Spring Courses 2007

MUSI 101: Introduction to Music

Mary Simonson
3.0 credits
MW 10:00-10:50, Wilson 301, and discussion section (see COD)

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 131: Introduction to Musical Skills

Nick Rubin, Kevin Parks
3.0 credits
Section 1 (Rubin): MWF 9:00-9:50, OCH 107
Section 2 (Parks): MWF 10:00-10:50, OCH 107

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.

MUSI 162: History of the Wind Band

Bill Pease
1.0 credit
M 10:00-10:50, OCH B012

MUSI 194: Independent Study

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

MUSI 207: Roots Music in America

Richard Will
3.0 credits
MW 11:00-11:50, Wilson 301, and discussion section (see COD)

According to mainstream media, "roots music" like gospel, blues, country, folk, and bluegrass nourishes more popular genres such as rock and hip-hop, while also expressing the emotional and social concerns of (mainly) African-American and White American rural or working-class communities. We will examine both claims by studying the origins and development of roots genres and the way they are depicted in films, criticism, politics, and elsewhere.

MUSI 208: African-American Gospel Music

Melvin Butler
3.0 credits
MW 12:00-12:50, Minor 125, and discussion section (see COD)

MUSI208 traces the complex evolution of African-American gospel music from the nineteenth-century folk spiritual to twenty-first century commercial genres. Our focus will be on the contributions of some of gospel music's most influential figures, including Thomas Dorsey, Sallie Martin, William Herbert Brewster, Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland, Shirley Caesar, Andrae Crouch, Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin, and others.

While examining the historical development of African-American gospel music, we will tackle a number of pertinent issues: What musical and lyrical characteristics have traditionally served to distinguish this form of expressive culture from others? How have gospel music participants appropriated this genre to assert oppositional cultural and spiritual identities? And in what ways have the criteria for assessing gospel music's "authenticity" been socially constructed and negotiated over time? This course seriously addresses these questions by highlighting the contested boundaries between sacred and secular, traditional and contemporary, holiness and "worldliness," worship service and concert, and ministry and "performance" that are traversed through African American gospel music as it is experienced in the United States.

Lectures and discussions will be supplemented by attentive listening and viewing of gospel music recordings in and outside of class. Assignments and exams will encompass the developments of style, repertory, and ensemble formation in the twentieth century. During some class meetings, students may be asked to participate collectively in brief singing and clapping exercises designed to clarify and provide experience in particular aspects of gospel music performance. This course aims to provide students with a deeper understanding of the cultural significance of African-American gospel music as a powerful source of emotional and spiritual uplift for various communities of faith.

*No prior musical training is required to enroll in this course.

MUSI 230B: Keyboard Skills

Peter Tschirhart
2.0 credits, instructor permission by audition
MWF 12:00-12:50, OCH 113

Intermediate keyboard skills for students with some previous musical experience.  Satisfies the performance requirement for music majors.  Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUSI 230C: Fretboard Harmony

Mike Rosensky
2.0 credits, instructor permission by audition
MWF 1:00-1:50, OCH B012

The level of this course will vary, anywhere from beginning to advanced, each semester depending on the guitar experience of students who enroll. Students should contact Mike Rosensky (mlr5q) 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 235: Technosonics: Digital Music

Matthew Burtner
3.0 credits
MW 12:00-12:50, Wilson 301, and discussion section (see COD)

This class (www.technosonics.net) explores the history, theory and practice of digital music and sound art. Students learn tools and techniques of music technology that inform many genres and traditions. In addition to historical and theoretical concerns, students will experiment with digital tools for musical creation.

MUSI 294: Independent Study

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

MUSI 301: Studies in Early Modern Music

Paul Walker
3.0 credits
MW 2:00-3:15, OCH B012

Music of early modern Europe, 1500-1700. The course offers a blend of study of the music itself with a consideration of the history that brought the music into being and provided its place in European society. Emphases include the classic style of Renaissance vocal polyphony first developed for use in the Church, the ways in which this style gave way before the daring innovations of Italian composers ca. 1600, and the national manifestations of this new Baroque style in Italy, Germany, France, and England.

