Music

The music program in the School of Arts and Sciences offers a minor in music to students in the Women's College. The curriculum of the music program is designed to meet the needs of those who wish to develop a proficiency in music, to further their understanding and appreciation of the art, and to hone their talents and skills in order to advance opportunities for careers in music and music-related fields. In addition to performing arts, professional opportunities include arts administration; performing arts management; musicology; music therapy; music and education; music technology; recording production; careers in radio, television and film; music libraries; and sacred music.

The music minor encompasses courses in music history, theory, applied music and ensemble. The music minor curriculum complements a number of other programs of study on campus. A student may also follow the program which leads to a liberal arts degree with a concentration in music. For students applying for the Sister Theresine Staab Music Scholarship, an audition, an interview and two letters of recommendation are required.

One medium of the student's musical expression and performance is participation in recitals and concerts, both on and off campus. Qualified students may join the University Concert Choir. The Concert Choir, which specializes in music for women's voices, performs for campus events and concert series in the Baltimore/Washington area. Other opportunities include participation in the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, the Baltimore Opera Company, local choirs and instrumental ensembles. The Music at Notre Dame Concert Series includes performance and master classes by national and international artists. A student may apply four ensemble credits—Concert Choir or Instrumental Ensemble—toward her degree. The general education requirement in fine arts may be fulfilled by taking any of the courses in music. MUS-320 fulfills the general education requirement in fine arts and gender studies. MUS-313 and MUS-314 fulfill the general education requirement in fine arts and cross-cultural studies. A student who has a baccalaureate degree in music from another college may complete the Maryland State Program of Education certification requirement in general/choral music or in instrumental music through the ACT or MAT programs.

Note: Music courses may not be taken on an audit or pass/fail basis.

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Program of Study

Required Courses for a Minor in Music (Credits)

Five courses chosen from:
MUS-106 Music and Culture I: Timeless Threads (3)
MUS-107 Music and Culture II: Lasting Legacies (3)
MUS-109 Listening to Music (3)
MUS-132 Class Piano (3)
MUS-148 Fundamentals of Music: Theoretical Studies I (3)
MUS-202 Music for the Classroom Teacher (3)
MUS-205 Theoretical Studies II (3)
MUS-219 Ear Training: Sight Singing/Keyboard Harmony (3)
MUS-235 Intermediate Class Piano (3)
MUS-243 Honors: Musical Mosaic (3)
MUS-310 Instrumental Techniques and Orchestration (3)
MUS-313 World Music (3)
MUS-314 Music in the United States (3)
MUS-320 Women and Music (3)
MUS-360 Music and Social Issues: Mutual Impact (3)
MUS-427 Study Tour (3)
MUS-442 Romanticism in Music (3)
IDS-271 Honors: Romanticism: The Beautiful Infinite (3)

Two semesters of ensemble chosen from:
MUS-201 Concert Choir (1)
MUS-231/232 Instrumental Ensemble (1)

Two semesters of applied music: voice, piano, organ, orchestral instruments, composition.
100-level (1)
200-level (2)
MUS-132 Class Piano or MUS-235 Intermediate Class Piano (3)
(May be substituted for one semester of applied music.)

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Preparation for Graduate Study in Music Therapy

Music therapy is a graduate course of study. However, the psychology and music departments assist students who desire to pursue an advanced degree in music therapy. These students complete a major in psychology and a minor in music with the advice and close supervision of a faculty member. Students are expected to contact specific music therapy graduate programs early in their undergraduate work in order to identify specific courses required by the graduate program of their choice. The departments monitor the course recommendations of the American Music Therapy Association. The student's program of study would normally include six credits earned through PSY-307 Abnormal Psychology, and either PSY-233 Human Growth and Development or PSY-203 Child and Adolescent Psychology.

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Course Descriptions

Applied Music

Applied music instruction is offered each term, carrying one credit for the 100-level course and two credits for the 200-level course. Private instruction, by special arrangements. Three (3) credits of applied music fulfills general education requirement in fine arts.

MUS-111, 212 Piano
Perform works from the Baroque through the contemporary period. Scales, chords, arpeggios, cadences. Technical studies as dictated by individual needs. May be continued in succeeding years.

MUS-, Instruments: Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion or Classical Guitar
Private instruction. One credit each term for the 100-level course; two credits each term for the 200-level course. (See WebAdvisor for appropriate course number.)

MUS-115, 215 Voice
Performs works in English, German, Italian and French. Classical, Romantic and Modern Schools, oratorio, opera and songs performed in English, German, Italian and French. May be continued in succeeding years.

MUS-180, 280 Organ
The study and performance of compositions from the Renaissance through the contemporary period.

MUS-155, MUS-255 Composition I, II
Private instruction in music composition, involving both analysis and creation of original works. Places emphasis on in-depth study of counterpoint and traditional and contemporary compositional styles, forms and instrumentation. May be continued in succeeding years. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

Ensembles

MUS-201 Concert Choir
Performance of selected choral works from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Repertoire includes works by Palestrina, Vivaldi, Mozart, Britten, Copland, Bernstein, as well as selections from musical theater. Recent performances have highlighted music by women composers Hildegard von Bingen, Emma Lou Diemer, Sister Mary Agnesine Mannes, Sister Mary Theresine Staab and Libby Larsen. Performances include a Christmas Concert; a Spring Concert; appearances at selected campus functions and community events; and collaborative performances with Notre Dame alumnae and other institutions. Opportunities are provided for solo and small group experiences with instrumental ensembles. Admission by audition. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [1 credit]

MUS-231/232 Instrumental Ensemble
Performance of chamber music (including vocal and instrumental combination) from all musical periods. Emphasizes practice, rehearsal, listening techniques and performance. Ensemble class participants are afforded the opportunity to perform at special campus events and recitals at the end of each semester. Admission by audition. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [1 credit]

