Music in General Studies (MGS) courses are designed to give students opportunities to take classes about genres of music that are meaningful to them. Most of the MGS 100 and 200 level courses count for A & H GenEd; several count for WLC*, and 1 counts for S & H. All are in-person unless otherwise noted.
The Live Musical Performance MUS-Z100/Z130 – Leone
The best music is live music. Learn how to listen to music through weekly in-class performances. Interact with instrumentalists, singers, dancers, choreographers, conductors, and composers. Classical, rock, jazz, and world music. (Z100, 2cr; Z130, 3cr)
Music for the Listener MUS-Z101 (Winter and Spring)– Cook, Glen, Roosma, van den Bogerd
An introductory music appreciation course that explores European and American classical music and other repertoire. (3cr) Some sections offered online.
Jazz Improv/Music Theory MUS-Z103 – Nelson
Designed for the student who has an interest in jazz and wants to learn how jazz improvisation and theory skills can enhance their personal music expression. (3cr)
Introduction to Music Theory MUS-Z111 (Winter and Spring)– Barbosa, Caswell, Davis, DiPaolo, Guntren, Mahnken
Introduction to the language and notation of music: listening, reading and writing, and its use across genres and historical periods. (3cr) Some sections offered online.
Introduction to Music Skills MUS-Z112 – Guntren
Introduction to the sight-singing, notation, theory, and keyboard skills. Pre-requisite: Z111. (3cr)
Music in Multimedia MUS-Z120 (Winter and Spring) – Hurst, Lindsay, Podgursky, & Renk
Learn to produce your own music as you explore how music interacts with other modalities in today’s ads, films, and videogames. (3cr) Some sections offered online.
Beginning Ukulele MUS-Z165 – Tzvetkov
Learn to play the Ukelele! No prior musical experience required. (2cr)
Jazz for Listeners MUS-Z190 – Nelson
Learn how to listen to jazz, and how to relate jazz to the social/cultural environment in which it was created. Lectures enhanced with live performances. (3cr)
History of the Blues MUS-Z200 – Hollinden
Tells the story of the blues through the music of more than 200 artists. Styles studied include Classic Blues, Piedmont Blues, Holy Blues, and more. (3cr)
History of Rock ‘n’ Roll II MUS-Z202 – Hollinden
An overview of major trends, styles, and genres of the 60’s rock music. Explore the artists and groups with the most enduring significance and the major social issues of their times. (3cr)
Women Musicians MUS-Z204 – Wisch
Celebrate the powerful roles women have played in classical and popular music, from Hildegard von Bingen through Beyoncé. (3cr)
History of Music Production MUS-Z205 – Mahern
A historical look at how recorded music and music producers have impacted and enriched our culture. (3cr)
History of Punk Rock MUS-Z208 – Mahern (Winter and Spring)
An investigation of the musical and cultural impact of Punk, Garage, and Post Punk from the early 1960’s to now. (3cr)
Music Theory II MUS-Z211 – Barbosa
Deepen your musical insight by learning the principles of part writing, musical form, harmonic analysis, and modulation. (Prereq: MUS-Z111) (3cr)
Lat Amer/Latino Pop Music and Culture MUS Z213 – Leon
An introduction to Latin American and Latino popular music genres, their historical and cultural contexts, and their impact in the United States.
Music/Culture in James Bond MUS-Z224 – Bishop
A survey of the pop songs and musical scores of one of cinema’s most iconic franchises and its impact on cultures around the world. (3cr)
Choral Masterworks MUS-Z250 – TBA
Introduction to the masterpieces of choral music through examination of musical, historical, and cultural contexts. Study includes Western classical works, as well as music for gospel choirs, glee clubs, show choirs, and vocal jazz groups. (3cr)
Music in American Society MUS-Z260 – Grieb
American music history and place in society, past and present: Native American music, African-American music, music for church, concert and home, and much more. (3cr)
Music and Videogames MUS-Z264* – Ostergard
This course covers the art of videogames, including music, visual art, and storytelling. No experience playing videogames required. (3cr) Online.
Music of War and Peace MUS-Z270* – Glen
This course examines the musical output of composers and performers who were (or are) committed to memorializing and protesting war and calling for peace. (3cr)
Music of the Silk Road MUS-Z280* – Huseynova
Explore music traditions of the Silk Road and their impact on music of today. (3cr)
East-West Encounters in Music MUS-Z281* – Huseynova
An examination of interaction and communication between two cultural realms conditionally defined as East and West. The class looks in both directions and explores hybridity of styles, improvisatory jazz methods, and the impact of each area on the other. (3cr)
Popular Music of Europe and Asia MUS-Z283* – Huseynova
This class introduces the styles and genres of popular music in Europe and Asia and discusses the impact of American pop music on the international scene. (3cr)
Music in Global Cinema (Spring) MUS-Z284* – Bishop
Discover film-scoring traditions from India to East Asia, Africa to Latin America, and Iran. (3cr)
Videogame Music/World Cultures (Winter) MUS Z288* Ostergard
Become familiar with video game culture and the music that surrounds it in a diverse survey of several countries: Japan, India, China, Indonesia, Russia, Poland, among others. (3cr) Online.
Producing Electronic Dance Music MUS-Z291 – Lindsay
Discover the tools and techniques to compose, record, and mix tomorrow’s next big track. Use the DAW of your choice. (3cr) Online.
Music Theory III MUS-Z311 – Lubell
Expansion into modulation, chromatic harmony, musical styles, and pop progressions. (Prereq: MUS-Z211) (3cr)
Legal Aspects of the Music Industry MUS-Z313 – N. Davis
Learn about the legal issues affecting the music industry, including copyright, sampling, licenses, and more. (3cr)
Music for Film MUS-Z315 – C. Davis
From The Jazz Singer to the present, learn how to analyze and better appreciate how music shapes our filmgoing experience. (3cr)
Essentials of Songwriting MUS-Z320 – Grieb
Write your own lyrics, melodies and chord progressions, while discovering examples of great songwriting from the 1960s to the present. (3cr)
The American Musical MUS-Z373 – Slovin
Discover the excitement and spirit of the American Musical! Follow its development from vaudeville, burlesque, and operetta, through to the rock operas and “megamusicals” of today. (3cr)
African American Survey MUS-Z394 – Swift
A survey of sacred and secular African American musical traditions in North America. Emphasis placed on context, musical processes and aesthetics, inter-relationships among genres, issues of gender, and music as resistance. (3cr)
Contemporary Jazz and Soul MUS-Z395 – Caswell
A survey of the music and artists of contemporary jazz, rhythm & blues, and soul in the United States. (3cr)
Music of Bob Dylan MUS-Z404 – Lubell
A detailed examination of Dylan’s many incarnations, from folk-protest singer and pop icon to elder statesman and Poet Laureate of popular music. (3cr)
Music of the Beach Boys MUS-Z405 – Hollinden
A complete survey of America’s greatest band, as well as the solo career of the band’s leader. (3cr)