MUSI 305: Twentieth Century Music

Scott DeVeaux
3.0 credits
MWF 12:00-12:50, OCH 107

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 308a: Film Music

Mary Simonson
3.0 credits
TR 9:30-10:45, Clemons 322B

In this course, we will explore various ways in which sound and music have functioned in American film.  Tracing film history from the advent of silent film through the so-called "golden era" to today's blockbusters and independent films, we will examine a series of film scores and soundtracks, thinking about commonly employed musical devices, the psychology of listening, and the interaction between sound and image.  Throughout the semester, we'll consider the relationship between film music and other forms of popular culture (television sound tracks, music videos, musicals).  Particular attention will be devoted to cinematic "borrowing" of existing classical and popular music for use in film scores, musical appearances by popular entertainers, and the "cross-over" trend more broadly.  Coursework will include film screenings, readings in film theory, musicology, critical theory, written analysis projects, and experimentation with the creation of a short score.  Prerequisite:  Music 331 or instructor permission.

MUSI 308b: Classical Music in Modern American Culture

Shana Goldin-Perschbacher
3.0 credits
MW 3:30-4:45, OCH B012

This course will explore contemporary social and aesthetic meanings of Western art music. Through a series of focused short papers, students will discuss representations of art music from Medieval times through the present in film, novels, TV, live performance, and recordings. Using cultural theories of identity and critical theories about history, as well as listening and viewing assignments, we will explore the representation of the past and the contemporary functions of subjects such as the YouTube phenomenon of Pachelbel's Canon on electric guitar, pop culture references to Beethoven in Monty Python and the Flying Circus, Disney's film Fantasia (1940 and 2000), contemporary settings of the opera Carmen, classical music played in public places to deter crime, the Van Cliburn piano competition, the Mozart effect, and classical music sampled or performed by popular artists. You will also explore, through ethnography, your own musical performance traditions (whether it's playing in the orchestra, singing karaoke, or dj-ing a party). The ability to read music is not required.

MUSI 332: Theory II

TBA
3.0 credits
TR 12:30-1:45, 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: Musicianship

Steve Kemper, Joe Adkins, Michael Slon
1.0 credit
All sections meet 11:00-11:50

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 Spring after taking a placement exam.

MUSI 339: Introduction to Music and Computers

Ted Coffey
3.0 credits
TR 11:00-12:15, OCH B012, and discussion section (see COD)

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. Theory topics include introductions to acoustics, electricity, digital audio, MIDI, and introductory sound synthesis. 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 394: Independent Study

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

MUSI 410a: Music and Gender

Bonnie Gordon
3.0 credits
TR 11:00-12:15, OCH S008

This class takes a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approach to gender and music. Organized thematically rather than chronologically or geographically, the class encourages thinking about representations and constructions of gender in a variety of musical cultures. We will listen to popular music, blues, nonwestern music, and western art music. The course begins by considering current musicological approaches to gender issues and the extraordinary presence of women in the contemporary popular music scene. We will study the power of the Diva's voice with a special focus on modern incarnations such as Madonna and the Egyptian Umm Kulthum. Reading and listening assignments will focus on musical performances of female sexuality from medieval mystics and Renaissance erotica through cyberpunk. We will study literary and musical representations of the female voice's sensual power, paying particular attention to songs of female suffering--blues, laments, and unrequited love. No gender course would be complete without studying Opera--a brand of entertainment paradoxically dominated by dying women with soaring voices.

MUSI 410b: Music and Dance

Mary Simonson
3.0 credits
TR 2:00-3:15, OCH 107

In this seminar, we will explore connections between music, dance, identity, and culture. Focusing on a number of moments in Western classical dance (ballet and modern) and social dance, we will think about issues of collaboration, performance, "meaning" in dance and music, the ways in which participants and audiences use various musics and dance forms, and the interrelationship of elements of music and dance in various works and performances. We'll also think about dance's relationship to narratives of music history, how dance forms and traditions fit into popular culture, and the ways we engage with music and dance in our everyday lives. Through readings in dance history and ethnography, performance studies, music history, feminist theory, and cultural theory, dance films, opportunities to observe and reflect on formal and informal dance performances and situations, and opportunities to participate in some dancing ourselves, we'll explore the aesthetic, political, social, and personal meanings that dance and music can carry. Prerequisite: Music 331 or instructor permission.

