Music (MUS)
MUS 10090 Music Fundamentals (3 Credit Hours)
An introduction to the materials and structure of Western tonal art music, including pitch, rhythm, meter, scales and keys, intervals, chords, harmonic progressions and voice-leading, and form.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 10099 Music Theory for Non-Majors (3 Credit Hours)
For achieving a qualifying score on the appropriate Advanced Placement (AP) exam, students earn credit for this course as the exam credit equivalent of MUS 10090. An introduction to the materials and structure of Western tonal art music, including pitch, rhythm, meter, scales and keys, intervals, chords, harmonic progressions and voice-leading, and form.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 10131 Introduction to Jazz (3 Credit Hours)
A music appreciation course requiring no musical background and no prerequisites. General coverage of the significant musicians, styles, and structures of jazz music.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 10140 Many Musics: Intro to Ethnomusicology (3 Credit Hours)
This course offers an introduction to ethnomusicology. We will explore its development and research methods, focusing on the "big questions" asked by ethnomusicologists: How might we define and refine our understanding of musical sound(s)? What are the shared and unique building blocks of expression in different kinds of musics? How do these musics differ across time and space, and what can musical practice teach us about any given society? Approaching these questions thematically and geographically, students will not only encounter numerous musical systems and cultures worldwide, but also be encouraged to rethink their own relationships with music. Coursework will include completing an ethnographic project as well as attending concerts and workshops with practitioners of various musical traditions (such as Indonesian gamelan, Afro-Cuban drumming, Middle Eastern maqam-based performance, Indian dance, etc.).
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 10141 Understanding World Music (3 Credit Hours)
This course is a gateway to the study of music around the world. Rather than thinking of different musics as a number of regionally defined systems, we will look at a number of ways in which this social and cultural phenomenon may be understood. This course, therefore, takes a thematic approach to the question of studying music, whether it is oceans away or just around the corner, and whether people might agree on calling it "music" or not. At a time when distances no longer seem to matter much and categories appear to account for little, this course addresses questions along the lines of how to think about music, before looking at where it comes from and what systems it might follow. The course is open to majors and non-majors.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 10150 Music of the Catholic Rite (3 Credit Hours)
A study of the music composed for the Mass, the Office hours (primarily Vespers), and the Requiem Mass from the Middle Ages to the present day. The musical repertoire of each era is examined both from a purely musical standpoint and in light of the reactions of various popes, from John XXIII through Pius X, to the sacred music of their day. Documents on sacred music issued after Vatican II also are examined in relation to postconciliar church music for both the choir and the congregation.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature, WKCD-Core Cathol & Disciplines
MUS 10160 The Kafkaesque: Bugs in the Modern Condition (3 Credit Hours)
Imagine that you wake up one morning before a big game, only to realize you’ve been transformed into a giant insect, unable to roll out of bed. Or imagine that two strangers come to your dorm room to notify you that you are under arrest, but you’ll still be allowed to attend classes as usual. Or imagine that your student status has been erroneously revoked, but every time you try to schedule a meeting with the registrar to fix the mistake, you are denied because appointments are only for registered students.
This course explores the “Kafkaesque”—the nightmarish, inscrutable, darkly comedic realm described in the writings of Franz Kafka (1883-1924). Born in Prague, Kafka was trained as a lawyer and worked for an insurance agency while writing prolifically in his spare time. His influential novels and short stories (which he intended to be burned upon his death) later earned him the epithet “the Dante of the 20th Century.” We will enter into Kafka’s world of grotesque transformations, absurd reactions, and abject failures in order to reflect on the Kafkaesque ways of knowing the modern condition that we recognize and encounter today: infinite spools of red tape, increasingly cryptic communications, appearances that are not as they seem.
Starting with some of Kafka’s classics (e.g. Metamorphosis, The Trial) as well as lesser-known pieces (e.g. “In the Penal Colony,” “A Country Doctor”), we will also consider other writers, artists, filmmakers, and composers who have been inspired by Kafka and the Kafkaesque, ranging from opera to K-pop, from radio to virtual reality, from Us to The Fly. We will take a field trip into Chicago to explore how contemporary playwrights and musicians have internalized the Kafkaesque. The various modalities of course work will include shorter blog posts and discussion threads as well as research papers and creative projects.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 10161 The Soundtrack of History: Music, Film, and Society (3 Credit Hours)
From the Antonio Vivaldi's popular Baroque violin concertos, The Four Seasons, to the film scores of Hollywood movies such as Star Wars and The King's Speech, classical music has had an indelible impact on mainstream culture.This is a course that seeks to debunk the misconception that classical music is an elite art form, inaccessible to the general public and disconnected from world events. With an emphasis on musicians and instrumental works from the 18th through the 20th century, it will illustrate the relevancy of classical music through its connection to war, politics, literature, and popular entertainment. No musical background is required for this course.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 10203 Percussion Ensemble (0-1 Credit Hours)
This ensemble is organized according to the needs of those who audition through the regular process at the beginning of each semester. It consists of those for whom the larger ensembles are inappropriate. Examples include Clarinet Choir, Percussion Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble and other band instrument ensembles.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10210 Chorale (0-1 Credit Hours)
A select group devoted to the singing of diversified sacred and secular literature. Performs at Notre Dame and on tour.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10212 Collegium Musicum (0-1 Credit Hours)
Performance ensemble focusing on sacred and secular music of the medieval era and Renaissance. Does not apply to overload.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10221 Glee Club (0-1 Credit Hours)
Notre Dame's traditional all-male choir.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10222 Collegium Musicum (0-1 Credit Hours)
A select choir that concentrates its performances in the medieval and Renaissance repertoire.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10230 Jazz Band (0-1 Credit Hours)
Open through audition.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10231 New Orleans Brass Band (0-1 Credit Hours)
An ensemble performing the traditional and new music of New Orleans style brass bands.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10233 Jazz Improvisation (0-1 Credit Hours)
Students will study scales, key centers, and chords, in order to develop improvisation skills using melodic and rhythmic variation, chordal and modal techniques, and aural transcriptions of recorded solos.
