Christopher Adler, PhD
Edwin Basilio, EdD
Kay Etheridge, DMA
Marianne Richert Pfau, PhD
Ronald Shaheen, PhD
Angela Yeung, PhD
The mission of the department of music is to educate and prepare students with musical interest and talent to excel and succeed in the areas in which they are most gifted. We endeavor to instill in our students a critical sense of the role of music and music-making in society, both historically and today. We seek to inspire them with creative possibilities in the performance and composition of music, and to give them the critical self-awareness to continue to develop as musicians, thinkers, and citizens beyond their time at USD.
Students may pursue music as a major, double-major, minor, an elective for their core curriculum requirement, or a concentration for the liberal studies degree. Music majors receive a bachelor of arts degree in music with emphasis in performance, music theory and composition, or music history. Our ensembles are open to all students, regardless of their major and/or minor.
The department of music sponsors a concert series on campus during each academic year. Open to the public, the concert series features performances by music faculty, student ensembles, and guest artists of national and international stature. The department of music also hosts a one-week summer chamber music festival on campus every July.
For more information about the music department go to www.sandiego.edu/music.
The Music Major
The music curriculum affords a broad basis of study in music within the context of the liberal arts education. The major provides a thorough knowledge of music literature from the Middle Ages to the present, through balanced course offerings in music theory, composition, music history, and solo and ensemble performance. All music majors select one of these areas for emphasis.
Major Requirements
In order to obtain a major in music, the student must satisfy the core curriculum requirements as set forth in this bulletin; enroll in a total of 48 music units, 25 of which must be upper-division music units; and complete the following courses:
Theory: MUSC 120, 205, 210, 211, 220, 221, 310, 420, and one of MUSC 320, 321, 424 or 494.
History: MUSC 109 or 130, two from 330, 331, or 332 in any order, plus two from MUSC 430W-433, 440-444, 494. If MUSC 130 or 109-equivalent knowledge can be demonstrated, then MUSC 330, 331, and 332, plus two from MUSC 430W-433, 440-444, or 494.
Four semesters of individual music lessons (main instrument or voice); Four semesters of a performance ensemble, to be chosen from MUSC 150/350, 151/351, 153/353, 154/354; Choral Scholars must take MUSC 152/352.
MUSC 495 Senior Project (1)
All students must attend at least three USD concerts per semester.
Emphases
Performance Emphasis
Individual music lessons of major instrument, voice, or conducting every semester, six of which must be upper-division. Entrance into Performance Emphasis is by audition only.
Theory Emphasis
Must take one additional upper-division course in music theory (MUSC 320, 321, 424 or 494).
Composition Emphasis
Must take MUSC 411, 412 and 413 prior to enrollment in MUSC 495 Senior Project.
History / Literature Emphasis
Must take one additional Seminar in Music History (MUSC 430W-433) or MUSC 494 – Special Topics
The Music Minor
Theory: MUSC 120, 205, 210, 211, 220, 221.
History: MUSC 109 or 130, and two from 330, 331, or 332.
Two semesters of a performance ensemble, to be chosen from MUSC 150/350, 151/351, 153/353, 154/354; Choral Scholars must take MUSC 152/352.
Three additional units in music.
All students must attend at least three USD concerts per semester.
Music Courses (MUSC)
MUSC 100D Introduction to Music (3)
Introduction to musical styles and trends from a multicultural perspective. Examination of the connections between cultural developments and musical creativity. The significance of music and its role in basic human expression. Critical exploration of musics as diverse as the Western European tradition, American contemporary and popular music, and non-Western traditions. Recorded listening assignments and concert attendance required. This course fulfills a core curriculum requirement under Fine Arts.
MUSC 101D Introduction to American Popular Music (3)
This course provides a broad overview of musical, historical, and cultural aspects of 20th-century American popular music from the late 1800s to the present. We will use the interplay of social trends and new developments in popular music to generate various questions about America’s shifting political and cultural attitudes. Topics will include minstrelsy, vaudeville, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, country, rock n’ roll, soul, punk, funk, hip hop, and more. Attention will be given to the ongoing influence of technology on musical innovation, intercultural and inter-racial dimensions of popular music, and recurring cycles of rebellion against and acceptance by the popular music industry. Through a critical examination of the concept of the “popular” we will look at the social function of music in everyday life, and the role of music in America’s diverse cultural fabric. This course fulfills a core curriculum requirement under Fine Arts.
