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.

 

12207

MUS 104     Bard College Community Orchestra

Erica Kiesewetter Zachary Schwartzman

M          7:00 pm-9:30 pm

OLIN AUDT

PA

PART

 2 credits Auditions for new members will be on Monday, January 27, 2020, 7- 9:30pm in Olin Hall.  Please contact Greg Armbruster at garmbrus@bard.edu regarding auditions. The first rehearsal is on Monday, February 3, 2020, 7- 9:30pm, Olin Hall.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 40

 

12174

MUS 105     Bard College Symphonic Chorus

James Bagwell

T         7:30 pm-10:00 pm

OLIN AUDT

PA

PART

 1 credit  First rehearsal will be Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 7:30 pm, Olin Hall.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 35

 

12189

MUS 106     Bard Community Chamber Music

Luis Garcia-Renart

-

PA

PART

Class size: 16

 

12219

MUS 108     Afro Latin Percussion Ensemble

Roland Vazquez

F     12:00 pm-2:00 pm

BLM N211

PA

PART

 Afro Latin Percussion Ensemble”: Practice & performance; 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.

Class size: 30

 

12223

MUS 108 PS  Mixed Trios/Quartets/Quintets

Patricia Spencer

-

PA

PART

 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.)    This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 6

 

12224

MUS 108 PS2  Ensemble for Any Instruments

Patricia Spencer

T         7:30 pm-9:00 pm

BDH

PA

PART

 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.     This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 6

 

12194

MUS 108 SH  Electroacoustic Ensemble

Sarah Hennies

M          6:40 pm-8:00 pm

BLM HALL

PA

PART

  This course counts as an ensemble requirement. Class size: 15

 

12175

MUS 108D     Ensemble: Chamber Singers

James Bagwell

T  Th  4:40 pm-6:40 pm

BITO CPS

PA

PART

  2 credits Auditions will be by appointment.  The first rehearsal will be Thursday January 30, 2020.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 25

 

12180

MUS 108F     Ensemble: Community Jazz Orchestra

Thurman Barker

M          7:00 pm-9:00 pm

BLM N211

PA

PART

  This course counts as an ensemble requirement. Class size: 15

 

12226

MUS 108H     Ensemble: Balinese Gamelan I

Ketut Suadin

M          5:00 pm-7:00 pm

OLIN GREEN RM

PA

PART

  This course counts as an ensemble requirement. Class size: 20

 

12227

MUS 108H     Ensemble: Balinese Gamelan II

Ketut Suadin

M          7:00 pm-9:00 pm

OLIN GREEN RM

PA

PART

  This course counts as an ensemble requirement. Class size: 20

 

12179

MUS 108J     Ensemble: Percussion

Thurman Barker

T         1:30 pm-3:50 pm

BLM N211

PA

PART

  This course counts as an ensemble requirement. Class size: 15

 

12198

MUS 108N     Contemporary Jazz Composers

Erica Lindsay

M          4:40 pm-6:40 pm

BLM N211

PA

PART

 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.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 10

 

12205

MUS 108P     Ensemble: Baroque

Renée Louprette

T         4:40 pm-5:50 pm  W        3:10 pm-4:20 pm

OLIN Green Room

PA

PART

 Performance ensemble focusing on music from 1550-1750. Instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome to audition.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 25

 

12201

MUS 108R     Bard Georgian Choir

Carl Linich

Th     4:40 pm-7:00 pm

BDH

PA

PART

 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: clinch@bard.edu to arrange auditions.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 30

 

 

Music Courses:

 

12215

MUS 122     Introduction to Music Theory

Isabelle O'Connell

W       1:30 pm-2:50 pm   Th       10:10 am-11:30 am

BLM N211 BLM HALL

PA

PART

This course will serve as an introduction to reading, studying, and analyzing tonal music. Introduction to Music Theory is geared toward non-music majors as well as potential music majors who have had little or no exposure to reading music. We will begin with the basics of musical notation, progressing to the identification of scales, triads, and seventh chords.  (This course does not count towards the theory requirement for the music program.

