A student choosing to major in music can develop a course of study intended to cultivate specific musical interests and abilities. Advisers in each music field may suggest the best academic plan for each student. Areas of focus include performance or composition in classical, jazz, or electronic music genres; western music research and history; music theory and analysis; and ethnomusicology. To fulfill requirements in a desired focus, students are suggested to take no fewer than six 200/300 level theory and history courses by the time of graduation. Additional requirements may include regular enrollment in one or more of the performance workshops, private lessons, composition workshops, or ensembles that are offered each semester. By the time of moderation, a student should ideally have completed half of their suggested course requirements. Students’ Moderation and Senior Projects should ideally reflect their expressed musical interests and goals, whether they are based in performance, composition, research, analysis, or any combination of these. The Moderation Project for a student focused on composition or performance usually consists of a 25-40 minute recital, highlighting original work and/or other repertoire. For students interested in music scholarship or analysis, a substantial music history or theory paper serves as an appropriate moderation project. A Senior Project in music can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Performers and composers usually present two concerts from 30 to 60 minutes each. For some composers, one concert can be replaced by an orchestra work written for performance by The Orchestra Now. In certain circumstances, a finished, sophisticatedly produced recording or multimedia project serves in place of a live performance. Music History and Theory students typically present an advanced, scholarly research or analysis paper as the main component of a Senior Project. Specific requirements for each area can be found on the Music Program website: https://music.bard.edu.

 

College & Community Ensembles

Unless otherwise noted, each ensemble is for one credit.  It is possible to participate in more than one ensemble and receive additional credit accordingly.  If private lessons are taken in conjunction with an ensemble, one or two credits may be added.  Private lessons must be separately registered.

 

Course:

MUS 104  Bard College Community Orchestra

Professor:

Erica Kiesewetter, Zachary Schwartzman and Kathryn Aldous

CRN:

90406

Schedule:

Mon       7:30 PM – 10:00 PM Olin AUDT

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

0

Credits:

2

The Bard College Community Orchestra welcomes all players of orchestral instruments of NYSSMA level 5 and above by audition. There is a full orchestra performance in either Olin  Hall or the Fisher Center  at the end of the semester featuring winners of the annual concerto competition, among other works. Auditions for Fall 2021 will be on Sunday, September 5, 2021, 7:30-10:00 pm Olin Hall. Please contact Josh Tyler jtyler@bard.edu  regarding auditions.  The first rehearsal is on Monday, September 6, 2021, 7:30-10:00 pm Olin Hall.

 

Course:

MUS 105  Bard College Symphonic Chorus

Professor:

James Bagwell  

CRN:

90390

Schedule:

 Tue      7:30 PM - 10:00 PM Olin AUDT

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

35

Credits:

1

First rehearsal will be Tues, September 7, 2020 at 7:30 pm, Olin Hall.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

 

Course:

MUS 108D  Ensemble: Chamber Singers

Professor:

James Bagwell  

CRN:

90389

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs    5:40 PM - 7:00 PM Olin AUDT

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

25

Credits:

2

Unless otherwise noted, each ensemble is for one credit.  It is possible to participate in more than one ensemble and receive additional credit accordingly.  If private lessons are taken in conjunction with an ensemble, one or two credits may be added.  Private lessons must be separately registered.

 

Course:

MUS 108H I Ensemble: Balinese Gamelan

Professor:

I Ketut Suadin  

CRN:

90430

Schedule:

Mon       5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Bard Hall

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

20

Credits:

1

Unless otherwise noted, each ensemble is for one credit.  It is possible to participate in more than one ensemble and receive additional credit accordingly.  If private lessons are taken in conjunction with an ensemble, one or two credits may be added.  Private lessons must be separately registered.

 

Course:

MUS 108H II Ensemble: Balinese Gamelan

Professor:

I Ketut Suadin  

CRN:

90431

Schedule:

Mon       7:30 PM - 9:30 PM Bard Hall

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

20

Credits:

1

Unless otherwise noted, each ensemble is for one credit.  It is possible to participate in more than one ensemble and receive additional credit accordingly.  If private lessons are taken in conjunction with an ensemble, one or two credits may be added.  Private lessons must be separately registered.

 

Course:

MUS 108M PS Ensemble for Any Instruments

Professor:

Patricia Spencer  

CRN:

90427

Schedule:

 Tue      8:00 PM - 9:30 PM Bard Hall

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

6

Credits:

1

The large variety of works written "for any instruments" invites exploration of atypical groupings – flute, marimba and tuba have been known to project wonderful blends.  This repertoire often requires a high degree of responsibility on the part of the performer: not only choosing dynamics and tempos but also instrumentation of various phrases and sometimes overall structure.  Members of this ensemble will engage in musical thinking outside the bounds of "normal" chamber music, and will discover how (or if) that may open a new dimension in their approach to more conventional performance. The ensemble will meet twice a week: once with the professor, and once independently at a time to be arranged by the ensemble members. 

