Fundamentals of Music (W)

This course seeks to define and describe the fundamental nature of music in Western society. Through a variety of exercises and projects, students will develop an understanding of basic musical rudiments such as pitch, scales, triads, rhythm, meter, and notation materials that form the foundation of Western art and popular musics. By the end of the course, students will have begun the study of basic four-part harmony.

In addition, students will explore various topics such as philosophies of music (including aesthetics), music cognition and perception, popular musics, and acoustics, and their relationships to defining the "fundamentals" of music. Students will be expected to complete weekly argumentative papers reacting to the various philosophical readings; as the semester progresses, these reaction papers will increase in both length and depth, in preparation for a final project of each student's choice. Students will receive frequent and detailed critiques (either in the form of written comments or verbal discussions) of each writing assignment. The course has a musicianship component: students attend a musicianship lab (sight-singing, dictation, and keyboard skills) in addition to lectures.

Format: 2 weekly lectures and a weekly lab meeting. Evaluation will be based on quizzes/exams, weekly reaction papers, a final research project, and a final exam.

Enrollment limit: 15 (expected 10). Preference given to students with music-reading proficiency.