This introductory course in music appreciation considers how people engage in music-making activities in various cultures. Students will learn to interpret and write about music using terms and concepts from assigned readings, and they will learn to articulate their understanding of particular musical phenomena (pieces, styles, composers or performers, instruments, performance venues, recording technologies, etc.) in social, cultural, and historical contexts. Students will learn to interpret one or more aspects of music-making as artistic or as creative process. Student will have ample opportunity to shape and direct the focus of their learning according to their own interests and purposes. This course was previously ART-221514 Exploring the World of Music.

Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

Introduction to Guitar and Guitar Music is designed to introduce students to the instrument of guitar and the music associated with it from a historical, as well as a practical, perspective. We will also explore the mechanical aspects of guitar construction as it evolved over the centuries by considering various materials such as wood, metal, bone, glue, synthetics, and strings, and we’ll look at the building techniques/tools of luthiers (guitar-builders).

Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

In this course, the student will develop an understanding of Western music in an historical context from antiquity through the late seventeenth century. The student will learn about the elements of music, become knowledgeable about musical works and composers in an historical context, and investigate various musical styles and forms. The study will include listening assignments in conjunction with the readings. The student will acquire a vocabulary for speaking about music, gain an historical understanding of the roles music plays in Western culture and society, and develop an appreciation for music as a discipline and as an art.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

In this course, the student will develop an understanding of Western music in an historical context from the early eighteenth century to the end of the twentieth century. The student will learn about the elements of music, become knowledgeable about musical works and composers in an historical context, and investigate various musical styles and forms. The study will include listening assignments in conjunction with the readings. The student will acquire a vocabulary for speaking about music, gain an historical understanding of the roles music plays in Western culture and society, and develop an appreciation for music as a discipline and as an art. This study may be taken for introductory or advanced level credit based on a discussion with the instructor.

Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

This study is an exploration of popular music in relation to social issues, primarily in the United States, from the early decades of the twentieth century to the present. Students will consider how popular music has inspired social change through providing voices of opposition. We will investigate the contributions of selected musical artists that have demonstrated a commitment to social change through responding in song to the development of major social movements.

Cross-listed with ARTP 1030.

Attributes: American History Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

This course is an investigation of topics in world music and culture identified with one or more of the following geographical areas: South America and Mexico, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Canada, and the U.S. Prerequisites: Students should have prior training and/or expertise in some aspect of music.

Attributes: Other World Civilization Gn Ed, Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Music (MUSC). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.

This study is a practical investigation of the song writer's craft. Work by master song writers will be analyzed and used as models for student work. The student will develop lyrics and/or music for songs in one or more genres. Students will present their completed songs in class at the final meeting. Students may take this study at the advanced level with permission of the instructor.

Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Music (MUSC). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.

This study is a practical investigation of the song writer's craft. Work by master song writers will be analyzed and used as models for student work. The student will develop lyrics and/or music for songs in one or more genres.

Attributes: Liberal

From disco to country, hip-hop to jazz, classical to gospel, Americans have adopted, adapted, appropriated, developed, and invented many musical traditions, genres, and institutions. In this course, students will sample some of the vast diversity of American music. Each student will also explore in some depth a particular area of American music of their own interest (such as an artist, genre, performance, practice, or issue). This course was previously ART-223414 American Popular Music in the Twentieth Century. Prerequisites: advanced level reading, writing and research skills

Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an opportunity to explore the American Roots Music: its origins, traditions, development and influence. This includes the African American musical traditions that manifested themselves as blues and jazz, and the Anglo-Celtic tradition that manifested itself as country music, old time string band music, ballads and bluegrass.

Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

This study will explore children's music and its effect on child development, from nursery rhymes to lullabies and story songs. The main objective of this study is for students to discover the joy and benefits of children’s participation in music, whether it be singing, clapping, rhyming, or playing an instrument. Students will also engage in developing strategies for sharing music with children, using creativity and child participation.

Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

This study is an exploration of popular music in relation to social issues, primarily in the United States, from the early decades of the twentieth century to the present. Students will consider how popular music has inspired social change through providing voices of opposition. We will investigate the contributions of selected musical artists that have demonstrated a commitment to social change through responding in song to the development of major social movements.

Cross-listed with ARTP 3035.

Attributes: American History Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

The purpose of this course is to examine women’s songs, their messages, their genres, and the women who wrote, sang, and recorded them. The goal is for students to use critical thinking to evaluate women’s songs and their lyrics and relate them to American history. They will examine the way different chord structures, rhythms, melodies, instrumentation, and arrangement affect the mood set by a song. This course will encompass concepts of music history, women in American history, and feminist theory.

Attributes: American History Gen Ed, Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

This course is an advanced level investigation of topics in world music and culture identified with one or more of the following geographical areas: South America and Mexico, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Canada, and the U.S. Prerequisites for advanced level credit include prior training and/or expertise in some aspect of music.

Attributes: Liberal

What is music and why does it matter? How and why do different musics matter differently to different people, and powerfully so? How might our own experiences with listening to music or making music inform our understanding of music's relevance to and importance in human life and culture? In this course, students will read, think, and write about music in philosophical ways, with ample opportunity to shape questions, ideas, and arguments in relation to their own musical experiences, interests, and preferences.

Attributes: Humanities Gen Ed, Liberal

Students will learn about the history and culture of the Adirondack region by reading stories and poems and listening to traditional and original songs. They will examine the forms of writing and the emotional connection in Adirondack folklore. From ballads of lumber camps to tall tales of explorers and sportsmen, the songs and stories of this wilderness region express a singular style of humor and impart values of work ethic and rugged individualism. Students will appreciate the inspiration behind the message and examine the artistic expression of singing and storytelling.

Attributes: Arts Gen Ed, Liberal

This is a special topics course in music.

Attributes: Liberal

Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Music (MUSC). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.

The purpose of this study is to investigate contemporary cultural theory, philosophy, and aesthetic practices as they pertain to music and sound. Students will hone their research and writing skills which exploring selected topics in contemporary music. Prerequisites: advanced level critical thinking and writing skills as well as some background in some aspect of music.

Attributes: Liberal

This research-based study in Western Music is for advanced students. Student projects will focus on analyzing and writing about musical works in an historical context. Prerequisites include at least one music history study and/or experiential knowledge of Western Music.

Attributes: Liberal

Students have the opportunity to develop individualized studies with their mentor in Music (MUSC). Please contact your mentor/advisor for more details.