Music (MUSC)
This course explores the place classical music holds in contemporary society, drawing upon texts from popular and cyber culture. Focusing on examples that engage with Western art music from 1100 - 1791 C.E., this course teaches students the skills necessary for media and information literacy while also developing music-historical knowledge and providing foundational training in university-level writing about music. No prior musical training is necessary.
This course is designed for arts and social science students with an interest or background in music. The fundamentals of vibrations and waves will be introduced and applied to a study of archetypal instruments. The psychoacoustic basis of pitch and loudness will be discussed.
Fundamentals of ear training, sight-singing, keyboard, and written skills (rudiments such as scales, intervals and basic chord identification) are introduced. Proficiency on an instrument is not required, but previous experience with note-reading is expected. MUSC*1130 cannot be counted toward a specialization in music.
This course offers an integrated study of music theory and musicianship skills, delivered in lecture-lab format, with the goal of building a practical skill set and knowledge base that is relevant across genres and traditions (such as jazz, pop, rock, Western art music, and world music). Students are introduced to the critical and performative study of music theory, analysis, and ear training with a focus on melody, harmony, linear counterpoint and rhythmic organization. A solid grounding in rudiments is required for this course and will be assessed upon registration.
This course continues to develop and expands on the music theory and musicianship skills introduced in MUSC*1160. Students will engage in the critical and performative study of music theory, analysis, and ear training, with a focus on chord construction, harmonic progressions, and song forms. Students will build a practical skill set and knowledge base that is relevant across genres and traditions (such as jazz, pop, rock, Western art music, and world music)
This course will develop essential skills necessary for success in the music business world, using an experiential learning model. Activities will cover resume and press kit construction, proper use of social media for branding and advertising, grant writing, networking, developing pitches, event planning, studio etiquette, and recording and production techniques. The course will involve guest lectures by industry experts, and students will undertake off-site trips to industry sites such as recording studios
This course introduces students to music research at the postsecondary level, exploring aural phenomena within the subdisciplines of popular music studies, ethnomusicology, musicology, ecomusicology, and sound studies. Emphasising interdisciplinary, multicultural approaches to analysing sound, this course explores such topics as music and power, music and identity, music and the environment, music and appropriation vs. appreciation, and music and psychology.
Whether a scholar, composer, teacher, or performer, contemporary professionals are anchored in reflective inquiry of their personal creativity and artistry. Through 1-on-1 lessons with a pre-eminent musician, and masterclasses led by faculty and other influential artists, the student explores their individual creativity and develops their unique musical gifts. An audition is not required because student-centered lessons build from the students' current level, providing challenges appropriate to the students' goals. Relationships fostered with peers and with professionals in the field support student growth throughout their academic lives and provide critical associations for employment. Performance-oriented students prepare for public recitals and auditions, including the audition for continued private tutelage in Applied Music III MUSC*2500.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*1410 Music and Creative Practice I.
This course provides individual instruction in the technical and stylistic aspects of artistic solo instrumental or vocal performance. In order to register for this course, students must arrange an audition with the School of Fine Art and Music at the time of course selection.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*1500.
The study and performance of selected instrumental music through participation in one of the School's ensembles: Chamber Ensemble, Contemporary Music Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, or the Music Industry Skills Ensemble. To register for an ensemble, students must arrange for an audition through the School of Fine Art and Music. Auditions will be held prior to the first day of classes each Fall and Winter semester. Successful Fall auditions will count for the entire F/W schedule. Students are encouraged to audition for an ensemble in the Fall semester and participate in it for both Fall and Winter semesters. Consult the School of Fine Art and Music for audition dates and further information.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*1710.
The study and performance of selected choral literature through participation in one of the School's ensembles: the University of Guelph Symphonic Choir, the Gryphon Singers or Siren Treble Choir. This course emphasizes professionalism, healthy use of the voice, musicality, artistry, and ensemble skills. To register for an ensemble, students must contact the director by email to schedule an audition prior to the first day of classes each Fall and Winter semester. Successful Fall auditions will count for the entire F/W schedule. Students are encouraged to join an ensemble in the Fall semester and to participate in it for both Fall and Winter semesters. Consult the School of Fine Art and Music for further information.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*1910.
This course offers an introduction to the avant-garde musical life of the 20th century and beyond including the works of Debussy, Stravinsky, Satie, Schoenberg, Cage, Cowell, and others.
The background and development of musical life in Canada. Cultivation of understanding of Canadian music using recorded examples with emphasis on 20th-century compositions.
An introduction to computer technologies as they apply to the creation and manipulation of music. Topics will be drawn from the areas of sound synthesis and processing, recording, encoding, and transcription. The course will include a classroom and an applied component.
A survey of the major styles, personalities, and performances of the jazz tradition in terms of its social and cultural contexts through the examination of jazz texts and commentary, autobiographies of musicians, and recorded examples of important performances.
