MUS 105 Class Instruction

• 1 hour

For non-music-majors with little or no background in applied music. Additional fees will be assessed for this course. May be repeated for credit. Permission of instructor.

MUS 110 Musicianship Workshop

• 1 hour

This course is designed to help students acquire basic musicianship skills (primarily singing, rhythm, keyboard, and notation) that will aid them in their theory and ear-training courses at Luther. It is offered as an optional one-hour supplement to Theory I (Music 121). Co-requisite: MUS 121, MUS 121L.

MUS 111 The Materials of Music

• 2 hours

Students with little or no music theory background are provided an opportunity to study and make music through singing with solfege, playing the piano, composing and studying scores. This course prepares students for music theory and ear training 121/121L.

MUS 115 Class Instruction: Piano, Voice, or Guitar

• 1 hour

For piano and voice majors and nonmajors with little or no background in those areas. Beginning guitarists will study music notation, tablature, chording, and classical guitar literature. Additional fees will be assessed for this course.

MUS 116 Class Instruction-Piano or Voice

• 1 hour
• Prerequisites: MUS 115

Continuation of MUS 115. For majors and non-majors who have had some piano or voice. Emphasis is on developing good reading and practicing skills. Additional fees will be assessed for this course.

MUS 117 Class Instruction-Piano

• 1 hour
• Prerequisites: MUS 116 or piano placement recommendation

For music majors only. Emphasis is on developing the skills required on the piano proficiency test. Additional fees will be assessed for this course.

MUS 118 Preparation for Piano Proficiency Test

• 0 hours
• Prerequisites: Piano Placement Recommendation

For first-semester music majors with significant background in piano. Two one-hour sessions will help these students prepare for the Piano Proficiency Test.

MUS 120 Introduction to Musical Styles

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression

Designed to acquaint the general student with music as one of the humanities. Development of perceptive listening; a survey of western music as an art form.

MUS 121 Theory I

• 3 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression

An intensive study of music fundamentals and materials followed by an introduction to part writing in two voices (counterpoint). Activities include written exercises, keyboard exercises, composition exercises, and the analysis of musical examples. Music 131 is the honors section of Theory 1.

MUS 121L Ear Training I

• 1 hour

A study including sight singing, rhythmic performance, dictation (melodic, harmonic, rhythmic), and related skills, all designed to develop the student's musical ear to the highest degree possible. Music 131L is the honors section of Ear Training I.

MUS 122 Theory II

• 3 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression
• Prerequisites: MUS 121 and 121L

A continuation of Theory I. Covers part-writing in four voices, harmonic function, phrase structure, sequences, the harmonization of melodies and basses, and an introduction to chromatic harmony. Activities include written exercises, keyboard exercises, composition exercises, and the analysis of musical examples. Music 132 is the honors section for Theory II.

MUS 122L Ear Training II

• 1 hour
• Prerequisites: MUS 121 and 121L

Continuation of Mus 121L. Taken concurrently with Mus 122. Music 132L is the honors section of Ear Training II.

MUS 130 Applied Music

• 1, 2 hours

For all applied music students in their first year of study. Non-majors and music majors in their secondary areas may repeat this course for credit in subsequent years. Studio seminars may be required. Additional fees will be assessed for this course.

MUS 131 Theory I - Honors

• 3 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression

Honors section of theory for first-year students. A placement test is required before registering for any section of music theory.

MUS 131L Ear Training I - Honors

• 1 hour

Honors section of ear training for first-year students.

MUS 132 Theory II - Honors

• 3 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression
• Prerequisites: MUS 131 and 131L

A continuation of Theory I. Includes modulation, small forms, and variation technique. Keyboard exercises and computer-assisted instructional materials are integrated into the course.

MUS 132L Ear Training II - Honors

• 1 hour
• Prerequisites: MUS 131 and 131L

Continuation of MUS 131L. Honors section for first-year students.