Repertoire under consideration:

Frederic Rzewski, Attica [or Les moutons de Panurge]

Arnold Schoenberg, Canon for Thomas Mann, and other canons

Christian Wolff, Snowdrop

Judith Shatin, Grito del Corazón

Kurt Schwitters, Ursonate (selection)

Stefan Wolpe, Selections from "Music for Any Instruments"

 

Course:

MUS 108N  Contemporary Jazz Composers Ensemble

Professor:

Erica Lindsay  

CRN:

90411

Schedule:

Mon       5:40 PM - 7:10 PM Blum Music Center N211

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

2

2 credits This class will involve the interpretation of contemporary composers' works, ranging from sextet to big band.  This will be an advanced class restricted to instrumentalists (and vocalists) who have the necessary reading, technical, and interpretive skills to perform demanding music.  There will be a featured composer who will visit as a guest artist and perform in concert with the ensemble each semester.  Pieces written by student composers involved in the jazz composition classes will also be performed.  Class size will vary according to the amount of qualified instrumentalists and the instrumentation requirements of the featured composer.  Interested students are encouraged to sign up at registration, although confirmation of participation will only be given after auditions are held. Auditions will be conducted during the first scheduled class meeting.

 

Course:

MUS 108P  Baroque Ensemble

Professor:

Renée Anne Louprette

CRN:

90417

Schedule:

Mon       4:30 PM - 5:50 PM Bito Conservatory Bldg. CPS

Tue      5:00 PM - 6:20 PM Bito Conservatory Bldg. CPS

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

25

Credits:

2

The Bard Baroque Ensemble, including both College and Conservatory musicians, takes a leading role in an annual series of Bach cantata presentations and collaborates with other Bard ensembles in bringing outstanding musical performances of Baroque repertoire to the wider community. Although the Bach cantatas are a particular focus of the Ensemble’s programming, a diversity of other Baroque and pre-Baroque repertoire is explored to deepen students’ understanding, appreciation, and mastery of a broad range of styles. Baroque bows are provided for string players, and some period-style instruments are available for students’ use through the Baroque Ensemble program.

 

Course:

MUS 108R  The Bard Georgian Choir

Professor:

Carl Linich  

CRN:

90414

Schedule:

   Thurs    10:20 AM - 12:40 PM Bard Hall

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

30

Credits:

1

The Bard Georgian Choir is an all-vocal group that studies and performs traditional polyphonic songs from the Republic of Georgia (former USSR). Most songs are taught orally, and no previous singing experience or music reading skills are required. Special vocal techniques are also explored, including ornamented singing and yodeling. The group performs concerts at the end of each semester. Carl Linich, the choir's director, has been a scholar, teacher and acclaimed performer of Georgian polyphonic singing since 1990, and is a founding member of Trio Kavkasia. A basic ability to match pitch is required. Please contact the instructor directly: clinich@bard.edu to arrange auditions.

 

Course:

MUS 108S  Afro Latin Percussion Ensemble

Professor:

Roland Vazquez  

CRN:

90441

Schedule:

    Fri   12:00 PM - 3:00 PM Blum Music Center N211

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

16

Credits:

2

Practice, performance & lecture; study & consideration of the rhythms (& culture) of the West African drum legacies thriving in modern music; essential music languages & roots of popular music in our hemisphere: Afro Brazilian (samba, batucada, bossa nova), Afro Cuban (guaguanco, bembe, rumba Columbia) Afro Puerto Rican (plena, guaracha, bomba), etc. etc. Requirements: attendance, focus & participation (at best level of ability) in weekly Ensemble. This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

 

Course:

MUS 108T PS Mixed Chamber Ensembles

Professor:

Patricia Spencer  

CRN:

90426

Schedule:

By Arrangement 

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

6

Credits:

3

Mixing winds and strings in an ensemble offers special challenges (such as matching tonguing and bowing) as well as unique colors, and taps into an wealth of repertoire. Choices for flute and strings include classics by Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn, strong works by more recent composers (Amy Beach, Alberto Ginastera, and others) and contemporary giants such as John Harbison, Thea Musgrave and Nicholas Maw.  Choices for clarinet or oboe or bassoon and strings likewise include a wide range:  Mozart, Danzi, Brahms, Joan Tower, Shulamit Ran, and many, many more. The ensemble will meet twice a week: once with the professor, and once independently at a time to be arranged by the ensemble members.   (Class meetings are arranged according to the schedules of those who sign up)

Music Courses

 

Course:

MUS 112  Introduction to Western Music

Professor:

Peter Laki  

CRN:

90410

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Olin 104

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

20

Credits:

4

The orchestra is one of the most extraordinary musical organizations in the world.  The Western symphony orchestra can have as many as 100 members, with a well-defined hierarchy, well-established customs and conventions, rules and regulations.  The music written for orchestra—symphonies, concertos, tone poems, etc.—is an extremely diverse, colorful and exciting repertory, which animates large communities of music-lovers around the world.  This course will explore the institution of the orchestra, and the music written for it, through reading and—most importantly—through listening.  We will follow the concerts of the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, study the music they will be playing, attend their concerts and discuss them afterwards. Readings and listenings will be assigned on a weekly basis, through handouts, library reserves, and internet links.  There will be three short papers.

 

Course:

MUS 129  Why Music Matters: A Philosophical and Historical Inquiry in Europe and the Americas

Professor:

Leon Botstein

CRN:

90584

Schedule:

Wed Fri     9:00 AM - 10:20 AM

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

20

Credits:

4

This course will examine the character and function of musical practices and culture through the analysis of classic texts that explore the nature of the human, the comparison between ordinary language and images and music, and the precise nature of what music can be understood as being as a dimension of the human imagination? This encounter with theory will be supplemented by the study of selected moments in the modern social and political history of musical life in Europe and the Americas. What role, if any, has music played in the formation of social groups, the construction of identity, or the advocacy and spread and internalization of values? Are there links, in the practice of music, between aesthetics and ethics? What can we learn about history from the study of music as a form of life? Has music played a distinctive role in shaping the character of the human condition?

