Music MUSIC

128 courses · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog

Classes: Fall 2026

MUSIC 3 Introduction to Music

Units
4

(IV)

Introduction to musical concepts and active listening skills. Students develop musical understanding through critical readings, selected repertoire, fundamental concepts related to rhythm, pitch, and genre. Students apply those concepts to music from a wide range of historical and cultural origins.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 4 Introduction to Opera

Units
4

(IV)

Introduces students with no musical background to the dramatic and performance conventions of opera, and suggests ways of developing a critical stance vis-a-vis the social, political, gender-related and moral conflicts that are presented by composers and librettists.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 5 Popular Music in the United States

Units
4

(IV)

Examines the cultural, social, political, and economic dimensions of popular music in the United States over the last century and a half, with an emphasis on matters related to class, race, ethnicity, and gender.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 8 The Beatles and the Sixties

Units
4

(IV)

Through a study of the music of the Beatles, students are introduced to selected broader historical and cultural themes (e.g., race and music, gender and music, music and the counterculture) while developing an understanding of the basic elements of music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 9 Rock: The Early Years

Units
4

(IV)

Surveys the social and cultural fabric of the post-World War II United States (from the late 1940s through the early 1970s) as seen through the prism of music - rock and roll music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 10 Piano for Majors

Units
1

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 3 times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

For Music majors with little or no piano experience. Provides the necessary background for realizing keyboard exercises required in the theory and harmony courses, and develops skills to play and sight-read simple music from different periods.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 15 Musicianship

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Interval and chord quality identification, melodic and harmonic dictation, tonal and chromatic sight-singing, and rhythmic reading and dictation.

Offered: Fall 2026 (4 sections)

MUSIC 16A Music Theory

Units
4

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Review of music fundamentals. Triad and seventh chords, musical texture, chord spacing, embellishing tones, and introduction to diatonic harmony. Part-writing and model composition with tonic, dominant seventh, and subdominant harmonies.

Offered: Fall 2026 (4 sections)

MUSIC 16B Music Theory

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16A with a minimum grade of C-

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors and Music majors only

Introduction to phrase structure. Part-writing and harmonization with predominants, linear dominants, 6/4 embellishing chords, leading-tone and other diatonic seventh chords. Advanced meters and rhythmic-metric dissonance. Diatonic sequence. Introduction to tonicization and modulation through motion to V and III.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 16C Music Theory

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16B with a minimum grade of C-

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors and Music majors only

Tonicization and modulation to closely related keys. Simple binary and ternary forms. Voice-leading reductions and simple forms. Diatonic sequence with seventh chords. Introduction to chromatic harmony I: modal exchange and mixture chords, the Neapolitan and augmented sixth chords.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 16D Theory/Musicianship

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16C with a minimum grade of C-

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Extended homophonic and contrapuntal formal designs (continuous variations, rondo form, sonata form, invention, fugue). Embellishing chromatic chords, dominant prolongation, modulations to foreign keys, extended harmonies, chromatic sequence, chromatic voice-leading and symmetrical divisions of the octave.

Offered: Fall 2026 (3 sections)

MUSIC 21A Keyboard Skills

Units
1

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Designed to develop the foundational skills of sight-reading, harmonization, transposition, improvisation, figured bass realization, and score reading.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 21B Keyboard Skills

Units
1

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Designed to develop the foundational skills of sight-reading, harmonization, transposition, improvisation, figured bass realization, and score reading.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 21C Keyboard Skills

Units
1

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Designed to develop the foundational skills of sight-reading, harmonization, transposition, improvisation, figured bass realization, and score reading.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 25A Fundamentals of Music I

Units
4

(IV)

Gain comprehensive insight into the fundamental concepts of music theory, including notation, harmony, and score analysis. Designed for students of all levels to improve their understanding of how music is composed, performed, and heard.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 25B Fundamentals of Music II

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 25A

(IV)

Gain comprehensive insight into the fundamental concepts of music theory, including notation, harmony, and score analysis, building further on materials covered in Fundamentals of Music I.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 32 Introduction to Jazz Improvisation

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 25 with a minimum grade of C- or MUSIC 16A with a minimum grade of C-

