Music Class Schedule | Fall 2022

Prereq: None 
Units: 4-0-8
HASS-A, CI-H

Provides a broad overview of Western music from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, with emphasis on late baroque, classical, romantic, and modernist styles. Designed to enhance the musical experience by developing listening skills and an understanding of diverse forms and genres. Major composers and works placed in social and cultural contexts. Weekly lectures feature demonstrations by professional performers and introduce topics to be discussed in sections. Enrollment limited. 

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A, CI-H

An introduction to diverse musical traditions of the world. Music from a wide range of geographical areas is studied in terms of structure, performance practice, social use, aesthetics, and cross-cultural contact. Includes hands-on music making, live demonstrations by guest artists, and ethnographic research projects. Enrollment limited by lottery.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-2-7 
HASS-A

Introduces students to the rudiments of Western music through oral, aural, and written practice utilizing rhythm, melody, intervals, scales, chords, and musical notation. Individual skills are addressed through a variety of approaches, including keyboard practice in the required piano labs and sight singing lab. Intended for students with little to no prior experience reading music or performing.  Not open to students who have completed 21M.151, 21M.301, or are participating in a performance ensemble where written music is employed. Limited to 20 per section by lottery.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Experiential, fully-embodied exploration into the fundamentals of music through the lens of largely non-Western, aural music cultures. From Bali to Ghana, Cuba to India, Zimbabwe to Andalucía, and through popular musics across the globe, students think about, talk about, and make music in new ways. Examines some of the basic concepts of music — structure, melody-making, meter, rhythm, interaction, movement, etc. — studying their diverse incarnations in different music cultures and encouraging a breadth of perspective and engagement. Students engage with a diverse blend of musical practices through music-making, in-depth discussion, listening and analysis, and creative composition. No musical experience required. Limited to 18. 

Prereq: Permission of instructor
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

A study of music composition based stylistically on student interest, this course develops the skills required to create music in live performance. In Fall 2020, in the first half, students will first learn basic ideas of harmony, melody and word setting that will culminate in a song. In the second half, an exploration of more advanced techniques will lead to an instrumental work. Project based, the class consists of both lectures and workshops where students comment on each other’s work. Basic music reading skills required. Weekly listening and composition assignments. Access to midi based music software is required. Limited to 18.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Investigates how technology is used in the analysis, modeling, synthesis and composition of music, and its contribution to the artistic production practice. With an eye towards historical context as well as modern usage, topics include the physics of sound, digital representations of music, the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), analog and digital synthesis techniques, MIDI and sequencing, electronic instrument design, notation software, generative music systems, and computational analysis of music. Weekly assignments focus on both theory and practice, requiring technical proficiency, creative output, and aesthetic consideration. Enrollment limited. 

Prereq: Permission of Instructor
Units: 2-0-4
1/2 HASS-A

1st Half of Term

Examines a particular moment in music history, an era, style, or even the composition of a major work through analysis and cultural context. Goes into further depth on a particular topic than would be possible in a longer survey. Periods and topics vary. Examples include minimalism, The Beatles, A Cappella, or The Lion King. May be repeated once for credit if content differs. Enrollment limited. 

Fall 2022 Topic: Music for Animated Films I

Designed as an introduction to music for American and European animated films of the silent and early sound eras (ca. 1920-1960).  Closest attention first to classic Hollywood studio shorts produced by Disney, Warner Bros., MGM, and UPA, then to feature-length films, including The Adventures of Prince Achmed, Snow White, and Bambi. Leading composers considered include Stalling, Bradley, Kubik, and Disney’s roster. Study will range over technological and esthetic (interpretative) approaches, as well as cultural issues (including racial and ethnic stereotypes). Required work: brief analytic and personal reports on film and sound track segments; a team project on one feature film; and one paper (1500 words) on a topic to be determined in consultation with the instructor. Enrollment capped at 25.

Prereq: Permission of Instructor
Units: 2-0-4
1/2 HASS-A

2nd Half of Term

Examines a particular moment in music history, an era, style, or even the composition of a major work through analysis and cultural context. Goes into further depth on a particular topic than would be possible in a longer survey. Periods and topics vary. Examples include minimalism, The Beatles, A Cappella, or The Lion King. May be repeated once for credit if content differs. Enrollment limited. 