 

Course:

MUS 169  Listening to String Quartets

Professor:

Marka Gustavsson  

CRN:

90401

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs    10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Olin 104

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

16

Credits:

4

Many composers of string quartets reserved that particular genre for their most profound and unusual utterances. We will listen to the expressive, conversational music in this form, from its roots in the Classical First Viennese School, through German Romanticism, European Nationalism, the Second Viennese School, up to and including American and European Modernism. In addition to developing tools for listening to this complex polyphonic texture, through classroom experience with recordings, and attending concerts, we will read composers' letters such as Beethoven's Heiligenstadt testament, as well as articles from current publications including such authors as Alex Ross, Kyle Gann, Christopher Gibbs, and Richard Taruskin. Assignments will include two papers (5 pages), one concert review, informal writing in class, and a final project. Knowledge of music notation is not required.  This course does not fulfill a music history credit.

 

Course:

MUS 171  Jazz Harmony I

Professor:

John Esposito  

CRN:

90394

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Blum Music Center N211

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

Cross-listed:  Africana Studies

Cross-listed: Africana Studies. Introduces the basic harmonic structures that are components of the Blues and the Tin Pan Alley songs that modern Jazz musicians used as vehicles for improvisation. Basic keyboard skills are learned including transposition. The semester includes a short historical survey of Blues and of Jazz from Ragtime to the Swing era as part of the effort to understand the practice of the technical/aesthetic fundamentals specific to Jazz as a 20th-century African American music including an introduction to the contribution of female musicians to the Jazz legacy. There is an ear-training component to this course. The melodic component includes singing the basic 20th-century harmonic materials, Blues melodies and transcriptions of solos by Jazz masters. It includes the practice of the syncopated rhythmic language underlying linear melodic phrasing. This course fulfills a music theory/performance requirement for music majors. Required course for moderating into the Jazz program.

 

Course:

MUS 185  Introduction to Ethnomusicology

Professor:

Whitney Slaten  

CRN:

90437

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs    12:10 PM - 1:30 PM Reem Kayden Center 115

Distributional Area:

SA Social Analysis

D+J Difference and Justice

Class cap:

20

Credits:

4

Cross-listed:  Anthropology

Cross-listed: Anthropology. This course provides an introduction to the discipline of ethnomusicology, the study of music in and around its social and cultural contexts. Through our exploration of the materiality and meaning of music, we will listen to wide-ranging examples of sounds from around the globe. We will consider ways to listen deeply and to write critically about music. We will examine how music has been represented in the past and how it is variously represented today, and will develop ethnographic research and writing skills. We will ask questions about the utility and value of music as a commodity in our everyday lives and in our globalized world. We will debate the ethics of musical appropriations and collaborations. We will examine both the foundational questions of the discipline (addressing debates about musical authenticity, musical origins, universals, comparative frameworks, and the preservationist ethos) as well as recent subjects of ethnomusicological concern. Topics will include: media and technology; post-colonial issues; music and language; hybridity; circulation and consumption; music and labor; music and gender; and the relevance of music to contemporary indigenous politics and human rights.

 

Course:

MUS 201  Music Theory I/ Ear Training

Professor:

Renée Anne Louprette and David Sytkowski

CRN:

90416

Schedule:

Music Theory: Mon  Wed     2:00 PM - 3:20 PM Blum Music Center N217

Ear Training: Tue  Thurs Fri   2:00 PM - 3:20 PM Blum Music Center N217

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

20

Credits:

4

This course serves as an introduction to music theory and music making, and is the entry-level course to the classical theory sequence. Basics of musical notation will be the starting point, after which we will move quickly to scales and recognition of triads and seventh chords, as well as rhythmic performance. At all times the course will emphasize analysis of real music, and an ear-training component will reinforce the theoretical knowledge with practical experience. There are no prerequisites; the course serves as prerequisite for Music Theory II and all high-level theory courses. This fulfills theory requirements. Music 201 Theory and Music 201 Ear Training are to be taken concurrently.

 

Course:

MUS 215  Introduction to Conducting

Professor:

James Bagwell  

CRN:

90388

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs    12:10 PM - 1:30 PM Blum Music Center N211

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

This course will introduce the student to the basic elements of conducting.  While the development of the physical gesture and rehearsal techniques will be the primary goals, we will also work on score reading, ear training, instrumental transposition, and historical performance practice.  Repertoire will include both orchestral and choral repertoire. Evaluation will be based on the individual's improvement in gesture and rehearsal technique.  Prerequisites for the course are the successful completion of Music Theory I and II or equivalent.

 

Course:

MUS 228  Renaissance Counterpoint

Professor:

Kyle Gann  

CRN:

90397

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     3:50 PM - 5:10 PM Blum Music Center N217

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

20

Credits:

4

The ancient musical technique of counterpoint seems of questionable relevance today.  And yet, its premise- that human attention is riveted when a unified impression is created via maximum variety- is a fertile psychological principle relevant to many fields.  Overall, this course will follow classical species counterpoint as outlined by the eminent Knud Jeppesen, based on the style of Palestrina.  However, we will also examine the freer styles of earlier composers such as Josquin and Ockeghem, and generalize from contrapuntal concepts to such derivatives as the dissonant counterpoint of Charles Seeger and others.  The ability to read music, and basic knowledge of musical terminology (intervals, cadences) are prerequisites.  This fulfills a theory requirement for music majors.

