Jun 03, 2024  
College Catalog 2023-2024 
    
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  2023-2024 Calendar
  Mission, History and Religious Affiliation
  Admissions
  Expenses
  Financial Aid
  Academic Policies
  The Curriculum
  Areas of Study
  Courses
  Student Support Services
  Scholarships and Special Endowed Funds
  Directories
  Special Programs
  Archived Catalogs
HELP
College Catalog 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Courses

 

Media and Cultural Studies
  

  • MCST 278 - Marx, Religion, and Biopolitical Race

    Cross-Listed as GERM 278 , POLI 278 , and RELI 278   
    All readings and class taught in English; no pre-knowledge required. In this course we shall examine the relation of religion to both capital and the modern forms of political power (what Michel Foucault termed biopolitics or biopower), as well as the biopolitical formations of race and racism as means for sustaining power-while discovering the enduring pertinence of Marx’s work in theorizing the above issues. Biopower emerges gradually in secular capitalist modernity as a form of power that legitimizes itself not through its right to “take life” (as in traditional forms of sovereignty) but through its obligation to protect and enhance life. Yet, albeit “secular,” biopower is a form of “pastoral power” (Foucault). We shall explore: the interconnectedness of modern biopower and religion; Marx’s critique of the dominant (Enlightenment) critique of religion and his thesis that the secular state presupposes religion; the colonial and racial constructions of religion; racial capitalism; the biopolitical constructions of race in its relation to social class and other forms of domination; and anti-racist criticisms of both Foucault and Marx. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 279 - Value: The Bad, the Ugly, and the Cheap

    Cross-Listed as GERM 279  
    All readings and class taught in English; no pre-knowledge required. For thousands of years value has been scrutinized in philosophy, art history, and economic analysis, as it cuts across three constitutive aspects of social, cultural, and political life: economy, aesthetics, and ethics. Not only do we have and impose on the world our moral, aesthetic, and exchange values, but these three fields often become difficult to distinguish, as is evident in the slippery flexibility of words that allow us to say as much “this painting is bad or worthless” as “I think this person is bad or worthless,” or “this is a bad, or worthless, remark” and “this is a bad or worthless check.” This course will focus primarily on influential accounts of value in aesthetic theory, while also examining the ways in which aesthetic value demarcates itself from or implicates its moral and economic counterparts, and what the interplays among the three fields entail for aesthetic value. Our readings will focus on the impact of primarily German thought on the formation of modern aesthetic theory-from the early eighteenth century through the Enlightenment and Romanticism to high modernism and the Frankfurt School. Occasionally. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 281 - Bruce Lee, His Life and Legacy

    Cross-Listed as AMST 281  and ASIA 283  
    This discussion-based course is entirely focused on Bruce Lee, the actor and leading martial arts icon of the 20th century. Using American Studies and Critical Race Studies frames to examine the construction of racialized and gendered bodies, we will discuss Bruce Lee in terms of his biography, identities, politics, philosophy, and filmography. We will take time to appreciate the entertainment value and athleticism that Bruce Lee brought to his work, but we will also learn to distinguish the commercialized, commodified Bruce Lee (from t-shirts to posters to action figures) from the serious historical figure who symbolized the spirit of cultural independence and political sovereignty around the world. Among the required books and movies: The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, and “Way of the Dragon” (1972). Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 284 - Radical Reelism: Indigeneity, Politics, and Visual Culture

    Cross-Listed as AMST 284  
    Join us as we explore the roots and routes of Native Cultural Studies through photography, film, television, print and media. How have Indigenous people been represented in visual culture? And what can Indigenous visual artists or film theory teach us about the past, present and future in the United States? No previous coursework required. Fall semester only. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 294 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 321 - Cultures of Neoliberalism

    Cross-Listed as INTL 321  
    Neoliberal theory posits the relative autonomy of the economic sphere from both culture and politics. Rejecting this assumption, the course will give students the ability to understand the interconnection of economic, political and cultural practices as well as the ways that economic theories are shaped by cultural assumptions about what constitutes a person, a life, a society, etc. We will read some of the foundational texts from the neoliberal school of economic thought (Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman) alongside more contemporary reflections on the culture and politics of neoliberalism from the fields of Anthropology, Geography, Philosophy, Cultural Studies, and Critical Race Studies. Additionally, we will look at both the global institutions that craft and enforce economic policies as well as their impacts in multiple international contexts. This course will emphasize interdisciplinarity and original research. Finally, in addition to key texts, we will examine recent documentaries that attempt to render economic structures visible. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 330 - Surveillance and Power

