Fall Courses 2007

MUSI 101: Introduction to Music

Allison Robbins
3.0 credits
MW 9-9:50 am, Clark 108, and discussion section (see Course Offering Directory)

In this course, we will examine "classical" (European or Eurocentric) music in dialogue with American "classical" and "popular" musical traditions. How are these various types of music put together? How do they function in our lives? How do composers, musicians, and listeners usually engage with, talk and think about, and listen to these musics? We will consider how musical choices reflect or create our individual, social, and cultural identities, including attitudes toward gender, ethnicity, race, and social relationships. Coursework will include regular reading and listening assignments, attendance at various musical events throughout the semester, several written responses, and a midterm and final.

MUSI 104: Exploring the Orchestra

Kate Tamarkin
3.0 credits
TR 11-11:50 am, OCH 107, and discussion section (see Course Offering Directory)

The symphony orchestra has been the vehicle for many composers' greatest inspiration. This course will familiarize the student with several orchestral masterpieces, and develop aural discrimination skills. It will include study of the development and make up of the modern symphony orchestra, as well as an exploration of the different genres and musical forms found in symphonic music. The course will include comparisons of interpretations of selected works.

MUSI 131: Introduction to Musical Skills

Joseph Adkins, David Cosper, Nick Rubin
3.0 credits
Section 1 (Adkins): MWF 9-9:50 am, OCH 107
Section 2 (Cosper): MWF 10 -10:50 am, OCH 107
Section 3 (Rubin): MWF 9-9:50 am, OCH B012

This course is not open to students already qualified to elect MUSI 231 or 331. No previous knowledge of music is required. This course begins by establishing a basic competency in reading and writing musical notation, and subsequently examines principles of melody, and the construction and progression of chords. The class will study rhythm, melody and harmony in selected single pieces, including some popular songs.

CCFA 200: The Mind of the Artist

Judith Shatin, Michael Kubovy
3.0 credits
MW 11-11:50 am, WIL 301, and discussion section (see Course Offering Directory)

The Mind of the Artist will be taught by Professors Kubovy (Psychology and Art; Visual and Auditory Perception) and Shatin (Music; Composition and Digital Music). The course will include in-class interviews of artists, composers and musicians, as well as integrated lectures and opportunities for in-class discussion. Topics will focus on such issues as the artist in society, education of the artist, madness and the artist, sexuality and the artist, the nature of creativity and the meaning of genius. We will consider artists from different periods, ranging from the historical (such as Leonardo da Vinci, Edward Munch, Beethoven and Mozart) to the contemporary (such as Richard Serra and Radiohead). We will start by asking the question "What is art?" We will consider how it is defined in different cultures and periods. The purpose of CCFA 200 (Mind of the Artist) is to bring to life the creative process of artists and the creative understanding of the arts.

Assignments will include short readings, films, and listening to music. Most materials will be on our class site. No prior knowledge of art, music or psychology is required. The class meets M-W, 11:00 - 11:50 in in Wilson 301, with discussion sections on W, Th and F. This course fulfills the Humanities requirement.

MUSI 205: American Musical Mavericks

Matthew Burtner
3.0 credits
MW 12-12:50 pm, OCH 107, and discussion section (see Course Offering Directory)

American Musical Mavericks looks at the rich tradition of innovation and experimentation in American Music. From the log cabin composers of Colonial America to an experimental tradition of hobo, scientist and political activist composers, this tradition grew out of a desire to find a distinctly American musical voice. This class explores an approach to making music that transcends musical genres. From experimental classical music to electronic and computer music to free jazz to punk to turntablism and sound art, the course engages with music which has defied conventions of popular culture in favor of a distinctive path. In addition to reading, listening and writing about this music, students in the class will also compose their own "maverick" compositions using their own creative facilities. No previous music experience is necessary or expected.

MUSI 211: Music in Everyday Life

Michelle Kisliuk
3.0 credits
TR 2 pm-2:50 pm, OCH 107, and discussion section (see Course Offering Directory)

What is the soundscape of our quotidian (everyday) experience? How does it condition our consciousness, and what implicit cultural messages circulate within our ever-changing daily soundtracks? This course focuses our attention not on music highlighted in performance, but on that which we usually take for granted. A close look at how music works in our everyday lives can offer a new awareness of our ongoing experience, open us to choices we never thought we had, and get us wondering about the depths of aesthetic experience.