MUS 10240 Symphonic Winds (0-1 Credit Hours)
This ensemble prepares and performs traditional and contemporary works for band in a smaller, wind ensemble setting, rehearsing twice per week, with a short concert tour and two concerts during the semester.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10241 Wind Ensembles (0-1 Credit Hours)
Wind and brass ensembles assembled for performance with special instrumentation.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10242 Symphonic Band (0-1 Credit Hours)
This ensemble prepares and performs traditional and contemporary works for band in a large concert ensemble setting, rehearsing twice per week, with a short concert tour and two concerts during the semester.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10244 Fall Symphonic Band (0-1 Credit Hours)
This ensemble prepares and performs traditional and contemporary works for band in a large concert ensemble setting, rehearsing once per week with one concert near the end of the semester.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10245 University Band (0-1 Credit Hours)
This ensemble will provide a traditional concert band experience for brass, woodwind and percussion players in the Notre Dame community. Under the direction of Dr. Kenneth Dye and the Notre Dame band staff, the University band prepares and performs a wide variety of music, including everything from marches, overtures, and pop melodies to the traditional Notre Dame favorites. Rehearsals take place in the Band Building. Those who are able may register for MUS 10245 "University Band" for one credit, although registration is not required to participate. Application for membership can be made by contacting the band office.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10246 Varsity Band (0-1 Credit Hours)
Performs for athletic events and special functions. Does not apply to overload.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10247 Fall Symphonic Winds (0-1 Credit Hours)
This ensemble prepares and performs traditional and contemporary works for band in a small, wind ensemble setting, rehearsing once per week with one concert near the end of the semester.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10249 Marching Band (0-1 Credit Hours)
Performs for athletic events and special functions. Admission by audition.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10250 Orchestra (0-1 Credit Hours)
Performs music from the 18th to the 20th century in several concerts a year.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10251 Chamber Orchestra (0-1 Credit Hours)
An ensemble of 10-15 players drawn primarily from the ranks of the Notre Dame orchestra.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10290 Irish Dance (0-1 Credit Hours)
This class introduces students to Irish traditional Sean-nós ("old style") dancing, a vernacular solo form of dancing done to Irish traditional (folk) music. No experience is required or necessary. Please note this does not count as one of the full-credit courses required for the IRLL major, IRLL minor or IRST minor. However, the 1 credit can count toward your overall IRLL major/minor or IRST minor credits. It can count toward the Music ensemble requirement.
MUS 10291 Irish Social Dance (ceili&set) (0-1 Credit Hours)
Irish Social Dance(ceili and set) No experience is required or necessary. Please note this does not count as one of the full-credit courses required for the IRLL major, IRLL minor or IRST minor. However, the 1 credit can count toward your overall IRLL major/minor or IRST minor credits. It can count toward the Music ensemble requirement.
MUS 10292 Notre Dame Céilí Band (0-1 Credit Hours)
This class focuses on the tunes, phrasing, and rhythm used to accompany Irish social dances. Students should have taken "Tin Whistle and Tunes" or already be proficient on their instrument (learn simple tunes quickly by ear, ABC notation, or sheet music). Please note this does not count as one of the full-credit courses required for the IRLL major, IRLL minor or IRST minor. However, the 1 credit can count toward your overall IRLL major/minor or IRST minor credits. It can count toward the Music ensemble requirement.
MUS 10293 Irish Music: Tin Whistle&Tunes (0-1 Credit Hours)
Irish Music: Tin Whistle and Tunes will introduce students to playing the tin whistle (penny whistle), teaching simple, popular tunes, as well as to singing Irish traditional songs. Please note this does not count as one of the full-credit courses required for the IRLL major, IRLL minor or IRST minor. However, the 1 credit can count toward your overall IRLL major/minor or IRST minor credits. It can count toward the Music ensemble requirement.
MUS 10351 Guitar I: Beginning Lessons (0 Credit Hours)
(Class times arranged by students' schedules.) A class for beginners or those with no formal training. Students learn reading, ear training and basic techniques through solos, chord study and ensemble music in an interactive class. Styles range from classical to blues including contemporary pop melodies. Acoustic six string guitar required. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. For more information about guitar lessons, please visit: music.nd.edu or email Stephen Miller at smiller2@nd.edu. First deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of academic classes, but enrollment may extend if there are openings (contact Stephen Miller).