    Cross-Listed as INTL 330  
    This course considers surveillance as a social formation, inseparable from the theory and exercise of power. On the one hand, it takes up the pressing questions surveillance raises, from the development of cutting-edge technologies to the complex work of international regulation. On the other hand, it situates surveillance historically as central to projects of imperial conquest, state formation, and colonial rule. Engaging with theoretical works, primary sources, empirical studies and artistic renderings, students will grapple with problems of surveillance and power across geographic and historical contexts. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 357 - Advanced Journalism: New Media

    In-depth reporting and writing of news, feature and opinion pieces. This course stresses effective writing and editing and the development of a strong sense of journalistic ethics. Emphasis is placed on reporting throughout the community and frequent discussions with practicing journalists, writers and policy makers. Students will examine the changing role and formats of media and the impact of media and journalists on culture, politics, government, education, the legal system and the community. Taught by a veteran print and online journalist and editor. Prerequisite(s): MCST 114 - News Reporting and Writing  or permission of instructor. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 388 - Advanced Research Topics

    Advanced Research Methods prepares students to conduct independent research projects in Media and Cultural Studies. Beginning with the question, “What is research?” students will deepen their engagement with visual and textual analysis. Through an in-depth exploration of an advanced topic designated by the instructor, the course will examine a range of approaches to the ways knowledge is produced and disseminated within the field. Students will strengthen their critical reading and writing skills while developing a research project that reflects the interdisciplinary methodologies explored in the course. Prerequisite(s): MCST 110   Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 394 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 488 - Advanced Topics Seminar

    In the capstone seminar, students working on an independent project in line with the theme of the seminar share their scholarship, integrating what they have learned in the major, emphasizing knowledge gained in their focus area, as well as presenting their work at a concluding mini-conference. The capstone experience involves close analysis of cultural artifacts that examine at a higher level issues first raised in the introductory course. The department plans to offer two seminars every year, at least one in media studies, enabling students to select the seminar most relevant to their intellectual development. In exceptional cases, students with sufficient preparation may take the seminar prior to their senior year. Students may take more than one MCST senior seminar as long as content varies. Recent seminar topics have included: Image/Text: Metaphor, Myth and Power; Advanced Film Analysis; Advanced Studies in War and Media; Postmodernism, Identity and the Media; Whiteness and the Media; Advanced Queer Media. Prerequisite(s):   or permission of instructor.   recommended for film studies seminars. Non-majors are welcome if they have taken   or a comparable course. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 494 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 601 - Tutorial

    Closely supervised individual or small group study for advanced students on a subject not available through regular catalog offerings. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MCST 602 - Tutorial

    Closely supervised individual or small group study for advanced students on a subject not available through regular catalog offerings. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • MCST 603 - Tutorial

    Closely supervised individual or small group study for advanced students on a subject not available through regular catalog offerings. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • MCST 604 - Tutorial

    Closely supervised individual or small group study for advanced students on a subject not available through regular catalog offerings. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 611 - Independent Project

    For the advanced student capable of independent study and the production of original work. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing, and permission of instructor. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MCST 612 - Independent Project

    For the advanced student capable of independent study and the production of original work. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing, and permission of instructor. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • MCST 613 - Independent Project

    For the advanced student capable of independent study and the production of original work. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing, and permission of instructor. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • MCST 614 - Independent Project

    For the advanced student capable of independent study and the production of original work. Prerequisite(s): Junior or senior standing, and permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 621 - Internship

    The department offers a variety of internships in educational, business, and governmental institutions. Internships sponsored by department faculty are available only to juniors and seniors who have made substantial progress toward the major or have completed a media studies minor or the equivalent and must be grounded in previous coursework. Normally, internships are graded pass/fail. Exceptions to this policy permitting a letter grade may be made at the discretion of the individual faculty member sponsoring the internship. Internships may be of variable credit as determined by the instructor, and up to four credits may be applied to the department major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor; work with Internship Office. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MCST 622 - Internship

    The department offers a variety of internships in educational, business, and governmental institutions. Internships sponsored by department faculty are available only to juniors and seniors who have made substantial progress toward the major or have completed a media studies minor or the equivalent and must be grounded in previous coursework. Normally, internships are graded pass/fail. Exceptions to this policy permitting a letter grade may be made at the discretion of the individual faculty member sponsoring the internship. Internships may be of variable credit as determined by the instructor, and up to four credits may be applied to the department major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor; work with Internship Office. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • MCST 623 - Internship