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors and Music majors only

A hybrid format, practice-based course introducing jazz improvisation skills, focused on melodic improvisation over chord changes. Students learn to improvise over standard jazz forms, gain fluency with jazz concepts and artists, and learn transcription skills and software tools.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 39A The Classical Tradition I

Units
4

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors have the first consideration for enrollment

(IV)

The first in a two-quarter sequence providing foundational knowledge and skills through engaging with the European classical tradition in music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 39B The Classical Tradition II

Units
4

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors have the first consideration for enrollment

(IV)

The second in a two-quarter sequence providing foundational knowledge and skills through engaging with the European classical tradition in music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 40B History of European Music: From the Renaissance through the Baroque

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16C with a minimum grade of C-

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors have the first consideration for enrollment

(IV and VIII.)

An introduction to the analysis of musical styles and forms, to the sources for constructing music history and reconstructing historical music, and to J.S. Bach.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 40C History of European Music: Hasse to Mahler

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 40B with a minimum grade of D. Recommended: MUSIC 16D

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors have the first consideration for enrollment

(IV and VIII)

An introduction to the analysis of musical styles and forms, and to the sources for constructing music history and reconstructing historical music, to Richard Wagner.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 40D 20th Century Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16C with a minimum grade of C-

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors have the first consideration for enrollment

(IV and VIII.)

Survey of principal composers, movements, and compositional techniques of Western art music of the modern era.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 41 Major Composer

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

(IV)

Study of the works of an important composer with emphasis on their significance in historical and social contexts. Composers selected represent a wide variety of historical periods, nationalities, and stylistic orientations.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 45 History of Film Music

Units
4

(IV)

Course provides an overview of film music history. Special emphasis will be placed on developing an analytic vocabulary for musical elements and cultivating an understanding of how music can function within a film.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 46 Music in Multimedia

Units
4

(IV)

Students explore intersections between music and other media forms through creating multimedia projects, readings, lectures, and discussion. Students produce music, edit video, increase media literacy, and study theories behind how music communicates meaning.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 47 Introductory Topics in Music Technology

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary

(IV)

Introductory topics in electronic music, digital audio, and other aspects of music technology.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 48 Introductory Topics in Music and Culture

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary

(IV)

Examines music and musical practices in different historical periods, societies, and cultural settings.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 49 History of Hip Hop

Units
4

(IV and VII )

Surveys the history of hip hop music from its origins to the present day.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 51 Introduction to Music Technology

Units
4

(IV)

A study of the influence of technology on the musical culture and aesthetics from the 20th century to the present. Work includes lectures, readings, listenings, discussions, demonstrations, writing, and experimentation.

Offered: Fall 2026 (9 sections)

MUSIC 65 Piano for Music Majors

Units
2
Corequisite
MUSIC 15

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (2 sections)

MUSIC 66 Strings for Music Majors

Units
2
Corequisite
MUSIC 15

Repeatability: May be taken 6 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (4 sections)

MUSIC 67 Winds for Music Majors

Units
2
Corequisite
MUSIC 15

Repeatability: May be taken 6 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 68 Voice for Music Majors

Units
2
Corequisite
MUSIC 15

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (2 sections)

MUSIC 69 Percussion for Music Majors

Units
2
Corequisite
MUSIC 15

Repeatability: May be taken 6 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 70 Guitar, Lute, and Other Plucked Instruments for Music Majors

Units
2
Corequisite
MUSIC 15

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 78 History of Jazz

Units
4

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors have the first consideration for enrollment

(IV and VII.)

Development of jazz from African and African American folk origins through blues, early jazz, swing, bebop, "cool" jazz, fusion, free jazz, and contemporary trends.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC H80 Experiments in Music

Units
4

Restrictions: Campuswide Honors Collegium only

(IV)

Scientists explain the cognition of music using experimental methodology; artists expand the domain of music by trying previously unknown ways of making it. These two types of experiment deepen our understanding of music, from both scientific and artistic vantage points.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 82A MAHUR-Pish Radif: Introduction to Classical Persian Music

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Survey of art music in Iran and basic structures of classical Persian music, with emphasis on MAHUR modal system and different instruments of classical Persian music. No musical experience required, but interest in vocal music is strongly recommended.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 82B HOMAYUN-Pish Radif: Introduction to Classical Persian Music