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10352 Guitar II (0 Credit Hours)
(Class times arranged by students' schedules) For those who have passed section I or equivalent studies. In class II the student will develop further the ability to play solo and ensemble pieces as they develop chord knowledge and accompaniment styles. Styles range from classical to blues including contemporary pop melodies. Acoustic six string guitar required. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. For more information about guitar lessons, please visit http://www.nd.edu/~smiller2/ or email Stephen Miller. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10353 Guitar III (0 Credit Hours)
(Class times arranged by students' schedules) For those who have passed section II or equivalent studies. The student continues in all aspects of development and begins learning music of more depth and difficulty. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. For more information about guitar lessons, please visit http://music.nd.edu/guitar/ or email Stephen Miller. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10354 Guitar Ensemble Group Lesson (0 Credit Hours)
(Class times arranged by students' schedules) One 50 minute class per week. Each student must have permission from the instructor to enroll. Contact Stephen Miller at smiller2@nd.edu. Classes focus on ensemble playing of classical and jazz arrangements. Students must be able to read standard notation on the guitar and have equivalent studies to Guitar III. Lesson times are arranged around each student's academic schedule that they submit upon enrolling. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. A six-string acoustic guitar or classical guitar is required. An evening performance will be scheduled at the end of each semester. For those not enrolled in private or class guitar this course is a great way for skilled guitarists to play in an ensemble format as an outlet and to better develop skills like timing and expand fretboard abilities and musicianship.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10355 Guitar Ensemble Group with Private Lesson (0 Credit Hours)
(Class times arranged by students' schedules) Includes both a weekly half hour private lesson and 50 minute ensemble class. Each student would have to have permission from the instructor to enroll. Contact Stephen Miller at smiller2@nd.edu. Classes focus on ensemble playing of classical and jazz arrangements. Students must be able to read standard notation on the guitar and have equivalent studies to Guitar II. Those enrolled will be placed in an ensemble class of four or more students and a private ½ hour lesson. All class and lesson times are arranged around each student's academic schedule that they submit upon enrolling. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. A six-string acoustic guitar or classical guitar is required. An evening performance will be scheduled at the end of each semester. For those who want one-on-one instruction and ensemble playing as an outlet to better develop skills like timing and to expand fretboard abilities and musicianship.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 10500 Music Through Technology (3 Credit Hours)
Music through Technology is a lecture/lab course open primarily to CAPP and music majors, with consideration of other talented students. Lecture topics include the historical evolution of technology in music, surveying the influence that technology had on the music world, both from a creative standpoint to the accessibility and distribution of music to the masses. Other examples of technology's influence in music may include the development of multi-track recording on popular music, synthesizer, and midi technology, technology's applications for musical composition, and the adaptation of CD and mp3 formats to musical performers. The historical influence of technology is an illuminating foundation to current developments in the creative processes of music. Lab topics cover and introduction to current music technology including digital audio recording and editing, midi technology (sound and notation) and the digital management and distribution of music. Students will experience all of these technologies on an introductory level, but focus their interests on a technology-based final project to develop and display their acquired skills. This course does not count as an upper level elective for Music majors.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 10590 Introduction to Electronic Music and Music Production (3 Credit Hours)
This course offers an immersive introduction to electronic music and music production, focusing on techniques for composing and producing music on the computer. Students will explore fundamental concepts of digital audio while engaging with the history of electronic music, studying key figures, movements, and methodologies that have shaped the field. Ableton Live will serve as the primary software for the class, through which we will examine a range of contemporary production techniques, including the use of effect plugins for mixing and mastering. This project-based course is designed for students eager to create and produce music with the latest tools in digital audio and caters to students from a wide range of musical backgrounds.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 11300 Piano Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Some prior study of piano is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11301 Organ Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Some prior study of organ is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11302 Harpsichord Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11303 Jazz Piano for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Individual instruction according to the level and ability of the student. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11307 Fortepiano Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons on an early 19th century, Graf-style piano. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11310 Violin Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Some prior study of violin is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11311 Viola Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Individual instruction. Some prior study of the viola is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11312 Cello Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors only by approval of the instructor. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11313 String Bass Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11314 Harp Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Prerequisite: Musical background. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11315 Viola da Gamba Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Some prior study of viola da gamba is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11320 Woodwind Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11321 Brass Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11330 Percussion Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11340 Voice Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
Lessons for non-majors. Some prior study of voice is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11350 Guitar Lessons for Non-majors (0 Credit Hours)
(Class times arranged by students' schedules) Individual instruction in Jazz, Classical or independent styles. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. For more information about guitar lessons, please visit http://www.nd.edu/~smiller2/ or email Stephen Miller. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 11390 Music Technology Lessons (0 Credit Hours)
Private instruction on the various facets of music technology including, but not limited to Finale, Reason, Cool Edit and other music technology programs. Lesson fee applies. Does not count toward lesson requirement for Music Majors. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 12300 Introduction to Applied Piano Technology (1 Credit Hour)
This hands-on course will introduce the student to fundamentals of piano design and construction, the acoustic theory and practice of aural piano tuning, and action design and regulation. Emphasis will be placed on fundamental concepts of scientific tuning theory and their practical application. Students will learn to tune unisons, octaves and a basic temperament. The ability to read musical notation is recommended. This course is open to all students.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 13182 Fine Arts University Seminar (3 Credit Hours)
This course offers an introduction to music for first year students. The class is listening-based, and emphasizes the development of listening skills. No previous experience with music (and no music-reading ability) is required. Class readings are drawn from the writings of music scholars, as well as reactions and criticisms of listeners.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: USEM - University Seminar, WKAL - Core Art & Literature
Students in the Holy Cross College or St. Mary's College colleges may not enroll.
MUS 20001 Theory I: Materials and Techniques of Music I (3 Credit Hours)
A systematic approach to the understanding and manipulation of the basic materials of music. Required of and intended for music majors and minors, but open to students with sufficient musical background.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 20002 Theory II: Materials and Techniques of Music II (3 Credit Hours)
A systematic approach to the understanding and manipulation of the basic materials of music. Required of and intended for music majors and minors, but open to students with sufficient musical background.
Prerequisites: MUS 20001
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 20003 Chromatic Harmony (3 Credit Hours)
MUS 20003 is a study in Chromatic Harmony, both historical and contemporary. Some topics of exploration include the Neapolitan, augmented sixths, extensions of tertian harmony, enharmonicism, chromaticism in lead-sheet realizations, tritone substitutions, and other approaches to chromatic harmony and voice-leading. The course assumes a strong foundation in tonal theory and builds upon the foundation laid by the first two semesters of the theory sequence. Prerequisite: MUS 20002. Please note: this course fulfills the curricular requirement: Materials and Techniques at the 20xxx level as part of the Department of Music's new curriculum. Those interested in completing the old curriculum should register for MUS 30003.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 20004 20th-Century/Music Theory IV: 20th Century Music/Theory IV (3 Credit Hours)
Intended for music majors in Music's new curriculum. The theoretical and historical sources and development of music from Debussy to the present.
MUS 20011 Musicianship Lab I (1 Credit Hour)
Exercise and mastery of basic skills in music: melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and keyboard. To be taken along with Theory I and II. Required of all students intending to major in music.
