Why do we listen to music? What use is it? Can it help us learn more, run faster, feel happier? Can it improve our lives? Can it cure disease? WMD is for musician and non-musician alike. It is designed for students with all sorts of musical tastes and academic interests. It also challenges the usual “top down” approach of most courses, where the professor decides most of what will be studied before the class begins and delivers most of the class content. By contrast, in this course students are invited to relate their majors or other interests to the power of music and then share these ideas with the rest of the class. For example, neuroscience majors might study how music benefits memory in Alzheimer’s patients. Or political science majors, the power of music in diplomatic missions. Students research topics like these and then assign related texts as homework to the rest of the class, including the professor. They’re given broad freedom of choice for these texts both in content and form. The goal is not to create a “great books” class so much as a “great questions” class, since great questions can be inspired by terrible or trivial sources, just as awful or insignificant situations can spark epiphany. But whatever the text, I, as the professor, must be willing not to profess. In fact, in this classroom I’m no longer a professor but a professional student, sharing with my fellow students an interest in music and its many possibilities. And yet, even more important than pursuing these shared interests, this course ultimately aims to help students create community by practicing better communication. Even if you forget everything you learned in this class, I hope you will remember your classmates.

• Days/Times: TTh 3:00PM - 4:15PM
• Instructor: Foster, Daniel Harmon
• Room: Krieger Laverty
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

"This First-Year Seminar focuses on the lives of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, and Chopin and the depictions of their lives in film during the 20th century. The seminar provides both an introduction to film analysis and music history biography. In the last module, we will examine the canon of Western art music composers and consider historiographical issues along lines of gender, race, and other American demographics within this inherited tradition--all toward a collaborative final project. Excursions to concerts and other events will be offered. This First-Year Seminar focuses on the lives of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, and Chopin and the depictions of their lives in film during the 20th century. The seminar provides both an introduction to film analysis and music history biography. In the last module, we will examine the canon of Western art music composers and consider historiographical issues along lines of gender, race, and other American demographics within this inherited tradition--all toward a collaborative final project. Excursions to concerts and other events will be offered. "

• Days/Times: TTh 4:30PM - 5:45PM
• Instructor: Ahn, Suhnne
• Room: Gilman 134
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

The plays of William Shakespeare contain many musical cues. In Hamlet, Ophelia expresses herself through song when she is unable to through speech. In The Tempest, the spirit Ariel lures the shipwrecked Ferdinand to the shore by singing a song. In this course, we will think through the role of music in Shakespeare’s plays, reading The Tempest, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, and Othello, with attention to the sonic worlds they create. In addition, we will explore the various musical pieces that these plays have inspired, from film to stage, opera to musical theater, delving into the methods by which they have been adapted to meet the needs of diverse audiences. In addition to the recorded audio-visual materials we will view together, we will seek out opportunities to view a Shakespearean adaptation with a musical component performed live.

• Days/Times: M 3:00PM - 5:30PM
• Instructor: Kass, Lily T
• Room: Krieger Laverty
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course introduces written and aural music fundamentals including notation, scales, intervals, chords, rhythm, meter and sight-singing. Students will compose melodies and short pieces and complete listening projects. Course does not count towards the completion of the minor.

• Days/Times: MWF 9:00AM - 9:50AM
• Instructor: Prescott, Jordan
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 1/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course introduces written and aural music fundamentals including notation, scales, intervals, chords, rhythm, meter and sight-singing. Students will compose melodies and short pieces and complete listening projects. Course does not count towards the completion of the minor.

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Ahn, Hyo Eun (Heather)
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

Introduction to basic principles of tonal music through listening, analysis and music making. Students study melody, harmony, voice leading, figured bass and dissonance treatment, and will also undertake short composition projects. Must have taken the qualifying examination or AS.376.111. Recommended to be taken concurrently with AS.376.221.

• Days/Times: MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM
• Instructor: Prescott, Jordan
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 8/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

Introduction to basic principles of tonal music through listening, analysis and music making. Students study melody, harmony, voice leading, figured bass and dissonance treatment, and will also undertake short composition projects. Must have taken the qualifying examination or AS.376.111. Recommended to be taken concurrently with AS.376.221.

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Perry, Lisa Marie
• Room: Shaffer 302
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 9/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course continues the written and aural work of the previous course but focuses on chromatic harmony while continuing the study of melody, counterpoint and figured bass. Prerequisite: AS.376.211 (Music Theory I). Recommended to be taken with AS.376.222 (Musicianship II).