MUSI 432: Ravel and Debussy

Michael Puri
3.0 credits
TR 9:30-10:45, OCH S008

An in-depth exploration of the music of the French classical composers Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) and Claude Debussy (1862-1918), with frequent excursions into the music of notable contemporaries (Fauré, Chabrier, Satie, et al.). Readings not only in music history and theory, but also in politics, culture, and aesthetics. Weekly written responses and presentations, plus midterm and final papers. Prerequisite: Theory 3 (Music 431), or permission of instructor.

MUSI 435: Interactive Media

Matthew Burtner
3.0 credits
W 5:00-17:30, OCH B012, and discussion section (see COD)

Music 435/735 explores interactive technology for music and multimedia. The class supports the ensemble MICE (Music for Interactive Computers Ensemble). Students learn theoretical and practical aspects of programming, composing and performing real-time interactive music with computers. In this course we engage with the computer as a musical collaborator. The social and political implications of artificial intelligence in shared human-computer spaces is explored through discussions and readings. Through class projects students learn about the possibilities of real time music technology and multimedia.  

MUSI 443: Producer as Composer

Ted Coffey
3.0 credits
T 5:00-7:30, OCH S008

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 472: Instrumental Conducting

Kate Tamarkin
3.0 credits
TR 2:00-3:15, OCH B012

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

MUSI 494: Independent Study

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

MUSI 701: The Castrato

Bonnie Gordon
3.0 credits
T 2:00-4:30, OCH S008

This seminar will explore the strange phenomenon of the Italian castrato in relation to early modern fascinations with monsters and machines. Not just marginal oddities, castrati sit at the center of major historical issues. Rather than thinking of castrati as a purely musical phenomenon, we will look at them alongside other animate and inanimate phenomena. We will consider the relationship of the castrato to what the early modern world understood as monsters -- strange creatures that had, for example, the head of a man and the body of a serpent, or a Frenchman who could vomit multicolored liquids and a variety of lettuces. We will also focus on their relationship to marvelous machines such as speaking statues, magic mirrors, and automatons. The castrato's body will be considered in the context of early modern understandings of the body and procreation. In addition to Italians sources, we will consider French and German interpretations of the monstrous, automatons, and the gendered body. Theoretical readings will be drawn from Donna Haraway and Michael Poizat.

This class will be run as a research seminar and class-work will involve both reading assignments and small group work with primary sources. Short response papers will focus both on critiques of secondary literature and interpretations of primary sources. We will look at in detail and analyze manuscript scores of music performed by castrati, catalogues of seventeenth century museums, papal chapel diaries and illustrations of monsters. Small group research assignments will lead towards a final paper. We will also work through some of the issues around using post-tructuralist theory to study the early modern world. The class is inherently interdisciplinary, and non-musicians are more than welcome.

MUSI 723: Music and Ritual

Melvin Butler
3.0 credits
M 3:00-5:30, OCH S008

MUSI 723 will explore ethnomusicological approaches to the music-ritual relationship. In addition to the ritual and ritualization theories of Catherine Bell, Clifford Geertz, Stanley Tambiah, Victor Turner, and Richard Schechner, we will study the application of these theories in music-centered texts that describe and analyze the interplay of ritual, performance, belief, transcendent experience, and identity. Our discussions and readings will focus primarily on African diasporic music-cultures, but students may develop final ethnographic projects in accordance with their particular research interests.