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Survey of art music in Iran and basic structures of classical Persian music, with emphasis on HOMAYUN modal system and famous musicians and performers of classical Persian music. No musical experience required, but interest in vocal music is strongly recommended.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 82C SHUR-Pish Radif: Introduction to Classical Persian Music

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Survey of art music in Iran and basic structures of classical Persian music, with emphasis on the SHUR modal system and different poetic rhythms in classical Persian music. No musical experience required, but interest in vocal music is strongly recommended.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 122A Piano Literature

Units
2
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16A and MUSIC 16B and MUSIC 16C

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Survey of stringed keyboard literature from the English Virginalists through twentieth-century composers. Historical, formal, and stylistic considerations of music presented. Performances by class participants and occasional outside guests.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 122B Piano Literature

Units
2
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16A and MUSIC 16B and MUSIC 16C

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Survey of stringed keyboard literature from the English Virginalists through twentieth-century composers. Historical, formal, and stylistic considerations of music presented. Performances by class participants and occasional outside guests.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 122C Piano Literature

Units
2
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16A and MUSIC 16B and MUSIC 16C

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Survey of stringed keyboard literature from the English Virginalists through twentieth-century composers. Historical, formal, and stylistic considerations of music presented. Performances by class participants and occasional outside guests.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 126 Piano Pedagogy

Units
2

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

The materials and methods of piano instruction are examined and evaluated.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 131 Post-Tonal Theory

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16D

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Significant harmonic, rhythmic, and structural practices since 1900. Analysis and written work exploring free atonality and serialism; neo-tonal practices such as use of extended tertian harmonies, modalism, pandiatonicism, and non-tertian harmonies; structural principles such as aleatory, metric modulation and minimalism.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 132 Jazz Theory

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16D

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Study of jazz harmony and melody construction in improvisation. Covered topics include terminology, chord symbols, notation, voicings, and scales as commonly used in jazz and popular music. Issues regarding tonality and ramifications of the blue scale are also examined.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 136 Instrumentation

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16C

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Ranges and capabilities of modern orchestral instruments. Exercise in writing for various combinations of wind, string, and percussion instruments and for full orchestra.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 140 Topics in Medieval Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Topics in medieval music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 141 Topics in Renaissance Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Topics in renaissance music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 142 Topics in Baroque Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Topics in Baroque music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 142W Topics in Baroque Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

(Ib)

Topics in Baroque music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 143 Topics in Classical Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Topics in classical music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 143W Topics in Classical Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

(Ib)

Topics in classical music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 144 Topics in Romantic Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Topics in romantic music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 144W Topics in Romantic Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors only

(Ib)

Topics in romantic music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 145W Topics in 20th Century Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the Lower-Division Writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

(Ib)

Topics in 20th century music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 146 Studies in Jazz Music

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Topics in Jazz Music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 147 Studies in Music Technology

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken 2 times as topics vary

Specialized topics in electronic music, computer-aided music, and other aspects of music technology.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 148 Studies in Ethnomusicology

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 2 times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Topics in Ethnomusicology.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 149 Studies in Music History

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 39A and MUSIC 39B. Satisfactory completion of the lower-division writing requirement

Repeatability: May be taken 3 times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Specialized topics in musical genres; culture and social issues; performance practices; and interrelated arts.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 150 Composition

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16C

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Exercises and projects for diverse instrumental-vocal combinations; contemporary techniques and problems. Participation in the improvisation ensemble and working with electronic media.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 151 Computer Music Composition

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 51

Exercises in the composition of music uniquely possible by computer, including digital signal processing, computer control of synthesizers and processors, and algorithmic composition. Demonstrations and musical analyses in class; considerable studio work outside class.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 153 Counterpoint

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16B with a minimum grade of C-

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Studies in contrapuntal practices of various style periods such as the 16th, 18th, and 20th centuries.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 155 Analysis

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16D

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Methods of formal analysis applicable to all Western musical styles: additive, continuous, transformational, and hierarchic forms; rhythm, texture, and sonority as form and process.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 156A Song Literature

Units
2

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

A survey of song literature. Designed as an overview of the song repertoire, German Lieder.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 156B Song Literature

Units
2

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

A survey of song literature. Designed as an overview of the song repertoire, French mélodie.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 157 Advanced Study in Composition

