Upper-Division Courses

MUS 112A. History of Western Music: Middle Ages to 1700 (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour.  Prerequisite(s): MUS 030A, MUS 030B, MUS 030C; or consent of instructor. An intensive survey of music history and literature from the Middle Ages to 1700.  Involves score reading, listening, and analysis of pieces with emphasis on historical characteristics. 

MUS 112B. History of Western Music: 1700-1900 (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MUS 030A, MUS 030B, MUS 030C; or consent of instructor. An intensive survey of music history and literature from the 1700 to 1900. Involves score reading, listening, and analysis of pieces with emphasis on historical characteristics.

MUS 112C. History of Western Music: Twentieth Century (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour.  Prerequisite(s): MUS 030A, MUS 030B, MUS 030C; or consent of instructor. An intensive survey of music history and literature from 1900 to the present.  Involves score reading, listening, and analysis of pieces with emphasis on historical characteristics. 

MUS 113. Brazilian Music (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; assigned listening, 1 hour.  Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduces the music of Brazil, focusing on the history and the current variety of musical languages, styles, and forms of the present. Analyzes the crucial question of national identity in Brazilian culture and society through the study of its music. 

MUS 114. Opera (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Study of selected operas from the Western repertory for 1600 to the present. 

MUS 115. Renaissance and Baroque Music of Latin Europe and Latin America (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MUS 112A, MUS 112B, MUS 112C; or upper-division standing and consent of instructor. Study of the sacred and secular musics of Italy, France, the Iberian Peninsula, and Latin America, 1450-1750. Emphasis is on the repertoires, styles, and genres that are relevant to understanding the musical past of the Americas, from (Alta) California to South America.

MUS 116. Music of J. S. Bach (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Critical and analytical exploration of selected works by J. S. Bach.  Usually devoted to specific genres within his output viewed in their musical and cultural context. 

MUS 117. Music and Ritual (4) Lecture, 3 hours; written work, 1 hour; fieldwork, 20 hours per quarter.  Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines music cross-culturally in a ritual context. Incorporates readings from ethnomusicology, anthropology, folklore, and performance studies.  Addresses how music operates within specific ritual events and how it relates to cosmology. Also examines the role of music in achieving altered states (dreams, meditation, trance, and possession), as well as helping to constitute gendered authority.

MUS 118. Music, Politics, and Social Movements (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; assigned listening, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines the role of music in social and political movements. Emphasis is on understanding the textual and musical features of politically engaged music within its historical, social, and cultural context.

MUS 120. Contemporary Native American Music (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; listening to prepared audio examples of music, 1 hour.  Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores the music of Native American peoples today, the contexts and behaviors with which such music is associated, and the ways these elements are discussed within Native communities.  Emphasis is on “Pan Indian” music, including music for pow wows and syncretic religious music, and Native popular music, including folk, country, rock, and hip-hop.

MUS 122. Music and Performance in the Andes (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; assigned listening, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduction to the musical practices of the central Andean countries, including indigenous, mestizo, Creole, and Afro-Andean traditions.  Music is presented as part of a broader realm of performance in the Andes, incorporating dance, ritual, drama, and popular culture, and its relationship with notions of identity, nationalism, modernity, folklore, and politics.

MUS 123. Southeast Asian Performance (4) Lecture, 3 hours; screening, 2 hours; extra reading, 1 hour.  Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Introduction to the roles and genres of expressive culture in Southeast Asia, including dance, music, theater, film, and digital culture. Performance is discussed both as a time-honored and as a contemporary medium for cultural production, from the courts to everyday experience. Material will be drawn from the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, Singapore, and the Southeast Asian diaspora. Cross-listed with ANTH 126, AST 123, and DNCE 123.

MUS 124. Music of Asian America (4) Lecture, 3 hours; music listening, 1 hour; individual study, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Explores music as a window on the cultural politics of Asian America. Examines expressive culture as a constitutive site for ethnic identities and emergent political formations. Covers musics of Asian immigrants and of subsequent generations, including Asian American jazz and hip-hop. Cross-listed with AST 124.

MUS 125. Music of Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading and listening to prepared tapes of music, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A survey of different musical traditions from Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, with an emphasis on popular music. Examines the impact of intercultural contact on the musical styles of these regions. A background in Western music is not required.

MUS 126. Gender, Sexuality, and Music in Cross-Cultural Perspectives (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. An overview of gendered performance genres from a number of cultures. Seeks to familiarize the student with gender-specific music and notions of gender that are often constructed, maintained, transmitted, and transformed through music and performance. Designed for students interested in music, anthropology, and gender studies. Cross-listed with ANTH 177 and WMST 126.

MUS 127. Music Cultures of Southeast Asia (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours.  Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A survey of music, dance, theatre, and ritual in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.  Designed for the student interested in the performing arts and cultures of mainland and insular Southeast Asia. No Western music background is required.  Cross-listed with ANTH 176, AST 127, DNCE 127, and ETST 172.

MUS 128. Performing Arts of Asia (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A survey of music, dance, theatre, and ritual in four major geocultural regions of Asia: Central, East, South, and Southeast.  No Western music training is required. Course is repeatable to a maximum of 8 units. Cross-listed with ANTH 128, AST 128, DNCE 128, and THEA 176. 

MUS 129. Music Cultures of Africa (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upperdivision standing or consent of instructor. An overview of African performance, addressing the large culture areas of the continent. Emphasizes African aesthetics.  Special attention is paid to contemporary popular music, its roots in older genres, and its ongoing role in postcolonial politics. Cross-listed with ETST 118. 