MUSI 732: Critical Approaches to French Classical Music

Michael Puri
3.0 credits
R 2:00-4:30, OCH S008

Develops a conceptual framework for French classical music between the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71) and World War One (1914-18). Topics to be explored may be represented by a range of -isms: modernism, impressionism, symbolism, nationalism, exoticism, primitivism, and Wagnerism, among others. Repertoire will be drawn primarily from the music of Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), but will also include music by Fauré, Chabrier, Satie, Dukas, Franck, Schmitt, and others. Weekly written responses and presentations, plus midterm and final papers. Experience in music analysis and reading knowledge of French will be advantageous, but are not strictly required.

MUSI 735: Interactive Media

Matthew Burtner
3.0 credits
W 5:00-7:30, OCH B012

Music 435/735 explores interactive technology for music and multimedia. The class supports the ensemble MICE (Music for Interactive Computers Ensemble). Students learn theoretical and practical aspects of programming, composing and performing real-time interactive music with computers. In this course we engage with the computer as a musical collaborator. The social and political implications of artificial intelligence in shared human-computer spaces is explored through discussions and readings. Through class projects students learn about the possibilities of real time music technology and multimedia.  

MUSI 743: Producer as Composer

Ted Coffey
3.0 credits
T 5:00-7:30, OCH S008

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 782: Composition

3.0 credits

MUSI 882: Advanced Composition

3.0 credits

MUSI 884: Advanced Computer Music Composition

3.0 credits

MUSI 892: Supervised Research

3.0 credits

MUSI 894: Independent Study

1.0-3.0 credits

MUSI 896: Thesis

1.0-6.0 credits

MUSI 898: Non-topical Research

1.0-12.0 credits

MUSI 992: Supervised Research

3.0 credits

MUSI 994: 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

MUPF 156: Brass Technique for Woodwind Players

Drew Koch
1.0 credit
W 3:00-5:40, Onesty Hall

This course is designed to be an introduction to the performing techniques and instructional materials of brass instruments. Furthermore, the students enrolled in the course will learn how to perform one brass instrument at a high level while learning the intricacies of performing on a brass instrument.

MUBD 260: Basketball Band

Bill Pease
1.0 credit
M 7:30-9:00 pm, location TBA

One of the most visible bands at UVA is the Basketball Band. This exciting group is a crowd favorite at both Men's and Women's home Basketball Games. The band also performs at the Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournaments and NCAA basketball tournaments. This group is open to all University of Virginia students. For more information on the UVA Basketball Band, please contact the Cavalier Band Office at (434)-982-5347 or email pease@virginia.edu.

MUEN 250: Concert Band

Drew Koch
1.0 credit
M 6:00-8:00, OCH 101

The University of Virginia Concert Band is a 50-75 member ensemble that meets once a week during the spring semester. Music selections include standard band literature, pops music, and concertos with special guest artists. The focus of this ensemble is to keep members involved in making music in an ensemble setting, while exploring both new literature and old favorites. This ensemble is open to all University of Virginia students; auditions are held prior to the start of each semester. For more information about the Concert Band please contact: Andrew Koch at adk3k@virginia.edu.

MUEN 360: Jazz Ensemble

John D'earth
2.0 credits
TR 3:30-5:30, 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, OCH 101
Sectional meeting times vary; see Course Offering Directory.

The Charlottesville & University Symphony Orchestra performs twelve outstanding concerts each year. The 2006-2007 Season will include five subscription series concerts featuring the works of Dvorak, Prokofiev, and Ravel. Solo performances by orchestra principal I-Jen Fang on marimba as well as collaborations with sopranos Sharon Christman and Gale Limansky, pianist Ivo Kaltchev, and the talented University Singers will be true highlights of the season. The orchestra will present its second Family Holiday Concert in collaboration with the University Singers and under the direction of conductor Michael Slon. Symphony performances regularly attract a full house of music lovers who come from all over the Central Virginia region to hear these concerts.

