College Bulletin 2024-2025

Nov 08, 2024

College Bulletin 2024-2025

Music

Faculty

BARBARA MILEWSKI, Professor of Music and Chair
MARCANTONIO BARONE, Associate in Performance
JAMES BLASINA, Associate Professor of Music
QUINN COLLINS, Visiting Instructor in Music
KALE GOOD, Associate in Performance
ANDREW HAUZE, Senior Lecturer in Music
TREVOR HOFELICH, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music
ERIC HUNG, Visiting Associate Professor of Music
JONATHAN KOCHAVI, Professor of Music¹
GERALD LEVINSON, Professor of Music
ANDREW NEU, Associate in Performance
LEI X. OUYANG, Associate Professor of Music¹
NATHAN REIFF, Lecturer in Music
TRACEY STEWART, Assistant Professor of Music
I NYOMAN SUADIN, Associate in Performance
GUOWEI WANG, Associate in Performance
THOMAS WHITMAN, Professor

BRIAN BRUCE-WILLIS, Concert and Audience Coordinator
JEANETTE HONIG, Director of Concert Programming, Production and Publicity
COLETTE SPEAKMAN, Administrative Coordinator

¹ Absent on leave, 2024-2025 academic year

The study of music as a liberal art requires an integrated approach to theory, history, and performance, experience in all three fields being essential to the understanding of music as an artistic and intellectual achievement. Theory courses train students to understand and hear how compositions are organized. History courses introduce students to methods of studying the development of musical styles and genres and the relationship of music to other arts and areas of thought. Ethnomusicology courses introduce students to the study of music in and as culture and ethnographic fieldwork methods. The department encourages students to develop performing skills through private study and through participation in the chorus, the Chinese music ensemble, gamelan, jazz ensemble, orchestra, wind ensemble, and the Fetter Chamber Music Program, which it staffs and administers.

The department assists instrumentalists and singers to finance the cost of private instruction. (See “Individual Instruction” under the heading “Credit for Performance.”)

The Academic Program

Course Major

The music major curriculum normally includes the following components. Every student’s program is subject to approval by music faculty, taking into consideration the student’s background and goals. We emphasize the importance of depth and mastery of musical skills and understanding, and we also recognize the value of studying the diversity of musical cultures.

A. Required. 4 courses in Music Theory plus Musicianship sections (MUSI 040). MUSI 040 may be taken for 0.0 or 0.5 credit at the student’s option.

MUSI 011 and 040A
MUSI 012 and 040B
MUSI 013 and 040C
One additional upper level Music Theory course (MUSI 014, MUSI 016, MUSI 115, or other advanced course in theory) and MUSI 040D

Majors are strongly advised to take 5 Music Theory courses if possible.

B. Required. 2 courses in Music History and Literature from among the following

MUSI 020 (Medieval and Renaissance)
MUSI 021-W (Music in Europe and the Americas in the 17th and 18th Centuries)
MUSI 022-W (19th-Century Music in Europe and the United States)
MUSI 023-W (20th-Century Music in Europe and the United States)

C. Required. Ethnomusicology. 1 course from among the following

MUSI 002C (Taiko and the Asian American Experience)
MUSI 003B (Listening to Jazz)
MUSI 005A (Music and Dance Cultures of the World)
MUSI 005F (Black Popular Musics)
MUSI 006C (Music and the Battle Between Good and Evil)
MUSI 006D (Performing Resistance: Black Music and Protest in the African Diaspora)
MUSI 007A (More than a Drumline: Exploring the Legacy of the HBCU Marching Band Tradition)
MUSI 007C (Distinguishing Difference: Music, Memory, and Jamaican Marronage)
MUSI 008A (Music & Mao: Music and Politics in Communist China)
MUSI 008B (Music, Race and Class)
MUSI 009B (Music as Oral Tradition)
MUSI 010 (From Roots to Django: Interpreting the Soundtracks of Black Power, Black Pain, Black Joy, and Retribution)
MUSI 029 (Africa through Musical Ethnography)
MUSI 031 (Music & Culture in East Asia)
MUSI 100 (Ethnomusicology Seminar)
Additional courses in ethnomusicology with approval of the department chair

D. Required. 1 elective.

This may be an additional course — at any level, introductory or advanced — in Music History and Literature; in Ethnomusicology; or in Music Theory; Conducting and Orchestration; or Composition. Alternatively, with permission of the music faculty, it could be an academic course in Theater or Dance if relevant to the student’s interests.

E. Required. 1 course to fulfill the senior comprehensive requirement.

MUSI 094: Senior Research Topics

During their senior year, majors in the course program will take the departmental comprehensive examination, which normally consists of the study of a single musical work or cultural style (selected in advance by the student, subject to the approval of the department) which demonstrates skills in the three areas of analysis, historical or socio-cultural research, and performance. Majors in course will enroll in MUSI 094 (Senior Research Topics in Music) in the spring semester of their senior year to prepare for their senior comprehensive examination.