MUSC 102D Introduction to Jazz (3)
A survey of jazz from the early 1900s to the present, including all major styles from Dixieland, to bebop, free jazz, funk, and hip-hop fusions, and major artists such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. The roles of race politics, economics, religion, and education in jazz will be examined. Students will develop critical listening skills and will learn to distinguish artists and genres. No previous musical training required. This course fulfills a core curriculum requirement under Fine Arts.
MUSC 103D Introduction to Rock Music (3)
This course provides a broad overview of musical, historical, and cultural aspects of 20th-century American popular music in the Rock Era (1950s to the present). We will use the interplay of social trends and new developments in popular music to generate various questions about America’s shifting political and cultural attitudes. Topics will include rhythm and blues, rock n’ roll, soul, hard rock, metal, punk, funk, disco, pop, hip hop, electronica, and more. Attention will be given to the ongoing influence of technology on musical innovation, intercultural and inter-racial dimensions of popular music, and recurring cycles of rebellion against and acceptance by the popular music industry. Through a critical examination of the concept of the “popular” we will look at the social function of music in everyday life, and the role of music in America’s diverse cultural fabric. This course fulfills a core curriculum requirement under Fine Arts.
MUSC 105 Class Piano I (1)
Designed for students with no prior keyboard experience. Study of notation, keys, scales, chords, and elementary piano repertoire. May be repeated for credit up to two units.
MUSC 107 Class Voice (1)
Voice study in a classroom environment for beginners. Students will be introduced to correct breathing techniques, vocal production, and sight reading. Fee required to pay for accompanist. May be repeated for credit up to two units.
MUSC 108 Class Guitar (1)
Guitar study in a classroom environment for beginners. Basics of traditional notation, chordal accompaniment, and development of right and left hand techniques. Emphasis on how the guitar is used in a variety of styles including classical, Flamenco, blues, and jazz. Students must have their own instrument. May be repeated for credit up to two units.
MUSC 109 Introduction to Sound Art (3)
A survey of the natural, cultural, historical, and artistic experience of sound with an emphasis on the use of sound in artistic and critical engagements with the world. Topics include: acoustic ecology, philosophy of music, musical instrument technology; scientific and mathematical application of sound; radical challenges to musical traditions in the 20th century, including electronic, experimental, and improvised musics; installations and sound sculpture; technologies of sound reproduction; copyright and technological change; sampling; and DJ culture. Cross-listed as ARTH 109. This course fulfills a core curriculum requirement and may be taken to fulfill a major or minor requirement.
MUSC 110 Introduction to the Materials of Music (3)
A core curriculum course in the basic elements of Western music notation, rhythm, major and minor scales, triads, and their practical application in singing and keyboard playing. Suitable for students with no prior music training. This course fulfills a core curriculum requirement. Not applicable toward a music major or minor.
MUSC 120 Fundamentals of Music Theory (3)
Establishes a firm foundation for music theory, including Western music notation, rhythm, scales and transpositions, intervals and inversions, chords, tonal harmony, and their practical application in singing and keyboard playing. May be taken as core curriculum by students with prior musical experience.
MUSC 130 Music in Society (3)
A chronological survey of music history, from the Middle Ages to the present, focusing on Western music, and including selected non-Western musics. An examination of music within the context of the liberal arts, with an introduction to major composers, styles, and representative works. Reading, writing, listening, and concert visits required. This course fulfills a core curriculum requirement and may be taken to fulfill a major or minor requirement.
MUSC 150/350 Chamber Music Ensembles (1)
Study and public performance of chamber music, instrumental or vocal. On- and off-campus performances each semester. Audition and fee required. Must be taken concurrently with individual music lessons on enrolled instrument. May be repeated for credit without limit. Go to www.sandiego.edu/cas/music/ensembles/symphony for complete information.