Class size: 20

 

12222

MUS 146     Jazz Histories: Sound/Communication

Whitney Slaten

T  Th  1:30 pm-2:50 pm

BLM N210

AA

AART

Cross-listed: Africana Studies; American Studies; Historical Studies

 Jazz history is plural. It begins as histories of expressions by African descendants in the New World, as well as how their sounds and social positions have both attracted and resisted the participation of allies and oppressors in the construction of jazz as American culture. Histories such as these foreground assertions of jazz as both an American sound and the sound of something broader. The various lifeworlds of jazz—local and global, past and present—lead to questions about the music’s folk, popular, and art music categorization. Through a framework of exploring the history of jazz through specific sounds and surrogate communications, this course surveys the development of musical aesthetics set within specific social contexts that reveal how improvisation wields the production and reception of sounds and communications within and beyond the bandstand. Students in the survey course will read, present, and discuss writing about jazz and its periods. Lectures will situate specific media

Class size: 20

 

12196

MUS 148     Sopranos in Wagner & Strauss

Peter Laki

T  Th  3:10 pm-4:30 pm

BDH

AA

AART

Cross-listed: Gender and Sexuality Studies

 The dramatic soprano roles in the operas of Richard Wagner (1813-83) and Richard Strauss (1864-1949) present some of the greatest vocal challenges in Western music.  Taking Catherine Clément's classic feminist text Opera or the Undoing of Women as our starting point, we will find out for ourselves if women are really “undone” in these operas, by analyzing theír vocal portrayals and their interactions with other characters.  We will study the roles of Isolde (Tristan und Isolde) and Brünnhilde (Der Ring des Nibelungen) by Wagner, and the roles of Salome (Salome), Elektra (Elektra), and the Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier) by Strauss.  Attendance of the Bard Conservatory's performance of Salome will be mandatory.  There will also be some additional reading assignments, a term paper and a final quiz about the operas. There will be six mandatory evenings of film screenings in Olin 104 to be scheduled. Regular classes are in Bard Hall.

Class size: 20

 

12184

MUS 172     Jazz Harmony II

John Esposito

M  W    9:40 am-11:30 am

BLM N211

PA

PART

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.   This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 20

 

12204

MUS 202     Music Theory II / Ear Training

Renée Louprette David Sytkowski

M  W  1:30 pm-2:50 pm T  Th    1:30 pm-2:50 pm         F 1:30 pm-2:50 pm

BLM N217

PA

PART

 Continuation of Music Theory I, introduction to harmony, various seventh chords, secondary dominants, basics of modulation, four-part writing and voice-leading.  End result: ability to write a hymn, song or brief movement of tonal music.  Theoretical work will be complemented by ear-training classes focused on the singing and recognition of harmonies, score-reading and rhythmic studies. Prerequisite: Music Theory I or equivalent (knowledge of scales and keys).  This course fulfills a music theory requirement for music majors. ( *Note: course will meet 4 days weekly, two days cover theory, 2 days cover ear-training.)

Class size: 20

 

12177

MUS 212     Jazz in Literature II

Thurman Barker

M  W   10:10 am-11:30 am

BLM N210

AA D+J

AART DIFF

Cross-listed: Africana Studies; American Studies

  We will study Gary Giddens’ book Visions in Jazz and Robert Gottlieb’s Reading Jazz in order to bring attention to some important literature on Jazz. Some of the writers look beyond Jazz as an art form, but also bring attention to its historical influence on culture, race, tradition, and our social experience, as well as connecting with writers like Albert Murry, Ralph Ellison, Eudora Welty. There is an attempt in their works to illuminate the significance of the musical potential the musicians inherit and the creative options they exercise. This course includes the words of many who have been hailed as Jazz’s greatest musicians.  This fulfills a music history requirement for music majors.

Class size: 22

 

12193

MUS 214     Topics in Sound Art

Sarah Hennies

M  W    3:31 pm-4:50 pm

BLM HALL

PA

PART

 Coined in the early 1980s, “Sound Art” is a term typically used to describe sound-based art that does not follow the rules of traditional music (melody, harmony, gesture, etc.) by focusing on the physical characteristics of sound, experimental methods, and human perception. Since the early 1980s, artists working with sound have expanded the practice in limitless conceptual and technological directions and the field’s growth continues in the present day. The course will examine the disparate and prominent approaches to contemporary sound art, with a particular focus on composers who are active today. Classes will consist primarily of hands-on performances of existing major works and original student compositions; grading will be based on class participation, weekly composition and listening assignments, and an end-of-semester final project. A public class concert may be included, as well with sufficient student interest. No previous musical skill or ability is required.