MUSI 212: History of Jazz Music

Scott DeVeaux
4.0 credits
MWF 11-11:50 am, Maury 209, and discussion section (see Course Offering Directory)

No previous knowledge of music is required. This course meets the Non-western perspectives requirement. This course is a survey of the history of jazz from its beginnings around 1900 through the stylistic changes and trends of the 20th century. Important instrumental performers, vocalists, composers, and arrangers are listened to and discussed.

MUSI 230A: Keyboard Skills

Elizabeth Lindau
2.0 credits, instructor permission
MWF 10-10:50 am, OCH 113

Introductory keyboard skills; includes sight-reading, improvisation, and accompaniment at the keyboard in a variety of styles.
Prerequisite: MUSI 131 or the ability to read music.

MUSI 230C: Fretboard Harmony

Mike Rosensky
2.0 credits, instructor permission
MWF 2:00-2:50, OCH B012

The level of this course will vary, anywhere from beginner to advanced, each semester depending on the guitar experience of students who enroll. Students should contact Mike Rosensky (mlr5q@virginia.edu) during pre-registration letting him know of their interest in the course and of their intent to show up for the first class of the semester when the level and the make-up of the class will be ultimately determined--please save questions for the first day of class because I won't have any specifics about the course until I see who shows up.

In Fretboard Harmony a theory-based approach will be taken to understanding how musical materials (scales, arpeggios, chord voicings) "fit" on the guitar. The majority of class meeting time is spent with guitars in hand drilling new material. Practice methods will be explored, with an emphasis on learning how to practice effectively and efficiently. The class is fairly intensive and students should be prepared to practice daily in order to keep up with the material.

MUSI 300: Studies in Pre-Modern Music

Paul Walker
3.0 credits
MW 3:30-4:45 pm, OCH B012 and T 2-2:50 pm, OCH 113

Introduction to the variety of repertories and music cultures known to have thrived in pre-modern Europe, and the ways such music has been assimilated into 20th-century American ideas about "music history." Specific topics announced in advance, such as: the music of 12-century France; music in monastic life, 800-1500; music and mystical vision, the cosmology of Hildegard von Bingen; music, cultural exchange, and power, Burgandy and Italy in the 15th century.

MUSI 305: Twentieth Century Music

Scott DeVeaux
3.0 credits
MWF 1-1:50 pm, OCH B012

A study of the musical heritage of the past century, including European art music, popular music, and folk musics of various kinds, as seen through historical, critical and ethnographic approaches. Prerequisite: the ability to read music, or any three-credit course in music, or the permission of the instructor.

MUSI 308: Issues in American Music

Melvin Butler
3.0 credits
TR 3:30-4:45 pm, Maury 104

Issues in American Music will examine ethnomusicological perspectives on various popular musical genres in the United States, including minstrelsy, blues, jazz, gospel, rhythm-and-blues, and rock-and-roll. Reading, writing, and listening assignments will deal primarily, but not exclusively, with African American contributions to these musical traditions. Class discussions will center on the historical interplay of black and white musical aesthetics, the politics of race and ethnicity, and the role of music in constructing "Americanness."

MUSI 331: Theory I

Nathan Currier
3.0 credits
Section 1: MWF 10-10:50 am, OCH B012
Section 2: MWF 12-12:50 pm, OCH B012

Studies the pitch and rhythmic aspects of several musical styles, including European art music, blues, African drumming, and popular music. Focuses on concepts and notation related to scales and modes, harmony, meter, form, counterpoint, and style. Prerequisite: Ability to read music, and familiarity with basic concepts of pitch intervals and scales. Corequisite: MUSI 333A, 333B, or 333C, except for students who have already passed the exit test for MUSI 333C.