Fall 2022 Topic: Music for Animated Films II

Continuation of approaches introduced in 21M.128, but with branching out to anime along with key recent features from America, Japan, and elsewhere. Principal focus on works from Disney, Pixar, and Ghibli Studios. Leading composers to be considered include Hisaishi, Elfman, R. & T. Newman, Giacchino, and Powell. Same basic types of assignments as for 21M.128.

NOTE: May be taken separately from 21M.128, but if over-enrolled, preference will be given to students who took the previous class.

Prereq: Permission of Instructor
Units: 1-1-4
1/2 HASS-A

1st Half of Term

Introduction to theoretical elements of music for students who need preparation in the fundamentals of music theory prior to taking 21M.301. Requires ability to read notation in at least one clef. Covers many of the same topics as 21M.051 but at a faster pace. Coverage includes intervals, triads, major and minor keys, basic musical analysis over a variety of idioms in Western music. Also emphasizes developing the ear, voice, and keyboard skills. Not open to students who have completed 21M.051, 21M.151, 21M.301 or 21M.302. 21M.150 is offered first half of term; 21M.151 is offered second half of term. Limited to 20 per section by lottery.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Historical survey from roots in African and American contexts, including spirituals, blues, and ragtime, through early jazz, Swing, bebop, and post-bop movements, with attention to recent developments. Key jazz styles, the relation of music and society, and major figures such as Armstrong, Ellington, Basie, Goodman, Parker, Monk, Mingus, Coltrane, and others are considered. Some investigation of cross-influences with popular, classical, folk, and rock musics. Enrollment may be limited.

Prereq: 21M.301 or permission of instructor 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A, CI-M

Surveys genres from the Western tradition composed in the 17th and 18th centuries: opera, cantata, oratorio, sonata, concerto, quartet and symphony. Includes the composers Monteverdi, Purcell, Lully, Strozzi, Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Bologne, and Mozart. Bases written essays, projects, and oral presentations on live performances as well as listening and reading assignments. Basic music score-reading ability required.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9
HASS-A

Explores the style, form, and history of approximately two dozen pieces of canonical symphonic repertoire. Students write short reviews of musicological articles on the rich cultural history of selected works and complete one project about classical music in contemporary society. Basic score-reading ability required.

Prereq: Basic score-reading ability required
3-0-9
HASS-A

Focuses on the different styles and dramatic approaches exhibited by a range of operas. Important themes include dramatic and musical conventions, processes of adaptation, cultural and critical questions, and staging as a type of interpretation. Basic score-reading ability required.

Prereq: One subject in film, music, or theater or permission of instructor 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Covers Broadway works and Hollywood films in depth. Proceeds chronologically, exploring landmark stage musicals and films, within four historical categories: breakthrough musicals of the 1920s and '30s; classic "book musicals" of the '40s and '50s; modernist and concept musicals of the '60s and '70s; and postmodern and cutting-edge works of the '80s and '90s. Attention given to the role of music in relation to script, characterization, and dramatic structure. Final papers involve comparison of one stage and one film work, selected in consultation with the instructor. Oral presentations required and in-class performances encouraged.

Prereq: 21M.301 or permission of intructor
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Surveys the music of the Beatles, from the band's early years as the Quarrymen (1956-1960), through the rise of "Beatlemania" in the 1960s, and the break-up of the group with the turn of 1970. Listening and reading assignments focus on the construction and analysis of selected songs with the goal of mapping how the Beatles' musical style changed from skiffle and rock to studio-based experimentation and the concept album. Discussions include the cultural influences that helped shape not only the music, but also the image of the group and its individual members, as well as the Beatles' influence on both popular music and culture worldwide.

Prereq: None
3-0-9
HASS-A

Studies the musical traditions of Indonesia with a special focus on Bali. Students explore diverse practices – from ancient ritual and court musics to internationally-renowned gamelan traditions, radical contemporary compositions to Indonesian popular musics – engaging with their structures and techniques through music making, listening analysis, music composition, and dance. Also explores the cultural, political, and historical contexts of these musics through reading, in-depth class discussion, and creative, open-ended projects. No musical experience required. Limited to 15.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Examines select popular music genres from around the world through audio-visual materials, reading assignments, and classroom discussion. Considers issues of globalization, appropriation, and the impact of social media. Case studies include bhangra, Latin pop, Afropop, reggae, Kpop, and global hip-hop.. Limited to 25; preference to majors, minors, concentrators. Admittance may be controlled by lottery.

