2013-2014 Music Courses

This course will offer an introduction to the art of continuo playing. We will begin with developing a basic ability of how to translate the notational symbols of figured bass into sound, and will then proceed to refine that skill in view of the various styles of different eras, countries, and genres. This course is also designed to prepare students for participation in the Baroque segment of the SLC Orchestra Projects. A good basic command of the keyboard and some theory background are pre-requisites. With permission of instructor.

It is an intriguingly common concept that music “gives voice” to a culture. How might this complex transfer of value (from social group to sonic phenomena) work, as it seems to express our identity? Does the process work in the reverse direction? That is to say, does our musical behavior affect and change who we will become? In this seminar, we will examine how the activity of musical expression—what some musicologists have called “musicking”—is used dynamically, generating and maintaining social identities in many complex and ever-changing social contexts. We will specifically consider the musical cultures of what Paul Gilroy has called the “Black Atlantic,” including musical practices from Liberia, Nigeria, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Jamaica, London, New Orleans, and New York.

A powerful case-in-point is Sarah Lawrence’s own West African Percussion Ensemble Faso Foli. Performance as part of this group is a required part of the spring semester (occasional exceptions may be granted by the instructor), and no musical experience is necessary. While these musical styles are sophisticated and the analytical approaches are challenging, prior experience with music theory is absolutely not required for this course.

Is music a “universal language”? Though it often feels that way, this question is not easy to answer. Employing the tools of musicology and from linguistic anthropology, we will examine how music is a communicative process that is very much like language in some ways and quite different in others. Native American traditions from Canada and the Plains offer a profound point of entry and of rich analysis. Mexican balladry offers a number of concrete case studies of the historical vagaries of lyric construction. Linguistic concepts such as referentiality and ambiguity will guide our examinations of country music and the blues. “Creolization,” another linguistic concept, will become an especially salient metaphor, as we consider the dynamic musical cultures of syncretic Nuyorican traditions such as salsa. Finally, our understanding of improvisatory jazz performance traditions will inform our understanding of what it means to communicate musically. A powerful case-in-point is Sarah Lawrence’s own Balinese gamelan “Chandra Buahna.” Performance as part of this group is a required part of the fall semester (occasional exceptions may be granted by the instructor), and no musical experience is necessary. While these musical styles are sophisticated, and the analytical approaches are challenging, prior experience with music theory is absolutely not required for this course.

This seminar will be both an introduction to and an in-depth exploration of the world of Western classical music. The ability to read music is not required. We will instead develop a vocabulary, based on careful listening, that we will use to analyze and describe the forms, textures, and expressive qualities of the music and of our experience of it. During the course of the year, we will have immersed ourselves in music and aesthetics from the ancient Greeks (the concept of music as sounding number) to the present; however, the class will not be organized as a historical survey but, rather, around topics designed to foster connections among different periods. For example, some of the music of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, of J. S. Bach and the postwar modernists seem to share attitudes about music and its role in intellectual and artistic life. How can these eras illuminate each other? How does music both reflect and influence developments in the other arts, in technology, and in social structures? Other topics will include subjectivity and personal expression, the radically simple, and the relationship between music and text.

In this introductory course, we will study elements of music such as pitch, rhythm, intensity, and timbre; we will see how these elements combine in various musical structures and how those structures communicate. Studies will include notation and ear training, as well as theoretical exercises, rudimentary analyses, and the study of repertoire from various eras of Western music.  This course meets twice each week (two 90-minute sessions). Beginning music students in Theory I are not required to take an ensemble; ensemble participation is optional. This course is a prerequisite to the Theory II: Basic Tonal Theory and Composition and Advanced Theory sequence.

As a skill-building course in the language of tonal music, this course covers diatonic harmony and voice leading, elementary counterpoint, and simple forms. Students will develop an understanding through part writing, analysis, composition, and aural skills.  The materials of this course are prerequisite to any Advanced Theory course. Survey of Western Music is required for all students taking Theory II who have not had a similar history course.

This course will focus on the analysis of tonal music, with a particular emphasis on chromatic harmony. Our goal will be to quickly develop basic understanding and skill in this area and then to refine them in the analysis of complete movements and works. Our repertoire will range from Bach to Brahms, and we will try to incorporate music that class participants might be studying in their lessons or ensembles. Successful completion of the required theory sequence or an equivalent background is a prerequisite for this class.