F. Required. Additional Requirements for Course Majors:

Keyboard Skills Exam
Department ensemble for at least four semesters

The following is a description of these additional requirements:

Keyboard skills. This program is designed to develop keyboard proficiency to a point where a student can use the piano effectively as a tool for studying music. Students learn to perform repertoire and, in addition, play standard harmonic progressions in all keys. The department offers free private lessons to all majors and minors who need support in this area. No academic credit is given for these lessons. All music majors are expected to complete a keyboard exam by their senior year. Beginning with the class of 2025, successful completion of MUSI 012 will satisfy this requirement. Lessons to prepare for the exam will be provided by the department.

Department ensemble. The department requires majors and minors to participate in any of the departmental ensembles (Orchestra, Chorus, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Chinese Music Ensemble, Gamelan, and Taiko). We also recommend that students participate in other activities, such as playing in Chamber Music ensembles or seeking out service-learning experiences that incorporate music.

Credit/No Credit Policy

Courses taken during the first semester of the first year are taken CR/NC for all students. After that semester, students majoring in music may elect to take at most one (1) upper-level music course and one (1) course in the Music 40A, B, C, D musicianship sequence as credit/no credit and must receive a recorded grade of CR. The senior comprehensive project (Music 94) cannot be taken credit/no credit.

Course Minor for class years 2024 and 2025

Please Note: Course Minor requirements for Music are changing beginning with the class of 2026. The classes of ‘25 and ‘24 may elect to complete the “new” minor with permission of the department chair.

A. Required. At least two courses in Music Theory plus Musicianship sections (MUSI 040). MUSI 040 may be taken for 0.0 or 0.5 credit at the student’s option.

MUSI 011 and 040A
MUSI 012 and 040B

B. Required. At least two courses in Music History and Literature, and/or in Ethnomusicology, from among the following:

MUSI 002C (Taiko and the Asian American Experience)
MUSI 003B (Listening to Jazz)
MUSI 005A (Music and Dance Cultures of the World)
MUSI 005F (Black Popular Musics)
MUSI 006C (Music and the Battle Between Good and Evil)
MUSI 006D (Performing Resistance: Black Music and Protest in the African Diaspora)
MUSI 007A (More than a Drumline: Exploring the Legacy of the HBCU Marching Band Tradition)
MUSI 007C (Distinguishing Difference: Music, Memory, and Jamaican Marronage)
MUSI 008A (Music & Mao: Music and Politics in Communist China)
MUSI 008B (Music, Race and Class)
MUSI 009B (Music as Oral Tradition)
MUSI 010 (From Roots to Django: Interpreting the Soundtracks of Black Power, Black Pain, Black Joy, and Retribution)
MUSI 020 (Medieval and Renaissance Music)
MUSI 021-W (Music in Europe and the Americas in the 17th and 18th Centuries)
MUSI 022-W (19th-Century Music in Europe and the United States)
MUSI 023-W (20th-Century Music in Europe and the United States)
MUSI 029 (Africa through Musical Ethnography)
MUSI 031 (Music & Culture in East Asia)
MUSI 100 (Ethnomusicology Seminar)
Any other Music History course numbered above 023
Additional courses in Ethnomusicology may be considered with approval of the department chair.

C. Required. 1 elective.

This may be an additional course — at any level, introductory or advanced — in Music History and Literature; in Ethnomusicology; or in Music Theory. Alternatively, with permission of the music faculty, it could be an academic course in Theater or Dance if relevant to the student’s interests.

D. Additional Requirements

Department ensemble for at least two semesters; and at least one of the following, subject to departmental approval of a written proposal:
- keyboard skills exam, service-learning project in music, senior recital, or special project in music

Course Minor for Class of 2026 and beyond

Please Note: Course Minor requirements for Music are changing effective with the class of 2026.The classes of ‘25 and ‘24 may elect to complete the “new” minor with permission of the department chair.

