Music Survey Courses
MUS 101 - Music Appreciation
This course will help the student become an active listener of music, and will introduce a wide variety of musical styles. Through the understanding of elements, or fundamentals, that all music has in common (such as melody, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, harmony, and structure) and a familiarity with the instruments of the orchestra, the student will become an involved listener. Many different kinds of music from 1600 to the present, ranging from small delicate pieces to dramatic symphonies, will be studied.
This course supports the development of Written and Oral Communication, Critical Thinking and Multicultural/Global Literacy.
MUS 102 - World Music
Music is fundamental to all people of the earth, perhaps an even more ancient and basic means of expression and communication than language. Through music people reveal their beliefs and relationships to nature and the supernatural, as well as their feelings about themselves as individuals and their relationships within their society. In World Music students will become explorers on a journey through world music cultures including indigenous and contemporary music from Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Celtic and Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Students will develop skills in active and involved listening and establish foundations for connecting to and participating in the global society of today's world.
This course supports the development of Written and Oral Communication, Critical Thinking and Multicultural/Global Literacy.
MUS 103 - Introduction to American Music
This course will explore the roots of U.S. music from Native American drumming and Colonial influences through the birth and development of blues, country, Cajun, jazz, rock and rap, as well as regional styles, and Broadway and classical contributions.
This course supports the development of Written and Oral Communication, Critical Thinking and Multicultural/Global Literacy.
MUS 104 - Introduction to Jazz
An overview of the evolution of American Jazz from its roots in African folksong and ritual through the present day. Related topics such as Crossover, Third Stream, Fusion, and Jazz influenced classical music will also be considered.
MUS 107 - Rock, Soul, Hip Hop and Social Change in America
Through exploration of a variety of American musical genres, students will sharpen their understanding of how musical expression has transformed throughout the 20th century as an agent that both reflects and defines American culture. Art and performance traditions provide some of the most revealing windows into understanding societies. In the second half of the 20th century in particular, rock, pop and hip hop have played essential roles in shaping the shared experience and cultural memory of America across a broad spectrum of backgrounds. This course will consider the various ways in which music is interwoven with American identity.
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