MUS 135 Principles of Improvisation

• 2 hours

Through the lens of improvisation in the jazz idiom, instrumentalists and vocalists will undertake an introductory study of jazz harmony, form, and repertoire. Emphasis is placed on stylistic performance practice and imitation of jazz recordings. Students are expected to demonstrate improvisational skills on their instruments at moderate tempos. Offered alternate years.

MUS 145 Orchestral Repertoire for Harp

• 1 hour

This is a one-credit course covering the performance and rehearsal aspects of harp in orchestral playing and other ensembles employing the harp. Course includes marking and pedaling harp parts, pre-rehearsal preparation including listening to recordings and studying scores, and ensemble practice and performance including conducting skills. Students may register regardless of orchestral experience.

MUS 230 Applied Music

• 1, 2 hours
• Prerequisites: Two semesters of MUS 130 (Applied Music)

For applied music students in their second year of study. Non-majors and music majors in their secondary areas may repeat this course for credit in subsequent years. Additional requirements by applied area may be found in the Music Department Student Guidelines. Studio seminars may be required. Additional fees will be assessed for this course.

MUS 231 Theory III

• 3 hours
• Prerequisites: MUS 122 and 122L

A continuation of Theory II. Covers chromatic harmony and voice leading, modulation, modal mixture, and styles and techniques relating to music of the twentieth century and beyond. Activities include written exercises, keyboard exercises, composition exercises, and the analysis of musical examples.

MUS 231L Ear Training III

• 1 hour
• Prerequisites: MUS 122 and 122L

A study including sight singing, rhythmic performance, keyboard and improvisation exercises, dictation (melodic, harmonic, rhythmic), and related skills, all designed to develop the student's musical ear to the highest degree possible.

MUS 235 Jazz Theory and Arranging

• 2 hours
• Prerequisites: MUS 231 and 231L

A seminar that examines jazz harmony, melody, form, rhythm, style, and piano voicing as they apply to improvisation, arranging, and composition. This course includes ear training and the analysis of classic jazz repertoire. The comprehensive outcome is an original arrangement of a jazz standard scored for horns and rhythm section, which will be performed and recorded. Offered alternate years.

MUS 236 Music, Worship and Culture

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression

A study of the theology and history of worship in society within the principal branches of the church, from Biblical times through the present, with particular emphasis on defining and illustrating the musical expressions of corporate worship within the context of the rapid cultural and technological changes in the 20th century. Offered alternate years.

MUS 237 Worship and Music in the Life of the Church

• 2 hours

This course will familiarize students with the role that music plays in liturgical and non-liturgical worship. It will include practical topics such as planning and selecting instrumental and vocal repertoire, directing a church music program, hymnody, and congregational worship life. Offered alternate years.

MUS 238 Composition Workshop

• 1 hour

A workshop for students interested in exploring composition and improvisation. Students are exposed to a range of musical styles and compositional practices, and these musical explorations result in original compositions which are workshopped and performed. Class culminates in a concert of new works. No prerequisites, but some previous study of music theory is highly beneficial.

MUS 240 Body Mapping for Musicians

• 1 hour

This course will help musicians refine and correct their body maps (i.e. mental representation of the body's size, structure, and function), increase inclusive awareness, and cultivate efficient movement based on the body's design. An accurate body map promotes increased technical facility, enhances musical performance, and helps prevent injury.

MUS 244 Music History I: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Historical
• Prerequisites: MUS 122 and 122L

This course offers a survey of sacred and secular music from Antiquity to 1750. Students will examine the origins of many musical conventions that we take for granted, such as meter, musical notation, polyphony, and tonality, and will learn about the composers and theorists responsible for these innovations. The origins and development of many genres, including the cyclic Mass, motet, madrigal, sonata, concerto, and cantata, as well as opera, will be explored. We will also consider the institutions and technological advances that allowed for these developments, including the patronage system and the invention of the printing press. Historical, social, and political factors that shaped the repertory and affected musical life during this period will also be investigated.

