MUSIC

Professors:  Anthony Braxton, Neely Bruce, Alvin A. Lucier, Mark Slobin

Associate Professors: Eric Charry, Su Zheng

Assistant Professors:  Jane Alden, Yonatan Malin

Adjunct Professors:  Abraham Adzenyah, Ronald Kuivila, Sumarsam, Chair

Adjunct Associate Professors:  Angel Gil-Ordóñez, Jay Hoggard

Adjunct Instructor:  B. Balasubrahmaniyan

Artists-in-Residence:  I. Harjito, David Nelson

Private-lessons teachers: Pheeroan Aklaff, Drums; John Banker, Tuba/Trombone; Garrett Bennett, Bassoon/Saxophone; Carver Blanchard, Guitar/Lute; Eugene Bozzi, Percussion/Drums; Nancy Brown, Trumpet; Susan Burkhart, Guitar; Cem Duruoz, Guitar; Perry Elliot, Violin; Priscilla Gale, Voice; Giacomo Gates, Jazz Vocals; Peter Hadley, Didjeridu;  Masayo Ishigure, Koto; Larry Lipnik, Viol, Recorder, & Early Music Performance; Qi Liu, Piano; Tony Lombardozzi, Jazz Guitar; Sarah Meneely-Kyder, Piano; Lisa Moore, Piano; Sally Perreten, Harp; Julie Ribchinsky, Cello; Wayne Rivera, Voice; Erika Schroth, Piano; Stan Scott, Banjo/Mandolin; Fred Simmons, Jazz Piano; Peter Standaart, Flute; Libby Van Cleve, Oboe; Guowei Wang, Erhu; Marvin Warshaw, Viola; Roy Wiseman, Bass; Chai-Lun Yueh, Voice; Susan Wong, Chinese Instruments; David Yih, Conga Drum; SangMin Yook, Korean Drumming; Garrick Zoeter, Clarinet

GRADUATE PROGRAM IN WORLD MUSIC

The world music program offers degrees at both the master's and doctoral levels. The MA in music has concentrations in scholarship (ethnomusicology/musicology), experimental music/composition, and performance. The PhD is in ethnomusicology only. Many musics are represented by faculty members through teaching and performing: African American, Indonesian, West African, the Caribbean, East Asian, South Indian (Karnatak), Euro-American, and experimental music, and there are many opportunities for individual and ensemble study/performance.

APPLICATIONS

An undergraduate music major or its equivalent is required of all applicants to the master’s program. Applicants to the PhD program should have an MA in ethnomusicology or its equivalent. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of transcripts, application essays, letters of reference, writing samples, and/or an audio or video tape of performances where appropriate. A personal interview is strongly recommended (but not required) prior to December 15. Candidates for whom English is not the first language must demonstrate proficiency in English by taking TOEFL and having the results submitted by the application deadline. GRE scores (general) are strongly recommended.  Thedeadline for application is January 15 (postmarked by that date) for admission in the following fall semester.  All applications must be accompanied by a $50 application fee, made payable to Wesleyan University Music Department. There are no spring semester admissions.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE

Courses. A total of 11 credits of course work. Students are required to take the Graduate Proseminar in World Music Studies (MUSC510); four graduate seminars other than 510 (two in the area of concentration); two performance courses; a course outside the department; a two-semester thesis tutorial (MUSC591/592), and four semesters of the Music Department Colloquium.

Language.  One foreign language is required for the MA. All incoming students are required to take the language examination administered by the department at the beginning of their first term.

Thesis and defense.  The thesis must constitute an archivable product displaying mastery of–and an original contribution to–the understanding of an aspect of world music. The MA thesis may follow various formats and modes of musical investigation, but performance per se does not constitute a thesis without substantial, written ancillary materials. Work such as bibliographies, translations, and journals do not normally constitute theses. After completing all department requirements and acceptance of the thesis by the committee, the candidate is scheduled for an oral thesis defense administered by the committee.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE

Courses. Satisfactory completion of courses totaling at least 13 credits. Students are required to take three core seminars (MUSC519, 521, 522), five graduate-level seminars other than the core seminars (two of which may be satisfied with appropriate courses already taken at the masters level), two credits of performance (in different musics), one course outside the department, two credits of thesis tutorial (MUSC591/592), and four semesters of the Music Department Colloquium.

Language.  Two foreign languages are required for the PhD: one field language and one research language. All incoming students are required to take the language examination administered by the department at the beginning of their first term.

Qualification.  At the conclusion of the second year in residence, students take a qualifying examination consisting of a set of essays and a follow-up oral examination.

