Music: General Education

MUSC 110 - Fundamentals of Music I (3 credits)
This course is open to all students and is the introductory course for the music major and minor. Students will develop personal music skills in the fundamentals of notation, theory, and keyboard, while exploring the philosophical nature of music.

MUSC 200 - The Musical Experience (3 credits)
This course is an introduction to the principles of music and its place within Western culture. Students explore musics ranging from chant to symphonies to popular song through listening assignments, class discussion and lecture, and concert attendance. Emphasis is placed on developing the strategies necessary for interpreting musical language and for becoming observant participants in the concert experience.

MUSC 215 - Music in American Film (3 credits)
This course offers an historical survey of American film music, beginning with the origins of the industry in the late nineteenth century and extending into the current period. Students will develop an understanding of how music is used in motion pictures, examining the ways in which composers have utilized orchestration, thematic unity, and stylistic diversity to complement, strengthen, and even undermine the action on the screen.

MUSC 230 - The Politics of Music (3 credits)
Throughout history, philosophers, political leaders, and citizens have celebrated and feared music's political power. This course explores the various ways music has assumed political meaning over the past two hundred years, particularly within the contexts of the United States, Europe, and the former Soviet Union. Readings include composer memoirs, philosophical arguments, and contemporary music criticism. The music discussed includes both classical and popular genres.

MUSC 310 - Concert Choir (1 credit)
This is the large, mixed voice ensemble on campus. Membership is open to students with the permission of the director. The Concert Choir studies and performs traditional choral literature from the primary style periods (Renaissance through Contemporary), including spirituals/gospel and world musics. On- and off-campus performances are scheduled throughout the college term. See the concert calendar for performance details.