MUSI 333 A, B, and C

Jeff Decker, Jonathan Zorn, Scott Barton, Peter Tschirhart
1.0 credit
All sections meet 11-11:50 am

These lab courses give practical experience with many aspects of musical perception, performance, and creation. These will include sight-reading and sight-singing; dictation of melody, rhythm, and harmony; aural identification of intervals, chords, and rhythmic patterns; and exercises in musical memory and improvisation. Students entering the sequence take a test to determine the appropriate level of their first course. At the end of each course, students take a placement test to determine whether they may enter a higher level course. Courses may be repeated for credit, but each course may be counted toward the major only once. MUSI 333A, B, and C are co-requisites for MUSI 331, 332, and 431. This means that students pre-registering in the latter courses must also pre-register in MUSI 333A, B, or C unless they have already taken the highest level course and have been passed out of further co-requisite requirements. Students interested in taking Musicianship but not Theory are encouraged to register for MUSI 333A, B, or C as space permits. Such students may not pre-register. They should plan to register by adding in Fall after taking a placement exam.

MUSI 339: Introduction to Music and Computers

Ted Coffey
3.0 credits
TR 2-2:50 pm, OCH B012, and discussion section (see Course Offering Directory)

Introduction to Computers in Music is an upper-level introductory course in music technology. Students gain theoretical, practical and historical knowledge of electronic and computer music. An emphasis is placed on creative hands-on experience composing computer music. Theoretical topics include acoustics, recording, digital audio, MIDI, sound synthesis, and audio DSP. Students learn skills in soundfile editing, multitrack sound mixing, MIDI, and sound processing. This is a composition class and assignments are creative in nature.

MUSI 393: Independent Study

1.0-3.0 credits
Instructor permission and instructor number required to enroll.

MUSI 409: American Jewish Popular Music

Joel Rubin
3.0 credits
TR 11 am-12:15 pm, OCH S008

Dynamic changes in American Jewry since the late 1960s have brought forth a number of flourishing music genres which reflect the direction of American Judaism at the turn of the 21st century. These represent the legacy of the popular American Jewish entertainment music and culture which began to emerge in the last quarter of the 19th century. The most visible of these is the klezmer movement, which is arguably the most dynamic phenomenon in secular American Jewry today, reaching far beyond its roots in medieval minstrelsy and Jewish ritual and into the sphere of both popular and art music and culture. In this course we will investigate why this seemingly archaic musical tradition is so appealing to post-war American Jewish youth and how its meaning has been transformed by them in their quest for a new, post-Holocaust and post-Zionist identity. Beyond klezmer, a number of other secular music movements have emerged in recent decades, most notably the Radical Jewish Culture Movement of New York's Downtown music scene led by John Zorn since the early 90s. Religious Jewish popular music, too, has flourished since the 60s. All of these will be seen to be different ways of establishing an American Jewish identity via music. They have also had a profound effect on mainstream American popular culture, influencing popular television shows such as "Sex and the City" and "The Nanny," films like "Dummy," and musicians as diverse as Carlos Santana, Ray Charles and Madonna. For the various contemporary Jewish popular music forms, the 1990s were a particularly fruitful decade. In order to understand these contemporary developments, we will first look at the emergence of Jewish popular culture -- especially the culture of Yiddish speakers -- beginning in the mid-19th century, a movement which reached its zenith in the 1920s and 1930s. We will concentrate on expressions of popular culture within the Jewish communities, but also look at intersections between the music and culture of the Jewish subculture and and that of the dominant American superculture (e.g. Al Jolson's The Jazz Singer in the 1920s). The texts will be drawn from a number of book chapters and articles which draw on writings from the literature of ethnomusicology, musicology, popular music studies, folklore, anthropology, sociology, Jewish studies, history and other fields. Listening and reading examples will be available on Toolkit. We will be watching at least 3 films and participating in an internet listserv. Attendance of at least one out-of-class event will be required.