MUS 20012 Musicianship Lab II (1 Credit Hour)
Exercise and mastery of basic skills in music: melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and keyboard. To be taken along with Theory I and II. Required of all students intending to major in music.
Prerequisites: MUS 20011
MUS 20101 Music Histories and Cultures I (3 Credit Hours)
Prerequisites: MUS 20001 (may be taken concurrently)
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 20112 Music Histories and Cultures II (3 Credit Hours)
A survey of Western music from c. 1750 through the present.
Prerequisites: MUS 20001
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music or Music (Supp.).
MUS 20160 Music in Film (3 Credit Hours)
This course explores the soundtrack in American cinema, both contemporary and historical. The course will include a mix of small-group discussion and full-group lectures and demonstrations, as well as private viewing of films (with possibility of group viewing). Students will present a term paper on a film of their choosing at the end of the session, and also complete shorter guided assignments throughout the term. Film synthesizes many forms of art and communication into a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Studying music in film raises our threshold between liminal and subliminal forms of rhetoric and communication. It makes us more observant, more sympathetic, and more aware of the forces that shape our understanding of art and media. Therefore, study of music in film belongs at the core of the humanities.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 20162 Music and the Olympics: A Soundtrack for Competition, Ceremony, and Celebration (3 Credit Hours)
A survey course of Music's role and history in athletic competition, training, ceremonies, and celebrations. Music's societal impact and power is evident in women's integration into the Olympics as well as music's role in nationalism and politics. In technologies, the development of sound reinforcement and acoustical architecture expanded the Olympic venue and ensemble size as well as the scope and content of ceremonial music. Music as the true "Universal Language" was used extensively to reach a world audience as the broadcast media commanded a global stage. All of these elements of culture, athletics, gender, technology, and nationalism present a vast dimension to study music in the Olympics. Approval must be granted by the Professor. Students should complete a request by filling out the following form: http://goo.gl/forms/gQiLpOaX8p
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 20400 Piano Journeys: Modern and Contemporary Keyboard Literature (1 Credit Hour)
Explore the wonderfully wide world of 20th and 21st century keyboard music. The focus of this music literature course will be more cultural-historical than technical, digging into topics such as: Minimalism, appropriation, alternative instruments (accordion, melodica) and many more. There will also be intentional inclusion of BIPOC composers, in addition to Schoenberg, Ligeti and Cage. Prerequisite: Theory I or permission of instructor.
MUS 20491 Wind and Percussion Techniques (3 Credit Hours)
A hands-on music and liberal arts course designed to teach students instrumental techniques in preparation for experiential learning experiences within the local community and abroad. Students will receive instruction on wind and percussion instruments that will enable them to excel while outside the classroom. Students will apply these skills as directors and mentors in the Bandlink program and service opportunities overseas.
MUS 20691 Wind and Percussion Pedagogy (0-1 Credit Hours)
Notre Dame students will learn teaching techniques on their instruments through hands-on instruction of local students in the Bandlink program. Instruction will be in individual lessons and small group rehearsals.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 20990 Listening to Movies (3 Credit Hours)
This course will shift your attention from watching movies to also listening to them. It will introduce you to a
new way of experiencing films by educating your sense of hearing. Amid a strong emphasis on
cinema - ranging from musical accompaniment during the silent era to sound in experimental films; or from
classical Hollywood underscoring to Bollywood musicals - we will consider the soundtrack of moving
pictures within the larger history of audiovisual media from lantern shows to television series or from
commercials to video games. Based on a core repertory of twelve films, the course will cover various topics
and issues surrounding film sound: aesthetic and psychological (such as representation, narration, emotion);
social and political (such as race, ethnicity, propaganda); cultural and economic (such as production,
technology, dissemination). After taking this course, you will never quite look at a screen without listening to
the soundtrack, having come to perceive and understand how the powers of sound and music shape our ways
of knowing the world.
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 20991 Music Research Methods and Sources (1 Credit Hour)
Music Research Methods and Sources provides the foundation for scholars, performers, and conductors to locate, evaluate, and comprehend the necessary resources for their work. Focused on the practical application of research skills, the goal of the course is to provide students with the concepts and tools needed to facilitate their study, performance, and career goals. At the end of the course, students should be confident consumers of information related to all aspects of music. Topics covered will include core organizational principles, the research process, evaluation of information, key resources, locating primary sources, bibliographic tools, and an overview of music publishing and recording.