MUSC 151 / 351 USD Symphony Orchestra (1)
Study and public performance of orchestral music, instrumental or vocal. On- and off-campus performances each semester. Audition and fee required. Must be taken concurrently with individual music lessons on enrolled instrument. May be repeated for credit without limit. Go to www.sandiego.edu / cas / music / ensembles / symphony for complete information. This course fulfills a core curriculum requirement.
MUSC 152 / 352 Choral Scholars (1)
A highly selective vocal ensemble devoted to intensive study of choral literature from all historical periods. Students serve as ambassadors for the university; demanding performance schedule. By audition only; minor in music, voice lessons, leadership skills required. May be repeated for credit without limit. Go to www.sandiego.edu/choralscholars for complete information.
MUSC 153 / 353 Concert Choir (1)
A mixed choral ensemble devoted to the study and performance of choral literature from all historical periods. Audition and fee required. May be repeated for credit without limit.
MUSC 154 / 354 Opera Workshop (1)
Training in preparation of productions of operas and musicals; coaching, directing, staging, and lighting, culminating in full performance. May be repeated for credit without limit.
MUSC 160-181 / 360-381 Individual Music Lessons (1)
Students may enroll in Individual Music Lessons if they are music majors, music minors, or actively enrolled in one of our ensembles such as Chamber Music Ensembles, Symphony Orchestra, or Concert Choir. Each student has to complete a graded jury at the end of each semester, and may also perform in recitals. A fee of $580 for performance emphasis students, and $540 for others, is required. Music majors with at least one year of prior enrollment at USD and in good standing in their music courses, instrumentalists enrolled in USD Symphony or Chamber Music Ensembles, and vocalists in the Choral Scholars will have the fee for one Individual Music Lesson enrollment reimbursed each semester. The department of music provides accompanists for juries and one rehearsal; student must pay for additional times. Vocalists must pay additional accompanist fees as per request of instructor. All Individual Music Lessons require the approval of a full-time music faculty member. 300-level Individual Music Lessons are for performance emphasis music majors and advanced performers only. Audition into the performance emphasis is required. May be repeated for credit without limit.
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Piano Voice Strings: Violin Strings: Viola Strings: Violoncello Strings: Double Bass Woodwinds: Flute/Piccolo Woodwinds: Oboe/English Horn Woodwinds: Clarinet/Bass Clarinet Woodwinds: Bassoon/Contrabassoon Woodwinds: Saxophone Brass: Horn Brass: Trumpet Brass: Trombone/Tuba Percussion Harp Historical Winds (Recorder, Baroque Oboe) Historical Strings Guitar Pipe Organ/Harpsichord Conducting Improvisation |
MUSC 200 Comprehensive Musicianship for Educators (3)
Prepares students to teach classroom music to children; a required course for the liberal studies major, designed to assist with the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential Program. The major components are music literacy through basic notational reading and composition, music performance skills in singing, conducting, playing keyboards and autoharps, and pedagogical considerations for teaching music to children. Classroom observations or a teaching practicum will be required. No previous musical experience required. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor or liberal studies advisor required.
MUSC 205 Class Piano II (1)
Designed for students with elementary piano reading skills. Sight reading, harmonization, transposition, improvisation, and piano repertoire. Prerequisite: MUSC 105, 120 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit.
MUSC 210 Aural and Keyboard Skills I (1)
Practical application of Harmony I; must be taken concurrently with MUSC 220.
MUSC 211 Aural and Keyboard Skills II (1)
Practical application of Harmony II; must be taken concurrently with MUSC 221.
MUSC 220 Harmony I (3)
Elementary harmony and composition; study of figured bass, cadences, modulations, basic harmonic progressions, voice-leading principles; and introduction to harmonic, linear, and formal analysis. Prerequisite: MUSC 120 or consent of instructor; must be taken concurrently with MUSC 210.
MUSC 221 Harmony II (3)
Continuation of Harmony I; study of chromatic harmony, advanced harmonic, linear, and formal analysis, composition in small forms, and introduction to 20th-century techniques. Prerequisite: MUSC 220 or consent of instructor; must be taken concurrently with MUSC 211.