MUSI 419: Songs of Ourselves: Images of Nation in American Music and Literature

Michael Bishop
3.0 credits
TR 9:30-10:45 am, OCH 107

This course examines intersections of American music and literature, exploring the ways art and criticism reflect and construct national and regional identity. We will consider 19^th and 20^th century poetry and prose as well as selected works of musical criticism alongside works from the American ballad tradition, sentimental songs, American art music, blues, jazz, country, bluegrass, and rock and roll from the "Rock-a-bill Moment" to punk rock. Students will develop skills for writing and thinking about music and literature as reciprocally interpretive while examining how these modes of expression work to manifest ideas of American and regional identity bound with issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality. Some of the authors covered in the course are Walt Whitman, Mark Twain, Allen Ginsberg, James Baldwin, Greil Marcus, and Lester Bangs. Our musical explorations will include Stephen Foster, George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, Robert Johnson, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard, Elvin Presley, Bob Dylan, and Iggy Pop, among others.
Instructor permission required.

MUSI 431: Theory III

Nathan Currier
3.0 credits
MW 2:00-3:15, OCH 107

Introduction and practice of various methodologies for the analysis of Western classical music from c. 1725-1915, combined with model composition in formal genres characteristic of this period: Baroque chorales and dance forms, Classical themes and variations, and Romantic art song and piano music. Prerequisite: MUSI 332; co-requisite: MUSI 333B or 333C, except for those students who have already placed out of MUSI 333.

MUSI 443: Producer as Composer

Ted Coffey
3.0 credits
T 5-7:30 pm, OCH B011

This seminar examines the increasingly creative role of production in recorded music over the last 50 years. Materials, topics and themes include: (1) survey and analysis of key recordings; (2) theoretical and practical understanding of technologies used in recording and production; (3) developments in music production (such as the naturalization of 'illusion') in the context of broader technological and cultural developments; and (4) creative studio projects. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor.

MUSI 475: Choral Conducting

Michael Slon
3.0 credits
MW 2-3:15 pm, OCH 107

Studies the theory and practice of conducting, score analysis, and rehearsal technique. Prerequisite: MUSI 332 and instructor permission.

MUSI 493: Independent Study

1.0-3.0 credits
Instructor permission and instructor number required to enroll.

MUSI 581: Composition

3.0 credits
Prerequisite: MUSI 431. Instructor permission and instructor number required to enroll.

MUSI 581: Composition

3.0 credits
Instructor permission and instructor number required to enroll.

MUSI 702: Folk Revivals in American Music

Richard Will
3.0 credits
T 2-4:30 pm, OCH S008

Following an overview of 18th- and 19th-century conceptions of "folk" culture, we will examine several revival movements in 20th-century American music: ballad & spiritual collecting of the early 20th century; activist folksong movements of the Great Depression; ballad, blues, and country music revivals of the 1950s-60s; and old-time music communities of the 1970s and beyond. Emphasis on the construction of race, gender, and social class through the performance of folksong, and on the intersection of revival movements with nationalist, antimodernist, and anticapitalist ideologies.

MUSI 709: Lyric and Transculturation

Bruce Holsinger
3.0 credits
R 3:30-6:00 pm, OCH S008
Note: this course is cross-listed as ENMD 928 and ENRN 928.

Lyres and lyrics, lyric and lyricism: the lyric idiom has always negotiated between the poetic and musical dimensions of its identity, between notions of lyric poetry as the verbal embodiment of subjective interiority and conceptions of lyricism as a musicality essential to poetic and musical languages more generally. Taking up these and other threads of a conversation about lyric that has been going on in one form or another for millennia, this seminar (cross-listed in English and Music) will have three interrelated and concurrent purposes. First, we will think about the nature of lyric (as form, genre, and mode) by tackling some of the more influential theories of lyric production and meaning, both musicological and literary. Second, we will read closely and listen closely to selections from ancient, premodern, and modern lyrico-musical repertories, from the Occitan inventions of the troubadours to the collaborative revival of Andalusian "deep song" by Gabriel Garcia Lorca and Manuel de Falla; from the biblical Psalms and their many translations to the /Symphonia/ of Hildegard of Bingen; from the lyric fragments of Sappho to Petrarch's /canzoni/. Finally, we'll think about the role of transculturation in the history of lyric, taking readings from anthropology, ethnomusicology, postcolonial studies, and other fields into critical consideration. Aside from a considerable range of primary texts (all assigned in English translation but available in the original for those working in particular languages), we'll draw theoretical and historiographical readings from Theodor Adorno, Roland Greene, Giambattista Vico, Benedetto Croce, Sharon Cameron, Maria Rosa Menocal, and others.

