UG Course Descriptions

Overview of teaching procedures for beginning class instruction. Methods and techniques for learning basic performing skills on various woodwind instruments with applications for music teaching and learning theory. (Offered every spring)

Introduction to the broad scope of the Music Education profession. First-year Music Education majors will be presented with the basic concepts of instrumental, vocal, and general music components of K-12 school music programs. Students will become acquainted with services, requirements, and /or membership opportunities of supporting agencies and organizations, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA).

This course builds on foundations laid in Theory I and II. Content includes: secondary functions, chromaticism and altered chords within sequential patterns; modulation, shifting tonal levels and tonicization; various modulatory techniques; analysis of larger musical forms; mode mixtures; the augmented sixth chords and wide range of resolution potential. (Co-requisite: MUSC 231) (Offered every fall)

Classroom and computer-assisted ear-training will include medium to advanced melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic dictation. Sight-singing will incorporate chromatic and modulatory melodies with increasing attention to non-scalar passages. Rhythmic skills will extend to include asymmetrical and changing meters (Co-requisite: MUSC 230) (Offered every fall)

Having reached the close of the 19th century, this course moves in new directions. Content includes: enharmonic spellings, interpretations, and modulatory effects; new harmonic vocabulary and late 19th century tonalities; introduction to twentieth century music and Impressionism; new scale materials and chord structures; new concepts in sound, rhythm and meter; wholly new post-tonal approaches and directions. (Co-requisite: MUSC 233)
(Offered every spring)

Class and computer-assisted ear-training will be used to strengthen dictation skills with advanced melodic lines and harmonic progressions. Sight-singing will include advanced 3-4 part singing in major, minor, and modal excerpts, and melodic lines in various non-traditional scales, atonal, jazz, and contemporary styles (Co-requisite: MUSC 232). (Offered every spring)

Sequential development of functional piano skills with emphasis on improvisation, transposition, scales and chords in the minor mode (Prerequisite: MUSC 136 or permission of the instructor)
(Offered every fall)

Sequential development of functional piano skills with emphasis on song writing to given harmonic progressions, transpositions, fake book songs, accompaniment styles, chording and harmonization. Final assessment will be based on a cumulative perspective of all four semester of Piano Laboratories I to IV (Prerequisite: MUSC 235 or permission of the instructor) (Offered every spring)

Study of 18th century polyphonic style. Development of skill in writing two-and three-part counterpoint. (Prerequisites: MUSC 232 and MUSC 233). (Offered every fall.)

Application of compositional techniques in the writing of small musical works for voices and instruments.
(Offered even spring semesters.)