Musicianship: Harmony

In this course, students at all levels of experience and musical interest will examine the phenomenon of simultaneous sound with chords and chord progressions, and experience harmony’s impact on musical structure and style. Harmonic articulation, nuance, and interpretation will be developed through the exploration of agogic, metric, tonal, and dynamic accent. The repertoire for Musicianship: Harmony covers vocal and instrumental music, and is open to classical, pop, jazz, folk, music theatre, computer, and international music styles and genres.

• MW 3:05 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• TR 12:05 p.m.-12:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Ramin Amir Arjomand
  CULPA: 8 Info
• Instructor: Michael Joviala
  Info
• 1 points

JAZZ IMPROVISTN:THRY,HIST,PRAC

This course offers an introduction to jazz improvisation for instrumentalists. Through recordings, transcriptions, daily performance and selected readings, students will actively engage the history of jazz through their instruments and intellect. The idea of improvisation will be explored in an historical context, both as a musical phenomenon with its attendant theory and mechanics, and as a trope of American history and aesthetics. This class is for instrumentalists who wish to deepen their understanding of the theory, history and practice of jazz improvisation. The history of jazz will be used as a prism through which to view approaches to improvisation, from the cadences of the early Blues through the abstractions of Free Jazz and beyond. The student will be exposed to the theory and vocabularies of various jazz idioms, which they will also learn to place in their social and historical contexts.

• MW 4:10 p.m.-5:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Ole Mathisen
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

History of Western Music: Classical Era

Hist of West Mus: Class-2

Topics in western music from the Classical Era to the 20th Century, focusing on the development of musical style and thought, and on analysis of selected works. Pre-req: Music Theory II or permission of instructor.

• TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Julia Doe
  Info
• 3 points

Undergraduate Composition

This course provides an immersive experience in music composition, focusing on both practical and theoretical aspects within a given instrumentation. Please refer to the topic for the instrumentation for this semester’s course. This class is open to students with no prior experience in composition. Students of varying music backgrounds are welcome. Permission of the instructor may be required for enrollment. The class will explore a variety of compositional approaches, including traditional, experimental, and interdisciplinary methods. During the semester, students will complete several creative and theoretical exercises ranging from short composition projects to analytical responses to diverse works. Students will also engage in individual and group feedback sessions as well as in-class readings of selected compositional projects by the performers. The final project will be an original work between 5 and 7 minutes, which will be workshopped, rehearsed, performed in a public concert, and recorded by professional musicians towards the end of the term.

• MW 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Hannah S Kendall
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

MUSIC IN EAST ASIA

A topical approach to the concepts and practices of music in relation to other arts in the development of Asian civilizations.

• MW 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• MW 5:40 p.m.-6:55 p.m.
• TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• TR 5:40 p.m.-6:55 p.m.
• 3 points

MUSIC THEORY III

Intermediate analysis and composition in a variety of tonal idioms.

• MW 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Cheng W Lim
  Info
• 3 points

MUSIC THEORY IV

Intermediate analysis and composition in a variety of tonal and extended tonal idioms.

• TR 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Cheng W Lim
  Info
• 3 points

TOPICS IN MUSIC & SOCIETY

This course seeks to approach the study of music and society by comparatively studying repertories from different parts of the world, how the history of ideas and methods of studying such repertoires shaped them, the practices that constitute them and the ways they are understood and used by different peoples. Central to this course is the interrelationship between the constitution of a repertoire and the history of the construction of knowledge about it.

• TR 4:10 p.m.-5:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Aaron A Fox
  CULPA: 7 Info
• 3 points

Ecstasy & Agony: Queer Electronic Dance

Queer dance floors balance utopian longing and material constraint. Sweat, flesh, and rhythm intermingle, allowing queer people to build counter-publics on the dance floor. At the same time, queer clubs have been entangled in the gentrification of traditionally Black and brown neighborhoods. This course explores tensions within queerness surrounding race and class by examining New York based queer electronic dance music scenes from the 1970s to the present. Through practice-based assignments, students will learn electronic music production techniques to develop their own dance music. Through journaling, students will reflect on how their identies have been shaped by dance.

• TR 5:40 p.m.-6:55 p.m.
• Instructor: David A Farrow
  Info
• 3 points

HONORS RESEARCH

Prerequisites: a formal proposal to be submitted and approved prior to registration; see the director of undergraduate studies for details. A creative/scholarly project conducted under faculty supervision, leading to completion of an honors essay, composition, or the equivalent.