    The department offers a variety of internships in educational, business, and governmental institutions. Internships sponsored by department faculty are available only to juniors and seniors who have made substantial progress toward the major or have completed a media studies minor or the equivalent and must be grounded in previous coursework. Normally, internships are graded pass/fail. Exceptions to this policy permitting a letter grade may be made at the discretion of the individual faculty member sponsoring the internship. Internships may be of variable credit as determined by the instructor, and up to four credits may be applied to the department major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor; work with Internship Office. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • MCST 624 - Internship

    The department offers a variety of internships in educational, business, and governmental institutions. Internships sponsored by department faculty are available only to juniors and seniors who have made substantial progress toward the major or have completed a media studies minor or the equivalent and must be grounded in previous coursework. Normally, internships are graded pass/fail. Exceptions to this policy permitting a letter grade may be made at the discretion of the individual faculty member sponsoring the internship. Internships may be of variable credit as determined by the instructor, and up to four credits may be applied to the department major. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 631 - Preceptorship

    Work in assisting a faculty member on a varied range of activities involved in the planning and teaching of a course. Duties usually include course attendance, library research, test correction, conducting group study sessions, and tutoring individual students. Normally available only to juniors and seniors who have taken the course they will precept. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor; work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MCST 632 - Preceptorship

    Work in assisting a faculty member on a varied range of activities involved in the planning and teaching of a course. Duties usually include course attendance, library research, test correction, conducting group study sessions, and tutoring individual students. Normally available only to juniors and seniors who have taken the course they will precept. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor; work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • MCST 633 - Preceptorship

    Work in assisting a faculty member on a varied range of activities involved in the planning and teaching of a course. Duties usually include course attendance, library research, test correction, conducting group study sessions, and tutoring individual students. Normally available only to juniors and seniors who have taken the course they will precept. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor; work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • MCST 634 - Preceptorship

    Work in assisting a faculty member on a varied range of activities involved in the planning and teaching of a course. Duties usually include course attendance, library research, test correction, conducting group study sessions, and tutoring individual students. Normally available only to juniors and seniors who have taken the course they will precept. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Academic Programs. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MCST 641 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MCST 642 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • MCST 643 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • MCST 644 - Honors Independent

    Independent research, writing, or other preparation leading to the culmination of the senior honors project. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)

Music
  

  • MUSI 70 - Wind Symphony

    The Macalester Wind Ensemble performs music in a wide variety of styles, from as early as the 17th century to the classics of band literature, to music composed within the last few years. It is open without audition to wind and percussion students with at least high-school level performance skills. Fall semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 71 - Wind Symphony

    The Macalester Wind Ensemble performs music in a wide variety of styles, from as early as the 17th century to the classics of band literature, to music composed within the last few years. It is open without audition to wind and percussion students with at least high-school level performance skills. Spring semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 72 - African Music Ensemble

    Study of traditional African music through performance modes of drumming, singing, flutes, marimba, gyil, and dancing. Instrumental and vocal pieces will be selected from a variety of musical styles such as unaccompanied vocal chants, songs, music from life cycle events, royal music and music for social and other festive occasions. The repertoire includes music from Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Fall semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 73 - African Music Ensemble

    Study of traditional African music through performance modes of drumming, singing, flutes, marimba, gyil, and dancing. Instrumental and vocal pieces will be selected from a variety of musical styles such as unaccompanied vocal chants, songs, music from life cycle events, royal music and music for social and other festive occasions. The repertoire includes music from Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Spring semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 74 - Macalester Concert Choir

    The Concert Choir is the advanced, select vocal ensemble of Macalester College, directed by Michael McGaghie. Members are held to an exceptional standard of musicianship and commitment. The choir draws its repertoire from music of the last six centuries and tours annually through the United States or abroad. The ensemble commissions and premieres at least one new work every year. Membership is open to all Macalester students by audition. Three 90-minute rehearsals per week. Fall semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 75 - Macalester Concert Choir

    The Concert Choir is the advanced, select vocal ensemble of Macalester College, directed by Michael McGaghie. Members are held to an exceptional standard of musicianship and commitment. The choir draws its repertoire from music of the last six centuries and tours annually through the United States or abroad. The ensemble commissions and premieres at least one new work every year. Membership is open to all Macalester students by audition. Three 90-minute rehearsals per week. Spring semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 76 - Macalester Chorale

