (MU-221), Advanced Theory and Harmony (MU-222), and Music Theory III (MU-321), an introduction to the music materials, stylistic practices and the unique forms and approaches associated with twentieth-century music is provided. Procedure will entail examining and working with the melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, and structural elements found in the music being studied.
MU-326 Life and Work of Bruce SpringsteenCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): AT, HY
The course explores Bruce Springsteen's musical career in terms of his wide-ranging cultural and artistic influence. Particular attention will be devoted to examining his songs within the context of their composition and in terms of their place (and placement) on his albums. In addition to investigating his biographical life, we will discuss his overtly literary and political intentions as they evolve across the decades. This course's chronological design is arranged in order to capture Springsteen's artistic trajectory from his Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ and The Wild, The Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle albums through the creative heights of Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, and Nebraska. The thrust of this course will be interpretive in nature, with Springsteen's songs and albums receiving considerable scrutiny in terms of their composition, production, and attendant musicianship. Particular attention will also be devoted to Springsteen's interactions with the music business, especially involving his management and the development of his career.
MU-327 Instrumental Arranging and Basic OrchestrationCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-222
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Practical problems of orchestration, including transposition, characteristics and limitation of various band, orchestral, keyboard, and electronic instruments; arranging for instrumental ensembles of various sizes.
MU-328 ConductingCredits: 2
Prerequisite(s): MU-218 and MU-151,and MU-145 and MU-146 or MU-147 and MU-148
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Basic choral and instrumental conducting techniques with emphasis on the physical problems of coordination and control, as well as interpretation, rehearsal, performance, and program planning. Each student will function as an assistant to the choral/instrumental conductors.
MU-329 Conducting IICredits: 2
Prerequisite(s): MU-328.
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
A continuation of MU-328. Basic choral and instrumental conducting techniques with emphasis on the physical problems of coordination and control, as well as interpretation, rehearsal, performance, and program planning. Each student will function as an assistant to the choral/instrumental conductors.
MU-329W Workshop in the Techniques of Composing MusicCredits: 2
Prerequisite(s): MU-222
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Explores problems in melody, rhythm, and harmony, including texture and the elements of musical form, presented in line with the needs of individual students as revealed in their original composition.
MU-330 Composing for Media: Music Composition for Film and VideoCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): Completion of Technical Literacy (TL) requirement required.
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): FP
This course will introduce students to the art and craft of composing music for use in the media arts. Concurrent with a historical overview of music's role in the visual arts will be the student's development and application of the music production skills need for professional work in this field. The course will feature lectures, technology demonstrations, composition assignments, and in-class presentation and critique. Using a laptop (required), students will work a digital audio workstation (DAW) to compose and produce original music scores, cues, and sound design elements while employing commercial software, virtual instrument libraries, and AI assisted audio processing. The ability to play a musical instrument is recommended though not required. In-class use of a personal laptop (not a tablet) with current OS and 8GB of RAM is recommended.
MU-331 Music for the ChildCredits: 2
Prerequisite(s): MU-151 and MU-218
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Focus on methods and materials of teaching in the elementary school (K-8): singing, rhythmic expression, listening, use of simple instruments, and correlating music with other areas of learning. It will include pedagogical strategies related to teaching linguistically diverse students, students with diverse needs, using instructional technology and using data to inform instruction. For Music majors only. Also listed as ED-331. Clinical Hours required.
MU-333 The Teaching of Music in the Secondary SchoolCredits: 2
Prerequisite(s): MU-151 and MU-218
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Study and application of appropriate concepts, methods, skills, and materials for secondary-school music teachers. It will include pedagogical strategies for teaching linguistically diverse students, those with special needs using instructional technology and using data to inform instruction. For Music majors only. Clinical Hours required. Also listed as ED-333.
MU-335 Music Technology in Music EducationCredits: 2
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Music Technology in Music Education will prepare and equip students in the use of technology in the music classroom. This includes identifying and using Digital Audio Workstations in the music creation process; using MIDI; setting up and running a sound system, as well as how to lead a music technology course at the K-12 level.
