Composition (Year 2)

This major explores a wide range of styles and compositional techniques as well as providing students with the tools necessary to embark on a future in contemporary niches such as film scoring, music in advertising and songwriting. Access to modern production/recording technology gives students the ability to create a large portfolio of recorded music. Emphasis is put on developing each students unique compositional identity while focusing on the skills that are at the core of the compositional process. At the end of the fourth semester each student is responsible for organizing a 1/2 hour graduating recital that showcases their abilities.

To be a Composition Major, students must have achieved a minimum grade of "B" or better in MUSC 171 (Arranging II) and MUSC 175 (Harmony II). A maximum of 17 students will be accepted into this major. In the event that more students apply, preference will be given to those students who have achieved the highest GPA. English 110 may be substituted for TWC 266.

Course of Studies

Semester 3

Course	Name	Credit
MUSC 100	MUSIC FORUM	1
MUSC 252	Private Lesson III A	0.5
MUSC 264	Instrumental Lab III	1
MUSC 268	Songwriting I	2
MUSC 274	Contemporary Harmony III	2
MUSC 280	Ear Training III	2
MUSC 282	Film Scoring I	2
MUSC 284	Composition I	2
TWC 266	Introduction to Technical Writing and Communications	2
ELECTIVE 006	Music Elective	2
ELECTIVE 007	Music Elective	1
Total		17.5

Electives
Course	Name	Credit
MUSC 258	Ensemble III	2
MUSC 288	Advanced MIDI Applications I	2
MUSC 162	Instrumental Lab I	1

Semester 4

Course	Name	Credit
MUSC 100	MUSIC FORUM	1
MUSC 253	Private Lesson IV A	0.5
MUSC 265	Instrumental Lab IV	1
MUSC 269	Songwriting II	2
MUSC 275	Contemporary Harmony IV	2
MUSC 281	Ear Training IV	2
MUSC 283	Film Scoring II	2
MUSC 285	Composition II	2
MUSC 290	The Business of Music	2
ELECTIVE 006	Music Elective	2
ELECTIVE 007	Music Elective	1
Total		17.5

Electives
Course	Name	Credit
MUSC 259	Ensemble IV	2
MUSC 262	Survey of Recording Techniques	2
MUSC 289	Advanced MIDI Applications II	2
MUSC 163	Instrumental Lab II	1
MUSC 291	Fundamentals of Private Studio Teaching	2

Course Descriptions

MUSC 100 - MUSIC FORUM

Music Forum is a course designed to provide an opportunity for all music students and faculty to share in a weekly educational experience. Each forum will have a different musical focus. Students will have opportunities to perform, witness performances by faculty and guest artists, as well as gain insights into the industry from guest lecturers and music professionals. Music Forum will also provide an opportunity for the presentation of collaborative audio-visual projects between departments.

*New content is being added for the Fall of 2019 giving students the skills necessary to embark on a career as a private lesson instructor.

Prerequisites: None. Attendance is mandatory for all music students.

MUSC 252 - Private Lesson III A

A weekly half-hour private instrumental or vocal lesson is provided for all Music Production, Composition, and General Music majors. Instruction is available on keyboard, woodwinds, saxophone, percussion, guitar, electric and acoustic bass, and voice. Lessons are designed to increase students? technical and musical abilities.

Prerequisites: MUSC 151.

MUSC 258 - Ensemble III

Ensembles, required of all students, are the focal point of the Music program. In second year, students are placed by audition in one or more ensembles. Students must participate in a minimum of four ensembles to graduate. Types of ensembles offered will focus on contemporary music including rock, funk, fusion, jazz and vocal, with the goal of developing both the student’s repertoire and improvisational abilities. Students are encouraged to participate in as many different types of ensembles as possible. A graduation showcase will be required from all students majoring in Music Performance, Music Songwriting and Composition..

Prerequisites: MUSC 159.

MUSC 264 - Instrumental Lab III

This course is designed to help students develop instrumental skills. Grouped by instrument, students learn the fundamentals of reading, articulation, balance, dynamics, styles and technique as related to their particular instrument. This course is taught "instrument-in-hand" and also uses audio and visual aids to explore different techniques and styles. A requirement in all majors, students have weekly assignments.

Prerequisites: MUSC 163.

