| MUSC 101 |
| Basic Musicianship |
| An introduction to the melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic structure of tonal music, with the emphasis on the development of a chordal vocabulary equally adaptable to classical and popular music. A required weekly practicum will stress ear-training (recognition of intervals, chords, rhythms, etc.) and its practical applications at the keyboard. Prerequisite for Music 201, may not be counted toward the major in music. |
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1.25 units, Lecture
|
| MUSC 102 |
| Trinity College Choir |
| The Trinity College Choir performs varied and challenging choral repertoire, in concert, each semester. Singers will also work on vocal techniques and related musicianship. Membership is by permission of instructor. |
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0.50 units, Studio
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| MUSC 105 |
| Instrumental Ensemble |
| Chamber ensembles are formed at the beginning of the semester to study and perform works from the classical repertoire. Permission is required; entrance by audition only. Every effort is made to group students with others at the same skill level. |
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0.50 units, Studio
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| MUSC 107 |
| Lessons |
Individual instruction in voice or an instrument is offered by teachers invited to the College campus; credit may also be granted for lessons taken from outside teachers who have been approved by the coordinator. Lessons require an extra fee. Fees for Lessons are $600 for eleven one-hour lessons, payable directly to the instructor.
Financial aid to cover instructors' fees is available on a limited basis to Trinity Grant students. Decisions on grant awards will be made on Friday of the first week of classes.
Prerequisite: Music 101, which may be taken concurrently, and permission of the coordinator. |
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0.50 units, Studio
|
| MUSC 109 |
| Jazz Ensemble |
| The Jazz Ensemble performs several times each year. Permission is required; membership is by audition. |
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0.50 units, Studio
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| MUSC 111 |
| Samba Ensemble |
| Study and performance of Brazilian samba music. Emphasis is on the samba drumming tradition. Related musical styles and musical genres are also included. Previous performance experience is not required, and students may take this course for more than one semester. Membership by audition and permission of the instructor. Also listed under international studies/Latin American and Caribbean. |
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0.50 units, Studio
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| MUSC 113 |
| Introduction to World Music |
| A comprehensive survey of global traditions, including village and urban music and dance of Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, classical and contemporary music of India, the Far East, Asia, and indigenous traditions of the Americas. This course is designed to highlight the central role of musical expression in human life, exploring musical sound and movement in sacred, secular, ritual, and non-ritual contexts. No previous musical knowledge is required. Students are expected to learn basic listening skills and identify musical styles. The course culminates in a final research project about a world music tradition, ensemble, performer, or other related topic. Also listed in international studies–African studies, international studies–Asian studies, and international studies–Latin American and Caribbean studies. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 114 |
| Topics in World Music |
| An introduction to the contemporary music-scapes of China, Japan, and
Korea. We will explore contemporary forms of instrumental music that
retain, refigure, or renew connections with traditional forms: newly
invented or modernized ensembles of traditional instruments; composers
of avant-garde concert music and their encounters with traditional
music; innovative performers of traditional instruments; and pop music and efforts of traditional instrumentalists to popularize their music. No background in music is required. Also listed under International studies/Asian studies. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 119 |
| Musical-Theater Production |
| For departmental musical-theater productions, students may enroll on a show-by-show basis at the beginning of the show’s production process. To do so, contact the instructor. Offered only pass/fail. |
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0.25 units, Studio
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| MUSC 120 |
| Acting in the Musical Theater |
| Musical-theatre acting is, in many ways, different from the technique and concerns of acting in non-musical plays. This course will train students in: the art of examining scripts and delivering dialogue onstage; utilizing one's singing abilities most effectively in the rendering of vocal material; handling oneself onstage, with respect to stage movement/awareness as well as the use of props and costumes; and issues involving auditioning and the selection of appropriate material. No previous training in music is required. Enrollment limited. Permission of the instructor is required. |
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1.00 units, Studio
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| MUSC 121 |
| Exploring Music |
| A course in music appreciation, stressing the development of skills in listening to and recognizing music from a variety of historical periods, from the medieval era to the present day. An introduction to the principles of musical notation will precede the stylistic survey. No previous knowledge of music is required. This course cannot be counted toward the music major. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 122 |