    The Chorale is the large choral ensemble of Macalester College, directed by Michael McGaghie. The choir’s repertoire includes a cappella and accompanied music from various Western and non-Western vocal traditions. The Chorale and Concert Choir combine annually to perform a major work with orchestra. Membership is open to all Macalester students by audition. Two 90-minute rehearsals per week. Fall semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 77 - Macalester Chorale

    The Chorale is the large choral ensemble of Macalester College, directed by Michael McGaghie. The choir’s repertoire includes a cappella and accompanied music from various Western and non-Western vocal traditions. The Chorale and Concert Choir combine annually to perform a major work with orchestra. Membership is open to all Macalester students by audition. Two 90-minute rehearsals per week. Spring semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 78 - Asian Music Ensemble

    The Macalester Asian Music Ensemble performs chamber genres and repertoires from across Asia. Students may choose to specialize in one or more of the music traditions represented by the department’s instrument collections and faculty expertise. These include, but are not limited to, Javanese gamelan, East and Southeast Asian chamber instrumental music, as well as Indian, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian traditions. We perform two major concerts (fall and spring) every academic year, and take part in a number of College and outside events and performances. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 79 - Asian Music Ensemble

    The Macalester Asian Music Ensemble performs chamber genres and repertoires from across Asia. Students may choose to specialize in one or more of the music traditions represented by the department’s instrument collections and faculty expertise. These include, but are not limited to, Javanese gamelan, East and Southeast Asian chamber instrumental music, as well as Indian, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian traditions. We perform two major concerts (fall and spring) every academic year, and take part in a number of College and outside events and performances. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 80 - Mac Jazz Band

    (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 81 - Mac Jazz Band

    (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 82 - Jazz/Popular Music Combos

    Jazz and Popular Music Combos are open to all who wish to concentrate on repertoire, improvisation and original music. Students will focus on developing their composition and performance skills while exploring many different styles of contemporary music. The combos present two concerts each year. Fall semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 83 - Jazz/Popular Music Combos

    Jazz and Popular Music Combos are open to all who wish to concentrate on repertoire, improvisation and original music. Students will focus on developing their composition and performance skills while exploring many different styles of contemporary music. The combos present two concerts each year. Spring semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 84 - Pipe Band

    Bagpipe and highland drum lessons are available free of charge to all students. Beginners and musicians of any experience level are encouraged to participate in lessons and/or ensemble.  We perform traditional and modern music at concert and competitions. Fall semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 85 - Pipe Band

    Bagpipe and highland drum lessons are available free of charge to all students. Beginners and musicians of any experience level are encouraged to participate in lessons and/or ensemble.  We perform traditional and modern music at concert and competitions. Spring semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 86 - Chamber Ensemble

    The Chamber Music program offers an opportunity for students to explore and perform repertoire for small ensembles. All instrumentalists and vocalists are eligible to participate and entrance is by audition or by arrangement with Mr. Mandarano. Students who are accepted into Chamber Music are placed in various ensembles and over the course of the semester immerse themselves in learning a challenging and varied repertoire. Rehearsal times are arranged based on schedule availability and individual practice is required. Ensembles receive periodic coaching from department faculty or professional studio instructors and there is least one performance required per semester. Examples of chamber ensemble include: string quartet, piano trio, woodwind quintet, brass sextet, piano trio, flute and clarinet choirs. Fall semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 87 - Chamber Ensemble

    The Chamber Music program offers an opportunity for students to explore and perform repertoire for small ensembles. All instrumentalists and vocalists are eligible to participate and entrance is by audition or by arrangement with Mr. Mandarano. Students who are accepted into Chamber Music are placed in various ensembles and over the course of the semester immerse themselves in learning a challenging and varied repertoire. Rehearsal times are arranged based on schedule availability and individual practice is required. Ensembles receive periodic coaching from department faculty or professional studio instructors and there is least one performance required per semester. Examples of chamber ensemble include: string quartet, piano trio, woodwind quintet, brass sextet, piano trio, flute and clarinet choirs. Spring semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 88 - Macalester Symphony Orchestra

    The Macalester Symphony Orchestra prepares and performs a wide range of repertoire for symphony orchestra from the time of Bach to the present day, including the music of living composers. Playing in the orchestra blends individual and group achievement to build toward several challenging, rewarding performances each semester. Social interaction among the members of the orchestra is facilitated by various events, including orchestra dinners and a brief tour. In the spring semester, there is a concerto competition concert, featuring student soloists. Auditions for orchestra are held at the start of the fall semester. Space permitting, a limited number of students may be able to join at the start of the spring semester. Fall semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 89 - Macalester Symphony Orchestra