MUSI 723: Music and Migration

Melvin Butler
3.0 credits
M 2-4:30 pm, OCH S008

Ethnomusicological studies of music and migration are increasingly drawing attention to the dynamic processes through which music, as a broadly conceived realm of human activity, crosses boundaries and becomes critically refashioned in sociospiritual contexts around the world. This seminar thus begins with the premise that "migration" applies both to people, and also to musical practice. The related concepts of migration and "migrancy" (Reyes 1999), as they each pertain to voluntary and forced transplantations of ethnic groups, will hold particular importance, as will the relation between music making and various intra- and international movements of peoples and expressive cultures. As we grapple with the means through which music, along with those who create it, passes through space and time, we will also explore various cultural technologies that serve to facilitate a transcendence of place.

Throughout the semester, we will attend to several important issues in recent ethnomusicological literature, including the appropriation of global sounds within local contexts (Meintjes 2005; Rommen 2007); the use of music as a tool of resistance among diasporic populations (Lipsitz 1994); musical expression as a key to emotional survival for "refugees" (Reyes 1999) and "exiles" (Sanders 1996; Muller 1996); and negotiations of gender and identity within postcolonial nation-states (Niranjana 2006). As we probe various theoretical and ethnographic texts, the following questions, among others, will recur: What does it mean for music to "travel"? In what ways does music shape the experience of migration? How does migration, in turn, impact musical experience? What epistemological, methodological, and theoretical challenges do scholars studying migratory musics face, particularly as fluid conceptions of "home" and "field" are becoming the norm rather than the exception?

MUSI 747: Materials of Contemporary Music: Temporality In Post-Tonal Music

Judith Shatin
3.0 credits
W 3:30-6:00 pm, OCH S008

The focus of this graduate seminar will be on approaches to temporality in post-tonal music. We will consider issues such as the relationship between duration and perception, extensions and contractions of proportion and form, problems of temporal notation and how temporal conceptions affect performance. Our readings will be drawn from such sources as Kramer's The Time of Music, The Contemporary Music Review Time in Contemporary Musical Thought and Lochhead and Auner's Postmodern Music/Postmodern Thought. Musical examples will come from composers such as Dhomont, Feldman, Kurtag, Ligeti, Tormis and Webern. Assignments will include readings, short analytic papers, compositions that respond to elements of our discussion , and a seminar paper (15 - 20 pages).

MUSI 811: Introduction to Critical and Comparative Studies

Richard Will
3.0 credits
W 2:00-4:30, location TBA

Introduction to current issues in music scholarship; training in techniques and methodologies important for the practice of music scholarship today. Intensive reading; weekly writing assignments. Prerequisite: instructor permission.

MUSI 881: Advanced Composition

Judith Shatin, Ted Coffey, Matthew Burtner
3.0 credits
Instructor permission and instructor number required to enroll

MUSI 891: Supervised Research

3.0 credits

MUSI 893: Independent Study

1.0-3.0 credits

MUSI 896: Non-topical Research

1.0-6.0 credits

MUSI 897: Non-topical Research

3.0-12.0 credits

MUSI 991: Supervised Research

3.0 credits

MUSI 993: Independent Research

3.0 credits

MUSI 997: Non-topical Research

3.0-12.0 credits

MUSI 999: Non-topical Research

3.0-12.0 credits

MUBD 261: Marching Band I

Bill Pease
2.0 credits
Meeting time and location TBA

An ensemble that performs at all home football games and selected away games each season, also traveling to Bowl games and performing at special events. This course counts as performance, and thus subject to the limit of eight credits of the 120 required for the B.A. Prerequisite: students are selected by audition. No fees required to enroll in the class. Contact the band office at 434.982.5347.

MUBD 262: Marching Band II

Bill Pease
2.0 credits
Meeting time and location TBA

An ensemble that performs at all home football games and selected away games each season, also traveling to Bowl games and performing at special events. Students assist in mentoring new band members enrolled in MUBD 261. Prerequisite: MUBD 261.