Class size: 20

 

12221

MUS 253     The Social Life of Loudspeakers

Whitney Slaten

T  Th 11:50 am-1:10 pm

BLM N210

AA

AART

Cross-listed: Experimental Humanities

  How do loudspeakers construct musical culture? How does listening to loudspeakers reorganize social behavior? Critical organology, intersections of local and global influences, manufacturing and nationalism, cultural imperialism, strategies of resistance, generational change, race and bass, gender and power, digital technology, fidelity and loss as technological and cultural ideas, and ethnographic inquiry will be themes that organize the course. Students will understand the importance of loudspeakers from the perspectives of ethnomusicology, sound studies, and audio science. Class sessions will include experiments with audio transducers, as well as critical listening for the contributions of audio transducers in recorded and amplified music. Through weekly reading and writing assignments, short papers, and an ethnographic research paper, students will complete the course with a nuanced understanding of the relationship between music, technology, and culture.

Class size: 20

 

12228

MUS 254B     Pronunciation / Diction: Singers II

Erika Switzer

T  Th 10:10 am-11:30 am

BDH

PA

PART

This two-semester course is an introduction to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), its symbols and practical use in performing or preparing Italian, French, German and English vocal literature. The fall semester will be devoted to the English and Italian languages, the spring to German and French. Through song literature, students will take from this course a basic understanding of pronunciation rules and rhythm of each language. No previous knowledge of the languages is required.

Class size: 10

 

12211

MUS 257     Production & Reproduction

Thomas Mark

Th     1:30 pm-3:50 pm

BLM 117

PA

PART

This course will focus on the theory and practice of sound recording. Students will learn the use of recording equipment including digital tape recorders, mixing consoles, signal processing devices, and microphones. A/B listening tests will be used to compare types of microphones, microphone placement and many different recording techniques. ProTools software will be available for digital editing and mastering to CD. Assigned projects will include both multitrack and direct to stereo recordings of studio and concert performances.

Class size: 12

 

12220

MUS 262     Topics in Music Software: Intoduction to Max/Msp

Matthew Sargent

M  W   11:50 am-1:10 pm

BLM N119

PA

PART

Cross-listed: Computer Science; Experimental Humanities This course will introduce students to Max/Msp, an object-oriented programming environment for real-time audio processing, digital synthesis, algorithmic composition, data sonification, and more. Students will learn fundamental concepts of digital audio and computer programming while engaging in creative projects and in-class performances. The class will include examples of Max patches found in major works of 20/21st century electroacoustic music and sound art repertoire. The course will also explore connectivity between Max and other software applications, including Max4Live. The course will conclude with a final project. Introduction to Electronic Music, or a 100-level course in Computer Science, is recommended as a prerequisite.

Class size: 15

 

12188

MUS 265     Lit/Lang of Music after 1910

Kyle Gann

M  W    3:10 pm-4:30 pm

BLM N217

AA

AART

This course is a survey of classical and postclassical European and American music from 1910 to the present. The era is so rich and diverse that rather than a strict chronology we will approach it via musical movements and milieus: neoclassicism, 12-tone music, nationalism, neoromanticism, minimalism, microtonality, the New Tonality, rock/classical hybrids, spectralism, and so on. Figures such as Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Steve Reich, and Laurie Anderson will be explored as catalysts of wide-ranging musical tendencies, along with some important loners like Erik Satie, Charles Ives, and Harry Partch. The class will be graded on two research papers; two listening tests; class discussion; and discussion of subjects to be listed on Moodle. The course counts as a music history requirement for music majors, but there are no prerequsites, and non-majors are welcome. Class limit: 22

Class size: 20

 

12185

MUS 266B     American Popular Song II 1930-1950

John Esposito

M  W   11:50 am-1:10 pm

BLM N211

PA

PART

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 Gershwin, Berlin, Porter, Ellington, Warren, Rodgers, 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 course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 20

 

