Class Schedule | Spring 2018

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

Provides a broad overview of Western music from the Middle Ages to the 20th 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: 3-1-8 
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. Limited to 20 by lottery. Not open to students who have completed 21M.301 or 21M.302.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Through a progressive series of composition projects, students investigate the sonic organization of musical works and performances, focusing on fundamental questions of unity and variety. Aesthetic issues are considered in the pragmatic context of the instructions that composers provide to achieve a desired musical result, whether these instructions are notated in prose, as graphic images, or in symbolic notation. No formal training is required. Weekly listening, reading, and composition assignments draw on a broad range of musical styles and intellectual traditions, from various cultures and historical periods. Limited to 18.

Prereq: None. Coreq: 21M.301
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A, CI-M

Examines European music from the early Middle Ages until the end of the Renaissance. Includes a chronological survey and intensive study of three topics: chant and its development, music in Italy 1340-1420, and music in Elizabethan England. Focuses on methods and pitfalls in studying music of the distant past. Students' papers, problem sets, and presentations explore lives, genres, and works in depth. Works studied in facsimile of original notation, and from original manuscripts at MIT, where possible.

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

Surveys Baroque and Classical genres: opera, cantata, oratorio, sonata, concerto, quartet and symphony. Includes the composers Monteverdi, Schutz, Purcell, Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Haydn 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: 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 three stage musicals and three films at a time, 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 post modern 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: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Focuses on Hindustani classical music of North India, and also involves learning about the ancient foundations of the rich classical traditions of music and dance of all Indian art and culture. Practice of the ragas and talas through the learning of songs, dance, and drumming compositions. Develops insights through listening, readings, and concert attendance.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Focuses on popular music created for and transmitted by mass media. Studies various popular music genres from around the world through listening and reading assignments, while considering issues of musical change, syncretism, Westernization, globalization, the impact of recording industries, and the post-colonial era. Case studies include bhangra, Afro-pop, reggae, and global hip-hop. Limited to 25; preference to majors, minors, concentrators. Admittance may be controlled by lottery.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Surveys the development of popular music in the US, and in a cross-cultural milieu, relative to the history and sociology of the last two hundred years. Examines the ethnic mixture that characterizes modern music, and how it reflects many rich traditions and styles (minstrelsy, music-hall, operetta, Tin Pan Alley, blues, rock, electronic media, etc.). Provides a background for understanding the musical vocabulary of current popular music styles. Limited to 20.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-3-6 
HASS-A

Covers basic writing skills in music of the common-practice period (Bach to Brahms). Regular written assignments lead to the composition of short pieces. Analyzes representative works from the literature, keyboard laboratory, and sight-singing choir. Students should have experience reading music. Enrollment limited.

Harmony and Voice Leading (9781337560573) is recommended for only Professor Ruehr's section of 21M.301 (section 1).

Music Theory Handbook (9780155026629) is required for only Professor Harvey's section of 21M.301 (section 3). 

Prereq: 21M.301 or permission of instructor 
Units: 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
Units: 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.

Prereq: 21M.303
Units: 3-1-8 
HASS-A

Further written and analytic exercises in tonal music, focusing on larger or more challenging forms. For example, students might compose a sonata-form movement for piano or a two-part invention in the style of Bach. Students have opportunities to write short works that experiment with the expanded tonal techniques of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Musicianship laboratory is required. Limited to 20.

Prereq: 21M.051, 21M.226or permission of instructor 
Units: 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 20.

(Subject meets with 21M.505) 
Prereq: 21M.304, 21M.310, or permission of instructor 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Directed composition of original writing involving voices and/or instruments. Includes a weekly seminar in composition for the presentation and discussion of work in progress. Students are expected to produce at least one substantive work and perform it in public by the end of the term. Contemporary compositions and major works from 20th-century music literature are studied. Students taking the graduate version complete different assignments.