| Listening to Music II |
| Symphonies, Choral Works, Opera. We will listen to a variety of music from the concert repertory of the eighteenth through early twentieth centuries, focusing on multi-movement works in their entirety. Out-of-class listening is an important component of this class: we will attend concerts at Trinity, at the Bushnell in Hartford, and at least one concert in either Manhattan or Boston. Featured composers include Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wagner, Verdi, Debussy, Bartok, and Stravinsky. No previous training in music is required. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 124 |
| The Birth of Modernism |
| Few periods have been as rife with creative artistic expression as the first three decades of the 20th century. This course will examine ballet, opera, and “mixed entertainments” by such composers as Debussy, Ravel, Falla, Stravinsky, Bartok, Sch9Aenberg, and Weill, taking note of the developments in dance, drama, and the graphic arts (as well as in scientific and philosophical awareness) that complement breakthroughs in musical style and form. Such well-known artistic names as Nijinsky, Picasso, Brecht, Cocteau, and Wilde will be discussed. No previous training in music is required. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 150 |
| Women in Music |
| A broad survey of the music and music-making traditions of European and North American women from antiquity to the present. We explore the work and lives of women active as composers and performers in a range of genres, including the classical traditions, blues, jazz, and hip hop. No previous training or experience in music is required. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 156 |
| Music, Gender, & Society |
| (formerly "Women and Music in Cross-Cultural Perspective")
This course provides global perspectives on women's and men's roles as performers, composers, teachers, and consumers of music. Through historical, ethnographic, and sociological methods, we will consider how various cultures construct ideas about womanhood and manhood through musical practice and reception. Topics include: gender issues in jazz, blues, rap, rock, and salsa; musical performance by transvestites and concubines; "girl power" and emergent musical identities for pre-/early adolescent girls; and women performers in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe and India. Classes will be framed by discussions about sexuality, misogyny, the intersection of race and gender, and the separation of musical roles by gender. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 168 |
| Igor Stravinsky: His Life and Works |
| It is generally agreed that Igor Stravinsky is the greatest of the 20th-century classical-music composers, his compositional range extending from the traditional forms of symphony, concerto, opera, and ballet to, most significantly, the mixed-genre form he invented that combines song, accompaniment, theater, dance, and mime. His 1913 ballet, The Rite of Spring, caused a modernist ruckus the ramifications of which we still feel today. Though Stravinsky "Westernized," as did many 19th- and 20th-century Russian composers, he nevertheless continued in his devotion to the ritual traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church and to Russian folk music, both of which saturated his music—whether it was composed in St. Petersburg, Paris, or Los Angeles. Its effect even entered pop culture to the extent that in 1940 the Walt Disney film, Fantasia, included large portions of the score to accompany no less than the evolution of Earth up to the age of the dinosaurs. More recently, John Williams's score for the movies Jaws and Superman, for example, reveal the inescapable pull of Stravinsky's innovations for composers of all types. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 197 |
| Music Arranging |
This course is intended to prepare the student in the area of vocal, choral, and ensemble arranging through the study of harmony, stylistic considerations, and musicalization. We will also explore model songs and compositions, and listen to popular hits of the last few decades, from Gospel, to Hip-hop, to Pop Rock, to opera choruses, to Broadway musicals and much more. This is a creative, hands-on course. Students will undertake regular projects, arranging music in incremental exercises, and will eventually be given the chance to work on their favorite songs and compositions. We expect to culminate the semester with a public concert to showcase the class final projects.
Prerequisite: Music 101 or equivalent preparation. |
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1.00 units, Seminar
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| MUSC 198 |
| Song and Songwriting |
With emphasis on making original compositions, this course approaches the phenomenon of song in three traditions: folk, popular, and classical. Singing, playing, listening, and discussion will ground an in-depth, experiential exploration of a variety of song types, from musical and textual perspectives. Targeted written exercises, focused on basic musical and verbal compositional problems, will help students acquire techniques and skills, and get experience with several appropriate notational formats. Students will develop the sketches that come out of this process into complete, notated songs. The course culminates in an open, informal workshop performance, sharing students' original work. Students must be willing to sing during each class, and basic proficiency on a chordal instrument such as a guitar or keyboard is required.
Prerequisite: Music 101 or permission of the instructor. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 200 |
| Composition |
Individual projects in free composition, with emphasis on acquiring and developing techniques of musical form and balance. When possible, student compositions will be performed.