 

Course:

MUS 234  Understanding Beethoven

Professor:

Kyle Gann  

CRN:

90398

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs    3:50 PM - 5:10 PM Blum Music Center N217

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

The purpose of this course is to examine the structure, logic, and variations of sonata form as exemplified in the works of European music's most emblematic composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827). Our study of sonata form will be based on the latest musicological views as propounded in William E. Caplin's Classical Form (1998). The course will examine music from all periods of Beethoven's career, along with contextual exposure to other composers of Beethoven's circle: C.P.E. Bach, Haydn, Clementi, Mozart, Hummel. Particular emphasis will be placed on the last five pianos and last five string quartets, as being his most  transcendently original works. The course will be graded on two analysis papers, in addition to weekly assignments and class participation in analyses , and  satisfies  a  music theory requirement for music majors. Prerequisite: Theory I and II or the equivalent (familiarity with Roman numeral analysis).

 

Course:

MUS 236  Music, Sexuality and Gender

Professor:

Maria Sonevytsky

CRN:

90583

Schedule:

 Mon  Wed    10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Blum Music Center N210

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

Cross-listed:  Experimental Humanities

This course surveys anthropological and musicological approaches to the study of sexuality and gender, asking how music informs and reflects cultural constructions of femininity and masculinity. Taking wide-ranging examples that include opera, popular music, folk and indigenous musics, we will investigate how modern gendered subjectivities are negotiated through musical practices such as composition, performance and consumption. Class readings will include ethno/musicological, anthropological, feminist, Marxist and queer theory approaches. Students will practice writing skills in a variety of formal and informal formats, culminating in an in-class presentation based on original research. 

 

Course:

MUS 240 A Introduction to Electronic Music

Professor:

Matthew Sargent  

CRN:

90423

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Blum Music Center N119

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

This hands-on course will serve as an introduction to music technology and will focus on the creation of original work, including a final project, through the use of digital and analog tools and processes. Students will be introduced to foundational practices in electro-acoustic sound production and their contemporary/digital analogues, with particular emphasis on signal processing, studio and field recording, and modes of diffusion, including multichannel installation and live performance, and instruction in digital audio workstation software (Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and others). Examples from the history of electronic music will assist students in exploring contemporary approaches to electronic music software and technology. Enrollment in the course automatically gives students access to the Bard electronic music studios.

 

Course:

MUS 240 B Introduction to Electronic Music

Professor:

Matthew Sargent  

CRN:

90424

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     2:00 PM - 3:20 PM Blum Music Center N119

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

This hands-on course will serve as an introduction to music technology and will focus on the creation of original work, including a final project, through the use of digital and analog tools and processes. Students will be introduced to foundational practices in electro-acoustic sound production and their contemporary/digital analogues, with particular emphasis on signal processing, studio and field recording, and modes of diffusion, including multichannel installation and live performance, and instruction in digital audio workstation software (Logic Pro, Pro Tools, and others). Examples from the history of electronic music will assist students in exploring contemporary approaches to electronic music software and technology. Enrollment in the course automatically gives students access to the Bard electronic music studios.

 

Course:

MUS 254A  Diction and Pronunciation for Singers: French, Italian, Spanish

Professor:

Erika Switzer  

CRN:

90432

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Blum Music Center HALL

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

12

Credits:

4

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) provides a system for understanding the individual sound components of language and, within the context of this course, will enable us to explore the common and disparate sounds and expressive possibilities of French, Italian (with a brief Latin excursion), and Spanish. Through the examination of poetry and vocal literature, students will gain a fundamental understanding of the pronunciation rules and rhythms of each language and the skills required to enunciate with clarity and physical ease. No previous knowledge of the languages is required.

 

Course:

MUS 266A  American Popular Song I (1900-1929)

Professor:

John Esposito  

CRN:

90395

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     12:10 PM - 1:30 PM Blum Music Center N211

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

Cross-listed:  Africana Studies; American Studies

This performance-based course is a survey of the major American popular song composers of the Tin Pan Alley era, whose work forms the core of the  Jazz repertoire. Composers studied will include Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Walter Donaldson, Vincent Youmans, Richard Whiting, Henderson/Da Silva/ Brown and others. The course will include readings, recorded music, and films. The students and instructor will perform the music studied in a workshop setting. Prerequisite: Jazz Harmony II or permission of the instructor. This fulfills a music history requirement for music majors.

 

Course:

MUS 268  Literature and Language of music—20th and 21st centuries

Professor:

Peter Laki  

CRN:

90409

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs    10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Bito Conservatory Bldg. 210

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

20

Credits:

4

This course is a survey of Western art music of the last 100 years.  Using the Oxford History of Western Music, College Edition, we will study some of the major trends and major composers of the era, including the most recent developments.  The emphasis will be on active, critical listening and discussion.  Parallel phenomena in literature and the visual arts will be explored as time permits.  There will be three short historical-analytical papers, a midterm and a final exam.  Supplementary readings, in addition to the textbook, may be assigned.