• Instructor: Alessandra M Ciucci
  CULPA: 1 Info
• Instructor: Zosha Di Castri
  Info
• Instructor: Julia Doe
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• Instructor: Aaron A Fox
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Bradford G Garton
  CULPA: 14 Info
• Instructor: Giuseppe Gerbino
  CULPA: 12 Info
• Instructor: Georg Friedrich Haas
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• Instructor: Marcos Balter
  Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Mariusz Kozak
  CULPA: 4 h-index: 5 Info
• Instructor: Jeffrey Milarsky
  CULPA: 6 Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Seth Cluett
  h-index: 4 Info
• Instructor: Elaine Sisman
  CULPA: 13 Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Benjamin A Steege
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• Instructor: Peter M Susser
  CULPA: 20 Info
• Instructor: Knar Abrahamyan
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• Instructor: Ruth Opara
  Info
• 2-3 points

SUPERVISED INDEPENDENT STUDY

Prerequisites: approval prior to registration; see the director of undergraduate studies for details. A creative/scholarly project conducted under faculty supervision.

• Instructor: Alessandra M Ciucci
  CULPA: 1 Info
• Instructor: Zosha Di Castri
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• Instructor: Julia Doe
  Info
• Instructor: Aaron A Fox
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Bradford G Garton
  CULPA: 14 Info
• Instructor: Giuseppe Gerbino
  CULPA: 12 Info
• Instructor: Georg Friedrich Haas
  Info
• Instructor: Marcos Balter
  Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Mariusz Kozak
  CULPA: 4 h-index: 5 Info
• Instructor: Jeffrey Milarsky
  CULPA: 6 Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Seth Cluett
  h-index: 4 Info
• Instructor: Elaine Sisman
  CULPA: 13 Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Benjamin A Steege
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• Instructor: Peter M Susser
  CULPA: 20 Info
• Instructor: Anna Meadors
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• Instructor: Ole Mathisen
  Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Knar Abrahamyan
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• Instructor: Ruth Opara
  Info
• 2-3 points

Music Production & Studio Composition

This course explores the recording studio and Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) as tools for diverse compositional practices. By exploring a range of recording and editing techniques to craft new musical works beyond the limitations of live performance, this class encourages a seamless blend of composition and music production. Various genres, artists, and techniques that push the boundaries of music recording will be studied, such as Jamaican dub, musique concrète, hyper-pop, jazz fusion, and more. Students will gain hands-on experience with DAWs, exploring tools like effects processing, layering, and spatial placement. They will learn to listen closely to pieces exemplifying these techniques, building a shared analytic vocabulary to describe them. Students will also create original pieces, applying and building on the techniques studied in class, while engaging in constructive feedback with peers.

• T 4:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Seth Cluett
  h-index: 4 Info
• 3 points

Modular Sound Synthesis

Modular Sound Synthesis is a hands-on studio class that explores contemporary techniques for synthesizers both in studio practice and performance while framing them in the historical context in which they developed. The class approaches the fundamentals of sound and synthesis through the perspective of Columbia’s Computer Music Center: vintage function generators, suitcase reel-to-reel tape machines, prototype modules, custom devices; and the first programmable music synthesizer, the RCA Mark II. Students will learn to perform and compose on both hardware devices and software emulations, utilizing them as a creative tool for recording and live performance. Topics include oscillators, modulation, sequencers, voltage processing, wave shaping, filters, and LFOs. The course will engage in listening to both historical and contemporary examples to develop critical listening skills. This class is designed as a follow-up to Intro to Digital Music for undergraduates or graduate students interested in integrating modular synthesis within their artistic practice.

• R 6:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• Instructor: Danielle R Dobkin
  Info
• 3 points

Music and Global Africa

This course examines the transatlantic sounds of African music, including Afrobeat, Afrobeats, Amapiano, Chimurenga, Highlife, Kwaito, Makossa, Reggae, and more, to explore the rich cultural roots of African musical traditions and how they navigate and assimilate within the global popular culture sphere. From migration and collaborations to the rise of African artists in the era of advanced technology, the course uncovers how these genres transcend borders, inspire cross-cultural innovation, and influence the global music scene in contemporary times. Critical issues such as cultural appropriation, commodification, gender, health, and authenticity in the ever-evolving global music industry will be explored. By the end of the course, you will have a deep understanding of the complex dynamics driving the influence and dissemination of African music across the world.