Prerequisite: Music 101 or permission of the instructor. |
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1.00 units, Seminar
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| MUSC 201 |
| Diatonic Harmonic Practice |
Study of the harmonic practices of the 18th and 19th centuries, through exercises and the analysis of typical works. An intensive course with integrated practicum sessions, which focus on the development of skills in sight-singing, dictation, and keyboard proficiency, and written exercises modeled after those works.
Prerequisite: Music 101 or equivalent preparation. |
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1.50 units, Seminar
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| MUSC 202 |
| Chromatic Harmonic Practice |
Further study of the harmonic practices of the 18th and 19th centuries, through exercises and the analysis of typical works. Weekly practicum sessions focus on the consolidation of skills in sight singing, dictation, and keyboard proficiency. Simultaneous enrollment in the one-hour practicum is required.
Prerequisite: Music 201 or permission of instructor. |
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1.25 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 206 |
| Music,Technology, and Media |
This course explores the way music is made for film, radio, the internet, and various other media, a process in which computers play an increasingly central part. It explains, in some detail, electronic music’s core technologies, specifically MIDI, digital audio and sequencing. These technologies will assist students in completing two “real-world” creative projects: an original composition (song, composition, sound-art, ambient music), and music set to a motion image. In addition to the two projects, there will be two exams, weekly research, and additional readings and listening assignments.
Prerequisite: Music 101, which may be taken concurrently, and permission of the coordinator. |
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1.00 units, Studio
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| MUSC 207 |
| Conducting and Orchestration |
| Introduction to choral and orchestral conducting, supplemented by both practical and theoretical exercises in orchestration. Ability to read music is essential; background in music theory, though helpful, is not necessary. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. |
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1.00 units, Studio
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| MUSC 208 |
| Electronic MIDI and Computer Music |
This course is intended for music students who want to acquire skills in the creation and production of modern electronic music through the use of computer hardware and software, including the incorporation of MIDI sequencing, electronic score editing, basic audio recording and mixing procedures, and audio sampling editing and manipulation.
Prerequisite: Music 101 or permission of the instructor. |
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1.00 units, Laboratory
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| MUSC 210 |
| Great Orchestral Music From the 18th, 19th, and 20th Centuries |
| This course will be a survey of great orchestral compositions--primarily symphonies and concertos--from Bach, Handel, and Mozart of the 18th century; to Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and others of the 19th century; to Debussy, Stravinsky, Bartok and others of the 20th century. The focus will be on concentrated listening to recordings of the works, but there will also be reading and comment on such matters as form, style, orchestration, and historical context. No previous training in music is needed. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 215 |
| Topics in World Music: Music of Latin America and the Caribbean |
| Historical processes of colonization, slavery, and underdevelopment have led to a huge diversity of musical traditions in Latin America and the Caribbean, making it difficult to consider this region as a unified “culture area.” We will explore a wide range of music and dance styles in the Americas, examining similarities and differences among them. No previous musical knowledge is required, but students are expected to learn basic listening skills and identify musical styles. Also listed under international studies—Latin American and Caribbean studies. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 216 |
| African Music |
| This course explores musical traditions and styles of the African continent, focusing primarily on sub-Saharan Africa. Through investigation of musical materials, written sources, and special workshops, we will study the role of musical sound and practice among different African societies and cultural groups. A central theme of the course concerns the continuity of traditional musics and the development of modern hybrid styles in the past century, as a window onto the processes that have shaped everyday experience and cultural identity in contemporary Africa. No prior musical knowledge is required, although previous courses in music, anthropology, or cultural studies are recommended. Music 113 is strongly recommended. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 218 |
| American Popular Music |
| A broad survey of popular musics in the United States from the late 19th century to the present. We will explore blackface minstrelsy, the music of Tin Pan Alley, ragtime and big band jazz, early blues and country music, post-war pop singers, the evolution of rock and roll, rhythm and blues and soul, folk music, alternative music, hip-hop, and MTV and the popular mainstream. Themes of music and identity, multi- cultural sources, the business of music, and the influence of technology will be followed throughout the course. No previous background in music is required. Also listed in American studies. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 219 |
| Toca Brasil! (Play Brazil!) |
| An interactive survey of Brazilian music. A comprehensive exploration of Brazilian music, this course will present an integrated approach through hands-on performance of Brazilian percussion music, combined with academic study of Afro-Brazilian culture, religion, and dance. Beginning with an overview of traditional Brazilian forms of musical expression, we will then analyze how these forms were incorporated into popular musical styles in the 1960s and 1970s. In recent years, fusions of new styles derived from traditional Brazilian and non-Brazilian music have emerged that reflect contemporary processes of globalization. The multi-faceted approach to be integrated into this course will include hands-on musical performance, readings, and audio/video recordings. No previous experience in music is required. Also listed under international studies-Latin American and Caribbean studies. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 220 |
| Human Rights and Music |
| This course highlights the role of music in relation to human rights throughout the world. Material to be covered includes theoretical approaches towards the study of human rights and how music can serve as an important indicator of diverse social relationships in various contexts. It will also compare and contrast historical and cultural aspects of musical movements that were strongly connected to human rights in countries and regions such as Latin America and Caribbean studies, the United States, South Korea, and South Africa. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 222 |
| Investigating Music and Culture |
This course is an in-depth introduction to the study of music and culture. This course will focus on the gathering of primary-source materials and relate them to broader historical and cultural contexts. Through this process, students will develop interviewing techniques, learn how to document with video and audio recording equipment, and practice incorporating data into comprehensive research projects. Students will develop these techniques through participation with a Hartford-based arts organization. Also listed under anthropology.