 

Course:

MUS 269  Listening

Professor:

Whitney Slaten  

CRN:

90438

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs    2:00 PM - 3:20 PM Reem Kayden Center 111

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

20

Credits:

4

Cross-listed:  Experimental Humanities

From the perspective of both ethnomusicology and the audio sciences of sound reproduction, this course provides an introduction to the interdisciplinary work on sound studies. Throughout, it engages how specific critical listening techniques and features of sound studies discourses can be mutually informative for both musicians, sound artists, listeners, writers and cultural theorists who are interested in identifying the significance of musical or extramusical sounds within specific social contexts. Students will read, present, and discuss chapters and articles that each focus on singular keywords that are prominent within sound studies discourse. Lectures and demonstrations will juxtapose this terminology to a set of audio based ear training exercises that will develop students' abilities to both hear and listen to the centers and peripheries of musical sounds and the evidence of related social life. Final projects for the course will take the form of an analysis that is informed by a blended critical listening and writing practice.

 

Course:

MUS 276  Introduction to Opera

Professor:

Christopher Gibbs  

CRN:

90399

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Blum Music Center N217

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

This course surveys the history of opera from Monteverdi at the beginning of the seventeenth century to recent developments in performance art and musical theater.  The focus will be on a limited number of operas, including treatments of the Orpheus myth by Monteverdi and Gluck, Handel's Giulio Cesare, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Mozart's Don Giovanni, Beethoven's Fidelio, Wagner's Die Walkure, Verdi's La traviata, Berg's Wozzeck, and Glass's Satyagraha.  As many of the works to be examined have significant literary and dramatic sources, we will pay particular attention to the ways in which extraordinary works of the written and spoken word are transformed into compelling musical theater.  Classes will also include video screenings and comparisons of different productions.  It is not expected or required that students be able to read musical notation.  There will be quizzes, performance reviews, as well as brief writing assignments.  This course can be used to fulfill a music history elective for music majors.

 

Course:

MUS 278  Music of the Black Atlantic

Professor:

Roland Vazquez  

CRN:

90442

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs    12:10 PM - 1:30 PM Olin 104

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

This class will explore the music of the West African Diasporas (including cultures, history, and formal evolutions)  beginning with indigenous "sacred drum" ceremonial forms and continuing via the evolution of music forms as evidenced in Cuba, Brazil, Puerto Rico, etc. – up to & including "Salsa" and contemporary "Afro Cuban" Jazz. Class lectures include viewing/listening, class consideration, and comparative analysis of forms (secular & religious, traditional & contemporary) evolving out of the West African, Iberian, & Afro Latinx cultural diasporas & diverse musical heritages; specifically investigating forms evolving as dynamically vibrant and "multi-national" identities; including those "remaining" traditionally intact; and those re- absorbed into "new" multi-cultural communities.

 

Course:

MUS 293  Special Topics in Music: Listening to the Rhythm and Blues of Jazz

Professor:

Marcus Roberts 

CRN:

90992

Schedule:

 Tue    5:40 PM - 7:00 PM

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

10

Credits:

1

This class investigates the essential nature of rhythm and the blues in the evolution of jazz. Both vocal and instrumental music will be explored as students learn to listen to how these sounds and styles have converged over time to create the sound of modern jazz and American music. Students will evaluated in part on the creation of a playlist and a class presentation at the end of the semester.  The class will meet on Zoom on September 7, 21; October 5, 19, and November 2, 16, and 30.

 

Course:

MUS 326  History of Electronic Music

Professor:

Sarah Hennies  

CRN:

90404

Schedule:

Mon  Wed     3:50 PM - 5:10 PM Blum Music Center N119

Distributional Area:

AA Analysis of Art

Class cap:

20

Credits:

4

In the 1920's, a number of new electronic instruments such as the Theremin, the Ondes Martenot, and the Trautonium were invented, and a number of composers, including Hindemith and Messiaen, composed new works for them.  After the invention of magnetic recording tape in the late 40's electronic music became an enterprise that was produced in special studios and fixed on tape for later playback. Starting around 1960, John Cage and David Tudor began experimental performances with such works as Cartridge Music (1960), Variations II and other pieces that reintroduced the live performer to the electronic medium.  Many composers, such as Mumma, Behrman, Lucier, Ashley, Stockhausen, Nono, and Boulez, as well as collective improvisationally-based groups such as AMM Music in London, and Musica Elettronica Viva in Rome soon followed suit.  During the 60's and 70's, with the advent of smaller and the more personal synthesizers invented by Moog, Buchla and others, the field of live electronic music became a practical reality. Some ten years later, a similar sequence of events took place with regard to computer music, where the large mainframes of the 50's and 60's were superseded by the PC revolution of the late 70's and 80's.  This was followed by the more recent development of the laptop that has enabled performers to carry powerful, portable computers on stage. This course will trace these developments, examine the literature of the field, encourage live performances of "classic" pieces, and the creation and performance of new compositions and improvisations. It is strongly recommended that this course be taken in conjunction with Electro-Acoustic Ensemble.  This course counts towards the music history requirement for music majors.

 

Course:

MUS 358  Electroacoustic Composition Seminar

Professor:

Sarah Hennies  

CRN:

90405

Schedule:

 Tue      2:00 PM - 4:20 PM Blum Music Center N119

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

This course, intended primarily for music majors, will be focused on the individual creative work of the students enrolled. The course will serve as a workshop environment for student work: participants will be expected to regularly present and discuss their ongoing compositional projects. These will be examined by the instructor and other class members. Students may also take on collaborative works, installations, and intermedia projects. Analyses and class presentations of contemporary electroacoustic repertoire will also be expected of the students during the semester.