MU-340 Music and Music Publishing for TV, Radio, and FilmCredits: 3
Course Type(s): None
Defines and examines the many opportunities available to the musician in the mass media, including theme composition, post scoring, jingle production, news music, production libraries, music editing, soundtrack production, on-air and cable network yearly campaigns, EFX and usage, available orchestrational sources, client relations, timings and conversations, on-air and theatrical publishing, professional societies (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC), budgeting, and union relations and affiliations.
MU-341 Songwriting ICredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Designed to analyze and study the many components of songwriting, focusing on today's contemporary music featured on radio, film, and television. Various styles will be studied and developed, from rap to country music. Nashville style group writing will be used as will Writer in the Round type performances. Ability to play an instrument is recommended but not required.
MU-342 Songwriting IICredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
A continuation of Songwriting I and will focus on final arrangements and production of songs to be presented to publishers, record labels, etc. Also covered will be how to properly present works to producers and session musicians in the form of basic lead sheets and music notation.
MU-345 Record ProductionCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): IM
Examines all of the aspects of record production, from choice of artist and material to the actual art of recording itself. Will meet in a fully equipped recording studio and will be co-taught by the lecturing professor and a professional sound engineer. The recording techniques to be taught will be applicable to all forms of music, including classical jazz, rock, and mass/multimedia. The student will have hands-on instruction on the use of analog and digital recording machines, sound boards, and outboard gear.
MU-353 Contemporary Rock Ensemble ICredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Designed to run as a professional touring band would in preparation for a major tour and/or recording session. Covers many different genres with varying instrumentation. Taught by a seasoned road veteran with twenty years of experience in major tours/acts.
MU-354 Contemporary Rock Ensemble IICredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
A continuation of Rock Ensemble I, which is designed to run as a professional touring band would in preparation for a major tour and/or recording session. It will cover many different genres with varying instrumentation. Taught by a seasoned road veteran with twenty years of experience in major tour/acts.
MU-398 Special Topics in Music (300 Level)Credits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in music to be announced prior to registration. May be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. If a prerequisite is required it will be announced in the course schedule.
MU-399 Independent Study in MusicCredits: 1-3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in music to be announced prior to registration. Prior permission of the directing professor and department chair is required to take this course.
MU-401 Music Business Internship SeminarCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-301, departmental approval, Junior standing, and proof of internship prior to enrollment.
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): EX5
Practical experience in the music industry in fields such as concert production, promotion, publicity, music publishing, and management. This course is repeatable for credit.
MU-402 Music Internship Seminar IICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-401
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): EX5
Practical experience in the music industry in fields such as concert production, promotion, publicity, music publishing, and management. Limited to Music majors only.
MU-403 Music Internship Seminar IIICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-402
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): EX5
Practical experience in the music industry in fields such as concert production, promotion, publicity, music publishing, and management. Limited to Music majors only.
MU-405 CompositionCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-218, MU-219, MU-221, and MU-222
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Using the technique of Replicate-Generate From-Generate, this course combines the student's knowledge of traditional styles, form, and analysis in order to replicate music in many styles. The student will then begin to combine his or her own musical ideas into these compositions. The second half of the semester will be devoted to the original compositions of the student while employing the disciplines previously studied. Classical as well as contemporary motifs will be explored in this lecture-discussion-workshop course.
MU-406 Composition IICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-405
Course Type(s): None
Using the technique of Replicate-Generate From- Generate, this course combines the student's knowledge of traditional styles, form, and analysis in order to replicate music in many styles. The student will then begin to combine his or her own musical ideas into these compositions. The second half of the semester will be devoted to the original composition of the student while employing the disciplines previously studied. Classical as well as contemporary motifs will be explored in this lecture-discussion-workshop course.