Prerequisite: Music 113, 215, 219, 220, or Permission of Instructor. |
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1.00 units, Seminar
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| MUSC 224 |
| Music of Black American Women |
| A broad survey of the music of black American women, focusing on the women of Motown and the jazz singers of the 1950s. No previous training in music is required. Also listed under American studies and women, gender, and sexuality. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 228 |
| Masterpieces of Opera |
| In the days before movies, the greatest and most popular theatrical entertainment was found at the opera house. Opera-goers enjoyed comic or dramatic stories, spectacular singing, lavish sets and costumes, and the excitement of sharing the spectacle with other enthusiastic fans. And they idolized the leading singers, who were as famous then as Lady Gaga or Angelina Jolie are today. This course will explore the range of great operatic works from the birth of opera to the present, focusing on the operas of Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro), Rossini (The Barber of Seville), and Verdi (Macbeth and Aida). In learning about the different styles of opera, we will see operas on video and attend a live operatic performance if possible. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 234 |
| Protests in Music |
| This course examines the ways in which social and political issues are expressed in music. We will look at music written, composed, and performed in Paris, Harlem, and Hartford in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, and explore the ramifications of the social and political issues for the music. Topics to be covered include: the music of the French Revolution; music of urban black America, 1960 to the present; Hector Berlioz, Ludwig van Beethoven, Claude Debussy, and “protests” in classical music. No previous experience in music is required. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 248 |
| The Psychology of Music |
| A broad survey of human responses to music, from the physics and psychophysics of how we perceive musical sounds to the question of how and why music is emotionally powerful. Through reading from the primary literature in both music and psychology, students will develop an understanding of the cognitive processes by which we understand music; musical meaning and the formation of musical taste; the social and cultural factors that influence musical preferences; and the similarities and differences in music across cultures. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 263 |
| J.S. Bach: His Life and Music |
| While Johann Sebastian Bach is arguably the greatest composer in the history of Western music, he is also perhaps the least cosmopolitan, not having ventured more than a few hundred miles from his 1685 birthplace in Eisenach, Germany. A humble church and court musician, he composed music for specific uses and commissions, rather than merely to "express himself"—seeking to honor God and to flatter Dukes and Kings. Among the works we will examine are instrumental music for solo instruments as well as larger groups (suites, concertos, sonatas, chorale preludes) and vocal music (cantatas, motets, Passion and Mass settings), looking at these pieces both musically and in the context of the society for which they were written. We will also attend performances of Bach works presented in the Hartford area. No formal musical training or previous courses in music are prerequisite. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 264 |
| Mozart and 18th-Century Music |
| An introduction to the life and music of Wolfgang Amadè Mozart (1756-1791). The course will also examine other composers of Mozart’s time, and consider the relationship between Mozart’s music and the main themes of Enlightenment thought in the 18th century. No previous training in music is required. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
|
| MUSC 266 |
| Beethoven: His Life and Music |
| An introduction to the life and work of Ludwig van Beethoven, who after more than 200 years is still the most loved and admired of all composers of classical music. This course will focus both on Beethoven’s masterpieces—his symphonies, piano sonatas, string quartets, and other works—and on the effect they had on audiences and the musicians who tried to follow in Beethoven’s footsteps. No previous training in music is required. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 273 |
| The Musical-Theater Works of Stephen Sondheim |
| Stephen Sondheim is now generally regarded as the greatest composer and lyricist in the history of the American musical theater. This course will examine, with recordings and scripts, each of the 12 Broadway shows for which Sondheim has written both music and lyrics, including not only such well-known titles as Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, but also such lesser-known masterpieces as Assassins, Pacific Overtures, and Passion. Videos of the shows will also be available for viewing, and there will be one or two class trips to see live productions. No previous training in music is needed. (Satisfies the requirement, for the musical-theater track of the music major, of a classroom course in musical theater.) |
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1.00 units, Lecture
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| MUSC 274 |
| Jazz: 1900 to the Present |
| Through listening, discussion, and reading, this course will survey the development of jazz from ragtime and pre-jazz through New Orleans swing, be-bop, and modern jazz. Among composers and performers to be studied include Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Scott Joplin, Thelonious Monk, Charles Parker, and Woody Shaw. No previous training in music is required. Also listed under American studies. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
|
| MUSC 301 |
| 20th-Century Practices |
The study of harmonic, rhythmic, and timbral compositional practices of the 20th century, through written exercises and the analysis of typical works. Weekly practicum sessions emphasize advanced score-reading and sight-singing skills.