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

Students study concepts and practice techniques of improvisation in solo and ensemble contexts. Examines relationships between improvisation, composition, and performance based in traditional and experimental approaches. Topics, with occasional guest lectures, may include jazz, non-western music, and western concert music, as well as improvisation with film, spoken word, theater, and dance. Enrollment may be limited; open by audition to instrumental or vocal performers.

Prereq: None 
Units: 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 10 per section; preference to Music majors, minors, and concentrators.

Prereq: 21M.361 or permission of instructor 
Units: 2-2-8 
HASS-A

Explores sophisticated synthesis techniques, from finely tuned additive to noise filtering and distortion, granular synthesis to vintage emulation. Incorporates production techniques and use of multimedia, with guest lecturers/performers. Considers composing environments such as Max/MSP/Jitter, SPEAR, SoundHack, and Mathematica. Assignments include diverse listening sessions, followed by oral or written presentations, weekly sound studies, critiques, and modular compositions/soundscapes. Prior significant computer music experience preferred. Consult instructor for technical requirements. Limited to 8.

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

Spring 2018 Topic: The Mediated Voice
This course uses an exploration of technological mediations of the human voice as the context for an introduction to foundational electronic music concepts and techniques. Topics covered include psychoacoustics, recording and audio production, analog and digital synthesis techniques, feature extraction and music information retrieval, hardware and software design, and human-computer interaction. Students will also be asked to consider philosophical and societal implications of technologies related to the voice, including questions of identity, agency, embodiment, and exploitation.

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.

(Same subject as 6.809[J])
(Subject meets with 21M.585) 
Prereq: 21M.301, 6.01; or permission of instructor 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A
http://musictech.mit.edu/ims 

IMPORTANT: IMS is typically over-subscribed. To be considered for enrollment in this class, you MUST pre-register. No student will be accepted who has not pre-registered. The selection process is based on answers to an online questionnaire and a lottery. Questionnaires will be emailed to pre-registered students on August 16, 2017 and are due August 23, 2017.

Course Description

Interactive Music Systems is a hands on programming and design course that explores audio synthesis, musical structure, HCI (human computer interaction), and visual presentation as the ingredients for the creation of engaging real-time interactive musical experiences.

These experiences allow users to connect with music more deeply than through passive listening. The most successful ones give users intuitive control, greater musical insight, and a deeper emotional response to the musical experience.

Some examples include:

• Games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Fantasia: Music Evolved.
• Performance rigs like V Motion.
• Ocarina for iPhone
• The Axe (start video at 3:48)

Students will learn about the principles, design considerations, and aesthetic qualities of interactive music systems by exploring the following topics:

• Music perception and audio synthesis
• Dynamic multi-track audio mixing and looping
• MIDI/audio synchronization
• Generative composition systems including rhythmic and melodic synthesis
• Exploration of non-standard control devices such as game controllers, motion sensors (Kinect, Leap Motion), and pad controllers.
• Analysis and application of design elements in music games.
• Building graphics for UI, music visualization, and aesthetic cohesion.

The course is taught using the python programming language and therefore fluency in python is a prerequisite. Weekly assignments consist of programming exercises and content creation that equally emphasize the development of technical skills and creativity. The class requires a final project where student teams propose, design, and build an original, dynamic, and engaging interactive music system.

Prereq: None 
Units: 0-4-2 

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 
http://web.mit.edu/21m.405/www/ 

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

(Subject meets with 21M.515) 
Prereq: None. Coreq: Participation in ensemble for vocalists 
Units: 3-0-3 

For the singer and/or pianist interested in collaborative study of solo vocal performance. Historical study of the repertoire includes listening assignments of representative French, German, Italian, and English works as sung by noted vocal artists of the genre. Topics include diction as facilitated by the study of the International Phonetic Alphabet; performance and audition techniques; and study of body awareness and alignment through the Alexander Technique and yoga. Admission by audition; Emerson Vocal Scholars contact department.