MUS 245 Choral Singing in Namibia and South Africa

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Intercultural

Choral Singing in Namibia and South Africa is a travel course that promotes intercultural exchange through music. Music from the western tradition is learned and presented along with learning and presenting traditional Namibian and South African music in local languages. This takes place in church services, through choral exchanges and concerts, and in schools, hospitals and informal settings. Students also learn about the history of Namibia, its fight for independence and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa through visits to sites of cultural and historic importance. Offered every four years during January term.

MUS 247 History of Jazz

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression—Primary Texts, Historical, Intercultural

A survey of the history and development of jazz, from the 1890s to the present. Includes origins and early jazz through the modern jazz era. Listening activities focus on the major figures of each historical period. Offered alternate years. (Same as AFRS 247 and IDS 247)

MUS 248 World Music Cultures

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression, Intercultural

An introduction to music cultures outside of the West, which may include the art and vernacular musics of Africa, the Americas, East and South Asia, and Northern and Eastern Europe. The course will be grounded in theoretical perspectives from ethnomusicology, exploring both sound structures and social structures as well as the relationships between them. This course is intended for students fluent in reading and writing Western notation, and able to hear and speak analytically about aspects of musical sound (meter, scale, texture).

MUS 249 Listening Live from London and Glasgow (England/Scotland)

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression, Intercultural

This is a course about broadening the contexts that inform our musical listening experiences. It is intended for students from all majors - the wider variety, the better. Taking full advantage of the range of musical performances available and the rich musical history and cultures of London, we will spend the first 14 days attending concerts in the evenings and spend the afternoons visiting sites that help provide the context for the music we hear. Daily morning class time will be devoted to discussions not only of music, but of art, literature, and historical and current events as they relate to the cultural climate of the musical works. Every few days the group will gather for an informal discussion over afternoon tea. For the remaining seven days of the course, we will travel north to Scotland, focusing on less formal musical venues ranging from Cathedrals to pubs and folk clubs in Cambridge, Nottingham, and York - as a contrast to the concert experiences in London and as a way of exploring different audiences, functions, and styles of British music making. The course will culminate in attending events at Celtic Connections, a highly-renowned folk festival in Glasgow. Through reading, writing, and discussion, we will explore the ways in which our knowledge and differing perspectives affect the experience of listening to musical performances. and how our own individual musical identities interact with the many musical cultures we encounter through concert music, musical theater, folk traditions, church music, and other modes of live music making.

MUS 249 Listening Live in London and Vienna

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression, Intercultural

This is a course devoted to listening carefully and thoughtfully to live music, and to broadening the contexts that inform our listening experiences. It is intended for students from all majors, with discussions centering on music and benefiting from the varied academic and experiential backgrounds of the students. Taking full advantage of the range of musical performances available and the rich musical history and cultures of London, we spend approximately the first two weeks of the course attending concerts in the evenings and spend the afternoons visiting sites that help provide the context for the music we hear. Morning class time is devoted to discussions not only of music, but of art, literature, and historical and current events as they relate to the cultural climate of the musical works. For the remainder of the course, we travel to another city or series of smaller towns for a different set of listening experiences to explore different functions, audiences, and styles of music making. As a group, we explore the ways in which our knowledge and differing perspectives affect the experience of listening to musical performances. Offered alternate years, during January term.

MUS 250 Introduction to Conducting

• 2 hours

A study of fundamental gesture, technique, and score preparation. Additional focus is given to oral communication and writing related to the art of conducting and self-evaluation.

MUS 265 Diction for Singers I: Italian and German

• 2 hours

Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet as an aid to learning accurate pronunciation for singing Italian and German. (First seven weeks, Italian; second seven weeks, German.) Offered alternate years.

MUS 266 Diction for Singers II: French and English

• 2 hours

Use of International Phonetic Alphabet as an aid to learning accurate pronunciation for singing French and English. (First seven weeks, French; second seven weeks, English). Offered alternate years.