Prereq: None
3-0-9
HASS-A

Studies of selected topics in ethnomusicology (the study of music in culture).  Topics vary.  Examples include the social lives of musical instruments, music and storytelling, fieldwork methodologies, music and politics, and rhythms of the world.  May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.

Fall 2022 Topic

Surveys folkloric musical traditions of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Introduction to a wide range of styles, including ballads, fiddling, work songs, Inuit throat singing, Mexican son, and singer-songwriters. Particular attention to the musical interactions between Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans, European colonists, immigrants from around the world, and the descendants of those groups. In addition to studying repertoire and performance practice from various traditions, we will examine folk music as a cultural practice that shapes people's ideas about their society's past, present, and future. No musical training or background is required. Following the participatory ethos of many folk music traditions, we will deepen our knowledge through close listening and, in some cases, singing (no singing experience needed).

Prereq: 21M.051 or 21M.150 or 21M.151 or Permission from Instructor
3-3-6
HASS-A

Students explore the fundamental building blocks of Western diatonic music through regular composition and analysis assignments. Focuses on Western classical music, with complementary topics that engage a broader range of historical periods, traditions, and individuals. Topics include rhythm and meter, harmony and counterpoint within a single key, and a brief overview of form and modulation. Individual skills are addressed through a variety of approaches, including keyboard practice in the required piano and sight singing labs. Local musicians perform final composition projects. Students should have experience reading music. Limited to 20 per section.

Prereq:  21M.301 or Permission of instructor
3-2-7
HASS-A

A continuation of 21M.301, including chromatic harmony and modulation, a more extensive composition project, keyboard laboratory, and musicianship laboratory. Limited to 20 per section.

Prereq: 21M.302​
3-1-8
HASS-A

Written and analytic exercises based on 18th- and 19th-century small forms and harmonic practice found in music such as the chorale preludes of Bach; minuets and trios of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven; and the songs and character pieces of Schubert and Schumann. Musicianship laboratory is required. Limited to 20 per section. 

Prereq: 21M.302 or Permission of instructor
3-0-9
HASS-A

Students complete written and analytical exercises based on compositional forms and practices from the first half of the 20th century. Areas covered include compositions based upon artificial scales and modes, as in Debussy, Bartok, and Stravinsky; compositions based on atonal pitch organizations, as with Schoenberg and Webern; compositions based on rhythmic process, timbral exploration, and/or non-Western influences. Basic instrumentation will be taught, and compositions will be performed in class.

Prereq: 21M.051 or 21M.226 or Permission of instructor
3-0-9
HASS-A

Basic harmony and theory of mainstream jazz and blues; includes required listening in jazz, writing and analysis work, and two full-scale arrangements. Serves as preparation for more advanced work in jazz with application to rock and pop music. Performance of student arrangements. Limited to 15.

Prereq: 21M.301 or permission of insturctor 
3-0-9
HASS-A

Explores techniques associated with musical composition and/or analysis. Written exercises in the form of music (composition) and/or prose (papers) may be required, depending on the topic. Topics vary each year; examples include fugue, contemporary aesthetics of composition, orchestration, music analysis, or music and mathematics. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.

Fall 2022: Music and Mathematics

The course deals with music as understood through mathematics, rather than with mathematics demonstrated by way of music. Composers implicitly and explicitly exploit musical structures underpinned by simple and complicated, always amazing, mathematical structures, and sometimes generate new ones for particular compositions or for personal style. Tuning systems of entire regions and musical periods are made possible due to cultural considerations (e.g. religion, acoustics of houses of worship, training of choristers) within a mathematical context (e.g. just versus mean-tone intonations). Topics covered will include algebraic approaches to pitch, time, and spectrum in twentieth century music, and to harmony in the common practice; probabilistic modeling such as Markov processes; string rewriting systems and automata theory; and musical cryptography and steganography. Weekly assignments, with a final project. No exam. Proficiency in at least piano score reading and computer programming is required.

Prereq: None
2-1-9
HASS-A

Students develop basic skills in composition through weekly assignments focusing on sampling and audio processing. Source materials include samples of urban/natural environments, electronically generated sounds, inherent studio/recording noise, and pre-existing recordings. Audio processing includes digital signal processing (DSP) and analog devices. Covers compositional techniques, including mixing, algorithms, studio improvisation, and interaction. Students critique each other's work and give informal presentations on recordings drawn from sound art, experimental electronica, conventional and non-conventional classical electronic works, and popular music. Covers technology, math, and acoustics in varying detail. Limited to 12 per section; preference to Music majors, minors, and concentrators.