Minor requirements for class year 2026 and beyond:

A. Required. At least one Music Theory course. MUSI 040 may be taken for 0.0 or 0.5 credit at the student’s option.

MUSI 011 and 040A

B. Required. At least one course in Music History and Literature from among the following:

MUSI 020 (Medieval and Renaissance)
MUSI 021-W (Music in Europe and the Americas in the 17th and 18th Centuries)
MUSI 022-W (19th-Century Music in Europe and the United States)
MUSI 023-W (20th-Century Music in Europe and the United States)
Additional courses in Music History with approval of the Department Chair

C. Required. At least one course in Ethnomusicology from among the following:

MUSI 002C (Taiko and the Asian American Experience)
MUSI 003B (Listening to Jazz)
MUSI 005A (Music and Dance Cultures of the World)
MUSI 005F (Black Popular Musics)
MUSI 006C (Music and the Battle Between Good and Evil)
MUSI 006D (Performing Resistance: Black Music and Protest in the African Diaspora)
MUSI 007A (More than a Drumline: Exploring the Legacy of the HBCU Marching Band Tradition)
MUSI 007C (Distinguishing Difference: Music, Memory, and Jamaican Marronage)
MUSI 008A (Music & Mao: Music and Politics in Communist China)
MUSI 008B (Music, Race and Class)
MUSI 009B (Music as Oral Tradition)
MUSI 010 (From Roots to Django: Interpreting the Soundtracks of Black Power, Black Pain, Black Joy, and Retribution)
MUSI 029 (Africa through Musical Ethnography)
MUSI 031 (Music & Culture in East Asia)
MUSI 100 (Ethnomusicology Seminar)
Additional courses in ethnomusicology with approval of the department chair

D. Required. 2 electives.

TWO electives of your choice (may include Dance or Theater with Department approval). One of these must be a designated “upper level” course or Music 12 & 40B. See Administrative Coordinator or Department Chair for a list of recent courses that fulfill the “upper level” designation.

E. Additional Requirements

Department ensemble for at least two semesters.
Keyboard skills: This requirement can be fulfilled by completing Music 12 & 40B. Students who do not complete Music 12 & 40B should see the chair to discuss an individual plan.

Honors Major

Summary: The music major in honors is identical to the music major in course in its prerequisites, required coursework, and requirements for keyboard skills and department ensemble membership. In addition, honors majors complete three honors preparations in music.

Three Honors Preparations:

1. Required Honors Preparation: Senior Research Project. This consists of MUSI 094 (Senior Research Topics) in combination with one course in Music History and Literature, in Music Theory, or in Ethnomusicology.

2., 3. Elective Honors Preparations, normally one of the following:

Music Theory. A 2-credit honors preparation in Music Theory is normally based on MUSI 115 in combination with one lower-level Music Theory course.
Music History. A 2-credit honors preparation in Music History may be based on any music seminar numbered 100 or higher or on any other Music History course when augmented by concurrent or subsequent additional research, directed reading, or tutorial, with faculty approval.
Composition. At least two semesters of MUSI 019 (Composition)
Ethnomusicology. A 2-credit honors preparation in Ethnomusicology is normally based on MUSI 005A and MUSI 100 or some combination of introductory and upper level Ethnomusicology courses.
Senior Honors Recital. A senior honors recital preparation is available only to students who have distinguished themselves as performers. Students who wish to pursue this option must follow all of the steps listed in the departmental guidelines for senior recitals (see department website) and obtain approval of their program from the music faculty during the semester preceding the proposed recital. They should register for MUSI 099: Senior Honors Recital. This full credit, together with at least another full credit of relevant coursework in music, will constitute the 2-credit honors preparation. One faculty member will act as head adviser on all aspects of the honors recital. As part of the honors recital, the student will write incisive program notes on all of the works to be performed. This work will be based on substantive research – including analytical as well as historical work – and will be overseen by one or more members of the music faculty.
Senior Thesis.

Students are encouraged to propose honors preparations in any areas that are of particular interest, whether or not formal seminars are offered in those areas. The music faculty will assist in planning the most appropriate format for these interests.

Oral examinations are given for all honors preparations in music. Written examinations, in addition to oral examinations, are given for those preparations based on courses or seminars, not for theses, performances, and composition portfolios.

Honors Minor for class years 2024 and 2025

Please note: Course Minor requirements for Music are changing beginning with the class of 2026. The classes of 2025 and 2024 may elect to complete the “new” minor with permission of the department chair.

Summary: The music minor in honors is identical to the music minor in courses for class years 2024 and 2025 in its prerequisites, required coursework, requirements for keyboard skills or other project, and department ensemble membership. In addition, honors minors complete one honors preparation in music following the description of honors preparations listed under honors major

See Honors Major for descriptions of possible honors preparations.

Honors Minor for Class of 2026 and beyond

Summary: The music minor in honors is identical to the music minor in courses for the class of 2026 and beyond in its prerequisites, required coursework, requirements related to keyboard skills, and department ensemble membership. In addition, honors majors complete one honors preparation in music following the description of honors preparations listed under honors major.

See Honors Major for descriptions of possible honors preparations.

Special Major

The department welcomes proposals for special majors involving music and other disciplines. Recent examples include the following:

Special Major in Ethnomusicology
Special Major in Music and Dance

Other special majors are possible. For more information, contact the department chair.