MU-453 Advanced Record ProductionCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): MU-345
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Addresses the aesthetics of record production. Studio techniques, pre-production approaches, actual recording and final mixing are at the heart of this course. Students will learn microphone techniques as well as control room techniques. The full responsibilities of the producer will be taught and discussed in the class, as well as practiced outside of the studio/classroom. Lectures and demonstrations will precede the students' practical application and final product.
MU-489 Internship in MusicCredits: 1-3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): EX1
Supervised practical experience in music; repeatable for credit. Departmental approval and Junior standing are required to register for this course.
MU-498 Special Topics in Music (400 Level)Credits: 1-3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in music to be announced prior to registration. May be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. If a prerequisite is required it will be announced in the course schedule.
MU-499 Independent Study in MusicCredits: 1-3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Reading and research on a selected topic under the direction of a Music Department faculty member. Prior permission of the directing professor and department chair is required to take this course.
TH-101 Theatre AppreciationCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Introduction to the elements of theatre, including film and TV as theatre media. Study of plays from script to stage through readings, lectures, and theatre-going experiences.
TH-150 Introduction to the TheatreCredits: 3
Course Type(s): AT
Introduction to the elements of theatre, including cinema and television as theatre media; the study of a representative group of plays from script to stage.
TH-154 Acting I (Non-Major)Credits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
An introduction to acting the dramatic situation through guided improvisation based on material from dramatic literature.
TH-155 Acting I (TH Major)Credits: 3
Course Type(s): None
Designed to enable students to explore the use of their imagination, instrument, and sense of playing to work within an ensemble. Basic skills, such as playing with intuition and listening and responding openly to a partner within given circumstances, will be the primary goals.
TH-156 Acting II (TH Major)Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-155
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Builds from the previous exercise work with working on assigned scenes. Work will begin on open scenes and finish the term working on a scene from important plays of American theatre. Students will study the breakdown of a scene, structure, both verbal and non-verbal, and effective communication of intent.
TH-190 Applied Theatre Techniques ICredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
First-year students are required to take this hands-on, practical course in building, painting, and crewing a department production.
TH-191 Applied Theatre Techniques IICredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Second semester in Applied Theatre requires students to take a more responsible position in the hands-on practical building, painting, and crewing of a department production.
TH-199 Independent Study in TheatreCredits: 1-3
Course Type(s): None
Directed individual study of theatre in areas of special interest. Prior permission of the directing professor and department chair is required to take this course.
TH-230 Acting II (non-Major)Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-154
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Roles as an integral part of play production; the basic principles of acting through lectures, discussions, and the rehearsal and performance of a variety of scenes.
TH-231 Acting III (Major)Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-155 and TH-156
Course Type(s): None
Study of "styles". Beginning work on classic texts, such as Shakespeare, Moliere, or Restoration Comedy. Text analysis, scansion, and speaking with authority will be emphasized. Text work in sonnets and scenes.
TH-232 Acting IV (Major)Credits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-155, TH-156, and TH-231
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
The fourth semester will be an extension of styles of work. Advanced work in characterization, the development of physical and emotional involvement, and working with objectives, obstacles, and actions, with emphasis on classic "styles".
TH-240 Actors' Equity Workshop ICredits: 3
Term Offered: Summer Term
Course Type(s): None
An introduction to the basic rules and regulations of Actors' Equity Association's Small Professional Theatre Agreement and to basic stage management principles. Lectures will be supplemented with extensive, practical "lab" hours in which the students put into practice in a professional setting those elements learned in the class.
TH-242 Introduction to ImprovisationCredits: 3
Term Offered: Fall Term
Course Type(s): AT
An introduction to Improvisational Acting/Performance. No prior experience in theatre is required. Acting training and stage performance is a plus. Students should be prepared to go through a series of exercises that are designed to teach and hone the ability to perform an improvisational performance.