MUS 21300 Piano Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Lessons for First Year Majors. Some prior study of piano is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability as determined through audition. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21301 Organ Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Organ lessons for First Year Majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21302 Harpsichord Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Harpsichord lessons for First Year majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21303 Jazz Piano Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Jazz Piano lessons for First Year majors. Individual instruction according to the level and ability of the student. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21304 Organ Lessons - Liturgical Music Ministry Minor (1-2 Credit Hours)
Private organ lessons for Liturgical Music Ministry Minors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
MUS 21305 Piano Lessons - Liturgical Music Ministry Minor (1-2 Credit Hours)
Private piano lessons for Liturgical Music Ministry Minors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
MUS 21307 Fortepiano Lessons for First Year Majors (1-2 Credit Hours)
Lessons on an early 19th Century, Graf-style piano. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21310 Violin Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Violin lessons for First Year majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21311 Viola Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Viola lessons for First Year majors. Individual instruction. Some prior study of the viola is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability as determined through audition. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21312 Cello Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Cello lessons for First Year majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21313 String Bass Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
String Bass lessons for First Year majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21314 Harp Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Harp lessons for First Year majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21315 Viola da Gamba - 1st Yr Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Viola da Gamba lessons for First Year majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 21320 Woodwind Lessons for First Year Majors (1-2 Credit Hours)
Woodwind lessons for First Year majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21321 Brass Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Brass lessons for First Year majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21330 Percussion Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Percussion lessons for First Year majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21340 Voice Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Voice lessons for First Year majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21341 Voice Lessons for Musical Theatre Minor (1-2 Credit Hours)
Private voice lessons for Musical Theatre Minors. MTo sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 21342 Voice Lessons - Liturgical Music Ministry Minor (1-2 Credit Hours)
Private voice lessons for Liturgical Music Ministry Minors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
MUS 21350 Guitar Lessons for First Year Majors (2 Credit Hours)
(Class times arranged by students' schedules) Guitar lessons for First Year majors. Individual instruction in Jazz, Classical or independent styles. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. For more information about guitar lessons, please visit http://www.nd.edu/~smiller2/ or email Stephen Miller. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 21352 Guitar Lessons - Liturgical Music Ministry Minor (1-2 Credit Hours)
Private guitar lessons for Liturgical Music Ministry Minors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
MUS 21390 Lessons for Music Minors (1-2 Credit Hours)
Lessons for students in the Music minor.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 30003 Theory III: Chromatic Harmony and Voice-leading (3 Credit Hours)
MUS 30003 is a study in Chromatic Harmony, both historical and contemporary. Some topics of exploration include the Neapolitan, augmented sixths, extensions of tertian harmony, enharmonicism, chromaticism in lead-sheet realizations, tritone substitutions, altered dominants, and other approaches to chromatic harmony and voice-leading. The course assumes a strong foundation in tonal theory and builds upon the foundation laid by the first two semesters of the theory sequence. Prerequisite: MUS 20002. Please note: this course fulfills the curricular requirements of the old Music Major in place during AY 2022-23, not the new curriculum, beginning in Fall 2023. Those interested in completing the new curriculum should register for MUS 20003. For this reason, this course is by permission of the instructor only, as a stopgap.
Prerequisites: MUS 20002
Satisfies the following University Core Requirements: WKAL - Core Art & Literature
MUS 30004 20th-Century/Music Theory IV (3 Credit Hours)
Intended for music majors. The theoretical and historical sources and development of music from Debussy to the present.
Prerequisites: MUS 30003
MUS 30013 Musicianship III (1 Credit Hour)
Exercise and mastery of more advanced skills in music: melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, keyboard, and score-reading. To be taken along with Theory III and IV. Required of all students majoring in music.
Prerequisites: MUS 20012
MUS 30123 Classical and Romantic Music (History III) (3 Credit Hours)
A survey of music. The study of the major forms and styles in Western history. Required of music majors and minors, but open to students with sufficient musical background.
MUS 30190 The Worlds of Opera (3 Credit Hours)
This course will explore the history of opera, with a particular focus on the 19th and 20th centuries. In addition to examining opera's changing forms, genres, and musical conventions, we will explore practices of production, performance, and opera-going. Most of all, we will ask how opera, with its characteristic reliance on spectacle and heightened emotion, casts light on some central concerns: issues of power and nation; identity and tradition; empire and otherness; but also of feeling, sincerity, and the possibility of communication. Throughout, we will be attentive to the ways particular operas engaged with the societies that produced them, but we will also be concerned with the contemporary life of these works, exploring issues raised by their staging for modern audiences and their mediation by film, recordings, and digital media. Weekly assignments will include reading and listening/viewing (including occasional screenings or performances). Course requirements will include papers and shorter writing assignments.
Prerequisites: MUS 20001
MUS 30200 Chamber Music (1-2 Credit Hours)
Study and performance of selected chamber compositions. Intended for music majors or with special permission.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 30211 Opera In Production (0-1 Credit Hours)
This experiential learning course will offer valuable insight into the production aspects of Opera Notre Dame, with an emphasis on the collaborative process between producers, stage director, musical director, stage management, and technical teams. Students will be introduced to the many elements of contemporary theatrical work, including scenic, costume, and lighting design; theatre and film technology; stage direction of singing actors; the role of the stage manager; rehearsal and production meeting coordination; etc., as well as offer administrative support for the production team as necessary. The instructor of record will clarify each individual student's weekly schedule and responsibilities.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 30212 Opera in Performance (0-2 Credit Hours)
Opera Ensemble Participation.
MUS 30213 Opera Workshop (0-1 Credit Hours)
The course will end with workshop performances of various scenes, accompanied by orchestra or piano, taking place in early December at a venue to be announced.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 30400 Piano Performance Class (1 Credit Hour)
Master class format designed to give piano students opportunities in which to perform. This course is to be taken by Piano Performance Majors or by permission of the instructor
Course may be repeated.
MUS 30410 String Performance Techniques (1 Credit Hour)
Performance class/master class format designed to give string students opportunities to perform.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 30451 Conducting I (2 Credit Hours)
Basic techniques of instrumental and choral conducting. For music majors only or with special permission of the instructor.
MUS 30560 Computer Music Programming (3 Credit Hours)
In this class students will learn to compose and perform with computer-based systems. Our primary tool will be Max, also known as Max/MSP/Jitter, a visual programming language for music and multimedia. Through this language, we will explore the foundations of computer music, covering topics such as digital instrument design, sequencing, live processing, sound diffusion, video processing, plugin creation for DAWs, and algorithmic music. No prior experience in music or computer programming is required.