• R 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Ruth Opara
  Info
• 3 points

CONDUCTING MUSIC

Prerequisites: advanced music major and extensive contemporary music background. Analysis of the modern repertory of contemporary music with directional emphasis on actual conducting preparation, beating patterns, rhythmic notational problems, irregular meters, communication, and transference of musical ideas. Topics will include theoretical writing on 20th-century conducting, orchestration, and phrasing.

• TR 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Jeffrey Milarsky
  CULPA: 6 Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Recording Studio Sessions

Recording Studio Sessions places students in weekly recording sessions with guest bands and music ensembles. The course aims to give students as much hands-on recording studio experience as possible, with the end goal of developing studio skills that lead to the production of professional-level audio materials. Students explore a wide range of studio experiences, from learning both digital and analog workflows to handling varied musical groups, so that, following the course, they may either pursue further study in upper-level sound engineering programs, find work in professional studios, or simply gain a more profound understanding of the studio environment for their own creative work.

• M 2:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• Instructor: David Adamcyk
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 3 points

SUPERVISED INDEPENDENT STUDY

• Instructor: Seth Cluett
  h-index: 4 Info
• 1-3 points

Practicum in Music Composition

This course provides an opportunity for students in the Music Department’s Composition DMA program to engage in off-campus practicum or internships in music composition for academic credit that will count towards the requirements for the degree.

• Instructor: Zosha Di Castri
  Info
• 1 points

ADVANCED ORCHESTRATION

Prerequisites: W4525 (Instrumentation) and Orchestration and recommendation of Orchestration instructor for undergraduates. Graduate students (other than composition graduate students) must obtain the instructors permission. The Advanced Orchestration class explores orchestrational techniques under the light of our current knowledge of acoustics and sound analysis. It will focus on the late romantic era and on the 20th and 21st centuries. The most recent techniques (micro-tonality, extended instrumental techniques, electronics) will also be studied.

• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Georg Friedrich Haas
  Info
• 3 points

MUSIC SINCE 1900 (II)

Prerequisites: the instructor's permission. Investigation and analysis of styles and techniques of music since 1900, carried out in part through individual projects. (Prior to Spring 2008, the course was titled 20-Century Styles and Techniques.)

• R 10:10 a.m.-noon
• Instructor: Zosha Di Castri
  Info
• 3 points

PROSEM-ETHNOMUSICOLOGY II

Introduction to Ethnomusicology: the history of the discipline and the evolution of theories and methods. G6412, Proseminar in Ethnomusicology II: Contemporary Ethnography is offered Fall 2012.

• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Ruth Opara
  Info
• 3 points

INTERACTIVE SOUND & VIDEO

Prerequisites: the instructors permission. In this year-long sequence students gain familiarity with the materials used in electroacoustic music and the techniques and equipment that are employed to transform and organize these materials into compositions. Individual projects are assigned.

• W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Seth Cluett
  h-index: 4 Info
• 3 points

INDIV PROJECTS IN MUSICOLOGY

Sec. 1: Ethnomusicology; Sec. 2: Historical Musicology; Sec. 3: Music Theory; Sec. 4: Music Cognition; Sec. 5: Music Philosophy.

• Instructor: Alessandra M Ciucci
  CULPA: 1 Info
• Instructor: Julia Doe
  Info
• Instructor: Aaron A Fox
  CULPA: 7 Info
• Instructor: Giuseppe Gerbino
  CULPA: 12 Info
• Instructor: Knar Abrahamyan
  Info
• Instructor: Mariusz Kozak
  CULPA: 4 h-index: 5 Info
• Instructor: Georg Friedrich Haas
  Info
• Instructor: Elaine Sisman
  CULPA: 13 Wikipedia Info
• Instructor: Benjamin A Steege
  Info
• Instructor: Ruth Opara
  Info
• Instructor: Marcos Balter
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

SEM IN MUSIC COMPOSITION II

Individual projects in composition.

• W 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• 3 points

SEM-ETHOMUSICLGY:FLD MTHDS II

Prerequisites: MUSI G8412. A study of the theoretical and practical aspects of ethnomusicological field work, using the New York area as a setting for exercises and individual projects.

• R 12:10 p.m.-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Alessandra M Ciucci
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 3 points

Dissertation Proposal Seminar II

Interdisciplinary group work as part of Dissertation Proposal Seminar series.

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Knar Abrahamyan
  Info
• 3 points