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Rickelton, Michael T
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 9/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

An introduction to basic musicianship skills. The course is divided into performance skills (sight singing, rhythm reading, basic piano, and improvisation) and aural skills (recognition of pitch, chords, rhythms, melodies, and other musical structures). Topics include major and minor keys and simple time signatures. Emphasis is placed on developing effective practice techniques. Pre-requisite: AS.376.111 (Rudiments of Music Theory and Musicianship) or placement exam.

• Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:20PM
• Instructor: Fishbein, Joshua Henry
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 8/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

A continuation of the skills developed Musicianship I. The course is divided into performance skills (sight singing, rhythm reading, basic piano, and improvisation) and aural skills (recognition of pitch, chords, rhythms, melodies, and other musical structures). Topics include minor keys, chromatic melody and harmony, compound time signatures, and syncopation). As in Musicianship I, emphasis is placed on developing effective practice techniques. Pre-requisite: AS.376.221 (Musicianship I) or placement exam.

• Days/Times: TTh 2:30PM - 3:20PM
• Instructor: Fishbein, Joshua Henry
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 11/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

A survey of the stylistic features and social contexts of American popular music since the 1950s.

• Days/Times: TTh 10:30AM - 11:45AM
• Instructor: Rickelton, Michael T
• Room: Shaffer 302
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 2/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

Students will be introduced to electronic music production techniques and software, and how both can be used to produce a wide range of genre specific results. Skills such as beat matching, intricate use of quantization, virtual instrument editing, automation, sampling, mixing, mastering, effect usage and use of plugins will be explored.

• Days/Times: T 10:30AM - 1:00PM
• Instructor: Patrick, Wendel
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 2/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

Students will be introduced to electronic music production techniques and software, and how both can be used to produce a wide range of genre specific results. Skills such as beat matching, intricate use of quantization, virtual instrument editing, automation, sampling, mixing, mastering, effect usage and use of plugins will be explored.

• Days/Times: Th 10:30AM - 1:00PM
• Instructor: Patrick, Wendel
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 2/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

In this course we will undertake a comprehensive survey of sound, audio and the related technology. While covering sound recording from an historical perspective, we'll touch on related material in physics, music, psychology and acoustics. In lab exercises and assignments, students will have the opportunity to learn in a hands-on environment as practical applications of the lecture material are explored. Assignments will include critical listening, in addition to basic recording, editing and mixing of audio. The course will culminate in a comprehensive final project.

• Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
• Instructor: Stella, Andrew
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Waitlist Only
• Seats Available: 0/11
• PosTag(s): n/a

The primary focus of this performance/theory course is designed to help students acquire and develop basic language for improvisation in a collaborative environment. Throughout the semester, the course will develop these skills through songs drawn from standard jazz repertoire, examining improvised solos by master musicians, and understanding the application of fundamental theory concepts in performance situations. Enrolled students should be comfortable with theory rudiments such as note reading, scales, and intervals. No textbook is required, but students should have access to an instrument (singers are welcome).

• Days/Times: MW 1:30PM - 2:45PM
• Instructor: Sims, Ian K
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 5/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

What is a Broadway musical? Why aren’t there more smash hits like Hamilton? And what can American musical theater teach us about our own lives? In this introductory course, students will explore these questions and more, learning about the history and craft of significant 20th and 21st-century musicals in the interdisciplinary context of society, politics, economics, and technology. Students will apply their knowledge by collaboratively creating and performing an original short work of musical theatre and, if practicable, will attend a performance in the Baltimore-Washington area or in neighboring cities as far away as New York.

• Days/Times: T 4:30PM - 7:00PM
• Instructor: Wang, Derrick
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 3/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course will explore the many genres of traditional and popular music that have emerged among the peoples and cultures of the Caribbean region and its Diaspora. We will examine the social, political, and economic issues that have shaped the region’s music and how that music may have intersected with migration, colonization, ethnicity, race and tourism. Using a “participant observation” approach, students will read about, listen to and research a variety of musical experiences within the relevant sociopolitical context. Students should expect to fully participate in discussions about the assigned readings and music, and should be prepared to conduct their own research and share their own or newly acquired knowledge of contemporary and “historical/traditional” musical themes, and local and regional artists. Our collective goal will be to enjoy as well as to think critically about music, culture and performance and within a more informed understanding of the complex, multi-varied and multi-vocal context—know as “The Caribbean”.

• Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: Diggs-Thompson, Marilynne
• Room: Smokler Center 301
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 4/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

It is a common idea that, at its best, Italian opera can induce all manner of sensations in us and even remind us of what it means to be human. It can be hard, however, to articulate what enables it to do so. In this course we consider a cluster of operas by Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, and Puccini for which there was incredible demand in the 1800s and examine the concrete musical and textual features that allowed them to animate their characters and—in theory—structure the sentiments of their audiences. With attention to the realities of Italians in the 1800s we ask what it felt like to consume these works—in the street, at home or at the opera—and for whom. What lessons did audiences absorb, and why? For whom did these works resonate and whom did these exclude? While conceived with Italian audiences in mind, these operas soon became some of the foremost artworks to circulate around the world in the 1800s, from Buenos Aires to Calcutta to Paris. Thus, with these same questions in focus, across the second half of the course we start to articulate how, via this circulation, Italian opera contributed to what has been termed the “transformation of the world” in the nineteenth-century. No language or music prerequisites.

• Days/Times: M 4:30PM - 7:00PM
• Instructor: Vasilyeva, Laura
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 3/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course introduces written and aural music fundamentals including notation, scales, intervals, chords, rhythm, meter and sight-singing. Students will compose melodies and short pieces and complete listening projects. Course does not count towards the completion of the minor.

• Days/Times: MWF 9:00AM - 9:50AM
• Instructor: Prescott, Jordan
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course introduces written and aural music fundamentals including notation, scales, intervals, chords, rhythm, meter and sight-singing. Students will compose melodies and short pieces and complete listening projects. Course does not count towards the completion of the minor.

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Lee, Jia Yi
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

Introduction to basic principles of tonal music through listening, analysis and music making. Students study melody, harmony, voice leading, figured bass and dissonance treatment, and will also undertake short composition projects. Must have taken the qualifying examination or AS.376.111. Recommended to be taken concurrently with AS.376.221.

• Days/Times: MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM
• Instructor: Prescott, Jordan
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

Introduction to basic principles of tonal music through listening, analysis and music making. Students study melody, harmony, voice leading, figured bass and dissonance treatment, and will also undertake short composition projects. Must have taken the qualifying examination or AS.376.111. Recommended to be taken concurrently with AS.376.221.

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Perry, Lisa Marie
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course continues the aural and written work of the previous course, but focuses on chromatic harmony while continuing the study of melody, counterpoint, and figured bass. Prerequisite: Music Theory I.

• Days/Times: TTh 9:00AM - 10:15AM
• Instructor: Rickelton, Michael T
• Room:  
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

An introduction to basic musicianship skills. The course is divided into performance skills (sight singing, rhythm reading, basic piano, and improvisation) and aural skills (recognition of pitch, chords, rhythms, melodies, and other musical structures). Topics include major and minor keys and simple time signatures. Emphasis is placed on developing effective practice techniques. Pre-requisite: AS.376.111 (Rudiments of Music Theory and Musicianship) or placement exam.

• Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:20PM
• Instructor: Fishbein, Joshua Henry
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

A continuation of the skills developed Musicianship I. The course is divided into performance skills (sight singing, rhythm reading, basic piano, and improvisation) and aural skills (recognition of pitch, chords, rhythms, melodies, and other musical structures). Topics include minor keys, chromatic melody and harmony, compound time signatures, and syncopation). As in Musicianship I, emphasis is placed on developing effective practice techniques. Pre-requisite: AS.376.221 (Musicianship I) or placement exam.

• Days/Times: TTh 2:30PM - 3:20PM
• Instructor: Fishbein, Joshua Henry
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

This course offers an introduction to music of the Western “classical” tradition through the study of a select number of works written over the course of the last four hundred years. In examining these musical works, all of which were remarkable for their time and which many still value today, we will consider their identity both as timeless aesthetic objects and as particular moments in cultural history. We will frame our work within the historical, philosophical, and political contexts of the time, and more recent critical assessments will help us evaluate the circumstances that have shaped reception of this repertoire over the past four centuries. In addition to the works and composers treated in our textbook, we will supplement our study throughout the semester with a consideration of the lives and works of individuals whose stories are less well-known. Ultimately, we will work to understand the particular challenges, opportunities, and responsibilities related to continued engagement with so-called “classical” music in the 21st century. Close attention is given to techniques of musical listening, and to details of first performances, with a consideration of the problems involved in assembling such a picture. No previous knowledge of musical notation or terminology is required. 3 credits.

• Days/Times: TTh 1:30PM - 2:45PM
• Instructor: Ahn, Suhnne
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 24/25
• PosTag(s): n/a

Students will be introduced to electronic music production techniques and software, and how both can be used to produce a wide range of genre specific results. Skills such as beat matching, intricate use of quantization, virtual instrument editing, automation, sampling, mixing, mastering, effect usage and use of plugins will be explored.