Prerequisite: Music 202. |
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1.00 units, Lecture
|
| MUSC 311 |
| The History of Western Music I |
An intensive survey of the development of musical style in Europe through the analysis of selected works from the music of the Greeks to the mid-18th century. Composers to be studied include Machaut, Josquin Desprez, Monteverdi, Handel, and Bach.
Prerequisite: Music 101 or permission of the instructor. |
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1.00 units, Seminar
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| MUSC 312 |
| The History of Western Music II |
An intensive survey of the development of musical style in Europe and the United States through the analysis of selected works from the mid-18th century to about 1900. Composers to be studied include Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Verdi, Brahms, and Mahler.
Prerequisite: C- or Better in Music 202. |
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1.00 units, Seminar
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| MUSC 313 |
| Music of the 20th Century |
An intensive survey of the developments in musical style from the late-1890s to the present day, primarily in Europe and the Americas. This course will synthesize historical studies of the composers and their times, and analytical approaches to their compositional practices.
Prerequisite: C- or better in Music 202. |
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1.00 units, Seminar
|
| MUSC 399 |
| Independent Study |
| Submission of the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chair are required for enrollment. |
|
0.50 units min / 2.00 units max, Independent Study
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| MUSC 407 |
| Senior Recital |
| The preparation and presentation of a full-length program. Enrollment is subject to the approval of the faculty in music. Interested students must meet with the department chair and obtain a copy of the senior recital guidelines in the spring semester of the junior year if planning a recital for the senior year. The course is open to both majors and non-majors. If the student is concurrently enrolled in Music 107 Music Lessons for 0.5 credit, then the senior recital will count for 0.5 credit. Submission of an independent study form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the department chair, are required for enrollment. |
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0.50 units min / 1.00 units max, Independent Study
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| MUSC 415 |
| Special Studies in Music |
| Individual or group study and research on a selected topic under the guidance of a member of the faculty in music. Permission granted only to advanced students. Submission of a completed independent study form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chair are required for enrollment. |
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0.50 units min / 1.00 units max, Independent Study
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| MUSC 418 |
| Senior Project |
|
No Course Description Available.
|
|
1.00 units, Independent Study
|
| MUSC 420 |
| Advanced Topics in Music History |
This course will focus on the analytical and historical exploration of one or more specific repertories in Western music (such as Baroque sacred music, or the string quartets of Beethoven), along with a consideration of the relevant musicological literature. Topics will vary from year to year.
Prerequisite: Music 312. |
|
1.00 units, Seminar
|
| MUSC 420 |
| Advanced Topics: Debussy, Faure, and Ravel |
No Course Description Available.
Prerequisite: Music 312.
|
|
1.00 units, Seminar
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| MUSC 466 |
| Teaching Assistantship |
| Submission of a the special registration form, available in the Registrar’s Office, and the approval of the instructor and chair are required for enrollment. |
|
0.50 units min / 1.00 units max, Independent Study
|
| MUSC 490 |
| Research Assistant |
|
No Course Description Available.
|
|
0.50 units min / 1.00 units max, Independent Study
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| MUSC 497 |
| Senior Thesis |
|
No Course Description Available.
|
|
1.00 units, Independent Study
|
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