MUSC 268 - Songwriting I

This course is designed to help you prepare for survival in the competitive world of the songwriters market. Learn about all types of styles while striving to define your own. Special attention is paid to the rudiments of songwriting: creativity, basic theory (usage of basic rhythms, scales, harmony, melodic patterns, lyrics, etc.), basic styles (pop. rock, folk, country, etc.), production patterns, and the legalities of the music business. The class also spends time analyzing the work of other writers (successful and unsuccessful; those who have maintained artistic integrity; those who have not).

Prerequisites: A "B" or better in MUSC 171 and MUSC 175, and/or permission of the instructor.

MUSC 274 - Contemporary Harmony III

This course continues with the principles of contemporary harmony as presented in CH II. Topics are expanded to include advanced minor key concepts, introduction to modal harmony and modal interchange, substitute dominant functions, basic chord scales for melodic considerations, advanced harmonic analysis and basic concepts of re-harmonization. This course provides students with a working knowledge of contemporary minor key and modal harmony and the ability to use them in all styles of popular music.

Prerequisites: MUSC 175.

MUSC 280 - Ear Training III

This course continues to develop an aural perception of intervals, pitches, seventh chords, chord progressions, melodies and rhythms. The focus of this term is on minor and secondary dominant melodies and chord progressions. The rhythms explore sixteenth note syncopated rhythms as well as 6/8 and 5/4 meters.

Prerequisites: MUSC 181.

MUSC 282 - Film Scoring I

This hands-on course focuses on TV and radio broadcasting. Students are required to score themes and cues for various TV and radio shows using mostly electronic equipment along with one or two live musicians.

Prerequisites: MUSC 161 Computer Applications to Music II.

MUSC 284 - Composition I

This course is designed to improve the skills of composers by presenting a wide variety of compositional tools in styles ranging from Classical to Jazz, Folk, Rock and Pop. By studying the recordings and scores of composers throughout history each student gains a musical awareness that strengthens their own compositional process. Particular attention is paid to the “building blocks of a composition;” the musical elements such as melody, harmony and rhythm that are at the core of the creative process. In class performance and analysis of student compositions occurs on a weekly basis and midterm and final assignments are recorded.

Prerequisites: MUSC 171 and 175, and/or permission of the Instructor.

MUSC 288 - Advanced MIDI Applications I

This course is an applied study of the software and concepts used in the recording home studio environment. The primary focus of the course is in the use of Pro Tools LE for the self-recording musician. Topics include: mixing console application, editing techniques, microphone technique, an introduction to effects processing for final mixing, auxiliary buss in the virtual mixing board, use of patch bay, outboard effects, and file maintenance.

Prerequisites: MUSC 161 with a "B" or better.

TWC 266 - Introduction to Technical Writing and Communications

TWC 266: Introduction to Technical Writing and Communications is a review of basic English skills with an introduction to general principles in written technical communication and its application to professional music. Classroom sessions focus on grammar, writing skills, professional correspondence, oral presentation skills, and employment documents.

This course is designed to prepare students for the writing demands of the workplace. Through the production of written content for print and the web, students will learn to communicate in a clear and concise writing style.

Students will also have an opportunity to deliver an effective and engaging oral presentation. Classroom sessions focus personal brand development through resumes, bios, blogging, professional communication, narrative design and oral presentation skills.

MUSC 253 - Private Lesson IV A

Prerequisites: MUSC 252.

MUSC 259 - Ensemble IV

Ensembles, required of all students, are the focal point of the Music program. All students are placed by audition in one or more ensembles. Students must participate in a minimum of four ensembles to graduate. Types of ensembles offered will focus on contemporary music including rock, funk, fusion, jazz and vocal, with the goal of developing both the student’s repertoire and improvisational abilities. Students are encouraged to participate in as many different types of ensembles as possible. A graduation recital will be required from all students majoring in Music Performance.

Prerequisites: MUSC 258.

MUSC 262 - Survey of Recording Techniques

An introduction to recording principles and practices, this course is open to students whose major is not music production. Topics include a brief history of the multi-track recording studio, procedures of a recording studio, procedures of a recording session, fundamentals of microphones and audio effects.