MUS-463 Independent Study
Offers an individualized program designed as a research project in music, under the direction of a faculty member. Prerequisite: permission of the department. [1, 2 or 3 credits]

Music History, Theory and Education

MUS-106 Music and Culture I: Timeless Threads
Considers the unadorned transparency of Gregorian Chant through to the complex textures of music during the Baroque era. Includes an overview of music in the context of social and political issues; music as function and entertainment. Develops an understanding of how they meld or counter each other to reflect and define changing styles and artistic tastes. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [3 credits]

MUS-107 Music and Culture II: Lasting Legacies
Studies the music of the Rococo Period through to the onset decade of the 21st century. Examines the confluence of art, philosophy and literature influencing styles that reflect a kaleidoscope of intellect, emotion and experimentation. Affords the opportunity to understand music as integral to the fabric of everyday life. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [3 credits]

MUS-109 Listening to Music
Experiences musical masterpieces from the Middle Ages through the 21st century. The correlation of art, literature and philosophy with musical developments is explored and illustrated. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [3 credits]

MUS-132 Class Piano
Provides beginning instruction in technique and repertoire. Students participate in a recital at the conclusion of the course. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [3 credits]

MUS-148 Fundamentals of Music: Theoretical Studies I
Introduces students to the foundation of music theory: major and minor scales; intervals, chords and inversions. Includes ear-training, dictation, and vocal and piano sight-reading. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [3 credits]

MUS-202 Music for the Classroom Teacher
Introduces elementary education majors to the elements of music; the instruments of the orchestra performance on the autoharp, guitar, recorder and piano; as well as methodologies for teaching music in pre-school through the eighth grade. Opportunities to observe music sessions in local school systems are provided. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts and music requirement for the elementary education major. [3 credits]

MUS-205 Theoretical Studies II
Advances student skills and knowledge of the technical aspects of music. Through written exercises and analysis of representative works from all periods, the student is provided a foundation necessary for a greater understanding and appreciation of the musical repertoire. Prerequisite: MUS-148 or permission of instructor. [3 credits each term]

MUS-219 Ear Training: Sight Singing/Keyboard
Emphasizes the singing of melodic lines and intervals, melodic, harmonic and rhythmic dictation. Keyboard exercises center around the basics of improvisation, modulation, transposition, reading of figured bass and supplying a simple accompaniment to a given melody. This course, skill developmental in nature, develops motor skills and enhances thought processes. Prerequisite: MUS-148 or 202 or permission of instructor. [3 credits]

MUS-235 Intermediate Class Piano
Provides students who have successfully completed the introductory level of study with opportunities to develop an advanced repertoire, further their technical skills, and participate in formal and informal recitals. May be continued in succeeding years. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. Prerequisite: MUS-132 or instructor permission. [3 credits]

MUS-243 Honors: A Musical Mosaic
Focuses on representative musical compositions and related works of art in Western and non-Western cultures. Explores the varied elements which, through individual creativity, hold parts (not always compatible) together to form the sound structure which becomes the mosaic that is music. Develops the aural sense of formal structure and the visual sense of sound. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. Prerequisite: Morrissy scholar or permission. [3 credits]

MUS-305 Methods of Teaching Music in the Elementary School
Introduces methods and materials for teaching music in the elementary grades. Includes observation and on-site student demonstration lessons in area public and private schools. [3 credits]

MUS-310 Instrumental Techniques and Orchestration
Introduces the instruments of the orchestra. The student learns the fundamentals of orchestration as well as the basic playing techniques of three representative instruments (string, wind, brass). Included is a survey of available methods for teaching orchestral instruments. [3 credits]

MUS-313 World Music
Surveys world music styles and genres with references to social, cultural and historical contexts. Examples of non-Western classical, traditional and folk music are explored in the classroom and through concert experiences. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts and cross-cultural studies. [3 credits]

MUS-314 Music in the United States
Surveys the diverse musical styles in the United States through listening, discussion and analysis. Students experience the broad spectrum of American music including concert music, popular music, country music, traditional and folk music, religious music, and jazz in an historical and sociological way. Special emphasis is given to the emergence and impact of women in the U.S. as performers and composers from the 19th century to the present. Fulfills general education requirements in fine arts and cross-cultural studies. [3 credits]

MUS-320 Women and Music
Discusses and analyzes the accomplishments of women as composers, performers, educators, conductors, arts managers and patrons of the arts. A major focus of the course is experiencing musical works by women composers from the historical style periods through recorded examples and demonstrations. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts and gender studies. [3 credits]

MUS-360 Music and Social Issues: Mutual Impact
This course maps an exploratory route through the periods of music, allowing each student to identify, define and articulate his or her own personal and creative sensibilities. The society of this 21st century lives in a world saturated with music, always heard, rarely listened to. It is less considered a component of the cultural fabric than it is an adornment. Therefore, attention is given to the political, religious and social cultures, as well as to the artistic communities, that defined a specific era. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [3 credits]

MUS-427 Study Tour
Experiences concert events and opera performances in major cities of Europe, Asia and the Americas. Preparatory and post-tour sessions focus on students' aesthetic perceptions and responses to the music they experience. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [3 credits]

MUS-442 Romanticism in Music
Explores romantic elements in art, literature and philosophy and their influence on style in music from chant to jazz. Musical examples of works best representative of those elements will be heard on recordings and live performances in class. Offers insight into how musical preferences may, at times, be based on social and political trends dictated by historical verdict. Fulfills general education requirement in fine arts. [3 credits]

MUS-463 Independent Study
Offers an individualized program designed as a research project in music, under the direction of a faculty member. Prerequisite: permission of the department. [3 credits]

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