TH-245 Theatre Performance Practicum ICredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Involves actual experience performing in a University production. Credit can be specified for a student's acting, singing, and/or dancing in a department-sponsored production. The Performance Practicum can be taken in any combination simultaneously or consecutively for a total of three credits toward the Musical Theatre Concentration, Theatre Minor, or Musical Theatre Minor. Any credits for Practicum courses beyond that go towards free electives. This course is repeatable for credit.
TH-246 Theatre Performance Practicum IICredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Involves actual experience performing in a University production. Credit can be specified for a student's acting, singing, and/or dancing in a department-sponsored production. The Performance Practicum can be taken in any combination simultaneously or consecutively for a total of three credits towards the Theatre or Musical Theatre Minor. Any credits for Practicum courses beyond that go towards free electives. This course is repeatable for credit.
TH-247 Theatre Performance Practicum IIICredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Involves actual experience performing in a University production. Credit can be specified for a student's acting, singing, and/or dancing in a department-sponsored production. The Performance Practicum can be taken in any combination simultaneously or consecutively for a total of three credits towards the Theatre or Musical Theatre Minor. Any credits for Practicum courses beyond that go towards free electives. This course is repeatable for credit.
TH-251 Introduction to Theatre Production and DesignCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Introduction to scenic, costume, lighting, and sound design and technology, including: the problems involved in executing the technical aspects of a theatrical production; preparation of working drawings, light plots, scale models; ability to hang, focus, and program theatrical lighting; solutions of make-up and costuming problems.
TH-290 Applied Theatre DesignCredits: 1
Prerequisite(s): TH-190 and TH-191
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Students will work intensely with a designer for a department production. Student will be responsible for the design and construction of one facet of a total design: namely, a prop, a costume, lights, or some integral part of a production design.
TH-291 Applied Theatre ManagementCredits: 1
Prerequisite(s): TH-190 and TH-191
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Students will work intensely with a management office concerning a department production. Students will be involved with hands-on production of publicity, company management, box office, public relations, casting, historical records, and/or dramaturgy.
TH-298 Special Topics in Theatre (200 Level)Credits: 1-3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in theatre to be announced prior to registration. If there is a prerequisite for this course it will be announced in the course schedule.
TH-299 Independent Study in TheatreCredits: 1-3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): None
Directed, individual study of theatre in areas of special interest. Prior permission of the directing professor and department chair is required to take this course.
TH-301 Theatre History ICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): EN-101 and EN-102 or permission of the instructor
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): WT
The development of theatre from the Classical Greek through the Elizabethan period. Examination of plays, playwrights, architecture, scenery, costumes, mechanics, technology, historical, and sociological influences.
TH-310 Musical Theatre HistoryCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
The Broadway musical is considered by many to be America's greatest contribution to the world of theatre. Examines the history and evolution of American musical theatre. Special attention will be paid to composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers, and performers who have made significant contributions to the genre. Material will be discussed chronologically from minstrelsy to the contemporary mega-musical.
TH-335 Group Techniques in PerformanceCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): COCCL, COCSD, FP
Students will learn creative group-based practices and methods of inquiry to develop original performances based on pressing social issues. Collaborative approaches will include historical research, multicultural and critical perspectives, embodied devising, verbatim theatre techniques, and adaptations of texts for public presentation. Also listed as CO-335.
TH-340 Actors' Equity Workshop IICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-240
Term Offered: Summer Term
Course Type(s): None
Builds upon the basic knowledge gained in TH-240 through the in-depth study of Actors' Equity Association's two most widely used contracts, the LORT (League of Resident Theatres) and Production (Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tour) agreements. Lectures will be supplemented with extensive, practical "lab" hours in which the students put into practice in a professional setting those elements learned in the class.
TH-342 Improvisation IICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-242
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
A continuation of exercises in Improvisational Acting/Performance. No prior experience in theatre is required, however students should take Introduction to Improvisation first. Acting training and stage performance is a plus. Students should be prepared to go through a series of exercises that are designed to teach and hone the ability to perform an improvisational performance.