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 150 with a minimum grade of C-

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Individual weekly lessons in composition.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 158A Diction

Units
2

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors and Music majors only

In-depth study of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), including its transcription and pronunciation, and its application for singers. Introduction to IPA and Italian diction.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 158B Diction

Units
2
Prerequisite
MUSIC 158A

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors and Music majors only

In-depth study of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), including its transcription and pronunciation, and its application for singers. German diction.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 158C Diction

Units
2
Prerequisite
MUSIC 158A and MUSIC 158B

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors and Music majors only

In-depth study of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), including its transcription and pronunciation, and its application for singers. French Diction.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 160 University Orchestra

Units
2
Prerequisite
Audition required

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Study and performance of standard orchestral repertory and works by contemporary composers. Membership is open to all qualified students by audition only.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 161 Wind Ensemble

Units
2
Prerequisite
Audition required

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Study and performance of works written for varying combinations of wind and percussion instruments. Membership is open to all qualified students by audition only.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 162 University Chorus

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Make-up of the ensembles varies and may include University Chorus, Chamber Choir, Madrigal Singers, Women's Chorus, and Reading Choir. Membership is open to all students.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 162P University Chorus: Accompanying

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 12 times

Keyboard accompanying for one of the UCI choral organizations, with individual coaching in sight reading, score reading, and other accompanying skills.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 164 Opera Workshop

Units
2-4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Preparation and performance of operatic repertoire, including arias, scenes, and fully staged operas, and/or stage training and role analysis.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 164P Opera Workshop: Accompanying

Units
2-4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Training in techniques and operatic repertory for keyboard players.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 165 Piano for Music Performance Majors

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (2 sections)

MUSIC 166 Strings for Music Performance Majors

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (5 sections)

MUSIC 166P String Accompaniment

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 3 times

Chamber ensemble experience with the solo string repertory for keyboard, participation in the weekly string master class, performance in public recitals.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 167 Winds for Music Performance Majors

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (4 sections)

MUSIC 168 Voice for Music Performance Majors

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (2 sections)

MUSIC 169 Percussion for Music Performance Majors

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors only

Private weekly lessons. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (2 sections)

MUSIC 170 Guitar, Lute, and Other Plucked Instruments for Music Performance Majors

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music - Performance majors only

Private weekly lessons and a weekly master class/workshop for the discussion of solo repertory and performance practice, including special topics such as historical notational systems, traditional American guitar styles, and demonstrations of period plucked instruments. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 171 Chamber Singers

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

A select ensemble specializing in vocal chamber music from all periods. Frequent performances on and off campus. Membership is open to all singers by audition. Materials Fee

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 176 Chamber Ensembles

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors have the first consideration for enrollment

Make-up of the ensembles varies and may include various Classical ensembles, Latin Jazz Ensemble, Small Jazz Combos, Percussion Ensemble, and Guitar Ensemble. Membership is open to all qualified students by audition only.

Offered: Fall 2026 (8 sections)

MUSIC 178 Jazz Orchestra

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Rehearsal and performance of literature written for large jazz ensemble with emphasis on methods and materials. Laboratory setting for new arrangers and/or composers of modern jazz pieces.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 181 Improvisation

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Improvisation has been central to all music traditions. Course explores real-time music-making in a variety of non-notated contexts. Different improvisational styles are presented, including jazz, Asian improvisation, and experimental modern music. Emphasis on actual classroom performance.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 182 Advanced Jazz Combo

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Small-group jazz ensemble and improvisational workshop. Range of music covered encompasses the full traditional jazz from improvised ragtime up through the most current avant-garde musical techniques.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 183A Jazz Composition I

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 78 and MUSIC 132

Restrictions: Music majors only

Performance and lecture course for writing and performing original jazz compositions. Emphasis is placed on composing as a way to create new improvisational frameworks. Cyclical forms, modal compositions, blues-oriented compositions, and ballad writing.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 183B Jazz Composition II

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 78 and MUSIC 132 and MUSIC 183A

Restrictions: Music majors only

Performance and lecture course for writing and performing original jazz compositions. Emphasis is placed on composing as a way to create new improvisational frameworks. Non-functional harmony, contemporary forms, free-bop, and current trends.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 183C Jazz Composition III