MUBD 263: Marching Band III

Bill Pease
2.0 credits
Meeting time and location TBA

An ensemble that performs at all home football games and selected away games each season, also traveling to Bowl games and performing at special events. Students run sectional rehearsals and tutor students enrolled in MUBD 261 and 262. Prerequisite: MUBD 261 and MUBD 262.

MUBD 264: Marching Band IV

Bill Pease
2.0 credits
Meeting time and location TBA

An ensemble that performs at all home football games and selected away games each season, also traveling to Bowl games and performing at special events. Students assume leadership roles in the Marching Band, and contribute to the design and teaching of shows. Prerequisite: MUBD 261, MUBD 262, and MUBD 263.

MUEN 360: Jazz Ensemble

John D'earth
2.0 credits
TR 7:30-9:30 pm, OCH B018

Led by internationally recognized jazz trumpeter/composer John D'earth, the Jazz Ensemble is a full-sized jazz big band, whose focus includes "head arrangements" group improvisation, world music and original compositions from within the band, along with music ranging from swing to bop to fusion. You'll gain valuable experience in ensemble playing and in the art of solo improvisation, and may take private instruction in jazz improvisation, perform in small combos and participate in jazz workshops held by such major figures as Michael Brecker, John Abercrombi, Dave Leibman, Bob Moses, Clark Terry, and Joe Henderson. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 361: Orchestra

Kate Tamarkin
2.0 credits
W 7:30-10:00 pm, OCH 101
Sectional meeting times vary; see Course Offering Directory.

The Charlottesville & University Symphony Orchestra, directed by Kate Tamarkin, performs twelve outstanding concerts each year. The 2007-08 Season will include five subscription series concerts featuring works of Berlioz, Brahms, Stravinsky and more. Solo performances by orchestra principals as well as collaborations with pianist Andrew Armstrong, cellist Uri Vardi, and the University Singers will be true highlights of the season. The orchestra will also present its popular Family Holiday Concerts in collaboration with the University Singers. Symphony performances regularly attract a full house of music lovers who come from all over Central Virginia to hear these concerts.

The orchestra's membership is a blend of professional music faculty, student and community musicians. Each section of the orchestra works under a faculty principal who is both section leader and coach. Membership is open by audition to interested players from all schools and departments of the University. For further information please contact the orchestra office at 434-924-6505, or at orchestra@virginia.edu. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 362: Wind Ensemble

Bill Pease
2.0 credits
MW 11:30-1:30 pm, OCH 101

The Wind Ensemble is a 45-member ensemble that features the most outstanding brass, woodwind, and percussion players at the University. The focus of this ensemble is to explore new literature as well as perform the masterworks of the wind band era. The wind ensemble also works with outstanding guest performers and conductors. This group is predominately made up of non-music majors who enjoy the genre of the wind band. Open to all University of Virginia students, auditions are held prior to the start of each semester. For more information on the Wind Ensemble, please visit our webpage at: www.virginia.edu/music/ensembles/windensemble/. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Brass Quintet

Paul Neebe
1.0 credit
W 2-3:30 pm, OCH 113

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Chamber Music

Iris Jortner, Mimi Tung
1.0 credit
Meeting time and location TBA

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Clarinet Ensemble

Nancy Garlick
1.0 credit
Meeting time and location TBA

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Double Reed Ensemble

Scott Perry
1.0 credit
Meeting time and location TBA

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Flute Ensemble

Alan Cox
1.0 credit
T 3:30-5 pm, OCH 113

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Horn Ensemble

Ian Zook
1.0 credit
R 2:00-3:30 pm, OCH 113

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition

MUEN 363: Jazz Chamber Ensembles

1.0 credit
Section 1A (Pete Spaar): R 5:30-7 pm, OCH B018
Section 1B (Mike Rosensky): T 5:30-7 pm, OCH B018
Section 1C (Jeff Decker): F 12:30-2 pm, OCH B018
Section 1D (Pete Spaar): F 2-3:30 pm, OCH B018

