Music (B.A.)

Student must attend 12 approved recitals, concerts, or performances during the semester. Pass/Fail only.

Final performance demonstrating ability in the student's major instrument.  Music Performance majors must take MUSIC 4940 for 1 credit.  All other majors may take the Senior Recital for 0 to 1 credit.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department chair.

A continuation of MUSIC 1610 including inversions of triads, non-harmonic tones, dominant seventh chords, and their resolutions. Emphasis is on four-part writing and analysis of music from the Common Practice Period.
Prerequisite(s): MUSIC 1610 Fundamentals of Music Theory or permission of the instructor.

Continuation of MUSIC 1620 Fundamentals of Basic Musicianship.
Prerequisite(s): MUSIC 1610 Fundamentals of Music Theory and MUSIC 1620 Fundamentals of Basic Musicianship or permission of the instructor.
Corequisite(s): MUSIC 1630 Music Theory II.

Seventh chords, including the diminished seventh chord; various types of modulation; introduction of secondary dominants; analysis and writing of the period, binary, and ternary song forms; choral harmonization; and modal scales.
Prerequisite(s): MUSIC 1630 Music Theory II or permission of the instructor.

A review of advanced sight-reading and ear training, drills in more complex rhythmic and melodic materials including chromatic formations, and increased emphasis on individual part-singing and harmonic dictation.
Prerequisite(s): MUSIC 1630 Music Theory II and MUSIC 1640 Musicianship II or permission of the instructor.
Corequisite(s): MUSIC 2610 Music Theory III.

This course examines the development of new concepts and theories of music that led to significant departures from standard musical practices and ideals. Students will explore twentieth century pitch resources, and contrast late tonal techniques and styles of composers such as Debussy, Ives, Messiaen, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Webern and more. Analysis of specific works will promote discussions, tracing theoretical paths that led to the development of post tonal and avant-garde music. The content is designed to:

1. Widen your knowledge of, appreciation for, and ability to identify, describe, and critically assess musical works in light of the innovative ideas that led to their creation.
2. Give you a sophisticated understanding of the cultural, aesthetic, and stylistic relevence of these works in order to better comprehend the historical impact of radical departures from the norm.
3. To practically apply your knowledge of musical elements in order to create informed and appropriate musical interpretations within the body of music that forms your own repertoire.
4. To introduce you to the oral expression of your music in the style of a professional lecture presentation, so that you can improve your skills in verbally describing music and musical analysis.

Prerequisite(s): MUSIC 2610 Music Theory III or permission of the instructor.

This course focuses on advanced concepts of analytical listening. Relying on established practices, the student will learn how to make sense of intricate and advanced musical concepts by creating a connection between aural processes and the student’s developed understanding of musical events. Topics in this class include demonstrating increasing fluency with 20th century tonalities such as modal, pentatonic, and octatonic scales, identifying tri-chord pitch-class sets, navigating exercises that modulate to distantly related keys through chromatic relationships, and auralizing advanced perceptual awareness of non-diatonic and post-tonal musical structures. Student’s will focus their efforts on two subdivisions that highlight important areas of skill development – aural acuity in recognizing advanced structures in order to identify their function in increasingly chromatic and post tonal music, and the ability to demonstrate this both through oral expression in performance and written notation of cognitively recalled exercises.
Prerequisite(s): MUSIC 2610 Music Theory III and MUSIC 2620 Musicianship III or permission of the instructor.
Corequisite(s): MUSIC 2630 Music Theory IV.

Key cultural concepts are used to explore music from selected global case studies. Social, cultural, and historical contexts are examined in relation to musical materials and their application in various traditions and repertoires. The fieldwork project (and experiential learning component) for this class requires some off-campus activities to be arranged by the student.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing and permission from instructor.

This course provides a rigorous and detailed examination of foundational concepts and genres from the Medieval through Baroque periods of the music history survey. Students develop and apply music research skills in four broad areas: historical social/cultural context, current published scholarship, overarching musical style(s) of the time period, and stylistic analysis of specific works (scoring, dynamics, rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, form). Alongside the study of music, history, and culture, student learn and apply information from gender studies. A topical connection pairs together a U.S. musical genre from the more recent past with European art music of the distant past. Further more, the U.S. music requires students to explore marginalized cultures and consider systems of privilege and oppression and other issues associated with the intersection of gender, sexualities, race, socio-economic status, and other markers of diversity. This course includes instruction in writing and information literacy skills.
Cross listed with GEND 3830.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing and permission of the instructor.

This course provides a rigorous and detailed examination of foundational concepts and genres from the Classic through Contemporary periods of the music history survey. Students develop and apply music research skills in four broad areas: historical social/cultural context, current published scholarship, overarching musical style(s) of the time period, and stylistic analysis of specific works (scoring, dynamics, rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, form). Alongside their study of music, history, and culture, students learn and apply information from environmental studies. This course includes instruction in writing and information literacy skills. For the semester-long project, students conduct three types of research: 1) personal experiences with/in the natural environment, 2) library research on music and the environment, 3) research and experiences creating sounds and silences. Students use this research to create a musical piece in any style and an accompanying written artist statement.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing and permission of the instructor.

An introduction to technique and conducting style with emphasis given to developing a nonbaton competency. Attention also will be given to vocal interpretation and choral score reading.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)

The course is offered to explore the essential topics a musician should consider when using computers and technology - whether for the purpose of listening, performing, composing, or teaching. Covering subjects ranging from music CAI (Computer Assisted Instruction) and desktop publishing to notation sequencing and MIDI and multimedia and CD audio, this course is designed as an introductory undergraduate course devoted to computers as applied to music technology for the musician and music educator.

Weekly 30-minute piano lessons with one-on-one instruction. Lessons will explore piano repertoire appropriate to the student's ability level, and piano proficiency skills, including major and minor scales and cadence shords, harmonization and transposition, and improvisation.
Corequisite(s): MUSIC 1510L Piano Proficiency 1 Lab.

Group piano instruction taught in the electronic piano laboratory once each week. Emphasis on mastering the piano proficiency skills of major and minor scales and cadence chords, harmonization and transposition and improvisation at the piano. P/F Only.
Corequisite(s): MUSIC 1510 Piano Proficiency I.

Weekly 30-minute piano lessons with one-on-one instruction. Lessons will explore piano repertoire appropriate to the student's ability level, and piano proficiency skills, including sight-reading hymn style piano writing and open score reading.
Corequisite(s): MUSIC 1520L Piano Proficiency II Lab.

Group piano instruction taught in the electronic piano laboratory once each week. Emphasis on mastering the piano proficiency skills of sight-reading hymn style piano writing, and open score reading. P/F Only.
Corequisite(s): MUSIC 1520 Piano Proficiency II.

Advanced research methods, analytical writing, and professional presentation skills compromise the primary components of this rigorous culminating course, which focuses on the integration and application of knowledge and prepares students for the transition from their undergraduate education into their future profession. The Senior Capstone Seminar should be taken during the student's last year in residence at Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Prerequisite(s): Music major with senior standing or permission of the instructor.
(Normally offered each fall semester.)