MUSC500 Graduate Pedagogy

Identical with: BIOL500

Credit: 0.50

Fall 2005

 MUSC501/502 Individual Tutorial, Graduate

Topic to be arranged in consultation with the tutor.

Credit: 1.00

MUSC503/504 Selected Topics, Graduate Sciences

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC505 Graduate Seminar in Music

This course deals with a variety of topics within the general range of the music community such as performance, composition, history, theory, and methodology. The faculty member teaching the seminar will provide the focus in a given semester. This course deals with a variety of topics within the general range of the music community such as performance, composition, history, theory and methodology.  The faculty member teaching the seminar will provide the focus in a given semester.

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC506 Reading Ethnomusicology

As one of the two core introductory courses to ethnomusicology, this course lays a general intellectual groundwork for MA students with a concentration in ethnomusicology through in-depth reading of some of the most important writings in ethnomusicology.  Focusing on both intellectual history and current issues, the course evolves around the key concepts and themes that have defined, expended, or challenged the field.  Students will critically and comparatively discuss the approaches and contributions of each work they study.  At another level, this course also aims at broadening students' knowledge of world musics through studying a wide range of music ethnographies.

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC507 Practicing Ethnomusicology

The nature of the skills and approaches associated with the field known as ethnomusicology.  Limitations of traditional methodology and sources are stressed.  Students build up skills in observation, field methods (interviewing, taping, etc.), preliminary introduction to hardware, transcription, analysis, and the writing up of research findings in the form of reviews and a final research paper delivered as an oral "convention" paper.

Credit: 1.00

Fall 2005

 MUSC508 Graduate Seminar in Composition

This course is designed for first year composition students in the Graduate Program.  We will discuss and analyze works covering a broad range of compositional styles and focusing on recent European, Asian and American composers.  in addition, student works will be discussed and, when possible, performed.

Credit: 1.00

Fall 2005

 MUSC509 Special Studies in Contemporary Music

This course will closely examine specific topics in Twentieth Century music, including serialism, indeterminacy, minimalism, improvisation and the exploration of acoustic phenomena.  Special attention will be given to issues raised in the Boulez-Cage correspondence of the 1950's.

Credit: 1.00

Spring 2006

 MUSC510 Graduate Proseminar in World Music Studies

This course is offered every fall as a required course for all first-year music MA students.  It stresses broader integration and interaction between the students and music faculty members through the participation of a number of faculty guest speakers, coordinated by the instructor of the course.  The course exposes the students to our extraordinarily diversified music faculty's specialties at the outset of their graduate study at Wesleyan, providing opportunities for students to learn about the faculty's performance, composition, or research projects and ideas, as well as problems/issues they encounter.  It also includes sessions on writing and advanced library and on-line research skills.  Hence, this proseminar prepares music graduate students with both knowledge of the rich intellectual resources in the department and the necessary research skills for initiating their MA thesis projects.  When it is possible, the course will be organized in conjunction with the departmental colloquium sessions.

Credit: 1.00

Fall 2005

 MUSC511/512 Group Tutorial, Graduate

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC513 Improvisation in Cross Cultural Perspective

This course will explore musical improvisation around the world from a variety of theoretical and practical perspectives.  Readings on theories of improvisational processes, as well as on specific musical traditions in the United States, India, Indonesia, Africa, and elsewhere, will combine with practical transcription and analysis projects.

Credit: 1.00

Spring 2006

 MUSC514 Graduate Seminar in South Indian Music

Topics will be selected according to the background and research/performance interests of enrolled students. Emphasis will be upon placing South Indian performance issues in theoretical context and applying the methodological tools of ethnomusicology (transcription, analysis, field research techniques, etc.) to these problems.

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC516 Seminar in Indonesian Music

This seminar examines history, theory, and performance practice of Indonesian music.  Special attention will be given to the study of composition and theory of gamelan.

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC519 Current Issues in Ethnomusicology

This course concentrates on current scholarships, intellectual issues, and music ethnographies in ethnomusicology. It challenges the students with contemporary theoretical debates among ethnomusicologists, such as music and identity, music and gender, race, and power, music and technology, and music and globalization. The course will closely examine the impact of interdisciplinary approaches on music ethnography through critical analysis of the readings.

Credit: 1.00

Spring 2006

 MUSC521 Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies

The course, one of the four core Ph.D. seminars in ethnomusicology, examines a number of disciplines as they relate to 1)general current theoretical issues 2)the interests of ethnomusicology.  Visitors from other departments will present their disciplinary perspectives.

