Music Performance (B.M.)

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.

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

This Creative and Performing Arts Elective course introduces students to the process of composing music for visula media. Students will view, analyze, and discuss scenes from multiple films and video games in order to identify features of a scene's character. They will then use these characteristics as the basis for creating supportive musical expression in their own composition. Students will be introduced to the process of synchronizing music to picture, develop rudimentary creative and technical skills in editing audio, and explore ways to compose music using digital audio technology. There are no prerequisites to take this course. While formal musical training can be helpful, this course is designed to accommodate students with minimal musical experience. Students will learn to manipulate already formed samples and loops that accompany Digial Audio Workstation (DAW) software, while also learning how to mix these sounds with music they create using Midi instruments and audio files.

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 Music Theory I or permission of the instructor.

Continuation of MUSIC 1620 Musicianship I.
Prerequisite(s): MUSIC 1610 Music Theory I and MUSIC 1620 Musicianship I 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 relevance 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.

The study of arranging techniques for instrumental and vocal ensembles, including the ranges and capabilities of instruments and voices and scoring procedures.
Prerequisite(s): MUSIC 2630 Music Theory IV.
(Normally offered fall semester of even years.)

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.

Students learn and apply information from music, history, culture, and gender studies. Honoring the relationship between past and present, we explore systems of privilege and oppression associated with the intersection of gender, sexualities, race, socio-economic status, and other markers of identity. Since music intersects with all fields of study, students select their in-roads based on their majors, minors, passions, and vocation. This course examines foundational concepts and genres from the Medieval through Baroque periods of the music history survey. Students develop and apply music research skills in historical social/cultural context and current published scholarship. 3000-level course has additional requirements. Please consult with the instructor.

This course builds on the foundation of the Equal Justice Initiative's work of truth-telling and reckoning about racial injustice, so that the U.S. can move toward healing and repair. We don't have to hide our present legacy of racial difference built during our past. We can confront it, reconcile, and build equity. How does racism operate in music and culture? Students will conduct research in music studies and racial justice and build skills to do the leadership work of antiracist equity. Since music intersects with all fields of study, students select their in-roads based on their majors, minors, passions, and vocation. This course examines foundational concepts and genres from the Classic through Contemporary periods of the music history survey. Students develop and apply music research skills in historical social/cultural context and current published scholarship. The 3000-level course has additional requirements. Please consult with the instructor.

An introduction to technique and conducting style with emphasis given to developing a non baton 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.

This course introduces a systematic pedagogical approach to the study of voice production for use in the studio or classroom. Students examine basic anatomy and physiology, vocal health, and other topics relevant to voice teaching. Students will apply these concepts through supervised teaching experiences both in and out of class.

(Normally offered fall semester of even years.)

A study of teaching techniques, method books, and repertoire for the novice piano teacher.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college piano study or permission of the instructor.

A study of materials and pedagogy of the organ.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college organ study or permission of the instructor.

A study of materials and pedagogy of brass instruments.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college brass study or permission of the instructor.

A study of materials and pedagogy of woodwind instruments.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college woodwind study or permission of the instructor.

A study of materials and pedagogy of percussion instruments.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college percussion study or permission of the instructor.

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.)