12187

MUS 270     John Cage & 1960s Avant Garde

Kyle Gann

T  Th  3:10 pm-4:30 pm

BLM N217

AA

AART

John Cage (1912-1992) was a cheerful, gentle man who liked turning ideas on their heads – and also the most controversial composer of the late 20th century, still considered a demon in certain musical circles. His notorious “silent” piece 4’33” (1952) is a world-famous icon, but it wasn’t well known until his book of essays Silence dazzled the world in 1961. His influence radiated in a rainbow of directions, from Morton Feldman and Karlheinz Stockhausen, to Yoko Ono and Brian Eno, to Steve Reich and Philip Glass, to painters Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. We’ll read Silence, ponder its paradoxes, explore Cage’s immense and varied output, look at the explosive 1960s conceptual art scene he ignited, and trace his lineage to minimalism, ambient music, environmental soundscapes, and other trends, as well as take a field trip to the John Cage Trust at Bard. The course will be graded on two papers, smaller essays, and class discussion; possibly creative work can be substituted. This course constitutes a music history credit for music majors. Non-majors welcome; no prerequisites.

Class size: 20

 

12197

MUS 279     Music of Debussy & Ravel

Peter Laki

M  W    3:10 pm-4:30 pm

BITO 210

AA

AART

In this seminar, we will explore the work of these two composers in some detail, from both a historical and an analytical point of view.  The main goal is to get to know as much of their music as possible, and to articulate our responses to the music both orally and in writing.  A secondary goal is to read some of the very extensive literature on Debussy and Ravel, in order to get a sense of the objectives and methods of scholarship. There will be two papers and two take-home exams, as well as two evening opera screenings to be held in Olin 104. Regular classes are in Bito 210.

Class size: 20

 

12176

MUS 315     Interaction: Music & Film

James Bagwell

T  Th 11:50 am-1:10 pm

BLM N211

AA

AART

This course will trace the use of music in film beginning with silent films in the early twentieth century through the present.  We will examine how music was incorporated into such films as Citizen Kane (Welles), Rapsodia Satanica (Oxilia), King Kong (Cooper), Black Orpheus (Camus) Singing in the Rain (Donen), On the Waterfront (Kazan), Forbidden Planet (Wilcox), A Woman is a Woman (Godard), 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick), Easy Rider (Hopper), and Pulp Fiction (Tarantino), among others.  While the main focus of the course will be historical, we will analyze specific techniques that composers and directors use to heighten storytelling through music.  Course projects will include three short scene analysis papers and one research paper due at the end of the term.  This course is open to both upper level music majors and non-majors and will satisfy a music history requirement for music majors.

Class size: 15

 

12178

MUS 349     Jazz: Freedom Principle IV

Thurman Barker

M          1:30 pm-3:50 pm

BLM N210

AA D+J

AART DIFF

Cross-listed: Africana Studies, American Studies This Jazz History course which is part four of a four part course.  Part four is a study of Jazz after 1952 to the early 70’s.  The course will examine the extreme shifts in jazz styles from Cool, to Hard bop to the Arvant Garde.  Emphasis will be on musicians associated with these styles such as Stan Getz, Lee Konitz, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Anthony Braxton and Muhal Richard Abrams.  The course will discuss the solo and combo styles of these musicians.  The course employs a cultural approach designed to look at the social climate surrounding the music from 1952- 1972 and examine its effect on the music.  This will be illustrated with recordings and films.  The class requires oral presentation and critical listening.  This course is for juniors and seniors who have moderated into music.  This fulfills a music history requirement for music majors.

Class size: 15

 

12195

MUS 352     Electroacoustic Composition

Sarah Hennies

T         1:30 pm-3:50 pm

BLM N119

PA

PART

 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.

Class size: 15

 

12232

MUS 353     Advanced Score Study Workshop

George Tsontakis

Th    10:10 am-12:30 pm

BLM N217

PA

PART

 A workshop for composers, conductors and instrumentalists wherein a myriad of musical scores from all periods of “classical music” will be examined, to include almost any genre – orchestral or otherwise. Emphasis will be on discussing what makes the particular piece “work” whether it be its dramatic power, balanced form, figuration design, orchestral flair or melodic and harmonic uniqueness. In short, trying to get to the essence of “just what's so great about this piece?” The instructor will present certain works but an equal and complimentary part of the workshop will be students introducing and leading class discussions on a work they choose to present, with the first question always to be answered: “why did you choose this work?” Prerequisites: advanced theory and general music experience.