The orchestra's membership is a blend of professional music faculty and student 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, OCH 101

The Wind Ensemble is a 45-member ensemble, which 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: Percussion Ensemble

I-Jen Fang
1.0 credit
T 7:30-9:30, OCH B018

The UVa Percussion Ensemble, re-established in spring 2005, is a chamber ensemble that performs literature from classical transcriptions to contemporary music. The ensemble draws upon a large family of pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments and number of players and the amount of equipment varies greatly from piece to piece. Music is chosen to match the abilities and interest of the ensemble members. Music reading skills and basic percussion technique on all percussion instruments is required. The course is offered during the spring semester, culminating in an annual Night of Percussion Concert. Membership is open to all university students, by audition.

MUEN 363: Woodwind Ensemble

Ibby Roberts
1.0 credit
W 5:30-7:00, 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 363: Trombone Quartet

Haim Avitsur
1.0 credit
Meeting time and location TBA

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Klezmer Ensemble

Joel Rubin
1.0 credit
M 7:00-8:30 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: Horn Ensemble

Dwight Purvis
1.0 credit
M 3:30-5:20, OCH 107

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Flute Ensemble

Alan Cox
1.0 credit
T 3:30-5:00, OCH 113

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Double Reed Ensemble

Scott Perry
1.0 credit
W 5:30-7:00, OCH 113

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: Brass Quintet

Paul Neebe
1.0 credit
W 5:00-6:30, OCH B012

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 363: Jazz Chamber Ensembles

1.0 credit

Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.
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 not only originals from such jazz greats as Monk. Miles, Coltrane, etc., but from the students themselves.)

MUEN 363: Jazz Improv Workshop

John D'earth
2.0 credits
TR 5:30-7:00, 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 364: Chamber Music

Mimi Tung, David Colwell
1.0 credit
Meeting time and location TBA

Students focus on developing chamber music and musicianship skills while learning standard literature in duos, trios, and quartets. Groups are coached by department faculty once weekly, with additional rehearsal time required, culminating in a concert at the end of the semester. Students are placed in groups according to ability, although pre-formed groups are also encouraged to contact the director. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 364: String Ensemble

David Sariti, Johanna Beaver, Iris Jortner
1.0 credit
Meeting time and location TBA

Students focus on developing chamber music and musicianship skills while learning standard literature in duos, trios, and quartets. Groups are coached by department faculty once weekly, with additional rehearsal time required, culminating in a concert at the end of the semester. Students are placed in groups according to ability, although pre-formed groups are also encouraged to contact the director. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 364: Chamber Singers

Michael Slon
1.0 credit
F 1:00-3:15, 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 and Baroque 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, OCH 101

The University Singers is the University'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, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, the Brahms Requiem, and Mozart's Mass in C minor. Recent trips have taken the group to Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, New York City, Philadelphia, New Haven, 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 & University Symphony Orchestra, concerts with Bobby? McFerrin and Meredith Monk, and an appearance at the UVA Capital Campaign Gala.

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

All singers at the University - undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and faculty are encouraged to audition (Old Cabell Hall, January 16-). University Singers is offered for two hours academic credit. 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 7:00-9:00, OCH 113

The UVA Baroque Orchestra performs music from the late 17th and 18th century on period instruments owned by the department. Our instrumentation includes the full complement of strings (including violone) plus Baroque oboes, Baroque flutes, recorders, and harpsichord. Players are expected to have previous experience on the modern version of their instrument. Recent performances have featured J. S. Bach's Concerto for Four Harpsichords and Orchestra, excerpts from Purcell's Fairy Queen, and dances from Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie. 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, OCH 113

Singers explore the music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque, with special emphasis on the a capella repertory of the 16th century. Performances with one or the other of the Early Music instrumental ensembles are also emphasized. Sight-reading ability is a plus. 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, OCH 113

Included among the Early Music Ensembles at UVA are three Renaissance consorts: Viola da Gamba Consort, Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, and Recorder Consort. Beginners are welcome on recorder. No previous experience on viola da gamba, cornetto, or sackbut is necessary, but players are expected to have experience on modern string or brass instruments, respectively. Open to undergraduates and graduates. Restricted to: Instructor permission by audition.

MUEN 368: New Music Ensemble

Kate Tamarkin
1.0 credit
R 4:00-5:30, 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