MUS 31300 Piano Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31301 Organ Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31302 Harpsichord Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31303 Jazz Piano Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Jazz Piano lessons for Sophomore majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31307 Fortepiano Lessons for Sophomore Majors (1-2 Credit Hours)
Lessons on an early 19th Century, Graf-style piano. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31310 Violin Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 31311 Viola Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 31312 Cello Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Cello lessons for Sophomore majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31313 String Bass Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
String Bass lessons for Sophomore majors. Individual instruction.To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31314 Harp Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Harp Lessons for Sophomore Majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31315 Viola da Gamba - Soph Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Viola da Gamba lessons for Sophomore majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31320 Woodwind Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31321 Brass Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Brass lessons for Sophomore majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31330 Percussion Lessions for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 31340 Voice Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 31350 Guitar Lessons for Sophomore Majors (2 Credit Hours)
(Class times arranged by students' schedules) Guitar lessons for Sophomore majors. Individual instruction in Jazz, Classical or independent styles. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. For more information about guitar lessons, please visit http://www.nd.edu/~smiller2/ or email Stephen Miller. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 32080 Composition Lessons (1.5 Credit Hours)
Private instruction in composition. Lessons will be open-ended, with style and aesthetic up to the student's interests. Students may elect to complete several small compositions, or instead focus on a single large composition project. Students will be evaluated based on concrete goals set at the outset of the semester in consultation with the instructor. Biweekly studio classes will offer opportunities to share work in progress and interact with guest artists and composers. Registration with permission of the instructor. Prior completion of Theory/History IV is recommended.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 37900 Special Studies (1-3 Credit Hours)
An individualized course in directed studies under personal supervision of the teacher.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 38390 Junior Recital (0-2 Credit Hours)
Majors only. Public performance of appropriate solo reperatoire.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 40020 Mus Schubert, Brahms, Dvorak (3 Credit Hours)
This course focuses on the practice of hands-on analysis of the chamber music of these three nineteenth-century masters of the genre. Our engagement with their music will be holistic, with light cast on each composer's diverse yet related approaches to aspects of form, tonal-harmonic language, thematic process and motivic development, and rhythmic-metric characteristics. We also will study the important historical relationships among Schubert, Brahms, and Dvorak as exhibited in the technical characteristics of their music. Much of the course will address the music itself, but there will also be readings from selected secondary sources, which will provide background on the relevant analytical methodologies. Assignments will include weekly listening and score study, readings from the scholarly literature, periodic analysis assignments, and a final analysis project.
MUS 40021 Music as Drama (3 Credit Hours)
In music theory, we describe dominant and tonic as cycles of tension and release, modulation as a journey away from a home key, and musical form in literary terms such as exposition, development, and recapitulation. In this course, students will interrogate the premise that music can function like drama, suggesting characters, agency, conflict, and narrative. The course will focus on both opera and instrumental music of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, with some forays into late Romanticism and early modernism. In addition to familiar concepts from music theory such as harmony, phrase structure, and form, we will also investigate the role that texture—specifically musical topoi—plays in supporting music’s dramatic structures. By exploring the metaphor of music as drama, students will hone their connection between music analysis and their performative, expressive choices and deepen their understanding of how music elicits imaginative engagement from listeners. The course is discussion-based with emphasis on score study. Assignments will include essays and oral presentations designed to develop students’ ability to write and speak analytically and critically about music. Students will also have opportunities to apply course knowledge through model composition.
Prerequisites: MUS 20002 (may be taken concurrently)
MUS 40041 Counterpoint (3 Credit Hours)
MUS 40041 is a composition-oriented study of counterpoint , especially as practiced in the 16th ?century?. The first half of the course will be an advanced study of counterpoint in the style of Palestrina? and his contemporaries?. Through model composition exercises, we will advance from simple species counterpoint toward complex imitative polyphony. As we do so, we will study examples of polyphonic repertoire from this period. After an intensive study of 16th century counterpoint, we will then extrapolate the principles of this constitutional idiom to a variety of other styles, including 18th Century instrumental writing (invention, fugue, etc.), and modern compositions. 16th century Counterpoint is integral to the evolution of classical music through to the present day; understanding this crucial component of music theory and composition is essential to the modern practicing musician.
MUS 40081 Creative Composition (3 Credit Hours)
This course is a hands-on seminar in composition. Students will learn to discuss the work of living composers, learn aesthetic and technical principles of orchestration, and compose original music, responding to thought-provoking repertoire and specific compositional challenges. The semester will culminate in a final composition project, which students will have performed in a concert setting. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to interact with professional musicians, including guest and resident ensembles, and speak with guest composers, who may include luminary figures in the field of contemporary composition. Previous experience in composition is not required, but a foundation in music theory will be assumed. (Completion of MUS 20002 is required prior to enrollment. Completion of theory coursework 20003 and above is recommended.)
Prerequisites: MUS 20002
MUS 40101 Gregorian Chant in Roman Rite (3 Credit Hours)
Vocal Sacred Music I is devoted primarily to Gregorian Chant, with some study toward the end of the semester of medieval polyphonic works based on chant. The course will cover matters of liturgy, performance practice, musical forms, notation, and sources. The course is open to upper-class music majors and graduate students in the Master of Sacred Music Program.
MUS 40130 Leonard Bernstein and the Twentieth Century (3 Credit Hours)
Bernstein was undoubtedly one of the most—perhaps the most—versatile musicians of the twentieth century. As a composer, he not only worked within a wide variety of genres—symphony, opera, ballet, musical, and so on—but he also drew on an eclectic range of styles. Yet his career was by no limited to the compositional sphere; he was also a renowned conductor, performer, educator, political activist, and international celebrity.
In this course, we will study Bernstein's life and work as a window into a number of characteristic twentieth-century concerns. This includes the tensions between high-, low-, and middlebrow culture; the impact of mass media on classical music; the transition from modernism to postmodernism; and the relationship between art and political activism. As well as getting to know the considerable secondary literature on Bernstein, students will have the opportunity to work with primary, archival materials from the Bernstein Collection at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. Course requirements will include papers and presentations.