A survey of the major genres, styles, personalities and performance of popular music primarily in the 20th-century through lectures, listening, discussion and reading. Issues such as the relationships between popular music and race, class, technology, and art will be examined. Technical knowledge of music is not required.
This course will provide an introduction to digital music, from the initial "cybernetic" experiments of the 1950s to the evolution of software tools for synthesizing, processing, and analyzing sound to the development of music/audio-related hardware such as digital synthesizers, samplers, recorders, mixers, and workstations. An overview of musical genres utilizing digital technology will be presented (experimental, techno, dance, rap, ambient, etc.). Digital technology, including the revolutionary MIDI protocol, will be set into historical context, looking at musical and social developments and milestones, as well as related non-digital technology such as analog synthesizers and multi-track recorders.
This course offers an ethnomusicological introduction to the musical life of Sub-Saharan Africa, India, South America, the Middle East, Indonesia, and the Far East.
This course explores the connections between contemporary culture and the history of Western Art Music. Focusing on material from 1750 to 1890, this course considers how cyber and popular culture engage with and often distort the historical origins of "classical" music. Students will further develop media and research literacy skills and will continue to hone their command of writers' craft. The ability to read music is required for this course.
In this course, students will continue to hone their aural, research, information literacy, writing, and critical thinking skills. Methods of inquiry will draw from a variety of subdisciplines in music, including popular and jazz music studies, ethnomusicology, musicology, improvisation studies, and sound studies. Topics explored will draw connections between the sounds of society and gender, sexuality, indigeneity, race, politics, and colonialism.
This is a music appreciation course intended for non-music majors. This course explores the sonic codes of western art music ("Classical" music) as they developed in their original contexts, as well as their use and meaning in today's film soundtracks. The works chosen for study are those likely to be encountered in modern concert and opera halls and are selected primarily from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras.
This course offers class instruction in the technical and aesthetic aspects of music composition and improvisation.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*2410.
This course will further expand upon the development of a practical skill set and knowledge base in music theory and musicianship as introduced in MUSC*1160 and MUSC*1170. Students will engage in the critical and performative study of music theory, analysis, and ear training, with a focus on modal and tonal harmonic progressions, song forms, and complex rhythmic patterns and organization. Students will develop practical skills and contextual knowledge that are relevant across genres and traditions (such as jazz, pop, rock, Western art music, and world music).
Building on core skills developed in MUSC*2430, this course teaches advanced theory and musicianship skills. Students will engage in the critical and performative study of music theory, analysis, and ear training, with a focus on chromatic chords and harmony, the advanced study of rhythmic practices, and the formal organization of complex works. Students will build a practical and critical skill set that is relevant across genres and traditions (such as jazz, pop, rock, Western art music, and world music).
This course provides individual instruction in the technical and stylistic aspects of artistic solo instrumental or vocal performance. In order to register for this course, students must arrange an audition with the School of Fine Art and Music at the time of course selection.
A continuation of MUSC*2500.
Development of sight-reading and accompaniment skills for pianists in close coordination with vocal and instrumental applied music students.
A continuation of MUSC*2570.
This course is a study of music theory and analysis. It builds on rudiments and musicianship skills developed in MUSC*1180 and introduces students to materials of music including melodic construction, phrase structure, linear counterpoint, rhythmic organization, and diatonic harmony. Students will work on both applied and analytical assignments.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*1720 with increased emphasis on professionalism, musicality, artistry, and ensemble skills.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*2710.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*1920, with increased emphasis on professionalism, understanding of the voice, musicality, artistry, and ensemble skills. A brief listening reflection and organizational-leadership component complement the experiential nature of choral engagement.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*2910.
This course continues the study of music theory and analysis. Students move on to learn about and work with more advanced concepts of tonal harmony and music analysis. The second half of the course introduces students to post-tonal music (20th-century). Students will work on both applied and analytical assignments.
This course develops advanced interdisciplinary research skills while teaching students to think critically about different genres of popular music in a global context. Through study of relevant contemporary issues, students will gain important interpretive skills with a strong emphasis on sounds, concepts, and modes of thought. Issues discussed may include commodification and distribution, politics, technology, race, indigeneity, class, gender and sexuality, subcultures, production, and consumption. Throughout the semester students will gain experience working in a variety of writing styles and formats that are appropriate to both academic and journalistic settings.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*2420.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*3410.
This course examines the theory and practice of improvisation in culture, and as culture, by engaging with the sounds, behaviours and concepts that exist in some of the major improvisatory musical traditions of the world including India, the Middle East, and the black pan-Atlantic.
This course examines current philosophical trends in music education, and the application of various theories of music learning. Students will be asked to process conflicting ideas - especially relating to colonial hegemony, the recovery of Indigenous knowledge, and the transformation of music education - as presented through readings, class discussion, and their own experience as learners. There is also a practical component, in which each student will conduct an ensemble or give a series of private lessons, as well as present a collaborative teaching assignment. The course is designed to prepare music students to teach privately or in a classroom.