Prereq: Permission of Instructor
3-0-9
HASS-A

Explores various technologies in relation to musical analysis, composition, performance, culture, and quantitative methods. Topics vary each term and may include development and impact on society, generative and algorithmic music, recording techniques or procedural sound design. May involve hands-on components such as laptop music ensemble, new instrument building, or comparing the theory and practice of audio recording. Limited to 16.

Fall 2022: The Sound of the Web: creating and experiencing music on the internet

Musicians have embraced the musical possibilities of the internet since its inception.  Current developments in browser-based media generation and web audio promise to continue to expand these possibilities. This course will survey how cutting edge artists use the web to create new kinds of experiences, and will explore the near future of web technology to imagine how it will shape the evolution of musical culture. Topics will include collaborative music production & performance, live coding, virtual concerts & the metaverse, the future of web audio, and the musical internet of things. 

(Same subject as 6.4550[J])
Prereq: (6.1010 and 21M.301) or permission of instructor 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A
http://musictech.mit.edu/ims 

Explores audio synthesis, musical structure, human computer interaction (HCI), and visual presentation for the creation of interactive musical experiences. Topics include audio synthesis; mixing and looping; MIDI sequencing; generative composition; motion sensors; music games; and graphics for UI, visualization, and aesthetics. Includes weekly programming assignments in python and student presentations. Teams build an original, dynamic, and engaging interactive music system for their final project. Limited to 36.

Prereq: None 
Units: 0-4-2 
This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

Rehearsals and performance of primarily large-scale works for chorus, soloists, and orchestra--from the Passions and Masses of J. S. Bach to oratorios of our own time. Open to graduate and undergraduate students by audition.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-3 
This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

Rehearsal and performance of choral repertoire for small chorus, involving literature from the Renaissance to contemporary periods. Limited to 32 by audition.

Prereq: None 
Units: 0-4-2 
This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

Rehearsals prepare works for concerts and recordings. Analyses of musical style, structure, and performance practice are integrated into rehearsals as a means of enriching musical conception and the approach to performance. Likewise, additional scores of particular structural or stylistic interest are read whenever time permits. Admission by audition.

Prereq: 21M.302 or Permission from Instructor
Units: 3-0-3
This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

Introduces ensemble conducting as a technical and artistic discipline. Incorporates ear training, score-reading skills and analysis, rehearsal technique, and studies of various philosophies. Attendance of rehearsals and specific concerts required. Opportunities include conducting students, professional musicians, and MIT Symphony Orchestra (when possible). Instrumental proficiency required, although vocalists with keyboard abilities will be accepted. May be repeated once for credit with permission of instructor.

Prereq: None 
Units: 0-4-2 
This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

Designed for advanced instrumentalists who are committed to the analysis, performance, and recording of woodwind, brass, and percussion literature from the Renaissance through the 21st century. The repertoire consists primarily of music for small and large wind ensembles. May include ensemble music from Gabrieli to Grainger, Schuller, Mozart, Dvorak, and various mixed media including strings. Performance of newly commissioned works. Opportunities for solo work and work with recognized professional artists and composers. Admission by audition.

Prereq: None 
Units: 0-4-2 
This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

Designed for instrumentalists dedicated to the analysis, performance, and recording of traditional and contemporary jazz ensemble compositions. Instrumentation includes saxophones, trumpets, trombones, piano, guitar or vibraphone, bass, percussion and occasionally french horn, double reeds, and strings. Provides opportunities to work with professional jazz artists and perform commissioned works by recognized jazz composers. Experience in improvisation preferred but not required. Admission by audition.

Prereq: None 
Units: 0-4-2 
This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

Study of chamber music literature through analysis, rehearsal, and performance. Weekly seminars and coaching. Open to string, piano, brass, woodwind players, and singers. Admission by audition.

Prereq: Permission of instructor 
Units: 0-3-3 

This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

A performing ensemble dedicated to the traditional music of Bali. Members of the ensemble study structures and techniques used on various Balinese gamelan instruments and learn to perform gamelan pieces. No previous experience required. Limited to 25 by audition.