The jazz chamber ensembles focus primarily on acquiring the skills necessary to be a competent performer in a small jazz group setting. Groups can range in size from quartets to octets and in skill level from beginner to advanced. Each group meets weekly with an instructor and concentrates on building a repertoire from three primary sources: standards from the "Great American Songbook," blues, and jazz originals (this can include originals not only from such jazz greats as Monk. Miles, Coltrane, etc., but also from the students themselves). Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Jazz Improvisation Workshop

John D'earth
2.0 credits
TR 5:30-7:00 pm, OCH B012

The Jazz Improvisation Workshop explores the basic techniques and procedures for improvising music in jazz and other musical contexts. No previous jazz or improvising experience is required. Students must demonstrate a degree of fluency on their main instrument, an ability to read music and some familiarity with the basics of music theory. The class focuses on practicing, listening, and performing. Classical musicians and first-time improvisors are enthusiastically encouraged to enroll. An individual interview/audition with the instructor is required before registering for this class.

MUEN 363: Klezmer Ensemble

Joel Rubin
2.0 credits
MR 7:30-9:30 pm, OCH 107

Klezmer, originally the ritual and celebratory music of the Yiddish-speaking Jews of Eastern Europe, was brought to North America by immigrants around the turn of the last century. Since the 1970s, a dynamic revival of this tradition has been taking place in America and beyond. Klezmer's recent popularity has brought it far from its roots in medieval minstrelsy and Jewish ritual and into the sphere of mainstream culture. The traditional klezmer style presents the experienced instrumentalist with a range of technical challenges with its characteristic note bends, rubati, Baroque-style embellishments and other micro-improvisational techniques, opening up a world of expressive possibilities not available to them from either classical music or jazz. This music was passed on orally from generation to generation, and many of the ornaments which are so integral to the klezmer sound can only be approximated by Western staff notation - not to mention the patterns of improvised variation which are the cornerstone of the style. There will therefore be an emphasis on learning by ear as much as possible.

In this ensemble, we will begin by focusing on the klezmer traditions of New York and Philadelphia between the two world wars, as well as 19th century Eastern Europe. Depending on the makeup of the group, we may explore various genres of Yiddish song (folk song, Yiddish theater, vaudeville), as well as Hasidic nigunim (songs of spiritual elevation).

The following instruments are sought: violin, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, percussion, piano, accordion. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition. Please contact Dr. Rubin with any questions: jer2y@virginia.edu

MUEN 363: Percussion Chamber Ensemble

I-Jen Fang
1.0 credit
R 11:00am - 12:30pm, OCH B018

This is an one credit hour course offered to percussionists playing in a smaller group setting (compared to the one in the Spring semester). The group will rehearse pieces between 2 to 5 players and will perform at the Percussion Studio Recital at the end of the semester. Previous percussion ensemble experience is required. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: String Ensemble

Ayn Balija, David Colwell, David Sariti
1.0 credit
Meeting time and location TBA

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Trombone Quartet

Steve Kellner
1.0 credit
Meeting time and location TBA

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Woodwind Ensemble

Ibby Roberts
1.0 credit
Meeting time and location TBA

Explore, rehearse and perform woodwind chamber music, including both standard and more obscure works. Focus on developing chamber music playing skills, learning the tendencies of the woodwind instruments, developing musicianship, and enjoying making and sharing music! Instructor permission and audition required.

MUEN 364: Chamber Singers

Michael Slon
1.0 credit
F 1-3:15 pm, OCH 107

Chamber Singers is a select subset of the University Singers, and is offered for an additional hour of credit. The ensemble meets once a week and focuses on music ranging from the Renaissance to contemporary pieces. Interested singers will be considered for the chamber ensemble as part of their University Singers audition. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 365: University Singers

Michael Slon
2.0 credits
MW 3:30-5:30 pm, OCH 101

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the University Singers is UVA's premier SATB ensemble, performing a cappella and accompanied choral literature ranging from Medieval chant to the works of contemporary composers. Past repertoire has included Handel's Messiah, the Brahms Requiem, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Mozart's Mass in C minor. Recent trips have taken the group to Atlanta, Charlotte, Charleston, New York City, Philadelphia, and the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., as well as the campuses of other American universities for collaborative concerts. The group has also been heard on European tours in England, Italy, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. Recent highlights have included performances with the Charlottesville and University Symphony Orchestra, concerts and workshops with Bobby McFerrin and Meredith Monk, and a performance for the 2006 UVA Capital Campaign Gala. 2007-2008 highlights will include Orff's Carmina Burana and the Family Holiday Concerts with the Charlottesville and University Symphony, and a gala 50th anniversary celebration.