Prereq: None 
Units: 0-4-2 

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: None 
Units: 0-4-2 
http://web.mit.edu/~mitwe/www/ 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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.

(Subject meets with 21M.512) 
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, and participate in a departmental performing group. 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.

(Subject meets with 21M.525) 
Prereq: Permission of instructor 
Units: 1-0-5 

Solo 50-minute recital prepared with a private teacher and approved by the Emerson Private Studies Committee based on evidence of readiness shown in the Fall Term performances. See Emerson Scholars Stellar site for application deadlines and conditions. Restricted to Emerson Scholars.

Graduate Level
(Subject meets with 21M.351) 
Prereq: 21M.304, 21M.310, or permission of instructor 
Units: 3-0-9 

Directed composition of original writing involving voices and/or instruments. Includes a weekly seminar in composition for the presentation and discussion of work in progress. Students are expected to produce at least one substantive work and perform it in public by the end of the term. Contemporary compositions and major works from 20th-century music literature are studied. Students taking the graduate version complete different assignments.

Graduate Level
(Subject meets with 21M.480) 
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, and participate in a departmental performing group. 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.

Graduate Level
(Subject meets with 21M.410) 
Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-3 

For the singer and/or pianist interested in collaborative study of solo vocal performance. Historical study of the repertoire includes listening assignments of representative French, German, Italian, and English works as sung by noted vocal artists of the genre. Topics include diction as facilitated by the study of the International Phonetic Alphabet; performance and audition techniques; and study of body awareness and alignment through the Alexander Technique and yoga. Admission by audition. Emerson Vocal Scholars contact department.

Graduate Level
(Subject meets with 21M.490) 
Prereq: None 
Units: 1-2-3 

Emerson Scholars may receive credit for a solo spring recital that has been prepared with and approved by the private teacher and the Emerson Private Studies Committee. Approval based on evidence of readiness shown in first term master classes. Restricted to Emerson Scholars.

Graduate Level
(Same subject as MAS.826[J]) 
Prereq: MAS.825J
Units: 3-3-6 

Current computer music concepts and practice. Project-based work on research or production projects using the Media Lab's computer music, interactive, and media resources. Requires significant studio work and a term project. Projects based on class interests and skills, and may be individually or group-based. May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.

Graduate Level
(Subject meets with 6.809[J], 21M.385[J])
Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
http://musictech.mit.edu/ims 

IMPORTANT: IMS is typically over-subscribed. To be considered for enrollment in this class, you MUST pre-register. No student will be accepted who has not pre-registered. The selection process is based on answers to an online questionnaire and a lottery. Questionnaires will be emailed to pre-registered students on August 16, 2017 and are due August 23, 2017.

Course Description

Interactive Music Systems is a hands on programming and design course that explores audio synthesis, musical structure, HCI (human computer interaction), and visual presentation as the ingredients for the creation of engaging real-time interactive musical experiences.

These experiences allow users to connect with music more deeply than through passive listening. The most successful ones give users intuitive control, greater musical insight, and a deeper emotional response to the musical experience.

Some examples include:

• Games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Fantasia: Music Evolved.
• Performance rigs like V Motion.
• Ocarina for iPhone
• The Axe (start video at 3:48)

Students will learn about the principles, design considerations, and aesthetic qualities of interactive music systems by exploring the following topics:

• Music perception and audio synthesis
• Dynamic multi-track audio mixing and looping
• MIDI/audio synchronization
• Generative composition systems including rhythmic and melodic synthesis
• Exploration of non-standard control devices such as game controllers, motion sensors (Kinect, Leap Motion), and pad controllers.
• Analysis and application of design elements in music games.
• Building graphics for UI, music visualization, and aesthetic cohesion.

The course is taught using the python programming language and therefore fluency in python is a prerequisite. Weekly assignments consist of programming exercises and content creation that equally emphasize the development of technical skills and creativity. The class requires a final project where student teams propose, design, and build an original, dynamic, and engaging interactive music system.