MUS 267 Vocal Literature I: Italian/Spanish and German

• 2 hours

A historical survey of the art song from c. 1600 to the present day. The course is designed to correspond with "Diction for Singers." Alternate years, each area of study receiving seven weeks.

MUS 268 Vocal Literature Il: French and British/American

• 2 hours

A historical survey of the art song from c. 1600 to the present day. The course is designed to correspond with "Diction for Singers." Offered alternate years, each area of study receiving seven weeks.

MUS 272 Symphonic Music

• 2 hours

A survey of the repertoire of the orchestra including literature from the 17th century to the present. Emphasis is placed on concepts of style and historical evolution. Offered alternate years.

MUS 273 Chamber Music

• 1 hour

Instruction in the literature for small ensembles. Ensembles should be approved by an instructor before registration. Open to all students regardless of major. All ensemble members must be registered. This is a chargeable credit and will count toward the 36 credits for the year.

MUS 300 Music Ensembles

• 0 hours

Aurora, Cathedral Choir, Chamber Orchestra, Collegiate Chorale, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Orchestra, Nordic Choir, Norskkor, Philharmonia, Symphonic Band, and Symphony Orchestra.

MUS 330 Applied Music

• 1, 2 hours
• Prerequisites: Two semesters of MUS 230 (Applied Music)

For applied music students in their third year of study. Additional requirements by applied area maybe found in the Music Department Student Guidelines. Studio seminars may be required. Additional fees will be assessed for this course.

MUS 332 Theory IV

• 3 hours
• Prerequisites: MUS 231 and 231L

A continuation of Theory III. A culmination of theory study, which focuses on the large-scale tonal organization of entire compositions or movements, with an emphasis on conventions relating to form and style. Covers traditional instrumental and vocal forms, contrapuntal genres, and popular music forms. The course emphasizes writing and speaking about music and includes an introduction to library research.

MUS 332L Ear Training IV

• 1 hour
• Prerequisites: MUS 231 and 231L

A continuation of 231L. Normally taken concurrently with 332.

MUS 338 Composition: Private Lesson

• 1, 2 hours
• Prerequisites: MUS 238

Individual composition lessons designed to develop compositional facility in a variety of styles and media. Students also participate in a weekly composition seminar and interact with guest composers. May be repeated for credit. May be taken for 1 or 2 credits as directed by instructor.

MUS 345 Music History II: Classical and Romantic

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Historical
• Prerequisites: MUS 122, 122L and 244

This course offers a survey of vocal and instrumental music from approximately 1730 to 1900. We will trace the development of major genres, including the symphony, string quartet, concerto, aria, and oratorio. Students will consider how Classical composers contributed to Western Art Music by inventing or codifying some of the most enduring genres and forms and by creating the Galant style. We will then explore how Romantic composers transformed the genres, forms, and harmonic language inherited from Classical composers. Many of these changes resulted from a desire to express emotions and ideas through music, as we will see. Historical, social, and political factors that affected music and musical life will also be investigated.

MUS 346 Music History III: Post-1900 Music And World Music

• 4 hours
• Fulfills: Human Expression—Primary Texts
• Prerequisites: MUS 332, 332L and 345

The first half of the course examines major trends in twentieth- and twenty-first century Western Art Music and American vernacular music. We will observe a weakening of tonality and functional harmony and explore the alternative systems that composers introduced. The influence of non-Western music, pre-nineteenth-century music, and popular music on Western Art Music will also be explored, as will the ways that nationalism, censorship, politics, and advances in technology shape music from this period. The second half of the course introduces students to the music of some non-Western cultures. Taking a case study approach, we will investigate the music of select cultures from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, focusing on the instruments, methods of organizing music, performance contexts, and the significance and meaning of music-making in each culture. We will examine how music helps to express identity and how transmission and globalization affect music. We will conclude by studying a North American musical tradition outside of the Western Art Music sphere, from an ethnomusicological perspective, exposing students to some of the methodologies and key questions of the field.