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 78 and MUSIC 132 and MUSIC 183A and MUSIC 183B

Restrictions: Music majors only

Performance and lecture course for writing and performing original jazz compositions. Emphasis is placed on composing as a way to create new improvisational frameworks. Study of modern tonal-center compositions, intervallic compositions, and alternate rhythms.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 186 Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology Workshop

Units
2
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16C

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors have the first consideration for enrollment

A practice-based course in which students create original musical works through composition, improvisation, and/or technology, both individually and collaboratively.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 189 Accompanying for Plucked Strings: Continuo and Changes

Units
2
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16C

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Students apply theory to their instruments as they learn the basics of pre-1800 continuo playing and post-1900 jazz charts. Includes discussions of appropriate repertory, treatment of harmonic progressions, and finer points of style and technique.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 191 Tutorial in Music

Units
1-4
Prerequisite
Undergraduate advisor approval required

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 3 times

Supplemental instruction related to student's area of study. Taken only when the materials studied lie outside regular departmental offerings, and when the student has no formal chance to pursue the subject.

Offered: Fall 2026 (6 sections)

MUSIC 193 Conducting

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 16D and MUSIC 40B and MUSIC 40C

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Introduces students to the basic techniques employed in the practice of conducting and includes score study and development of leadership skills.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 195A Senior Thesis

Units
2
Prerequisite
Senior standing in the Honors Program in Music and Culture

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

With consultation in regularly scheduled meetings, students identify and study relevant texts and materials and prepare a prospectus for an original thesis.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 195B Senior Thesis

Units
2
Prerequisite
MUSIC 195A

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Students submit an outline and preliminary drafts of section of their thesis to the instructor, on a schedule supervised by the instructor. The final version will address the instructor's comments and criticisms.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 197 Word and Music

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Performance class for advanced singers and pianists with emphasis on collaborative approach to vocal literature.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 199 Independent Study

Units
2-4
Prerequisite
Undergraduate or graduate advisor approval required

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 3 times

Restrictions: Music majors and Music - Performance majors only

Student-devised research/composition project, with faculty guidance, resulting in a formal paper/project. Taken only when materials studied lie outside regular departmental offerings or when students have no formal chance to pursue the subject.

Offered: Fall 2026 (5 sections)

MUSIC 200 Bibliography and Research

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Required of all entering students. A systematic introduction to the bibliographical tools both in the general field of music and in the student's areas of specialization.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 202 Proseminar in Musicology

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 200 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of B
Corequisite
Recommended for musicology students: MUSIC 200

Introduces significant issues and recent developments in musicology and music criticism, including exposure to the controversies that have brought change and reflection to the discipline.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 203 Music Thesis

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 200 with a minimum grade of B

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Intensive work dedicated to researching and writing a Master's thesis under the supervision of a faculty advisor.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 204 Proseminar in Music Theory and Analysis

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 200 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of B
Corequisite
Recommended for musicology students: MUSIC 200

Introduction to music theories, analytic approaches, and methodologies as applied to repertories drawn from Western art and popular music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 209 Seminar in Creative Practices

Units
1-4

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 3 times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Core first-year seminar required for graduate students in the Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology emphasis of the M.A. and Ph.D. programs. Composition and presentation of original student works, lecture, and discussion.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 210 Choral Conducting

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Intensive private instruction and study of the various choral literatures.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 211 Performance

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 6 times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Contents vary according to the student's major instrument. Intensive private instruction and study of the various literatures.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 212 Composition

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Intensive work in composition geared to each student's level of competence.

Offered: Fall 2026 (3 sections)

MUSIC 214 Graduate Recital

Units
0

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 2 times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Performance of public recital.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 215A Computer Music Composition and Production

Units
4

Restrictions: Music majors only

Study of the composition and production of music made uniquely possible by the computer, including usage of prevalent digital music technology, techniques of digital signal processing, and computer control of synthesizers and audio processors.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 222 Seminar in Musicology

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 200 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of B
Corequisite
Recommended for musicology students: MUSIC 200

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Focuses on current scholarship in musicology and related fields with a strong critical content. Addresses topics relative to their historical and stylistic periods. Recent topics have included Stravinsky, Holy Women, Mahler, Historiography, Issues in Performance Practice, and Brahms’s Chamber Music.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 224 Seminar in Music Theory and Analysis

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 200 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of B
Corequisite
Recommended for musicology students: MUSIC 200

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary

Typical topics include Schenkerian theory and analysis, contemporary form theory, and advanced techniques in the analysis of late 19th-century and contemporary music (e.g., transformational theory, Neo-Riemannian, and scale network theory).