Prereq: None 
Units arranged 

This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

Open by audition to pianists who wish to explore and develop their talents as accompanists. Pianists are paired with a music scholarship recipient and attend that student's private lesson each week. Accompanists prepare independently, rehearse with the student partner, and provide accompaniment at a juried recital or masterclass each term. Under supervision for music faculty and private lesson instructors, pianists may work with one or two scholarship students each term at 3 units each or one student in 21M.480/21M.512 for 6 units. Subject satisfies the performance requirement for pianists receiving music scholarships.

Prereq: None 
Units: 0-3-3 
This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

A performance ensemble focusing on the sabar drumming tradition of Senegal, West Africa. Study and rehearse Senegalese drumming techniques and spoken word. Perform in conjunction with MIT Rambax drumming group. No previous experience necessary, but prior enrollment in 21M.030 or 21M.293 strongly recommended. Limited to 30 by audition.

Prereq: None 
Units: 0-3-3 

This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

The MIT Laptop Ensemble is a forum for the exploration of emerging digital musical practices, giving ensemble members hands-on experience with compositional and performance strategies based on current research. Concerts by the ensemble include repertoire drawn both from historical electronic and computer music compositions, as well as new compositions by invited composers. Also includes opportunities for ensemble members to compose for and conduct the ensemble. Weekly rehearsals focus on concepts drawn from a variety of 20th- and 21st-century practices, including experimental and improvised music, telematic performance, gestural controllers, multimedia performance, live coding, and interactive music systems. No previous experience required. Admission by audition.

(Subject meets with 21M.511) 
Prereq: None 
Units: 1-2-3 

This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

Designed for students who demonstrate considerable technical and musical skills and who wish to develop them through intensive private study. Students must take a weekly lesson, attend a regular performance seminar, participate in a departmental performing group, and participate in a group recital at the end of each term. Full-year commitment required. Information about lesson fees, scholarships, and auditions available in Music Section Office. Students taking the graduate version complete different assignments. Admission by audition for Emerson/Harris Program.

(Subject meets with 21M.512) 
Prereq: None 
Units: 1-2-6
HASS-A

Designed for students who demonstrate considerable technical and musical skills and who wish to develop them through intensive private study. Students must take a weekly lesson, attend a regular performance seminar, and participate in a departmental performing group, and present a 50-minute solo recital at the end of the Spring term. Full-year commitment required. Information about lesson fees, scholarships, and auditions available in Music Section Office. Students taking the graduate version complete different assignments. Admission by audition for the Emerson/Harris Program.

Prereq: Permission of instructor 
Units: 3-0-9
HASS-A, CI-M

Seminar that develops analytic and research skills in music history/culture or theory/composition. Topics vary, but are organized around a particular methodology, musical topic, or collection of works, that allow for application to a variety of interests and genres. Strong emphasis on student presentations, discussion, and a substantial writing project. May be repeated for credit with permission from instructor.

Fall 2022 description:

This class is designed for majors as a cap to your musical studies at MIT. You are at an advanced stage of your undergraduate career, and you share musical experiences and background with your classmates in the seminar. This seminar will afford you an opportunity to examine a few selected works in depth, one each from the the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods, and to explore your ideas through class discussion and intensive independent study. Your time and attention will be divided between the topics that we will examine together in class and your own research project on a subject of your choice.

(Subject meets with 21M.475) 
Graduate version
Prereq: None
Units: 1-2-3

Designed for students who demonstrate considerable technical and musical skills and who wish to develop them through intensive private study. Students must take a weekly lesson, attend a regular performance seminar, participate in a departmental performing group, and present a 50-minute solo recital at the end of the Spring term. Full-year commitment required. Information about lesson fees, scholarships, and auditions available in Music Section Office. Students taking the graduate version complete different assignments. Admission by audition for Emerson/Harris Program.

(Subject meets with 21M.480) 
Graduate Version
Prereq: None 
Units: 1-2-6

Designed for students who demonstrate considerable technical and musical skills and who wish to develop them through intensive private study. Students must take a weekly lesson, attend a regular performance seminar, and participate in a departmental performing group, and present a 50-minute solo recital at the end of the Spring term. Full-year commitment required. Information about lesson fees, scholarships, and auditions available in Music Section Office. Students taking the graduate version complete different assignments. Admission by audition for the Emerson/Harris Program.