• Days/Times: T 10:30AM - 1:00PM
• Instructor: Patrick, Wendel
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 14/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

Students will be introduced to electronic music production techniques and software, and how both can be used to produce a wide range of genre specific results. Skills such as beat matching, intricate use of quantization, virtual instrument editing, automation, sampling, mixing, mastering, effect usage and use of plugins will be explored.

• Days/Times: Th 10:30AM - 1:00PM
• Instructor: Patrick, Wendel
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

Introduction to Computer Music is an opportunity for people with no specialized training in music to explore electronic art music as a long-standing, if obscure, body of art, then to participate in creative work in the style. Participants will gain a heuristic understanding of forms of musical composition that operate outside the conventions of regular rhythm and harmony as they record and manipulate sound to sculpt it into original musical works. The lecture portion combines an historical overview of electronic music, rudiments of acoustics and musical perception, and instruction in compositional techniques and in using computers as creative musical tools. The laboratory portion, given at the Digital Media Center, serves as a workshop for creative exploration and for the completion of assigned creative projects including original works of digital sound art.

• Days/Times: MW 10:00AM - 10:50AM, F 10:00AM - 10:50AM
• Instructor: Burt, Samuel B
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 11/11
• PosTag(s): n/a

The primary focus of this course is a survey, investigation, and study of jazz music and how it shaped American history from its origins to current times. Upon completion of this course students will be able to: discuss why jazz is important, both musically and culturally; learn the nuances of a new art form; demonstrate that jazz is a huge part of American heritage; explore parallels between jazz and both American and world history; and become a receptive and knowledgeable audience for jazz.

• Days/Times: W 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: Sims, Ian K
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

The study and performance of instrumental chamber music, by audition/permission of instructor only. Sight-reading skills will be evaluated. This course is one credit, will meet for one hour once a week, and has a final performance at the end of the semester. Pre-formed groups preferred, but single auditions accepted with the understanding that a group may not be readily formed for registration.

• Days/Times: Th 3:30PM - 4:30PM
• Instructor: Yoo, Shirley S
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Approval Required
• Seats Available: 10/10
• PosTag(s): n/a

The general purpose of this course is to introduce students to the scholarly study of traditional, popular, and classical music from around the world through reading, discussion, close listening of recordings, and observation of ethnographic and commercial films. We will be primarily concerned with using music as a lens through which to better understand cultural concepts including diaspora, religion, colonialism, creolization, and tradition. Area case studies will include India, East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

• Days/Times: F 9:00AM - 11:30AM
• Instructor: Staff
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 11/12
• PosTag(s): n/a

A survey course focusing on the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven, whose compositions transformed and revolutionized music of the 19th century. Students will become acquainted with Beethoven's major works, including piano sonatas, string quartets, and symphonies. No previous musical background is necessary. NOTE: The year 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth.

• Days/Times: TTh 4:30PM - 5:45PM
• Instructor: Ahn, Suhnne
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 19/19
• PosTag(s): n/a

In this foundational survey course, students will study aspects of law that shape a career in and beyond the arts. Topics include how to get or grant permission to use copyrighted works, how to read a contract, and how to start or join a business. In addition, through class discussions, students will develop their interdisciplinary and analytical skills in interpreting music and law.

• Days/Times: M 4:30PM - 7:00PM
• Instructor: Wang, Derrick
• Room: Shaffer 202
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a

This class provides an introduction to the popular musics of the Arab world from the 1920s through the early 2000s. The goals of this course will be twofold: first, we will consider the ways that technology, global and regional politics, class, and gender shaped musical aesthetics. Second, we will interrogate the role that popular music played in shaping understandings of national character and regional boundaries. Through close listening and reading assignments, students will develop listening and analytical skills specific to the music of the Arab world, and learn techniques for analyzing this popular music’s entanglement with its social, historical, and cultural context. What, for example, do the radio and music industries have to do with the rise of Arab Nationalism? What can the development of Lebanese indie-rock since the 1990s tell us about contemporary Lebanese sociopolitics? Through weekly reading and listening assignments, students will work towards a final project that traces the history of one genre of Arab pop music over the course of the 20th century.

• Days/Times: M 1:30PM - 4:00PM
• Instructor: El Rayes, Nour
• Room: Shriver Hall 028G
• Status: Open
• Seats Available: 15/15
• PosTag(s): n/a