    The Macalester Symphony Orchestra prepares and performs a wide range of repertoire for symphony orchestra from the time of Bach to the present day, including the music of living composers. Playing in the orchestra blends individual and group achievement to build toward several challenging, rewarding performances each semester. Social interaction among the members of the orchestra is facilitated by various events, including orchestra dinners and a brief tour. In the spring semester, there is a concerto competition concert, featuring student soloists. Auditions for orchestra are held at the start of the fall semester. Space permitting, a limited number of students may be able to join at the start of the spring semester. Spring semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 90 - Mac Early Music Ensemble

    Historical performance has changed the aesthetic and musical experiences of audiences all over the world. The new ways to interpret music before 1750 has changed the way the audiences listen to this kind of music. Macalester Early Music Ensemble approaches instrumental and vocal music from Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque period. No audition needed. Fall semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 91 - Mac Early Music Ensemble

    Historical performance has changed the aesthetic and musical experiences of audiences all over the world. The new ways to interpret music before 1750 has changed the way the audiences listen to this kind of music. Macalester Early Music Ensemble approaches instrumental and vocal music from Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque period. No audition needed. Spring semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 92 - Other Ensembles

    (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 93 - Other Ensembles

    (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 94 - Private Studio Instruction

    (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 95 - Private Studio Instruction

    (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 98 - Keyboard Skills

    Development of keyboard (piano) technique and performance/analytical skills complementary both to the music theory curriculum and the general study of music. Technical foundations and repertoire study. 1 credit awarded upon successful completion of the semester. May be repeated for credit. Every semester (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 99 - Piano Proficiency Exam

    (0 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 110 - Introduction to Western Classical Music

    Formerly “Music Appreciation”. This course will explore Western Art Music (a.k.a. “Classical Music”) in order to better understand how music is constructed, what music means, what social history brought it about, what instruments are used in performance and what this music has in common with other art forms. No previous musical instruction is required. Fundamentals of music will be addressed in class to establish the ability to grasp musical forms, various styles and music history. Music from J. S. Bach to the present day will be heard, compared and, to a limited degree, analyzed. Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 111 - World Music

    This course surveys traditional, folk, and pop genres from major musical traditions in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. We approach music as both aesthetic and social processes, and explore the relationship between music making and other domains of human experience. Students will develop basic skills in critical listening, analysis, and writing about music. Course readings and audiovisual examples are designed primarily for non-music majors or minors. Previous knowledge of musical instrument or notation is not required. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 113 - Musicianship

    In this course, students will learn the basics of Western staff notation and explore melody, harmony, texture, and rhythm & meter in European classical music, as well as some other tonal genres, including pop, rock, and folk. Students will apply knowledge in written and online exercises, analysis activities, and music composition. In addition, students will learn how to convert sound into notation and notation into sound through ear training activities, including aural exercises, dictation, and sight singing. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 131 - African Music

    Study of music in various African traditions within a social and historical context. Interrelationships between music and society (function, context, structure, gender roles, political considerations). Instruments, life-cycle rites, genres, musical organizations, traditional musicians, contemporary popular music. Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 153 - Electronic Music

    Electronic music composition explores the art of creating experimental sound compositions using analog and digital technology. Although we will survey the historical development of electronic music, the emphasis of the class is on composition, including multi-media and experimental work. The class format includes listening, discussion, lab sessions and a final concert showcasing works created throughout the semester.  (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 154 - Songwriting

    In this course, students will (1) learn and improve songwriting skills, with equal emphasis on lyrics and musical content, (2) embrace vulnerability and risk taking in their creative practice, (3) develop a consistent, daily practice of creative engagement, (4) engage with the local music community in the Twin Cities, and (5) become more familiar with music business practices related to songwriting. This course is run as a practical, hands-on workshop where all participants take turns sharing and critiquing each other’s creative work, in a welcoming and encouraging environment. Experience needed to succeed in the class includes the ability to sing and play an accompanying instrument, such as guitar, ukulele, or piano. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Every other year. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 155 - Music and Freedom