This course will be an examination of various theoretical approaches to music of the twentieth century—including post-tonal, serial, textural, minimalist, and pop/rock music. Our primary text will be Joseph Straus’s Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory, but we will also explore other relevant texts, including scores and recordings of the works themselves. This course will include study of the music of Schoenberg, Webern, Pink Floyd, Ligeti, Bartók, Reich, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Corigliano, and Del Tredici, among others. Open to students who have successfully completed Theory II: Basic Tonal Theory and Composition.

This course will study the building blocks and concepts of jazz theory, harmony, and rhythm. This will include the study of the standard modes and scales as well as the use of melodic and harmonic minor scales and their respective modals systems. It will include the study and application of diminished and augmented scales and their role in harmonic progression, particularly the diminished chord as a parental structure. An in-depth study will be given to harmony and harmonic progression through analysis and memorization of triads, extensions, and alterations as well as substitute chords, re-harmonization, and back cycling. We will look at polytonality and the superposition of various hybrid chords over different bass tones and other harmonic structures. We will study and apply all of the above to their characteristic and stylistic genres including bebop, modal, free, and progressive jazz. The study of rhythm, which is possibly the single most important aspect of jazz, will be a primary focus as well. We will also use composition as a way to absorb and truly understand the concepts discussed.   Prerequisite: Theory II: Basic Tonal Theory and Composition

This course is dedicated to helping students develop their fluency with theoretical materials through dictation and sight-singing practice. Initially we may focus on individual parameters such as pitches, rhythms, and harmonic progressions, but the ultimate goal of the course is to be able to perceive all of those in an integrated way.  With permission of instructor.

This course is open to all instrumentalists who are interested in developing techniques to improve their sight-reading skills. Groups from duets to quintets will be formed according to level and will meet once a week. A sight-reading “performance” will be held at the end of each semester. 

This is a workshop in the art of composition with a focus on twentieth-century techniques. We will discuss recent compositional techniques and philosophies as well as issues in orchestration and notation. We will explore significant works by a wide variety of major twentieth-century composers, such as Bartók, Berio, Cage, Carter, Debussy, Ligeti, and Stravinsky, as well as recent compositions by established and emerging composers across the world.  These will serve as models for original student compositions. It is expected that the students will develop a fluency in using either Finale or Sibelius.  Prerequisite: Theory I: Materials of Music or its equivalent.

The Sarah Lawrence Electronic Music Studio is a state-of-the art facility dedicated to the instruction and development of electronic music composition. The studio contains the latest in digital audio hardware and software for synthesis, recording and signal processing, along with a full complement of vintage analog synthesizers and tape machines. Beginning students will start with an introduction to the equipment, basic acoustics, and principles of studio recording, signal processing and a historical overview of the medium. Once students have acquired a certain level of proficiency with the equipment and material—usually by the second semester—focus will be on preparing compositions that will be heard in concerts of electronic music, student composers’ concerts, and music workshops. Permission of the instructor is required.

This course will focus on creating Electronic Music primarily using software based Digital Audio Workstations.  Materials covered will include MIDI, ProTools, Digital Performer, Logic, Reason, Ableton Live, MaxMsp, Traction, and elements of Sibelius and Finale (as connected to media scoring).  Class assignments will focus on composing individual works and/or creating music and designing sound for various media such as Film, Dance, and Interactive Performance Art. Students in this course may also choose to evolve collaborative projects with students from those areas. Projects will be presented in class for discussion and critique. Permission of the instructor is required.

This component is open to advanced students who have successfully completed Studio for Electronic Music and Experimental Sound, and are at or beyond the Advanced Theory level. Students work on individual projects involving aspects of Music Technology including but not limited to works for Electro-acoustic instruments–live and/or pre-recorded–works involving interactive performance media–laptop ensembles, Disklavier, and improvised or through-composed works. Open to a limited number of students; permission of the instructor is required.