 

Course:

MUS 364  Composers and Orchestrator's Toolkit

Professor:

George Tsontakis  

CRN:

90436

Schedule:

   Thurs    10:20 AM - 12:40 PM Blum Music Center N217

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

10

Credits:

4

A multi-faceted workshop designed for composers, conductors and instrumentalist to include all aspects of composing and manuscript and parts formatting and preparation for student's original chamber to orchestral works. Unveiling the composition techniques by "modeling" historical masters in order to enhance ones own work. Writing after works by composers such as Debussy, Stravinsky, Ravel, Schoenberg, Bartok and Messiaen. Students will offer works to review as well, including conductor's and performers score study.

 

Course:

MUS 366C  Advanced Contemporary Improvisational Techniques llI

Professor:

John Esposito  

CRN:

90568

Schedule:

 Tue  Thurs    10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Blum Music Center N211

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

10

Credits:

4

Cross-listed:  American Studies

This course will focus on strategies for improvisation without predetermined chord structures or rhythmic frameworks and on methods for shaping performances spontaneously.  We will also explore collaboration with artists from other disciplines such as dance, spoken word and visual arts. This class is open to moderated upper college students who have successfully completed advanced contemporary Jazz techniques A & B.

 

Course:

MUS 367A  Jazz Composition I

Professor:

Erica Lindsay  

CRN:

90412

Schedule:

  Wed     5:40 PM - 8:00 PM Blum Music Center N211

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

This class acts as an introduction to jazz composition, covering first practical aspects of notation, instrumentation, Sibelius/Finale and score/parts preparation that will be necessary for the remainder of the two year sequence.  The focus of the first semester is on the less structured realm of modal harmony. Students compose and have their piece performed in class on a weekly basis allowing them to begin to find their own voice and to master the practical techniques necessary for a successful performance of their work.

 

Cross-listed course:

 

Course:

ART 305 S/S Sculpture III: Sound as a Sculptural Medium

Professor:

Julianne Swartz and Matthew Sargent

CRN:

90425

Schedule:

 Tue      2:00 PM - 5:00 PM UBS Studio

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

4

Cross-listed:  Music

 

 

Music Workshops

Music Workshops carry two credits, unless otherwise noted.

 

Course:

MUS WKSH GM Chamber Music Workshop

Professor:

Marka Gustavsson, Blair McMillen and Raman Ramakrishnan

CRN:

90400

Schedule:

        -  

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

12

Credits:

2

Workshops carry 2 credits, unless otherwise noted.

 

Course:

MUS WKSHA JT Composition Workshop

Professor:

Joan Tower  

CRN:

90435

Schedule:

Mon       2:00 PM - 3:20 PM Blum Music Center HALL

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

10

Credits:

2

Workshops carry 2 credits, unless otherwise noted.

 

Course:

MUS WKSHB RM Workshop: Performance Class – Ménagerie:  Animals in French Art Song

Professor:

Rufus Müller  

CRN:

90439

Schedule:

Mon       2:00 PM - 4:20 PM Bito Conservatory Bldg. CPS

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

2

(For collaborative pianists as well as singers) As we readjust to human social life after the plague, this performance class will concentrate on the world of mammals, birds, insects, and fish in French classical art song.  Together we will explore ways to make our performances moving and satisfying for performers and public alike.The course culminates in a public recital. Students should contact Prof. Müller ( muller@bard.edu ) prior to registration to determine eligibility. (This course counts as an ensemble requirement.)

 

Course:

MUS WKSHD  Sight Reading Workshop

Professor:

Michael DeMicco  

CRN:

90393

Schedule:

 Tue      12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Blum Music Center HALL

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

14

Credits:

2

Workshops carry 2 credits, unless otherwise noted.

 

Course:

MUS WKSHL BLM Opera Workshop

Professor:

Teresa Buchholz, Ilka LoMonaco and Rufus Müller

CRN:

90391

Schedule:

  Wed     5:40 PM - 8:00 PM Blum Hall

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

0

Credits:

2

In the Fall Semester we prepare a themed program of operatic excerpts (choruses, ensembles, solos), which is performed in the Fisher Center, fully staged and with orchestra, in the early part of the Spring Semester. Typically this involves intensive rehearsals during the week before Spring Semester, and evening rehearsals in the first week of semester. Students enrolling in the Fall Semester for two credits thus commit themselves to the final rehearsals and performances in the Spring Semester, which earn them an additional two credits.  Enrollment is by audition. Please contact Professors Müller (rumu2000@earthlink.net), LoMonaco (ilka98@aol.com), or Teresa Buchholz for details.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

 

Course:

MUS WKSHN  "Hands-on" Music History

Professor:

Patricia Spencer and Peter Laki

CRN:

90428

Schedule:

 Tue      5:40 PM - 7:30 PM Bard Hall

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

0

Credits:

2

Members of this class will explore our musical past by playing it!  Also improving sight reading, the course will cover a sampling of chamber music from different eras.  Members will build familiarity with a wide variety of harmonies and musical styles (mostly European) from the Renaissance through the present.  Background readings and class discussion about the composers will provide historical context for the works being played. Parts and scores will be provided one week in advance for those who prefer to prepare their sight-reading.  Composers may include but are not limited to: Gesualdo, Machaut, di Lasso, Monteverdi, Purcell, Frederick the Great, J.S. Bach and his sons, Vivaldi, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Dvorak, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Ravel, Copland, Cage, Carter, Rzewski and many more. Works will not be rehearsed to a performance level, but may occasionally be repeated.