MUSC 310 Form and Analysis (3)
Study of musical forms from all historical style periods and survey of historical and contemporary analytic methods; analysis and writing in various styles and forms. Prerequisite: MUSC 221 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 320 Instrumentation and Contemporary Composition (3)
A careful examination of contemporary writing for Western instruments through understanding instrument construction and analysis of modern repertoire. Includes both standard and experimental playing techniques, notation of score and parts, extensive composition, and some informal performance opportunities. Prerequisite: MUSC 221 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 321 Counterpoint and Schenkerian Analysis (3)
Species counterpoint, polyphony, contrapuntal writing in historical styles from Renaissance to Romantic eras and selected 20th-century works, and Schenkerian analysis. Composition of contrapuntal music in any style and some informal performance opportunities. Prerequisite: MUSC 221 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 330 Music History I: Antiquity-1600 (Euripides-Monteverdi) (3)
A historical survey of music from Classical Antiquity through the Renaissance, presented in a cultural context. We will study composers of Western music and learn how to distinguish their works according to changing style characteristics, shifting esthetic and philosophical perspectives, and changing historical circumstances. Historical study, informed listening and criticism, writing based on library research, and analytical writing are central aspects of the course. Prerequisite: MUSC 109 or 130 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 331 Music History II: 1600-1830 (Monteverdi-Beethoven) (3)
A historical survey of music from the Baroque through the Viennese Classical Era, presented in a cultural context. Students will study composers of Western music and learn how to distinguish their works according to changing style characteristics, shifting esthetic and philosophical perspectives, and changing historical circumstances. Historical study, informed listening and criticism, writing based on library research, and analytical writing are central aspects of the course. Prerequisite: MUSC 109 or 130 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 332 Music History III: 1830-Present (Schubert to Adams) (3)
A historical survey of music from the Romantic Era through the present, offered in a cultural context. Students will study composers of Western music and learn how to distinguish their works according to changing style characteristics, shifting esthetic and philosophical perspectives, and changing historical circumstances. Historical study, informed listening and criticism, writing based on library research, and analytical writing are central aspects of the course. Prerequisite: MUSC 109 or 130 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 411 Composition Studio 1 (1)
Individual free composition. Weekly meetings of Studio for presentation and critique of work-in-progress, collaborative performances of drafts, and planning and preparation for annual Student Composers Concert. Study of manuscript and computer notation, professional score and part preparation, selected topics in contemporary music and composition. Offered every Fall. May be repeated for credit. Enrollment required in junior year for composition emphasis majors. Prerequisite: MUSC 210 and 220.
MUSC 412 Composition Studio 2 (1)
Individual free composition, continues MUSC 411. Collaborate in production of Student Composers Concert. Presentation of Senior Project proposal. Offered every Spring. May be repeated for credit. Enrollment required in junior year for composition emphasis majors. Prerequisite: MUSC 211 and 221.
MUSC 413 Composition Studio 3 (1)
Individual free composition, continues MUSC 412. Composition work centers on Senior Project. Offered every Fall. Prerequisite: MUSC 310 and 412 and declared composition emphasis.
MUSC 420 Digital Audio Composition (3)
Analysis of historical and contemporary experimental music and sound provides the foundation for structured and creative composition using digitized sound. Includes an introduction to sampling, recording techniques, digital audio editing, effects processing, and mixing using Digital Performer and related software. Workshop format includes critique of work-in-progress and opportunities for public performance. Cross-listed as ARTV 420. Prerequisite: MUSC 109/ARTH 109 recommended but not required. Prior musical experience not required.
MUSC 424 Art and the Soundscape (3)
Aristic and scholarly investigation into the soundscape — the totality of the sonic environment invested with significance by human imagination. Creative work in media of the students choice, including new and cross-disciplinary media such as sound art, installation art, electronic music, phonography, instrument construction and the internet. Critical writing about creative work and its social and historical situation. Cross listed as ARTV 424. Recommended prerequisite: MUSC 109/ARTH 109.