MUS 356 Electro-Acoustic Music

• 2 hours
• Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

An introductory course in electro-acoustic music in which students: 1) listen to music which uses technology in an essential way, 2) study the physics of sound and digital signal processing, and 3) create original music using a digital audio workstation. The course culminates in a recital of original works. This course is normally required as preparation for advanced independent work in the Presser Electronic Music Studio. Offered alternate years.

MUS 360 Vocal Coaching

• 1, 2 hours
• Prerequisites: Upper level (MUS 330) voice and consent of instructor

Guidance in the proper execution of vocal music dealing with diction, musical style, and assistance in repertoire selection. Additional fees will be assessed for this course.

MUS 362 Opera Workshop: Scenes

• 1, 2, or 4 hours
• Prerequisites: MUS 130 (private voice instruction) and consent of voice instructor

The study, rehearsal and staging of operatic repertoire (such as arias, scenes or one-act operas) through public performance and/or in-class assignments. Credit is dependent on role(s) and other duties assigned. This course may be repeated for credit.

MUS 363 Opera Workshop: Production

• 1, 2, or 4 hours
• Prerequisites: MUS 130 (private voice instruction) and consent of voice instructor

The study, rehearsal and performance of a music faculty directed opera. Credit dependent on role(s) and other duties assigned. This course may be repeated for credit.

MUS 371 Orchestration

• 2 hours
• Prerequisites: MUS 332

A study of the fundamentals and practices of arranging and composing for large ensembles. Course culminates with readings of student arrangements and/or compositions. Offered alternate years.

MUS 373 Choral Literature

• 2 hours
• Prerequisites: MUED 351

A broad survey of historic and new choral literature in the practical context of concert programming for beginning professional conductors. The course includes discussion on choral music resources, performance practice, responsible programming, and influential choral musicians and conductors.

MUS 376 Vocal and Instrumental Accompanying

• 2 hours
• Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

A performance seminar for pianists. Students are coached in repertoire that requires keyboard accompaniment. The goal is for pianists to develop and refine skills unique to the art of accompanying while becoming familiar with a wide variety of musical styles. Emphasis on vocal accompanying with additional consideration of instrumental repertoire.

MUS 430 Applied Music

• 1, 2 hours
• Prerequisites: Two semesters of MUS 330 (Applied Music)

For applied music students in their fourth year of study. Additional requirements by applied area may be found in the Music Department Student Guidelines. Studio seminars may be required. Additional fees will be assessed for this course.

MUS 445 Performance Practices of the Renaissance And Baroque Periods

• 2 hours

A historical study of the interpretation of music based on reading from the letters, diaries, essays, critical reviews, and performance treatises of the period. Seminar format with a substantial performance project. Open to music majors, or by consent of instructor. Offered alternate years.

MUS 446 Performance Practices of the Classical And Early Romantic Periods

• 2 hours

A historical study of the interpretation of music based on reading from the letters, diaries, essays, critical reviews, and performance treatises of the period. Seminar format with a substantial performance project. Open to music majors, or by consent of instructor. Offered alternate years.

MUS 454 16th Century Counterpoint

• 2 hours
• Prerequisites: MUS 332

A study of the sixteenth century modal counterpoint style of Palestrina. Written exercises lead to the composition and performance of a mass movement.

MUS 455 Analytical Studies

• 2 hours
• Prerequisites: MUS 332

This course is designed to further the analytical skills of a student through intensive study of selected works from music literature. About six pieces will be studied in a semester, with the choice of scores representing a variety of styles, periods, and the special interest of students enrolled in the course. Offered alternate years.

MUS 469 Advanced Ear Training

• 1 hour
• Prerequisites: MUS 332 and 332L

A continuation of music 332L. Offered alternate years.

MUS 485 Seminar

• 1, 2, or 4 hours

MUS 490 Senior Project

• 1 hour