MUS 130A. Counterpoint (4) Lecture, 3 hours; consultation, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MUS 138; concurrent enrollment in MUS 031A or MUS 031B or MUS 031C or MUS 131A or MUS 131B or MUS 131C. Study of contrapuntal techniques. Analysis of models centering on the sixteenth century, with exercises to develop manipulative skills in modal counterpoint. 

MUS 130B. Counterpoint (4) Lecture, 3 hours; consultation, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): concurrent enrollment in MUS 031A or MUS 031B or MUS 031C or MUS 131A or MUS 131B or MUS 131C; MUS 130A. Study of contrapuntal techniques. Analysis of models centering on the eighteenth century, with exercises to develop manipulative skills in tonal counterpoint. 

MUS 131A. Musicianship II (1) Laboratory, 2 hours; individual study, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MUS 031C.  Sight-singing and ear-training laboratory including keyboard harmony.

MUS 131B. Musicianship II (1) Laboratory, 2 hours; individual study, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MUS 131A.  Sight-singing and ear-training laboratory including keyboard harmony.

MUS 131C. Musicianship II (1) Laboratory, 2 hours; individual study, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MUS 131B.  Sight-singing and ear-training laboratory including keyboard harmony.

MUS 132. Film Music Workshop (4) Workshop, 3 hours; studio, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): piano proficiency, upper-division standing, consent of instructor.  Introduces students to issues associated with narrative underscoring: its conception, modeling, and implementation.  Students study classic underscoring for dramatic effect, experiment with music use in film and live-scripted situations, and produce a piece of recorded music for film.

MUS 133. Instrumentation (4) Lecture, 3 hours; consultation, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MUS 030A, MUS 030B, MUS 030C; or consent of instructor.  Investigation of the technical and color possibilities of various instruments, with scoring projects.  MUS 134. Orchestration (4) Lecture, 3 hours; consultation, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): MUS 133 or consent of instructor. Advanced scoring projects with emphasis on stylistic aspects and relationship of orchestral color to form.

MUS 136. Jazz Theory (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading and listening to music tapes, 3 hours.  Prerequisite(s): MUS 030A; MUS 031A or MUS 031B or MUS 031C; or consent of instructor. Examines concepts and practices in harmony, melody, rhythm, and form as they relate to jazz and other popular idioms.  Provides basic ear training for the recognition of changes in traditional jazz tunes, primary blues forms, modulations, and classic jazz bridges. 

MUS 137. Seminar in Free Composition (4) Seminar, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MUS 030A, MUS 030B, MUS 030C; or consent of instructor.  Assists in the successful composition of pieces in a variety of genres and media. Includes compositional models and the creation of musical scores. Course is repeatable to a maximum of 12 units.

MUS 138. Form and Analysis in Western Music (4) Lecture, 3 hours; assigned special projects, 3 hours.  Prerequisite(s): MUS 030A, MUS 030B, MUS 030C; or consent of instructor. Different approaches to analysis using works in contrasting styles. Study of the dynamic design produced by the musical elements functioning in context.

MUS 139. Sequencer Composition (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MUS 030A or MUS 030B or MUS 030C (may be taken concurrently). Students learn music sequencing techniques in the context of the creation of an original piece of music. Topics covered include basic computer skills, benchmarking a digital orchestra, composing using a click track, and techniques of musical composition specific to the editorial potential inherent in music sequencing. 

MUS 140. American Musical Subcultures: A Genealogy of Rock (4) Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 0-2 hours; listening, 2-3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. A historical and cultural overview of the genre of American popular music known as “rock.” Covers themes ranging from musical form and structure, aesthetics, and audio technology to community and individualism, gender and racial identity, political resistance, and the music industry.  Cross-listed with HISA 139.

MUS 142. Notation for Composers (4) Lecture, 1 hour; discussion, 1 hour; workshop, 2 hours.  Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Familiarizes the beginning composer with proper music notation, presentation, and score production.  Surveys notation techniques used in the composition of a variety of music, from traditional arrangements through the most complex contemporary hybrid scores. Teaches established practice through the study of published scores and recordings. 

MUS 145. Introduction to Digital Audio (4) Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. College math is recommended. An introduction to the theory and practice of manipulating digital sound. Provides students with an understanding of digital audio devices associated with media production and of audio processing in general. Topics covered include basic psychoacoustics, digital audio theory, and digital audio editing.

MUS 150A. Instrumental Technique: Strings (2) Lecture, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Study of basic techniques of orchestral string instruments.

MUS 150B. Instrumental Technique: Woodwinds (2) Lecture, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Study of basic techniques of orchestral woodwind instruments.

MUS 150C. Instrumental Technique: Brass (2) Lecture, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Study of basic techniques of orchestral brass instruments.

MUS 150D. Instrumental Technique: Percussion (2) Lecture, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Study of basic techniques of orchestral percussion instruments.

MUS 151. Orchestral Conducting (4) Lecture, 3 hours; studio, 2-3 hours. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor.  Fundamentals of baton technique, score study, transposition, and stylistic analysis as they relate to problems of conducting.

MUS 152. Choral Conducting (4) Lecture, 3 hours; studio, 2-3 hours. Prerequisite(s): consent of instructor.  Study of choral repertoire, rehearsal methods, voice production, and techniques of conducting. 

MUS 153. Homosexuality and Music (4) Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Uses a topical rather than a chronological approach to investigate homosexuality on the part of composers, performers, critics, theorists, and historians and how this has shaped the history of music in the West. 

MUS 154 (E-Z). Critical Approaches to the Western Canon (4) Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours.  Prerequisite(s): MUS 112A, MUS 112B, MUS 112C; or upper-division standing and consent of instructor.  Critical study of selected repertoires within Western music, and the multiple and potentially problematic aspects of their construction as iconic and paradigmatic. E. Beethoven: The Music and the Myth.