Prerequisites: MUS 20001
MUS 40140 Ritual Studies (3 Credit Hours)
The historical study of texts has always been central to the study of Christian liturgy, but there is another element, just as important: the study of ritual behavior (and misbehavior!). Liturgy and ritual are more than text: they also "speak" through action, symbol, space, culture, and the arts. This "hands-on" course introduces the methodologies for studying that "everything else": why people do or don't do; why they embrace or resist what the "experts" tell them; how people invent new rites or revive old ones, fight for or against liturgical reforms, cross picket lines, wear funny hats at sports events, care more about the high school prom than about being confirmed, or go out for a smoke during the sermon. Learning by doing, we will begin experiencing the study of symbolism, narrative, myth, memory, and community, using techniques from the social sciences: participant observation, semi-structured interviewing, focus groups, writing and coding field notes, film criticism, and more.
MUS 40141 Music, Media, and the Middle East (3 Credit Hours)
For Western audiences, music from the Middle East is often packaged and consumed as something inherently timeless—far removed from the reach of contemporary problems and reminiscent of faraway lands that are never quite mappable onto actual places and histories. As various postcolonial scholars have shown, however, timelessness is all too often just another synonym for backwardness, as if the lands we call the “Middle East” were somehow untouched by the global development of technology and neo-capitalism. Despite these Orientalist tropes, media technologies have played a central role in shaping the contemporary Middle East for more than a century, even as these technologies have in turn spurred changes in local and transnational forms of music-making. This course provides an overview of these important histories, highlighting the role of music and media in relation to landmark historical events in the region, including the drawing of new national boundaries following the end of World War I, the founding of the Turkish Republic in 1923 and the Israeli nation-state in 1948, the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979, and the Arab Spring and creation of ISIS in the 2010s. Throughout the course, students are introduced to basic regional concepts of music-making, as well as the role of music and media in shaping mass popular markets both in the region and across the globe.
Enrollment is limited to students with a program in Music.
MUS 40145 African-American Singers and Performance Styles in Gospel and the Musical (3 Credit Hours)
This course explores the nature of song in the training and performance styles of African-American singers. Two singing specialties will be explored: those found in Gospel and in the Musical. Students will examine histories of both these subjects in the USA and as they are practiced today, with emphasis on the church, the music theater, and on cross-over singers. This course has been designed for MSM students, but upper level music majors are welcome, as are advanced students in the Liturgical Music Minor and the Musical Theater Minor. Competence in music theory through the first year of study is necessary.
MUS 40191 Opera: Mozart to 20th Cent. (3 Credit Hours)
This course is a survey of opera from the late Baroque era until the first half of the 20th century. We will cover seven operas in detail: Handel's "Alcina," Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro," Rossini's "Barber of Seville," Verdi's "Rigoletto," Wagner's "Die Walküre," Puccini's "Tosca," and Shostakovich's "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk." We will first study the libretto and its plot, and delve into the characters and their personalities, back-stories, and motivations, and will then proceed to a detailed study of the music, the composer's realization of the story in sound. We will also study how the musical styles and genres in opera evolved over time. Assignments will include readings as well as listening and viewing each opera; grading will be based on class discussions, presentations, and papers. This is an upper-division course for Music majors; non-majors with sufficient musical background may enroll with the permission of the instructor.
MUS 40193 Expression in the Classical Style (3 Credit Hours)
What's the "joke" in Haydn's String Quartet in E-flat Major? How can Mozart's music have emotional variety while employing conventional (one might even say formulaic) harmonic and formal structures? In this course, students will deepen their understanding of the Classical style's representational and affective possibilities through theories of humor, gesture, and topics (musical signs such as dances, hunt calls, etc.). Students will explore evidence for such effects in historical writings, current scholarly research, and score study. Key course themes will include the role that convention plays in communicating meaning; the location of musical meaning between composer, work, and audience; the tension between formal structure and expressive content; how notions of "absolute" music cloud understanding of Classical expression; and whether twenty-first-century listeners can hear Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven with the "ears" of late eighteenth-century listeners. The course is discussion-based and emphasis will be on score study. Students will learn how to construct sound interpretive readings of works in the Classical style through a variety of essay assignments and oral presentations.
Prerequisites: MUS 20002
MUS 40402 Piano Collaboration (1 Credit Hour)
This course is to be taken by Piano Performance Majors or by permission of the instructor. Pianists in this course have an opportunity to develop the specific skills and abilities needed for accompanying vocalists and/or instrumentalists, and are encouraged to bring their colleagues to class.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 40440 Master the Art of Song Interpretation! (1 Credit Hour)
This course gives singers a hands-on experience in song interpretation focusing on musical and dramatic expression. You will develop linguistic and vocal skills through individual-based coaching on art song and opera arias through musical theater repertoire. No prior experience in languages is required. In addition to in-class performances, we will work on short assignments related to the song history, genre, style, context and more.
In this workshop-style course, singers will work on song interpretation, with a particular emphasis on musical style. Students will develop linguistic, vocal, and dramatic skills through individual coachings on a wide range of vocal repertory, from art song to opera arias to oratorio solos to musical theatre songs. No prior experience in language is required. In addition to the in-class coachings, students will prepare assignments related to the song history, genre, style, character, and more. Undergraduate music majors in the voice performance concentration are given priority for enrollment, followed by those in the music theatre minor. If space allows, non majors or minors will be considered.
MUS 40442 Intro to English,Italian Lyric Diction (1 Credit Hour)
Elements and expressive techniques of English and Italian diction, utilizing the International Phonetic Alphabet.
MUS 40443 Intro to French Lyric Diction (1 Credit Hour)
Elements and expressive techniques of French diction, utilizing the International Phonetic Alphabet.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 40445 Sacred Vocal Literature for Solo Voices (1 Credit Hour)
This course focuses on the historical and contemporary performance practice of sacred vocal literature for solo voices. Repertoire will be chosen by the professor with a consideration of its relevance to the students and their voices. Assignments may include repertoire and style analyses, presentations, and preparation of performance excerpts.
MUS 40446 Diction II (1 Credit Hour)
Study of lyric diction of the Italian & French languages, including phonetics using IPA, pronunciation, expressive declamation, and articulation for singing.