Music plays a powerful role in political, social, and cultural transformation. This variable content course looks at historical and contemporary uses of music in movements designed to address social change. This course will introduce students to a variety of theoretical frameworks including such areas as feminism, critical race studies, decolonial studies, indigenous studies, crip and disability studies, and queer, trans, and queer-of-colour studies, among others.
This is a course which focuses on a specific area of digital music production. Topics may include advanced audio production, advanced MIDI sequencing, advanced music notation/instrumentation, synthesis and signal processing, music-oriented computer programming, or interactive computer music.
A continuation of MUSC*2510.
A continuation of MUSC*3500 including preparation and performance of a juried recital; restricted to students in a Music program (honours major or minor or general, area of concentration).
The study and performance of selected instrumental or vocal chamber music through participation in a small ensemble under the guidance of a supervising instructor. Students will organize the ensemble, which normally consists of two to six vocalists and/or instrumentalists, design a project with the instructor, and submit the proposal to the Music Faculty Committee for approval by the last day of course selection in Fall (for Winter) or Winter (for the following Fall). A form is available from the School office for this purpose.
A continuation of MUSC*3550.
This course examines music from the late 19th century (Debussy and post-romantic composers) to the present from both historical and theoretical perspectives.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*2720 with increased emphasis on professionalism, understanding of the voice, musicality, artistry, and ensemble skills.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*3710.
This course provides a seminar experience in focussed topics related to jazz and improvised music. Topics will normally include some combination of the following: jazz/improvisation history and theory, critical studies in jazz/ improvised music. Subject matter will vary according to the instructor.
This course examines the rise and impact of the cultural industries on production and consumption of music, the development of transnational popular music, and the role popular music plays in the politics of social identity.
This course examines selected topics in music history, performance practice, analysis, and music within its cultural context.
Topics for this course will normally include some combination of the following: a specific world music tradition, ethnomusicological issues, theories, or methods. Subject matter will vary according to the instructor.
This is a course which focuses on a specific area of digital music production. Topics may include advanced audio production, advanced MIDI sequencing, advanced music notation/instrumentation, synthesis and signal processing, music-oriented computer programming, or interactive computer music. Normally, a major creative project will be completed and presented as an outcome of the course.
This course examines current philosophical trends in music education, and the application of various theories of music learning. Students will be asked to process conflicting ideas as presented through readings, class discussion, and their own experience as learners. There is also a practical component, in which each student will conduct an ensemble or give a series of private lessons, as well as present a collaborative teaching assignment. The course is designed to prepare music students to teach privately or in a classroom.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*2920, with increased experiential engagement as a choral professional, demonstrating understanding of the voice, musicality, artistry, and ensemble skills through a written assignment, a creative assignment, and a musical leadership component.
This course is a continuation of MUSC*3910.
This course employs the skills and knowledges learned throughout the MUSC major while engaging students in public performance and community-facing research activities. Students will work throughout the semester with their peers to design and execute a public event at the end of the semester (such as a symposium, concert series, or conference). Students will have opportunities to reflect on lessons learned, receive audience feedback and identify opportunities for growth.
This is an independent experiential learning option in music for qualified students working in consultation with a faculty advisor. The project may include the development of practical research strategies, resource development and publishing tactics enabling the student to investigate and disseminate a topic in music not otherwise available in the curriculum. It may also include a creative component such as developing professional-level skills in composition, performance, pedagody, or improvisation, leading to performance, presentation, and/or vocational exposure in community venues. A proposal supported by a faculty advisor must be submitted in advance for approval to the Music Faculty Committee.
This course will engage in a nuanced, advanced way with theories and methodologies relating to creativity, performance, and the power dynamics inherent to the contemporary Canadian music scene. We will ask: What are the particular challenges and issues facing today's Canadian artists and what are the tools and techniques artist-scholars can use to engage in ethical creative practices? Students will engage in major research-creation projects that speak to their industry and research goals.
The Honours Seminar in Music teaches advanced research methods common to a range of musical investigations: musicology (including ethnomusicology, popular music and jazz), music theory, music pedagogy, and musical creation. In addition, the Honours Seminar in Music allows students to engage in individual research with concentrated energy through a one semester/one credit course in a supportive peer environment. Students will develop a research project proposal for approval by the instructor in the semester prior to enrolling in this course.
First part of a two-semester performance project culminating in a music recital at the end of the second semester. Students will present a preparatory performance at the end of the first semester. Qualified instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers who have completed the applied music or applied composition course sequences are eligible to present a full-length recital. In the case of composers it is the responsibility of the student to organize performers to present the music. Recital proposals must be submitted in advance for approval to the Music Faculty Committee. MUSC*4460 and MUSC*4470 are normally taken over consecutive semesters.
Second part of a two-semester performance project culminating in a music recital at the end of the second semester. MUSC*4460 and MUSC*4470 are normally taken over consecutive semesters.