Class Schedule | Fall 2019

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, students think about, talk about, and make music in new ways. Examines some of the basic concepts of music - structure, melody-making, meter, rhythm, movement, etc. - studying their diverse incarnations in different music cultures and encouraging a breadth of perspective and engagement. Introduces students to many different musical practices, engaging with them through active 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

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. Weekly listening, reading, and composition assignments draw on a broad range of musical styles and intellectual traditions, from various cultures and historical periods. Basic music reading skills 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. 

First half of semester
Prereq: Permission of instructor 
Units: 2-0-4 

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

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 2019 1st Half of Semester Topic: The Film Music of John Williams

First half of semester
Prereq: Permission of instructor 
Units: 2-0-4 

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

Practice in a particular compositional technique not normally covered in the Harmony and Counterpoint or Musical Composition sequences. Possible topics include Renaissance counterpoint, fugue, ragtime, or indeterminacy. May be repeated once for credit if content differs. Enrollment limited. 

Fall 2019 1st Half of Semester Topic: Composing Ragtime
An intensive study, and close reading of selected work from the Ragtime piano repertoire of the early 20^th century, will inform and provide a framework for the composition of a new piano Rag. Special emphasis will be placed on the beloved masterpieces of African-American composer Scott Joplin. Experience playing the piano, as well as a basic familiarity with the principles of music theory will provide the student with a secure foundation in this subject. The class will culminate with a public performance of student compositions. Enrolment limited.

Second half of semester 
Prereq: Permission of instructor 
Units: 2-0-4 

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

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 2019 2nd Half of Semester Topic: Music for Animated Films
After a brief survey of music for American animated films going back to the classic studio shorts and scores produced by Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM, and UPA, this half-term subject will focus on case studies of scores for feature-length animated films from three studios: Disney (e.g., Pinocchio, Bambi, and/or Beauty and the Beast), Ghibli (e.g., Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, or My Neighbor Totoro) and Pixar (e.g., Up, Inside Out, Wall-E, or The Incredibles). As with the prior subject, methods of analysis will be taught through samplings of many different films, before we delve into a few films and scores as wholes. The particular technical and esthetic requirements of music for animated films will be given close attention.

Students are welcome to take this subject independently of the Williams study; but those who take both will get a broader understanding of the esthetic possibilities and cultural impact of film music overall.

Prereq: None
3-1-8
HASS-A, CI-H

Examines the production, transmission, preservation and the qualities of folk music in the British Isles and North America from the 18th century to the folk revival of the 1960s and the present. Special emphasis on balladry, fiddle styles, and African-American influences. Enrollment limited. 

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

Focuses on the different styles and dramatic approaches exhibited by a range of operas. Central questions include the process of adaptation from source material, the conventions of different operatic eras, and how the works are staged in contrasting productions. Basic score-reading ability required.

Prereq: None
3-0-9
HASS-A

Provides an introduction to the fascinating, intricate music of Indonesia with a special focus on Bali. Students explore diverse musical traditions, engaging deeply with musical structures and techniques through analysis, composition, and extensive hands-on music-making. They also study the music's cultural, political, and historical significance through listening, reading, class discussion, and creative, open-ended projects. Limited to 15.

Prereq: None 
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Studies musical traditions of sub-Saharan Africa, with focus on West Africa. Explores a variety of musical practices and their cultural contexts through listening, reading and writing assignments with an emphasis on class discussion. Includes in-class instruction in drumming, song and dance of Senegal, Ghana, and South Africa, as well as live lecture-demonstrations by guest performers from throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Limited to 15; preference to majors, minors, concentrators. Admittance may be controlled by lottery.

Prereq: 21M.030 or permission of instructor
3-0-9
HASS-A

Studies of selected topics in popular music and/or jazz.  Topics vary.  Examples include Duke Ellington, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the 1980s.  May be repeated for credit with permission of instructor.

Fall 2019 Topic: The Beatles
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 will focus on the context and analysis of selected songs with the goal of mapping how the Beatles's musical style changed from skiffle and rock to studio-based experimentation and the concept album. Cultural influences that helped to shape the image of the band and its individual members, as well as the group’s influence on both popular music and culture worldwide, will be a continuous theme.

