Music Class Schedule | Spring 2024

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 western staff notation. Individual skills are addressed through a variety of approaches, including the required piano and sight singing labs. Intended for students with little to no prior experience reading music or performing. Not open to students who have completed 21M.150, 21M.151, 21M.301, 21M.302, or are proficient in reading music. Limited to 18 per section.

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.

(Meets with 21M.560: Graduate Level)
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: 1-1-4
1/2 HASS-A

1st Half of Term

Accelerated half-semester study of the fundamentals of Western music. Requires ability to read Western staff notation in at least one clef. 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 or are enrolled in 21M.051, 21M.151, 21M.301 or 21M.302. Course content is identical to 21M.151: 21M.150 is offered first half of term; 21M.151 is offered second half of term or during IAP. Limited to 18.

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

Surveys Romantic genres including Lied/song, choral music, opera, piano sonata/character cycle, concerto, and symphony/symphonic poem. Includes the composers Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz, Chopin, Brahms, Wagner, Verdi, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler. Bases written essays and oral presentations on live performances as well as listening and reading assignments. Basic score-reading ability recommended.

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

Covers select Broadway stage works and Hollywood films in depth. Proceeds chronologically 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. Recent musicals also explored.  Attention given to the role of music in relation to script, characterization, and dramatic structure. Papers involve comparison of at least 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

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: 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 mixture that characterizes modern music, and how it reflects many rich traditions and styles (minstrelsy, Tin Pan Alley, blues, country, rock, soul, rap, techno, etc.). Provides a background for understanding the musical vocabulary of current popular music styles. Limited to 20.

Prereq: Prior singing experience or permission of instructor; ability to read and learn music from score  
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

This course examines various lyric theatre works - musicals, operettas, operas, etc. - through a combination of study and in-class performance. Works for the stage such as The Marriage of Figaro, Merry Widow, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Hamilton experienced astounding popularity at specific historical moments. This class will explore the contextual, historical, and stylistic factors that allowed such pieces to have outsized impact on mainstream culture both in their time and to the present day. 

Prereq: None
3-0-9
HASS-A

Topic Description

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.

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

Explores Western diatonic music through regular composition and analysis assignments. Engages a broad 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 the required piano and sight singing labs. Local musicians perform final composition projects. Students should be proficient in reading Western staff notation in at least one clef and have experience with key signatures and scales. Students taking the graduate version complete additional assignments. Limited to 18 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.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 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.

(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. Centered on the jazz tradition, the class will examine relationships between improvisation, composition and performance, utilizing both mainstream and experimental approaches. Students will be expected to perform in class on a regular basis; the course will also involve extensive listening and analysis. Music reading skills are required, as is intermediate instrumental or vocal proficiency. Enrollment limited to 15; open by audition to instrumental or vocal performers.

The audition will take place on the first scheduled day of class and will include improvising over a predetermined form and/or harmonic progression (such as 12 bar blues or an AABA jazz standard form) plus a short test on Jazz harmony, theory and ear training. The audition will last approximately 10 minutes.

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

Spring 2024 Topic: Songwriting

Songwriting is a course focused on writing music with words. Students will compose original songs through a series of prompts designed to explore form, style and genre. Basic theory knowledge and the ability to play chords on any instrument will be helpful to complete the class. The semester will end with a live performance or recording.

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.

(Meets with 21M.561: Graduate Level)
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: None
3-6-3
HASS-A

Covers aesthetic and technical challenges in the creation of physical interfaces for musical performance. Students will engage in the design and creation of musical interfaces, and learn how to incorporate new technologies in their artistic practice. Topics covered include user experience design for artistic performance, musical human-computer interaction (HCI), hardware and software standards for digital musical systems, embedded programming and sound synthesis, analog and digital sensors, rapid prototyping and digital manufacturing, and creating performance practices around custom hardware. Students will design and build their own digital musical instrument, and present a performance with the instrument as their final project.

(Meets with 21M.583: Graduate Level)
Prereq: 6.1010 and (21M.301 or 21M.302)
Units: 3-0-9 
HASS-A

Covers major approaches to analyzing musical scores using computers. Topics include AI/machine learning of style, musical similarity, encoding, music composition, music perception, and big data repertory studies. Programming assignments given in Python. Culminates in an original final project. Enrollment limited.

(Same subject as 6.4550[J]. Meets with 21M.585: Graduate Level)
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.

(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.

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 
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.

In this class students can try one or more of the instruments used in a traditional Balinese gamelan, including various gangsa instruments (ancient bronze metallophones), suling (Balinese bamboo flute), reyong (bronze pots), various gongs and drum. Students will learn traditional and contemporary pieces by Balinese aural methods. Class culminates in a performance. No previous experience in music required, only an interest in learning to play any of these beautiful instruments.

(Meets with 21M.514: Graduate Level)
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, instrumentalists and singers who wish to explore and develop their talents as collaborative musicians. Students are paired based on availability and receive weekly coachings by appointment. Students practice independently, rehearse with their collaborator, attend their collaborator's lessons as needed, and perform at a juried recital at the end of the term. Students may register for 3 units for a smaller-scale assignment or 6 units for a larger-scale assignment or two small assignments. May satisfy the ensemble requirement for pianists and instrumentalists in the Emerson/Harris program at the discretion of the instructor. Students taking graduate version complete different assignments.

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
U (Spring)
1-2-6 units. HASS-A
Can be repeated for credit.

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 Music and Theater Arts website for application deadlines and conditions. Restricted to Emerson Scholars.

(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.