MUSC 265 - Instrumental Lab IV

This course is designed to help students develop instrumental skills. Grouped by instrument, students learn the fundamentals of reading, articulation, balance, dynamics, styles and technique as related to their particular instrument. This course is taught “instrument-in-hand” and also uses audio and visual aids to explore different techniques and styles. A requirement in all majors, students have weekly assignments.

Prerequisites: MUSC 264.

MUSC 269 - Songwriting II

This course is designed to strengthen your songwriting skills in every respect. Closer attention is paid to marketing skills, legal procedures, finding one’s personal niche in the music business (whether to focus on one’s own style, concentrate on writing tunes for other acts, or both; whether to go through a publisher or be your own publisher; etc.). Co-writing music will be explored (you put lyrics to someone else’s music; they put music to yours). In class time centers around the analysis of successful songwriters in every genre.

Prerequisites: MUSC 268.

MUSC 275 - Contemporary Harmony IV

This course deals with advanced harmonic concepts including deceptive resolutions, special function dominant chords, pedal point and ostinato and advanced modal harmony including compound chord symbols, hybrid chord structures and polymodality. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have a strong working knowledge of current harmonic practices in all styles of contemporary music. Students will also be able to demonstrate this knowledge through written and performance-related venues.

Prerequisites: MUSC 274.

MUSC 281 - Ear Training IV

Upon successful completion of this course you will have mastered basic aural skills for professional musicianship. The emphasis on this level is chromatic and modal melodies. Mixed meters and odd time signatures are explored. Emphasis is given to transcribing prerecorded songs.

Prerequisites: MUSC 280.

MUSC 283 - Film Scoring II

This course provides students with an understanding of the different compositional techniques used in feature film genres such as drama, suspense, comedy and action/adventure. The course content includes analysis of film soundtracks of the past and present, the business of being a film composer, film scoring technology, orchestration, conducting, and how to get started as a film composer. Weekly assignments require students to compose music to picture for subsequent review by the instructor. At the end of the term students will have created a large portfolio of audio and visual material.

*Video game composition: New content has been added to our film-scoring courses to address this huge part of the music industry giving students the skills needed to gain employment in this sector.

Prerequisites: MUSC 175 Contemporary Harmony II.

MUSC 285 - Composition II

This course continues the study of compositional building blocks started in Composition 1 with an additional focus on arranging and orchestration. Topics include advanced contemporary techniques such as quartal and quintal harmony, pandiatonicism, minimalism, world music percussion concepts and string and vocal arranging for popular music. Composers of interest include Sting, John Lennon, Bach, Stravinsky, Steve Reich, and Miles Davis.

Prerequisites: MUSC 284 and/or permission of the instructor.

MUSC 289 - Advanced MIDI Applications II

This course is a continuation of MUSC 288. The primary focus is the advanced use of Pro Tools LE. Topics will include: the musical application of effects plug-ins, computer components and related technology, and other recording formats.

Prerequisites: MUSC 288.

MUSC 290 - The Business of Music

The purpose of this course is three-fold: to provide the student with an awareness of the career possibilities in the field of music; to introduce students to some of the major aspects of the music profession; and to introduce students to basic general business practices. This course is of particular benefit to students planning a career in the music industry.

ELECTIVE 006 - Music Elective

Choose 1 of the music electives listed in the elective section

MUSC 163 - Instrumental Lab II

This course is designed to help students develop their instrumental skills. Grouped by instrument, students learn the fundamentals of reading, articulation, balance, dynamics, styles and technique as related to their particular instrument. This course is taught “instrument-in-hand” and also uses audio and visual aids to explore different techniques and styles. A requirement in all majors, students have weekly assignments.

Prerequisites: MUSC 162.

MUSC 162 - Instrumental Lab I

This course is designed to help students develop instrumental skills. Grouped by instrument, students learn the fundamentals of reading, articulation, balance, dynamics, styles and technique as related to their particular instrument. This course is taught "instrument-in-hand” and also uses audio and visual aids to explore different techniques and styles. A requirement in all majors, students have weekly assignments.

ELECTIVE 007 - Music Elective

MUSC 291 - Fundamentals of Private Studio Teaching

Fundamentals of Private Studio Teaching studies aspects of effective private studio teaching. Topics covered, but not limited to, include: pedagogy, literature, technology, business plans, methods and materials to support a teacher’s attributes and philosophies essential to the successful private instructor.

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The Arts

Composition (Year 2)