TH-349 Postcolonial Drama and FilmCredits: 3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): BI.EL, GU, RE
Study of postcolonial plays and films from Ireland, Australia, Africa, and India, including such postcolonial themes as language, religion, and race. Students will discuss the ways in which the theatrical and cinematic media are used to express the loss of, and quest for, national and individual identity in the aftermath of empire. The students will not only become versed in postcolonial theory, but also in the individual dramatic styles/structures of each of the nations discussed.
TH-355 Dramatic LiteratureCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-150
Course Type(s): None
Analysis of representative plays of the major forms of the drama-tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, and romance. Emphasis on the literary and performance aspects.
TH-357 Acting for Film, TV, and the ScreenCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-154.
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): COCCL, COMCS, FP
Techniques that the on-camera performer uses in various Film and TV situations, including drama, comedy, commercials, and more. Also listed as CO-357.
TH-361 Play DirectionCredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-230
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Play analysis, casting procedures, composition, movement, stage business, backstage organization, rehearsal routine, and theatre management from the standpoint of the creative director.
TH-389 Internship in TheatreCredits: 1-3
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): EX1
Supervised practical experience in theatre; repeatable for credit. Departmental approval and Junior standing are required to take this course.
TH-390 Applied Theatre Techniques IIICredits: 1
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Students will work hands-on with an appropriate faculty member on an advanced project in theatre, musical theatre, or music production. An alternative possibility would be to do a pre-internship assignment with a local theatre.
TH-391 Applied TheatreCredits: 1
Prerequisite(s): TH-190, TH-191, and either TH-290, TH-291, or TH-390
Term Offered: All Terms
Course Type(s): AT
Students will work hands on with an appropriate faculty member on an advanced project in theatre, musical theatre, or music production. An alternative possibility would be to do a pre-internship assignment with a local theatre.
TH-398 Special Topics in Theatre (300 Level)Credits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in theatre to be announced prior to registration. May be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. If a prerequisite is required it will be announced in the course schedule.
TH-399 Independent Study in TheatreCredits: 3
Course Type(s): None
Directed individual study of theatre in areas of special interest. Prior permission of the directing professor and department chair is required to take this course.
TH-401 Theatre History IICredits: 3
Prerequisite(s): TH-301 and EN-101 and EN-102
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): WT
The development of theatre from the Restoration through the Modern Period. Examination of plays, playwrights, architecture, scenery, costumes, mechanics, technology, historical, and sociological inferences.
TH-441 Summer Theatre Workshop ICredits: 3
Course Type(s): None
Basic technical theatre, theatre management, elements of acting, children's theatre, costuming and make-up, lighting and set design; four dramatic productions.
TH-442 Summer Theatre Workshop IICredits: 3
Course Type(s): None
Basic technical theatre, theatre management, elements of acting, children's theatre, costuming and make-up, lighting and set design; four dramatic productions.
TH-453 Creative DramaticsCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
The goal of Creative Dramatics is to equip teachers with the ability to use creative dramatics, creative play, and theatre games in the classroom as a tool for teaching all subjects. Also useful for actors and recreation or community leaders who work with children and want to learn new and creative techniques. The emphasis in this class is on the participant and participation. Students should attend comfortably dressed.
TH-480 Problems in Theatre PracticeCredits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
Independent projects and intensive research under the guidance of one or more members of the department; creative work in acting, costuming, creative dramatics, directing, lighting, scenic design, and playwriting.
TH-498 Special Topics in Theatre (400 Level)Credits: 3
Term Offered: Spring Term
Course Type(s): None
An intensive study of a particular subject or problem in theatre to be announced prior to registration. May be conducted on either a lecture-discussion or a seminar basis. If a prerequisite is required it will be announced in the course schedule.
TH-499 Independent Study in TheatreCredits: 1-3
Course Type(s): None
Directed individual study of theatre in areas of special interest. Prior permission of the directing professor and department chair is required to take this course.
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