    The concept of freedom both lies at the heart of human rights discourse and provides the spark that ignites any number of musical movements. Intended for students with strong interests in the intersection between the performing arts and humanities, this course serves as an introduction both to the concept of freedom as it developed in Western societies since the late eighteenth century and to the history of music in the cultures that have fostered such ideals. It intends to introduce students to the study of music (and, by association, arts in general) from social, cultural, and critical perspectives, using the framework of freedom as a common theme. It also aims to contextualize the discourse of human rights within the history of arts and ideas, providing students with a a sense of the term’s changing meanings and emphases over time and across space. We will explore traditions in both Western art music (also known as “classical music”) and the American popular (recorded) music in a search for ways in which music has served social-political ideologies - overtly through the aims of its composers and performers, and unintentionally through the conditions of its reception. Historical readings on the concept of freedom from a variety of disciplinary perspectives (history, philosophy, political science, critical theory) will introduce students to several of the most influential thinkers on the subject and the central concerns and questions that animate the discourse on freedom. No prior background in music is required for the course, although it is assumed that students will have a true interest not only in popular music of the twentieth century but also other traditions and genres, such as opera and symphonic music. “Freedom” signifies a number of ideals, which operate in real-political and abstract-aesthetic realms. Music can represent, convey, and “mean” freedom in infinite ways, and it is the intention of this course to introduce students to this diversity. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 180 - Music, Race, and Ethnicity

    This course examines issues of race and ethnicity in the history and performance of music across world cultures. Students develop an awareness of how racial and ethnic processes are ingrained in the production and consumption of musical sound. Assignments include critical listening, reading, class discussion, and writing projects. Previous knowledge of musical instrument or notation is not assumed. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 194 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 205 - Chinese and Sinophone Music

    Cross-Listed as ASIA 205  
    This course explores the multitude of music as practiced and listened to among Chinese-identifying communities by closely studying selected genres, musicians, and styles in various temporal and geographical localities. Course contents cover the musical procedures and performance practices of such genres as operas, chamber instrumental music, folk singing, pop and jazz, film and theatrical music, modern concert repertoire, as well as ancient court and ritual music. Prerequisite(s): No prior knowledge of musical instrument, notation, or Chinese languages is assumed Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 211 - World Music Theory and Analysis

    This course is designed primarily for music majors, music minors, and students with previous music background. We study the organization of musical sounds in selected traditions across the world through the development of analytical skills. Music theory is approached here “not as a codification of Western harmonic practice, but as symbolic systems for conveying musical knowledge” (Roeder 2011). Course materials also examine the discourse of “world music” against the changing ideas of musical otherness. The ability to read staff notation is preferred. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 214 - Advanced Musicianship

    In this course, students will study chromatic harmony based in European classical and romantic music and some popular musical genres and learn about some common large-scale form designs, such as binary, ternary, song form, and forms associated with pop & rock music. Students will apply knowledge in written and online exercises, analysis activities, and music composition. In addition, students will develop skills in converting sound into notation and notation into sound through ear training activities, including aural exercises, dictation, and sight singing. Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113   Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 220 - Language and Music

    Cross-Listed as LING 220  
    Language and music are two uniquely human enterprises with a number of parallels: both rely on sound and convention, display hierarchical organization and culturally-specific practices, and can convey both communicative and social meaning. This course examines the intersection of language and music from a linguistic perspective. We will engage with questions such as: How can syntax, phonology, and morphology change between spoken and sung language? How do speakers of tone languages understand lyrics in sung melodies? Is hip hop different in different languages? What does it mean to study melody and rhythm in speech? Can music help people learn languages? How do drum- and whistle-languages work? How does music contribute to language revitalization? No musical ability is required. Every year. ( )
  

  • MUSI 225 - Musical Fictions

    Cross-Listed as ENGL 225  
    From E. M. Forster’s Lucy Honeychurch, who “entered into a more solid world when she opened the piano,” to James Baldwin’s Sonny, who “moved in an atmosphere which wasn’t like theirs at all,” fictional musicians encounter trouble when negotiating the conflicting realms of art and society. Experts in one kind of expression, they fail in others. What draws these characters to music? What does it offer them? What is its value to us? In the musical novel and short story, we encounter music as an agent of violence, of consolation, of transcendence and redemption as well as damnation. We witness empathy through music, but we also learn that shared feeling can be both beautiful and dangerous, that music unites and divides. This course combines the close reading of literary texts (as well as works of literary theory and musicology) with the examination of the musical contexts that inform and inspire them. We will explore, for example, the relationship between Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel The Unconsoled and Richard Wagner’s music drama Parsifal. We will talk about syncopation in “jazz” by Charles Mingus and Toni Morrison. We will watch Marguerite Duras and Katherine Mansfield turn innocuous music lessons into spaces of wretchedness. We will try to understand what David Mitchell’s young composer Robert Frobisher means when he says, “One writes music because winter is eternal and because, if one didn’t, the wolves and blizzards would be at one’s throat all the sooner.” Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 233 - Musical Architectures