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC522 Seminar in Comparative Music Theory

Many concepts and models in music theory previously thought to be general are now known to be valid for one or only a few traditions.  Experimental music, drawing upon a range of cultural/musical experience, while at the same time connecting musical experience with physical and biological phenomena, has revealed much conventional theory (but not necessarily ancient theory) to be of limited application.  This seminar examines responses to these challenges.  Examples from different musics will be analyzed; traditional theories will be examined, and the matter of universals will be knocked about.

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC530 Music Dept. Colloquium

Nationally and internationally acclaimed artists and scholars are invited to the music department to speak about their work.  The class meets bi-weekly.  Typically, a one-hour talk is followed by 30 minutes of questions and discussions.

Credit: 0.25

Spring 2006/Fall 2005

 MUSC561 Summer Field Research for Graduate Students

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC563 Field Research or Academic Education (Graduate)

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC564 Field Research or Academic Education (Graduate)

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC565/566 Academic Education in the Field

Credit: 1.00

 MUSC591/592 Advanced Research, Graduate

Investigation of special problems leading to a dissertation or thesis.

Credit: 1.00

Additional Courses

Graduate students  may chose to take any of the following undergraduate courses, when offered.

MUSC201 Theory and Analysis

MUSC202  Chromatic Harmony

MUSC203  20th-Century Compositional Techniques

MUSC205  Sonata Form

MUSC210  Theory of Jazz Improvisation

MUSC212  South Indian Music–Solkattu

MUSC220  Composing, Performing, and Listening to Experimental Music

MUSC221 Electroacoustic Music

MUSC222  Computers in Music

MUSC223 Music, Recording & Sound Design

MUSC224 Computer Arts

MUSC225  Composition in the Arts

MUSC241  Medieval and Renaissance Music

MUSC242  Baroque and Classical Music

MUSC243  Music of the 19th Century

MUSC244  Music of the 20th Century

MUSC261 Music & Modernity in China, Japan and Korea

MUSC265  African Presences I: Music in Africa

MUSC266  African Presences II: Music in the Americas

MUSC269 Sacred and Secular African American Music

MUSC270  Music of Coltrane, Mingus, and Coleman

MUSC271  Music of Lennie Tristano, Miles Davis, and Max Roach

MUSC272 Women in Creative Music

MUSC273 Music of Duke Ellington

MUSC274  Hymnody in the United States Before the Civil War

MUSC280  Sociology of Music in Social Movements

MUSC290  How Ethnomusicology Works

MUSC291  The Gendering of Music in Cross-Cultural Perspective

MUSC293  Music of Sun Ra and Karleinz Stockhausen

MUSC294 Recording Culture

MUSC299 The Allegory of Courtly Love

MUSC300  Seminar for Music Majors

MUSC304  Arranging and Composing for Jazz Orchestra

MUSC312 Tala: Rhythmic Form and Procession

MUSC405  Private Music Lessons (nonmajors)

MUSC406  Private Music Lessons (Majors)

MUSC427  Yiddish Music/Klezmer Band

MUSC428  Chinese Music Ensemble

MUSC429 Korean Drumming Ensemble

MUSC430  South Indian Voice–Beginning

MUSC431 South Indian Voice–Intermediate

MUSC432  South Indian Voice–Advanced

MUSC433  South Indian Music–Percussion

MUSC434 Improvisational Techniques in South Indian Music

MUSC435  Choral Singing: Wesleyan Singers I

MUSC436  Choral Singing: Wesleyan Singers II

MUSC437  Choral Singing: Concert Choir

MUSC438  Wesleyan University Collegium Musicum

MUSC439  Wesleyan Orchestra

MUSC440  Conducting: Instrumental and Vocal

MUSC441  Pipe Organ in Theory and Practice

MUSC442  Chamber Music Ensemble

MUSC443  Wes Winds

MUSC444  Opera and Oratorio Ensemble

MUSC445  West African Music and Culture–Beginners

MUSC446  West African Music and Culture–Intermediate

MUSC447  West African Music and Culture–Advanced

MUSC448  Ebony Singers: Gospel Music

MUSC449  Mande Music Ensemble

MUSC450  Steel Band

MUSC451  Javanese Gamelan–Beginners

MUSC452  Javanese Gamelan–Advanced

MUSC453  Cello Ensemble

MUSC454  Classical Guitar Ensemble

MUSC455  Jazz Ensemble

MUSC456  Jazz Improvisation Performance

MUSC457  Jazz Orchestra I

MUSC458  Jazz Orchestra II

MUSC459  Materials and Principles of Jazz Improvisation I

MUSC460  Materials and Principles of Jazz Improvisation II