 

Course:

MUS WKSHW  Workshop in Songwriting

Professor:

Franz Nicolay

CRN:

90699

Schedule:

 Tue      2:00 PM – 5:00 PM Olin 104

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

2

This class will offer students an overview of popular songwriting forms and styles, from ballads to Broadway, Bill Callahan to Beyonce, with a practical focus on refining student work through weekly exercises, workshop feedback, and conversation with special guests. In addition to creative strategies for lyric writing, harmonic and melodic development, arrangement, and basic production techniques; we will address the business of songwriting, including royalty structures and performance rights. While not required, the class will assume a basic knowledge of music theory and competence on at least one instrument (or digital home production).

 

Course:

MUS WKSHX  Silent Strings

Professor:

Erica Kiesewetter  

CRN:

90408

Schedule:

  Wed     4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Bito Conservatory Bldg. 210

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

8

Credits:

2

This is a research and performance workshop focused on identifying and preparing for performance solo string works of underrepresented composers, including those who are Native, Black, Asian/Asian American, Latinx, and LGBTQ+. During the early weeks of the semester, we will research the music and histories of these under-heard composers. Each student will eventually focus on a piece that will be theirs to explore for the semester. The middle weeks of the class will be devoted to musical and technical coachings of the works alongside planning for the final projects, which will include at least one performance of the chosen work. The students will also use their creativity to design ways to bring the work into relief and context. (This could be a pre-concert talk, a multi-disciplinary project, an outreach opportunity, etc.)

 This workshop is suitable for intermediate and advanced college and conservatory string players. It is intended to both broaden the horizons of the players and to find ways to engage an audience.

 

Course:

MUS WKSP3  Jazz Improvisation Workshop

Professor:

Erica Lindsay  

CRN:

90413

Schedule:

   Thurs    5:40 PM - 8:00 PM Blum Music Center N211

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

2

This class is an ensemble performance workshop focused on developing improvisational skills within the harmonic context of both jazz harmony and free improvisation. The goal is to develop facility in being able to improvise over harmonic structures from the blues to more free form styles of improvisation. Students are assigned to an ensemble that is appropriate to the level of their experience.

 

Course:

MUS WKSP7  Jazz Vocal Workshop I

Professor:

Pamela Pentony  

CRN:

90422

Schedule:

 Tue      2:00 PM - 4:20 PM Blum Music Center N211

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

15

Credits:

2

Beginning level course:  The Jazz Vocal Workshop is a performance workshop designed to familiarize the beginning singer with the components of a successful jazz performance.  How to begin a song (intros) and how to end a song (outros and turnarounds), how to pick a key, a song and a tempo.  How to utilize simple (and not so simple) arrangements.  Particular attention is paid to phrasing.  The language of scat singing, with emphasis on practice in every class.  The forms of the blues, rhythm changes and 32 bar song form, and practical applications taken from The Great American Songbook.  There is one (or more) concert(s) scheduled during the semester and students are encouraged to seek out and perform in many local venues.  There is a final exam in this class.

 

Course:

MUS WKSP9  Beginning Organ Skills II

Professor:

Renée Anne Louprette

CRN:

90418

Schedule:

 Tue      10:20 AM - 11:40 AM Blum Music Center 117

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

5

Credits:

2

This course will provide students possessing beginning organ proficiency the opportunity to advance their organ playing towards recital performance and professional employment as church organists. Students will learn a collection of solo pieces suitable for religious service playing, including trios to help develop manual and pedal independence. Topics to be covered include beginning hymn playing, accompaniment of easy service music, improvisation, performance of beginning to intermediate level solo repertoire with pedal, selection and application of registrations, and refinement of pedal technique. Students will be permitted the privilege of practice access on the Bard campus Flentrop and Schreiner organs – as well as on additional instruments in the local area by arrangement – with the expectation that these instruments and venues will be used in a secure and responsible manner. As part of this workshop course and in addition to the Tuesday class meeting time, participants will be expected to attend and play the organ at one rehearsal a week with the Baroque Ensemble (either Mondays, 4:30-5:50 pm or Tuesdays, 5:00-6:20 pm in Baroque Ensemble location - Bito CPS), and to participate in Ensemble performances.

 

Course:

MUS WKSPM  Musical Theater Performance Workshop

Professor:

David Sytkowski  

CRN:

90434

Schedule:

   Thurs    5:40 PM - 8:40 PM Bard Hall

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

12

Credits:

2

This workshop will explore solo and ensemble excerpts of works commonly categorized as musical theatre (musicals of all eras, operetta, cabaret, ect.), as well as approaches to performing and storytelling through combinations of text, music, and movement. We will focus on methods of musical and textual preparation to facilitate one's adaptability and presence in live performance, culminating in a presentation of work at the end of the semester. The workshop will also consider students' original work and concepts- explorations of the liminal saces between genres is highly encouraged. Open to all students seeking collaborative performance opportunities working in multiple modes- acting, singning, dancing, directing, accompanying, choreographing, writing, composing , and beyond. Please email dsytkowski@bard.edu for more audition and application information.