MUS 40447 Diction I (1 Credit Hour)
Study of lyric diction of the English & German languages, including phonetics using IPA, pronunciation, expressive declamation, and articulation for singing.
MUS 40448 Vocal Performanc Practice & Literature I (Early & Classical) (1 Credit Hour)
A survey of solo vocal literature, style, and performance practice from the 11th century to 1800, including chant, motets, cantatas, oratorios, opera, and art song. The class will consist of lectures, reading, tests, presentations, and a final project.
MUS 40449 Vocal Literature 2 (1 Credit Hour)
A survey of solo vocal literature, style, and performance practice from 1800 to the present day, including chamber works, oratorios, opera, and art song. 1.0 credits. The class will consist of reading, listening, score study, presentations, and class discussions.
MUS 40457 Hymnology (3 Credit Hours)
Hymnody is where theology, worship and spirituality meet. In every branch of Christianity, Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, the great hymn-writers were also the great theologians. Yet hymns also have a popular character, which is why they are widely used in catechesis, exegesis, preaching, religious formation, community building, even theological controversies. We will learn how to do historical research on hymns, including their scriptural and non-scriptural sources, their poetic forms, texts, authors, melodies, and function in liturgical rites and the liturgical year; how to find them, and edit or modify them for use today. Students should be able to read modern music notation.
MUS 40646 Voice Science (1 Credit Hour)
This course is a detailed overview of the science involved in singing, especially physiology, acoustics, and vocal health. Students will explore the physical and acoustical mechanics of singing as well as the foundations of healthy vocal technique.The class will consist of lectures and in-class singing (teacher- and student-led), reading, tests, individual voice practice, and a final project.
MUS 40647 Vocal Pedagogy (1 Credit Hour)
This course explores the principles and methodology of vocal pedagogy for solo and choral singing. Students will engage with voice science, vocal physiology, and the philosophy of vocal pedagogy, and learn methods for teaching and modeling good vocal technique. The class will consist of lectures and in-class singing (teacher- and student-led), reading, tests, teaching observations, individual voice practice, possible conducting or voice teaching assignments, and a final project.
MUS 40740 Introduction to Somatics for Singers (1 Credit Hour)
Somatic modalities focus on integrating the mind and body. For vocalists, whose bodies are their instruments, the increased physical awareness and embodied explorations of somatic work have the potential to offer functional improvements as well as lifelong benefits in mental and physical health. This course will explore both the theory and practice of somatic concepts and modalities. Covering a range of topics from specific modalities like Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method to breathing, phonation, and resonance, as well as performance anxiety and the nervous system, the course introduces students to philosophies and techniques that come out of a somatic approach. Intellectual understanding of anatomy is paired with physical exploration and sensory experience to improve efficiency and ease in movement, thereby enhancing vocal technique and artistry. Each student is encouraged to play, experiment, and find what works in their individual body and mind throughout the semester. We will build awareness through movement, visualization, readings, and discussion, encouraging mind-body integration in the act of singing and in life.
MUS 41300 Piano Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Piano lessons for Junior Majors. Some prior study of piano is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability as determined through audition. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41301 Organ Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Organ lessons for Junior majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41302 Harpsichord Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Harpsichord lessons for Junior majors. Individual instruction. MTo sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41303 Jazz Piano Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Jazz Piano lessons for Junior majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41307 Fortepiano Lessons for Junior Majors (1-2 Credit Hours)
Lessons on an early 19th Century, Graf-style piano. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41310 Violin Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Violin lessons for Junior majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41311 Viola Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Viola Lessons for Junior Majors. Individual instruction. Some prior study of the viola is advised. Half-hour lessons or one-hour lessons reserved for students of upper-intermediate performance ability as determined through audition. Lessons are given by members of the department and by outside part-time associate instructors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41312 Cello Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Cello lessons for Junior majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41313 String Bass Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
String Bass lessons for Junior majors. Individual instruction. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41314 Harp Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Harp lessons for Junior majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41315 Viola da Gamba - Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Viola da Gamba lessons for Junior majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41320 Woodwind Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Woodwind lessons for Junior majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41321 Brass Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Brass lessons for Junior majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41330 Percussion Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Percussion lessons for Junior majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41340 Voice Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
Voice Lessons for Junior majors. Private lessons at an advanced level for music majors. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/programs-of-study/lessons/. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 41350 Guitar Lessons for Junior Majors (2 Credit Hours)
(Class times arranged by students' schedules) Guitar lessons for Junior majors. Individual instruction in Jazz, Classical or independent styles. To sign up for lessons, you must fill out the lesson sign up form found here: https://music.nd.edu/lessons-ensembles/lessons/. For more information about guitar lessons, please visit http://www.nd.edu/~smiller2/ or email Stephen Miller. Deadline for sign up is noon on the first Thursday of classes.
Course may be repeated.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 43160 Sound-Tracks (3 Credit Hours)
This course will explore how music and sound have become central to modern multi-media. While our main focus will be on movies (ranging from classical to contemporary cinema, presented in mandatory weekly screenings), we will also explore the role of music and sound more broadly from advertisements to video-games; from music videos to TikTok clips; from ambient sound in retail spaces to personalized playlists. In doing so, readings will cover various topics and issues aesthetic and psychological (such as representation, narration, emotion); social and political (such as race, ethnicity, propaganda); cultural and economic (such as production, technology, dissemination), and music-analytical (such as style, syntax, harmony, topoi, genre). Course work will include discussion posts, position papers, and a capstone research project that may involve creative work.
Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Music.
MUS 48390 Senior Recital (1 Credit Hour)
One full-length (one hour) or two half-length (30 min.) recitals required for all performance majors. An additional full length recital required for honors.
Course may be repeated.
MUS 48900 Senior Thesis (1-3 Credit Hours)
Music history and theory majors in the honors program must write a senior thesis. They will be assigned an advisor with whom they will work.
Course may be repeated.