Off Campus Study/Language Study

Students are encouraged to seek possibilities for off campus study, in accordance with their particular interests, in consultation with the music faculty and the off-campus study adviser.

Students are advised that many graduate programs in music require a reading knowledge of at least two languages, with one most commonly being either German or French.

Application Process Notes for the Major or the Minor

We do not have a minimum grade point average (GPA) for admission as a major or minor. In its place is a consensus of music faculty that the student can do good work in the discipline. We do consider the likelihood of a student’s ability to complete the Senior Comprehensive Project. Students applying for admission as majors in the Honors Program should have demonstrated high-quality work in the department by spring of their sophomore year and should have shown strong self-motivation.

Prerequisites for acceptance into the program:

For acceptance as a music major: MUSI 011/040A and one Music History or Ethnomusicology course from the list below.

For acceptance as a music minor: MUSI 002B or MUSI 011/040A or one Music History or one Ethnomusicology course from the list below.

If a student has not completed these prerequisites at the time of an application for a major/minor, but has done good work in one or more courses in the department, acceptance may be granted on a provisional basis.

Music History and Ethnomusicology courses that can be applied towards acceptance into the program: MUSI 002C, MUSI 003B, MUSI 004A, MUSI 004B, MUSI 005A, MUSI 005B, MUSI 005C, MUSI 005F, MUSI 006A, MUSI 006B, MUSI 006C, MUSI 006D, MUSI 007A, MUSI 007C, MUSI 008A, MUSI 008B, MUSI 009B, MUSI 010, MUSI 020, MUSI 021, MUSI 022, MUSI 023, MUSI 027, MUSI 028, MUSI 029, MUSI 031, MUSI 100. Additional MUSI courses may also be considered.

Additional Resources

Special scholarships and awards in music include the following (see 15 Distinctions, Awards, and Fellowships ):

The Renee Gaddie Award
Freeman Scholars
The Boyd Barnard Prize
The Peter Gram Swing Prize
The Melvin B. Troy Prize in Music and Dance
The Shang-How Music Fund
The Ken Guilmartin ‘67 Student Summer Fellowship

Credit for Performance

Note: Students may elect to enroll in performance courses (ensembles and chamber music) for 0.0 credit or 0.5 credits. Expectations are the same for either enrollment option.

Individual Instruction (MUSI 048)

Academic credit and subsidies for private instruction in music are available to students at intermediate and advanced levels. Music 48 carries a half credit (0.5 credit). For further details, consult the MUSI 048 guidelines on the Music Program website.

Ensembles and Chamber Music

Students may take Performance Chorus (MUSI 043), Performance Garnet Singers (MUSI 050, co-requisite MUSI 043 required), Performance Orchestra (MUSI 044), Performance Jazz Ensemble (MUSI 041), Performance Wind Ensemble (MUSI 046), Performance Chinese Music Ensemble (MUSI 042), Performance Chamber Music (MUSI 047), Taiko (DANC 049D), Critical Mass (MUSI 045) or Performance Gamelan (MUSI 049A) for 0.5 or 0.0 credit with the permission of the department member who has the responsibility for that performance group. Students will fulfill requirements established for each activity (i.e., regular attendance at rehearsals and performances and participation in any supplementary rehearsals held in connection with the activity) regardless of which enrollment option they choose (0.0 or 0.5 credit). Students are graded on a credit/no credit basis.

Students wishing to enroll in Chamber Music (MUSI 047) should contact the Elizabeth Pollard Fetter Chamber Music Program coordinators to discuss their interest. The program is open to all genres of music. All personnel and repertoire must be approved by the chamber music coordinators, who will also assign each group a professional coach and determine performance dates in consultation with the students and coach. All participants must register for MUSI 47 for credit/no credit. One semester in a department ensemble is a prerequisite or corequisite for each semester of MUSI 47. This applies to all students in the Fetter chamber group.

A student taking MUSI 047 will rehearse with their group or groups at least 2 hours every week and will meet with a coach (provided by the department) at least every other week. All members of the group should be capable of working well both independently and under the guidance of a coach. It is not necessary for every person in the group to be taking MUSI 047 for 0.5 credit, but the department expects that those taking the course for credit will adopt a leadership role in organizing rehearsals and performances. Note: MUSI 047 ensembles does not fulfill the ensemble requirement for lessons under MUSI 048.

Music Courses and Seminars

Introductory Courses without Prerequisite

Theory and Composition

Students who anticipate taking further courses in the department or majoring in music are urged to take MUSI 011 and 012 as early as possible. Advanced placement is assigned on a case-by-case basis, after consultation with the theory and musicianship faculty. Majors will normally take MUSI 011 to 015.

History of Music

Seminars

Performance

Note: MUSI 048 and 052 carry a half credit. Additional performance ocurses may be takend for 0.0 or 0.5 credit.