Introduction to the art of conducting. This course examines philosophical and practical aspects of the modern conductor’s role. Topics include a musical gestural vocabulary, baton technique and score study/internalization of the printed page. Prior music performance experience and study of Western music theory is highly recommended; instructor permission required. May be repeated for credit.

Weekly meetings for exploration and coaching of varied repertory for duos and small ensembles. Open to instrumental students by permission of instructors. May be repeated for credit.

Prerequisite: a course in composition. Admission by permission of the instructor. May be repeated for credit.

In this seminar, we consider various kinds of writing—from daily journalism and popular criticism to academic monographs and scholarly essays—that concern the broad history of music. Via regular writing assignments and group discussions of substance and style, students have opportunities to improve the mechanics, tone and range of their written prose. Required of senior majors; open to others by permission of the instructor.

What counts as music? Who decides? Can anyone make music? This course raises these and other questions by focusing on experimental music. We explore the history and practice of experimental music, focusing on text, graphic, and other forms of notation. We also look at the history of experimental music in performance, and make our own in-class performances of several key pieces. Through our reading and practice, we ask questions about musical authority, skill, and even failure, and the role of institutions in shaping our musical ideas.

This course explores different approaches to the study of music as a cultural phenomenon. We consider basic questions, such as: Why is music so often at the center of our most profound personal and social experiences? Why is music a fundamental means of connecting with our own lives, our communities and the wider world in which we live?

Colloquia are especially designed for those with no previous background in music. Limited to 20 students, they emphasize class discussion and written work, which consists of either music or critical prose as appropriate to the topic. Open to all students, but particularly recommended for first-year students and sophomores: An introduction to music notation and to principles of musical organization, including scales, keys, rhythm and meter. Limited to beginners and those who did not place into 110.

The effects of deafness on the development of children and their families during the first five years of life. Topics such as auditory, cognitive, language, speech, social and emotional development in deaf infants and young children are discussed. Parent counseling issues such as emotional reactions to deafness, interpretation of test results and making educational choices are also presented.

Offered both semesters each year for students pursuing educator licensure at the elementary level. Offered spring semester for students pursuing educator licensure at the middle and secondary school levels.

Offered both semesters each year for students pursuing educator licensure at the elementary level. Offered spring semester for students pursuing educator licensure at the middle and secondary school levels.