Prereq: None
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. Classwork includes analysis of representative works from the literature. Keyboard laboratory and sight-singing choir in addition to regular class meetings. Students should have experience reading music. Limited to 20 per section. 

Harmony and Voice Leading (9780155062429) is only recommended for students in 21M.301 Lecture 2 with Professor Elena Ruehr. 

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.226 or 21M.340 or Permission of instructor
3-0-9
HASS-A

Jazz writing using tonal, modal, and extended compositional approaches as applied to the blues, the 32-bar song form, and post-bop structural designs. Consideration given to a variety of styles and to the ways improvisation informs the compositional process. Study of works by Ellington, Mingus, Parker, Russell, Golson, Coleman, Coltrane, Hancock, Tyner, Davis, and others. Performance of student compositions. 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 2019 Topic: Choral Composing and Arranging

This course is designed for student who would like to focus on the particular challenges of writing for the voice.

The following topics will be included:
Choral and solo voice types (soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, contralto, tenor, baritone, bass, lyric soprano, coloratura soprano, etc…)
Text setting - finding the natural declamation of the text
Tessitura and its affect on each voice type
Passagio and its affect on each voice type
International Phonetic Alphabet - understanding specific vowel and consonant categories
Choral voicings (SATB;  SSA; TTB; SSAATTBB; etc….)
Composing for the piano (how to write music that is idiomatic for the instrument)

Projects will include:
Arranging a folk song for unaccompanied chorus
Arranging a folk song for solo voice and piano
Composing/arranging an original song for voice and piano accompaniment
Composing an original choral work for unaccompanied chorus
Composing an original choral work for chorus and piano accompaniment
Composing for solo voice with unaccompanied choral support
Composing for chorus or solo voice with a solo instrument of the composer’s choosing
Final project - original choral or solo composition (with or without accompaniment)

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.

Prerequisites: 21M.301 and 21M.361 or permission of the 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 2019 Topic: Composing for Solo Instrument and Live Electronics
A hands-on music technology composition seminar combining instrumental writing with real-time computer music. Students work closely with an accomplished classical instrumentalist, learning to compose for the instrument and developing computer programs that accompany the live performance with computer-generated sound. We examine significant works in this evolving canon, studying both the score and attendant computer programs as models for new compositions. Topics include: composing and programming hybrid instrumental/computer music works; the architecture of real-time computer music programs; real-time generative and algorithmic composition techniques for computer accompaniment; computer-assisted composition techniques; high-level control of digital signal processing for live sound analysis and transformation; analysis of significant solo instrument and live electronics repertoire; and extended performance techniques for solo instrument. The course utilizes the Max/MSP visual programming environment in combination with the odot scripting language.

Max/MSP: https://cycling74.com/products/max-features
odot: https://github.com/CNMAT/CNMAT-odot
 

(Same subject as 6.809[J])
Prereq: (6.009 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. Teams build an original, dynamic, and engaging interactive music system for their final project. Enrollment limited. 

Prereq: 6.003, 6.01, and 21M.051
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A
http://musictech.mit.edu/fmp

Analyzes recorded music in digital audio form using advanced signal processing and optimization techniques to understand higher-level musical meaning. Covers fundamental tools like windowing, feature extraction, discrete and short-time Fourier transforms, chromagrams, and onset detection. Addresses analysis methods including dynamic time warping, dynamic programming, self-similarity matrices, and matrix factorization. Explores a variety of applications, such as event classification, audio alignment, chord recognition, structural analysis, tempo and beat tracking, content-based audio retrieval, and audio decomposition. Students taking graduate version complete additional assignments. Limited to 20.

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.

(Subject meets with 21M.515) 
Prereq: None. Coreq: Participation in ensemble for vocalists 
Units: 3-0-3 
This class can be combined with another 6-unit Music & Theater Arts samplings or performance ensemble for HASS credit.

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 
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 

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: 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.512) 
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, 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.

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.

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.