Class size: 10

 

12186

MUS 366D     Advanced Contemporary Improvisational Technique IV

John Esposito

T  Th 10:10 am-11:30 am

BLM N211

PA

PART

 Cross-listed: Africana 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. This fulfills music theory requirements. This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 15

 

12199

MUS 367B     Jazz Composition II

Erica Lindsay

W       6:00 pm-9:00 pm

BLM N211

PA

PART

 This class covers diatonic jazz harmony, starting with traditional forms of functional harmony, the interplay between the major and minor systems, followed by the progression of its breakdown into a more fluid, chromatic and open-form system.  Melodic styles, harmonic rhythm, modal interchange and modulation sequences will be examined, with the emphasis being on composing pieces, using as inspiration the material covered in class. This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 15

 

 

Cross-listed courses:

 

12250

ART 305     Sculpture III: Sound as a Sculptural Medium

Matthew Sargent Julianne Swartz

M          1:30 pm-4:30 pm

UBS

PA

PART

Cross-listed: Music Class size: 15

 

12578

CNSV 332  Core Sequence Class IV: Conservatory Seminar

Christopher Gibbs Eric Wen

M         11:50 am-1:10 pm   W      11:50 am-1:10 pm

BLUM N217 BITO 210

Cross Listed: Music Class Size: 20

 

 

MUSIC WORKSHOPS

Music Workshops carry two credits, unless otherwise noted.

 

12209

MUS WKSH EK  Advanced Orchestral Prep Workshop

Erica Kiesewetter

F     3:00 pm-5:00 pm

BITO 202

PA

PART

 This class is for advanced violinists (and any orchestral instrumentalist) who would like to learn orchestral excerpts for festival and orchestra auditions. The student is expected to prepare 3-5 excerpts in the semester, play in class most weeks, and participate in feedback. The class will involve detailed coaching on the excerpts including a focus on understanding the work in context and the composer's style, advice on preparation and performance anxiety and mock audition practice. Final is a mock audition with 3-5 excerpts.

Class size: 8

 

12230

MUS WKSH ES  Moderation Performance Workshop

Erika Switzer

TBD     -

BLM 202

PA

PART

 1 credit This workshop will support the preparation of moderation concerts in tandem with your advisor’s guidance. Skills will be developed in repertoire research, practice techniques, rehearsal leadership, program and program notes writing, venue logistics, and stagecraft. Each student will have the opportunity to present ideas about their programs in a roundtable format, opening up conversations about the process and the purpose of their projects. Segments of recital programs may also be presented in preparation for final performance. Open to all students preparing for moderation in music performance.

Class size: 15

 

12191

MUS WKSH GMR  Chamber Music Workshop

Marka Gustavsson Blair McMillen Raman     Ramakrishnan

-

PA

PART

Coaching assignments and schedule will be determined. This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 12

 

12202

MUS WKSH IL  Feldenkrais & the Voice

Ilka LoMonaco

W      4:40 pm-7:00 pm

BDH

PA

PART

2 credits This course will focus on improving the vocal ability of singers through the Feldenkrais Method, developed by the Israeli-born nuclear physicist, engineer and Judo master Moshe Feldenkrais. The Feldenkrais Method is an approach to learning and change through movement. It uses a process of organic learning, movement and sensory perception to free the student from habitual patterns and unnecessary tensions, as well as facilitating new modes of thinking, moving and feeling to emerge. During the first hour of the class all students will receive an original ATM  (Awareness through Movement) lesson, especially chosen for its pertinence to singing,  as designed by Moshe Feldenkrais.  An ATM consists of guiding students verbally through a carefully designed sequence of gentle movements in such a way that the student remains mindful and keeps an inward awareness. By sequencing movements in small, easily accessible increments and working with deliberate constraints, unnecessary tensions can be released to form a new pattern of movement with increased refinement and complexity. During the second half of the class we will be working individually on repertoire, applying the principles of the Method.  Requirement: ability to perform a song or aria  - auditions required.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 6

 

12210

MUS WKSH RL  Continuo Playing:Keyboardists

Renée Louprette

T        10:10 am-11:30 am

BLM 117

PA

PART

 Continuo playing is a pathway for keyboardists to explore the art of improvisation and collaborative musical expression as well as gain a valuable professional skill. In this workshop, piano majors and students demonstrating sufficient keyboard proficiency will learn the basics of continuo playing at the keyboard. Access to a harpsichord for practice will be provided for registered students. Using figured bass exercises by G. F. Handel and others, students will gain facility in reading figured bass and in improvising harmonized accompaniments to instrumental and vocal repertoire from the Baroque period. Attendance at one of the weekly Baroque Ensemble rehearsals is required and presents the opportunity to apply the acquired figured bass and continuo playing skills in collaboration with other performers. The course will culminate in the performance of movements from J. S. Bach’s cantatas and other early repertoire, with the participation of members of the Baroque ensemble. Experienced pianists are highly encouraged to take part and must schedule an evaluation appointment with the instructor during the first week of the semester. A demonstrated knowledge of music theory is required.