    Analysis of musical structures:  the “architectural” assemblage of music into formal, harmonic, and temporal units; how these units evolved into standard models; and the endless variation within and among these models.  Repertoire will be wide-ranging and include classical, jazz, and popular music.  Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113   Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 254 - Cover Songs

    In this course, we explore recorded music since the 1950s, through the lens of musical borrowing, specifically cover song recordings. To this end, students will (1) examine cover versions of previously recorded songs and how the intersection of gender, sexuality, race, class, and genre through changing socio-historical and cultural contexts can shape different meanings listeners ascribe to the songs, (2) explore how artists covering other people’s songs can emulate, pay homage to, comment upon, subvert meanings of, and create parodies of previously recorded works, (3) investigate and interrogate meanings around the concept of authenticity and its role in music criticism, and (4) apply basic musical analysis and transcription skills to aid the understanding of musical processes at play in various cover song recordings. Every other year. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 264 - History of Jazz

    This course surveys the rich history and development of jazz music and its associated culture. A thorough exploration of jazz’s principal artists and style periods will be undertaken, along with related studies of race and conflict, gender, geography, and African-American cultural values. A particular emphasis is placed on listening; students will become familiar by ear with a wide variety of jazz repertoire, artists, and styles. Offered yearly. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 294 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 315 - A Song of Love and Death: Opera in History

    This course provides a critical and historical introduction to opera from the early eighteenth century to the present. No background in music is required: the course is meant to serve students wanting a first experience with the art form as well as those who come with some experience and wish to deepen their engagement. If you’ve ever been curious about what all the fuss is about opera, this course is for you! We will occasionally look at musical scores, but students without skills in reading Western musical notation may succeed in the course by focusing on other aspects of opera (e.g. the text of the opera and its source material, performance and staging, critical reception history) in their written work. Along with the close study of individual operas on a variety of subjects–myth and legend, politics and religion, the bourgeois center and its margins–we will read critical commentary that contextualizes these artworks within the history of ideas. We will be interested above all in the ways in which opera tells us what it sounds like, and feels like, to be human. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 342 - Sacred, Secular, Subline: Music and Meaning in Europe, 1300-1800

    What is involved in claims that music, even music without words, can “express” things, “mean” things, be “about” things? Where did the desire to conceive of music as representation come from, when and where did it emerge historically, and what political, ideological, and aesthetic paradigms does such an idea reflect, reinforce, or reject? In this course, we will trace music’s developing sense of autonomy, its changing relationship with words and its eventual freedom from them, from the Middle Ages through the late eighteenth century. We will look closely into musical works in the primary genres of European music in the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical eras: mass, motet, madrigal, variation, suite, opera, concerto, symphony. As such, we will engage with modal and tonal repertories, as well as music that exists in the space in between those fixed categories. Course readings in musicology, critical theory, and history will provide a framework for understanding how these repertories responded to changes in intellectual and political life, bringing about profound transformations in what people (composers and performers, patrons and audiences, critics and philosophers) believed music was for and what it could do, what it could say without saying. If in the European Medieval imagination music was fundamentally an adornment of the Word, by the end of the eighteenth century, its powers of signification had developed to the point where commentators would feel justified in claiming that some pieces of music were “about music itself.” In this course, we trace that story, in sounds and in words. Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113  or permission of instructor. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 343 - Romanticism and Nationalism

    This course explores music of the European nineteenth century from two perspectives that together define the era. Romanticism is an aesthetic orientation that pits itself against Enlightenment and Classicism. Unlike the refined music of the eighteenth century, Romantic music (piano music, operas, even symphonies) sold itself to bourgeois audiences as wild, tuned to the supernatural, the transcendent, touched by madness, intoxicated by drugs, obsessed with sex. Meanwhile, these same cultural consumers, the bourgeoisie, were driven to identify themselves as national subjects, citizens of unique and independent cultural and political nations. National music sold itself as an expression of the spirit of a language community. In class, guided by listening and reading assignments, we will discuss the ways in which these two framing ideas shaped musical composition, performance, and audience listening habits, leading to changes in the way music was discussed in philosophical and political discourse. Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113  or permission of instructor. Every year. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 344 - Musical Modernism