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 231 Improvisation

Units
4

Restrictions: Music majors only

Introduces the practice and history of improvisation in diverse fields of Western music since 1950. Performance projects and group critiques, weekly reading and listening assignments, participation in a class concert, and a research paper.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 235 Critical Studies in Music

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 200 (may be taken concurrently) with a minimum grade of B
Corequisite
Recommended for musicology students: MUSIC 200

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times as topics vary

Restrictions: Music majors only

A critical examination of music traditions, institutions, and aesthetics, employing new scholarship in music and new critical studies in other disciplines.

Offered: Fall 2026 (1 section)

MUSIC 236 Theoretical ICIT Seminar

Units
1-4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Seminar studying new genres and topics that integrate composition, improvisation, new technologies, and non-classical cultures.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 237 Practical ICIT Seminar

Units
1-4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Study of new practices and techniques that integrate composition, improvisation, new technologies, and non-classical cultures.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 239 Thesis Colloquium

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken for credit for 8 units

Restrictions: Music majors only

ICIT students present their thesis work-in-progress for discussion and criticism. Faculty and visiting artists/scholars also present their current work.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 240 Graduate Projects

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Substantial projects in performance, conducting, or composition (other than those specifically required for the degree), accompanied by a summary paper.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 242A First-Year Research and Writing Seminar I

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 200 with a minimum grade of B

Guided reading for one quarter on a broad subject selected by the instructor, followed by one quarter in which the student undertakes independent research on the selected topic, leading to a substantial term paper.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 242B First-Year Research and Writing Seminar II

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 200 with a minimum grade of B and MUSIC 242A with a minimum grade of B

Guided reading for one quarter on a broad subject selected by the instructor, followed by one quarter in which the student undertakes independent research on the selected topic, leading to a substantial term paper.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 243A Second-Year Research and Writing Tutorial I

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 242B with a minimum grade of B

In this two-quarter sequence, students gain expertise in a first area of research concentration by undertaking directed reading on a topic of their choice and then writing a paper of near-publishable length and quality on that topic.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 243B Second-Year Research and Writing Tutorial II

Units
4
Prerequisite
MUSIC 243A with a minimum grade of B

In this two-quarter sequence, students gain expertise in a first area of research concentration by undertaking directed reading on a topic of their choice and then writing a paper of near-publishable length and quality on that topic.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 244 Readings for the Qualifying Examination

Units
4-12
Prerequisite
MUSIC 243B with a minimum grade of B

Grading Option: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Directed reading in preparation for the Qualifying Examination.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 245 Prospectus Research

Units
4-12
Prerequisite
MUSIC 244 with a minimum grade of B

Grading Option: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Research and writing of the Dissertation Prospectus.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 250 Directed Research

Units
4

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Preparation for qualifying exams in ICIT or an individual research project, resulting in a substantial paper or comparable documentation of the research results.

Offered: Fall 2026 (9 sections)

MUSIC 276 Contemporary Ensemble

Units
2

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Chamber ensemble for the performance of contemporary music, including newly composed and improvised forms.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

MUSIC 290 Dissertation Research

Units
4-12

Grading Option: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Research and writing of a Ph.D. dissertation.

Offered: Fall 2026 (7 sections)

MUSIC 299 Independent Study

Units
2-4
Prerequisite
Graduate advisor approval required

Repeatability: May be taken for credit 3 times

Restrictions: Music majors only

Student-devised research/composition project, with faculty guidance, resulting in a formal paper/project. Taken only when materials studied lie outside regular departmental offerings or when students have no formal chance to pursue the subject.

Offered: Fall 2026 (8 sections)

MUSIC 399 University Teaching

Units
1-4

Grading Option: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory only

Repeatability: May be taken unlimited times

Limited to Teaching Assistants.

Not on the Fall 2026 schedule.

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