Class size: 7

 

12231

MUS WKSHA     Workshop: Composition

Joan Tower

M          1:30 pm-3:30 pm

BLM

PA

PART

 This workshop is for both composers and performers- primarily music majors who can read music. The process is one of learning how to put one's musical soul onto the page, pass that page first to players in the class and then to Conservatory players as well as the College Players who record and play these pieces.  All along the way, the hope is that the music will "come back" to the composer as he or she had intended it to with some kind of profile and excitement.  Students should email Prof. Tower (tower@bard,edu) prior to registration to determine eligibility.

Class size: 6

 

12213

MUS WKSHB RM  Workshop: Performance Class

Rufus Muller

M          4:40 pm-7:00 pm

BITO CPS

PA

PART

 “So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye!” German song settings of parting. Song recitals can often be boring, or even alienating.  In this class we explore ways to make the performance of art song moving and satisfying for performer and public alike.  For collaborative pianists as well as singers. 2 credits. This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 15

 

12183

MUS WKSHD     Sight Reading Workshop

Steve Raleigh

M         12:00 pm-1:00 pm

BLM HALL

PA

PART

 This workshop is designed to improve basic music reading skills.  Drawing from a varied selection of material such as lead sheets, jazz fake book charts and simple to intermediate classical etudes, students learn to read melody and rhythm more confidently. This course works well for C (concert) instruments and may be adapted for other instruments as well.

Class size: 14

 

12182

MUS WKSHL     Workshop: Opera Workshop

Teresa Buchholz Ilka LoMonaco Rufus Müller

-

PA

PART

 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) and LoMonaco (ilka98@aol.com) for details.  This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 20

 

12200

MUS WKSP3     Workshop: Jazz Improvisation

Erica Lindsay

Th     4:40 pm-7:40 pm

BLM N211

PA

PART

 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. This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 20

 

12217

MUS WKSP7     Jazz Vocal Workshop

Pamela Pentony

T         4:00 pm-7:00 pm

BLM N211

PA

PART

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. This course counts as an ensemble requirement.

Class size: 25

 

 

SPECIAL PROJECTS:

Special Projects are designed for music majors to pursue individual or group projects with a particular professor.  Please contact the professor directly with whom you would like to work with for further details.

 

 

 

PRIVATE LESSONS   (register for lessons with a drop/add 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.

 

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, Wednesday February 5, 2020.

 

Kathryn Aldous – violin

Eric Cha-Beach – percussion (classical)

Teresa Buchholz   classical voice

Ira Coleman - jazz bass

Mike DiMicco - jazz guitar

Greg Dinger – classical guitar

Dani Dobkin-  Serge modular synthesizer

Akua Dixon – jazz cello

John Esposito – piano (jazz)

Greg Glassman - jazz trumpet

Marka Gustavsson -  violin, viola

Larry Ham -  jazz piano

Zack Hann - clarinet

Stephanie Hollander – horn (French)

Jessica Jones – saxophone (jazz)

Ryan Kamm - classical bass

Erica Kiesewetter   violin

Gwen Laster – jazz violin

Hsiao-Fang Lin - trombone

Erica Lindsay – saxophone (jazz)

Ilka LoMonaco- classical voice

Renée Anne Louprette – harpsichord and organ

Cornelia McGiver - bassoon

Blair McMillen - piano

Rufus Müller   classical voice

Peter O'Brien - jazz drums

Isabelle O'Connell - piano

Pamela Pentony - voice (jazz)

Eric Person – jazz saxophone

Steve Raleigh -  jazz guitar

Raman Ramakrishnan – cello

Allison Rubin – oboe (classical)

Patricia Spencer -  flute

Erika Switzer -  piano

David Sytkowski – piano

Francesca Tanksley – jazz piano

Jason Treuting – percussion (classical)