 

Course:

CNSV 201  Composing for Film: Aesthetics & Techniques

Professor:

Mark Baechle

CRN:

90377

Schedule:

  Wed     3:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Distributional Area:

PA Practicing Arts

Class cap:

 

Credits:

2

Cross-listed:  Music

This course will explore the aesthetics and practice of film music composition. Common uses of film music will be understood through the analysis of pivotal film scores. Techniques for writing and producing film music will be demonstrated using behind the scenes, real world examples from Oscar winning Indies and Hollywood Blockbusters. In addition to gaining an understanding of the design of popular film scores, students will learn practical techniques and methods for creating music productions through demonstrations using software applications and computer workstations. The course will feature guest lectures from some of the leading figures in film music composition, including Conservatory dean and film composer Tan Dun.

Prerequisites: This class is open to all students at Bard who have a basic knowledge of music theory demonstrated through successful completion of a Conservatory or Music Program theory class. Or by permission of instructor.

 

Special Projects

 

Designed for music majors to pursue individual or group projects with a particular professor. Students should contact the instructor regarding special projects.

 

Private Lessons (Lessons can only be registered with an add/drop form.)

 

All students are eligible for private music instruction.  Lessons can be taken for either one or two credits or audited (no credit).

 

In order to receive credit for music lessons, the student must register the lessons with the Registrar’s office AND the student must be enrolled in a music ensemble, performance workshop or the equivalent, to be determined by the instructor. The ensemble can be taken for 1 or 2 credits or can be audited. 

 

Students taking lessons for credit are assessed a nominal lab fee of $250. Per semester by the college (approximately $20.83 per lesson x 12 lessons) whether it is 1 or 2 credits. Students receive a maximum of 12 lessons per semester.

 

If private lessons are audited (no credit), a fee is mutually agreed upon by the student and the instructor and the student pays the instructor directly. Audited lessons will not appear in the student’s registration or on the transcript nor do they need to be registered.

 

If students are taking more than one lesson, the student must also be enrolled in another ensemble to receive the lesson rate of $250. Per semester.  Registration for private lessons must be completed by the end of the add/drop period.

 

Bass – Classical                      Ryan Kamm - rkamm@bard.edu

Bass – Jazz                              Rich Syracuse - syrar@aol.com

Bassoon - Classical                 Cornelia McGiver - cmcgiver@bard.edu

Cello – Classical                      Sean Katsuyama - skatsuyama@bard.edu

Cello – Classical                      Raman Ramakrishnan - rramakri@bard.edu

Cello – Jazz                             Akua Dixon - adixon@bard.edu

Clarinet                                   Zack Hann - zhann@bard.edu

Drums – Jazz                           Peter O’Brien - pobrien@bard.edu

Flute – Classical                      Patricia Spencer - pspencer@bard.edu

Guitar – Classical                    Greg Dinger - gdinger@bard.edu

Guitar – Jazz                           Mike DeMicco - mdemicco@bard.edu

Guitar – Jazz                           Steve Raleigh - sraleigh@bard.edu

Harp                                        Bridget Kibbey - bridget@theorchestranow.org

Harpsichord                            Renée Anne Louprette - rlouprette@bard.edu

Horn (French)                         Stephanie Hollander - shollander@bard.edu

Oboe - Classical                      Allison Rubin - allisonrubinoboe@gmail.com

Organ                                      Renée Anne Louprette - rlouprette@bard.edu

Percussion - Classical             Eric Cha-Beach - echabeach@bard.edu

Percussion - Classical             Jason Treuting - jason@sopercussion.com

Percussion – Afro-Latin, Jazz Roland Vazquez - rvazquez@bard.edu

Piano – Classical                     Blair McMillen - mcmillen@bard.edu

Piano – Classical                     Isabelle O’Connell - ioconnel@bard.edu

Piano – Classical                     Erika Switzer - eswitzer@bard.edu

Piano – Classical                     David Sytowski - dstowski@bard.edu

Piano – Jazz                            John Esposito - sunjump@gmail.com

Piano – Jazz                            Larry Ham - lham@bard.edu

Piano – Jazz                            Francesca Tanksley - ftanksle@bard.edu

Saxophone – Jazz                    Jessica Jones - jejones@bard.edu

Saxophone – Jazz                    Erica Lindsay - lindsay@bard.edu

Saxophone – Jazz                    Eric Person - eperson@bard.edu

Shakuhachi                              Elizabeth Brown - ebrown@bard.edu

Synthesizer                             Dani Dobkin - ddobkin@bard.edu

Theremin                                Elizabeth Brown - ebrown@bard.edu

Trombone- Classical               Hsiao-Fang Lin - hlin@bard.edu

Trumpet – Classical                Peter Bellino - psbellino@aol.com

Trumpet – Jazz                       Greg Glassman - gglassman@bard.edu

Tuba – Classical                      Marcus Rojas - mrojas4@berklee.edu

Viola- Classical                       Marka Gustavsson - gustavss@bard.edu

Violin – Classical                     Kathryn Aldous - kaldous@bard.edu

Violin – Classical                     Marka Gustavsson - gustavss@bard.edu

Violin – Classical                     Erica Kiesewetter - kiesewet@bard.edu

Violin – Jazz                            Gwen Laster - glaster@bard.edu

Voice – Classical                     Teresa Buchholz - tbuchhol@bard.edu

Voice – Classical                     Ilka LoMonaco - lomonaco@bard.edu

Voice – Classical                     Rufus Müller - rumu2000@earthlink.net

Voice – Jazz                            Pamela Patoney - pentony@bard.edu