Students in the University Singers come from UVA's six undergraduate schools, including Arts and Sciences, Education, and Engineering, as well as several of the graduate and professional schools. Together, the singers enjoy an esprit de corps that arises from the pursuit of musical excellence and the camaraderie they develop offstage.

All singers at the University - undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to audition. University Singers is offered for two hours academic credit. Michael Slon, who has conducted choruses at the Oberlin Conservatory and Indiana University School of Music, is the conductor. For more information on the University Singers, please visit our webpage at: www.virginia.edu/music/usingers/.

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 367A: Baroque Orchestra

Paul Walker
1.0 credit
R 7-9 pm, OCH 113

The Early Music Ensemble, conducted by Paul Walker, offers the rare opportunity to learn to play a Renaissance or Baroque instrument and to perform such works as the Concerto for Four Harpsichords and Orchestra by J.S. Bach. The Early Music Ensemble's extensive collection includes early strings (gambas and Baroque strings) woodwinds (recorders, crumhorns, sackbuts and cornettos) and keyboard (harpsichord and chamber organ). No prior experience is necessary, although ability to play a modern counterpart is desirable. Players are particularly encouraged to explore the pre-modern versions of their instruments. Open to undergraduates and graduates. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 367B: Early Music Vocal Ensemble

Paul Walker
1.0 credit
R 3:30-5:20 pm, OCH 113

If you'd like to sing madrigals, motets, Gregorian Chant, and other music of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras, the Early Music Ensemble is also for you. Learn the music of Hildegard von Bingen, Josquin des Prez, William Byrd, Monteverdi, Purcell and others. Open to undergraduates and graduates. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 367C: Renaissance Consorts

Paul Walker
1.0 credit
R 5:30-6:50 pm, OCH 113

The Early Music Ensemble, conducted by Paul Walker, offers the rare opportunity to learn to play a Renaissance or Baroque instrument and to perform such works as the Concerto for Four Harpsichords and Orchestra by J.S. Bach. The Early Music Ensemble's extensive collection includes early strings (gambas and Baroque strings) woodwinds (recorders, crumhorns, sackbuts and cornettos) and keyboard (harpsichord and chamber organ). No prior experience is necessary, although ability to play a modern counterpart is desirable. Players are particularly encouraged to explore the pre-modern versions of their instruments. Open to undergraduates and graduates. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 368: New Music Ensemble

Kate Tamarkin
1.0 credit
R 4-5:30 pm, OCH B012

A new one-credit course at the University of Virginia, New Music Ensemble (MUEN 368), will explore and publicly perform exciting music of our time. The ensemble will consist of dedicated instrumentalists, singers and UVa performance faculty. We will perform a wide variety of contemporary music suitable to our instrumentation, including new works created by UVa composers.

The New Music Ensemble seeks dedicated instrumentalists and singers to explore and perform a wide variety of contemporary music. To audition, come to the first class with your instrument. If you are interested in joining please contact Professor Tamarkin at: tamarkin@virginia.edu.

MUEN 369: African Music and Dance Ensemble

Michelle Kisliuk
2.0 credits
TR 5:15-7:15 pm, OCH 107

A practical, hands-on course focusing on several music/dance forms from West Africa (Ghana, Togo) and Central Africa (BaAka pygmies), with the intention of performing during and at the end of the semester. Though no previous experience with music or dance is required, we give special attention to developing tight ensemble dynamics, aural musicianship, and a polymetric sensibility. Concentration, practice, and faithful attendance are required of each class member. The course is repeatable for credit, providing experienced students the opportunity to develop within an ongoing U.Va. African Music and Dance Ensemble. Admission is by informal audition during the first class meeting.