MUSC 430W History of Medieval and Renaissance Music (3)
A detailed study of sacred and secular music from the Ninth through the 16th century, with consideration of historical, cultural, and political context. The impact on music of medieval philosophy, esthetics, religion, and science; the patronage system; the Age of Humanism; and the Age of Discovery. A writing course that includes informed listening, live concerts, and library research. Prerequisite: MUSC 330 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 431 History of Baroque and Classical Music (3)
Study of vocal and instrumental literature from Bach to Beethoven; intellectual and historical setting, music as expression of the cultural conditions of its time, composition as craft, and the shared musical language of the Viennese Classical Style. Study through listening, reading, writing, videos, and live concerts. Prerequisite: MUSC 331 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 432 History of Romantic Music (3)
Vocal and instrumental works from the early 19th-century Age of Expression through Nationalism and Impressionism; opposing trends from miniature to the grandiose, from intimate to mass music, from craft to personal inspiration; and the cult of the genius. Late Beethoven to Debussy. Listening, reading, writing, and live concerts. Prerequisite: MUSC 330 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 433 History of Twentieth Century Music (3)
The rebellion against Romanticism, pre-World War II styles, Expressionism; atonality; serial music; non-Western influences; post-1945; the age of anxiety; experimentalism; neo-Romanticism; new frontiers in electronic and mixed media; and minimalism. Stravinsky to Glass. Listening, reading, writing, and live concerts. Prerequisite: MUSC 332 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 440 Topics in World Music (3)
Studies in the relationships between music and culture in a global context, surveying the musical application of topics such as cultural identity, nationalism, politics, border crossing, race, economics, copyright law, cultural appropriation, and technology. Case studies from around the world are examined in depth through readings, listenings, and live performances.
MUSC 441 Bach, Beethoven, Brahms (3)
Three major composers of far-reaching influence. We will study their contributions to solo, chamber, orchestral and vocal genres, and consider their secular music for entertainment at court and in the concert hall, their sacred music for worship and private edification, and their music for the theater stage. Focus will be on musical style characteristics, esthetic principles, philosophical perspectives, and historical circumstances. Historical study, informed listening and criticism, writing based on library research, analytical writing are central aspects of the course. Prerequisites: Two from MUSC 330-332 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 442 Opera (3)
Focus will be on the evolution of opera in music history, in chronological order, as seen through contemporary documents. These documents include memoirs, letters, histories, polemical writings, reviews, biography essays, and poetry. Such historical responses to opera illustrate changing attitudes of successive generations of opera lovers to the art form, as well as demonstrate the impact contemporary views have had on composers of opera and on operatic developments themselves. Historical study, informed listening and criticism, writing based on library research, analytical writing are central aspects of the course. Prerequisites: two from MUSC 330-332 or consent of instructor.
MUSC 444D The Bebop Era (3)
This course is designed to study the musical and social history of the bebop era. The focus will be on examining how the inherent qualities of the music itself (an unprecedented creative freedom expressed through virtuosic improvisations and a newly complex harmonic language) are a direct result of the basic human rights and privileges that these artists were denied due to color and/or gender. In other words, the bebop era represents both a stylistic evolution and a social revolution. The musical pioneers such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk will be thoroughly studied. Additional topics: why bebop music was always considered outside the mainstream of popular music; why commercialism was considered a corrupting influence on the artist; how bebop influenced jazz in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Live performances. This course will fulfill the diversity experience requirement. No previous musical training necessary.
MUSC 494 Special Topics in Music (3)
An examination of selected topics in depth, such as history of sacred music, history of opera, post-tonal music, piano literature, vocal literature, or string literature. May be repeated for credit when topic changes. Prerequisites may apply.
MUSC 495 Senior Project (1)
Public presentation during the senior year of a solo recital, the performance of a substantial original composition, or a written research project, under the direction of a faculty supervisor. For Music majors only. Prerequisite: Approval of music department director required.
MUSC 498 Music Internship (1-3)
Practical experience in music management through service to a university or community performance organization. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Approval of music department director required.
MUSC 499 Independent Study (1)
Individual work in theory, composition, musicology, or liturgical music with the approval of the music faculty. For Music majors only. Prerequisite: Approval of music department director required.