    The contemporary period (20th-21st centuries) in music history is a complex epoch characterized by progressive growth across multiple domains:  harmony, rhythm, texture, style.  This course investigates the ideologies behind the many new ways of thinking about and creating modern music, and surveys the major music-makers of the period (Debussy to Miles Davis and beyond) and their works. Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113   Spring semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 354 - Gender and Music

    Cross-Listed as WGSS 354  
    In this course, students will explore how gender is constructed in a variety of American and European musical styles and contexts, with an emphasis on popular genres. Learning objectives include for students to: (1) better understand the intersectional ways in which gender relates to and is informed by other aspects of identity formation, including class, race, and sexuality, (2) investigate issues that have affected women’s participation in musical life, such as musical canons, gendered musical discourse, and gender stereotypes, (3) explore contributions of trans and non-binary musicians, as well as issues that affect their musical lives, (4) interrogate constructions of gender, masculinity, and femininity as they relate to music, and (5) to develop reading comprehension, critical thinking skills, and argumentative writing skills. Once a year. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 361 - Composition

    An introductory course in techniques of music composition.  Students will compose a portfolio of several short works for a variety of instruments and voices.  Topics of study include instrumentation, thematic expansion and development, enlargement of harmonic vocabulary, analysis, study of contemporary music repertoire, frequent listening, and score study.  A class concert will be organized for works to receive their world premiere by visiting guest artists. Prerequisite(s): MUSI 113  or permission of the instructor. Fall semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 370 - Conducting

    Emphasizes basic techniques, including beat patterns, baton techniques, score preparation and rehearsal techniques. Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor. Alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 394 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 405 - Ethnomusicology

    Cross-Listed as ANTH 405  
    This course introduces students to the field of ethnomusicology through its philosophical foundation, theoretical models, and disciplinary practices. Topics include comparative approach, structuralist/functionalist models, cultural relativism, organology, bi-musicality, reflexivity, post/modernism, among other recent research directions. Assignments are designed to develop skills in musical fieldwork, transcription and analysis, as well as preparing and presenting scholarly findings in ethnographic disciplines. This course is aimed primarily for students of music and/or anthropology. Prerequisite(s): Basic knowledge or experience in world music and performance recommended. Offered occasionally. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 425 - Late Beethoven and Critical Musicology

    In this course, we will combine the close study of Ludwig van Beethoven’s late works, composed two hundred years ago, with the close reading of contemporary critical writing about this music. The course intends to deepen students’ experience with Beethoven’s music and provide an introduction to the discipline of critical musicology. The musical works we will examine include piano sonatas, string quartets, symphonies, and a setting of the Catholic (Latin) Mass. Our reading will consider these works from aesthetic, phenomenological, ethical, theological, and other critical perspectives. Our questions will include: Does this music put forth a vision of a unified, coherent experience, or an alienated, fractured one? To what extent is this music affirmative, oppositional, critical? How does late Beethoven’s musical language engage with the ideologies of Enlightenment and Romanticism? How might we characterize the ethical dimension of Beethoven’s late work? What is the role of biography in our engagement with these (and any) artworks? How might we speak of the status of Beethoven’s music today, in senses that include but also extend beyond its value as a commodity? Prerequisite(s):  MUSI 113  or permission of instructor. Offered alternate years. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 488 - Senior Project

    Intensive guided preparation for the presentation of a project involving recital performance, composition and/or music research. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. (2 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 494 - Topics Course

    Varies by semester. Consult the department or class schedule for current listing. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 601 - Tutorial

    Tutorials are available for advanced study. Typical areas include counterpoint, composition, advanced choral or instrumental conducting, orchestration, and research. See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 602 - Tutorial

    Tutorials are available for advanced study. Typical areas include counterpoint, composition, advanced choral or instrumental conducting, orchestration, and research. See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 603 - Tutorial

    Tutorials are available for advanced study. Typical areas include counterpoint, composition, advanced choral or instrumental conducting, orchestration, and research. See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 604 - Tutorial

    Tutorials are available for advanced study. Typical areas include counterpoint, composition, advanced choral or instrumental conducting, orchestration, and research. See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 611 - Independent Project

    See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 612 - Independent Project

    See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (2 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 613 - Independent Project

    See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (3 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 614 - Independent Project

    See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor and department chair. Every semester. (4 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 621 - Internship

    See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (1 Credits)
  

  • MUSI 622 - Internship

    See the Independent Study section of this catalog. Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor. Work with Internship Office. Every semester. (2 Credits)
 

Page: 1 <- Back 10 … 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 -> 22