This course is a chronological survey of Western music from the Middle Ages to the present. It is designed to acquaint the student with significant compositions of the Western musical tradition as well as explore the cyclical nature of music that mirrors philosophical and theoretical ideas in Ancient Greece and how that cycle appears every three-hundred years:  the Ars nova of the 14^th century, Le nuove musiche of the 17^th century, and the New Music of the 20^th century and beyond. The course involves participation in listening, reading and discussion, including occasional quizzes about and/or written summaries of historical periods. This component is required for all students taking Theory II: Basic Tonal Theory and Composition and is also open to students who have completed the theory sequence.

Jazz music of all styles and periods will be listened to, analyzed, and discussed. Emphasis will be placed on instrumental styles and performance techniques that have evolved in the performance of jazz. Skills in listening to and enjoying some of the finer points of the music will be enhanced by the study of elements such as form, phrasing, instrumentation, instrumental technique, and style. Special emphasis will be placed on the development of modern jazz and its relationship to older styles. Some topics: Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, roots and development of the Big Band sound, Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, lineage of pianists, horn players, evolution of the rhythm section, Art Tatum, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, be-bop, cool jazz, jazz of the 60’s and 70’s, fusion and jazz rock, jazz of the 80’s, and modern trends. The crossover of jazz into other styles of modern music, such as rock and R&B, will be discussed, as will be the influence that modern concert music and world music has had on jazz styles. This is a two-semester class; however, it will be possible to enter in the second semester. This is one of the music history component courses required for all Advanced Theory students.

The classical style especially manifest in the music of the “divine” Mozart is both complemented and sharply opposed by his younger contemporary, Beethoven, and their lives were scarcely more distant from each other than was the Enlightenment from the events of 1789 and the world of Napoleon. We will touch on the source of the classical manner in the reactions of minor figures such as Sammartini, Quantz, and the Bach sons to the learned style of J. S. Bach, and then explore the operatic style that made Mozart possible. His mature works will then be set alongside both the more genteel early period and the combative and partly romantic middle style of Beethoven. Readings in cultural history will be joined by biographical and music-score study. Some experience in music theory is necessary and general historical interest is desirable for enrollment in this course. This is one of the music history component courses required for all Advanced Theory students. 

Debussy’s influence on today’s music is incalculable. He has been called the only “universal” French composer, and he is very likely also the greatest. This course will deal with the ambience of the Second Empire, from which he emerged, and with Debussy’s relationships to the impressionist, symbolist, and decadent aesthetics. Allowing for earlier influences, including the contradictory effects of Wagner, we will explore Debussy’s revolutionary musical language in detail, with many references to older and younger contemporaries such as Massenet, Saint-Saëns, Franck, Satie, Ravel, and the group known as Les Six. For approach and qualifications, see Mozart and Beethoven: Music from 1720 to 1810. This is one of the component courses required for all Advanced Theory students.

See course description under Lecture and Seminar.

See course description under Lecture and Seminar.

Repertoire may include both accompanied and a cappella works from the Renaissance to the present that were specifically composed for women’s chorus. The ensemble will perform winter and spring concerts. Women’s Vocal Ensemble meets twice a week. Students are required to attend either the Monday or the Wednesday rehearsal. They are welcome but not required to attend both.  All students are welcome to be a member of this ensemble.  Auditions are not necessary.

Early madrigals and motets and contemporary works especially suited to a small number of voices will form the body of this group’s repertoire. The ensemble will perform winter and spring concerts.  Chamber Choir meets once a week. Students may qualify for membership in the Chamber Choir by audition.

This performance ensemble is geared toward learning and performing various traditional as well as hybrid styles of blues music. The blues, like jazz, is purely an American art form. Students will learn and investigate Delta Blues, performing songs by Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Skip James, and others; as well as Texas Country Blues by originators such as Blind Lemon Jefferson; and Chicago Blues, beginning with Big Bill Broonzy and moving up through Howlin’ Wolf and Buddy Guy. Students will also learn songs and stylings by Muddy Waters, Albert King, and B.B. King and how they influenced modern blues men such as Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and pioneer rockers such as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix. Audition required.

This ensemble will meet weekly to rehearse and perform a wide variety of modern jazz music and other related styles. Repertoire in the past has included works by composers Thelonius Monk, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock as well as some rock, Motown, and blues. All instruments are welcome. Audition required.

This class is intended for all instrumentalists and will provide a “hands-on” study of topics relating to the performance of jazz music. The class will meet as an ensemble, but the focus will not be on rehearsing repertoire and giving concerts. Instead, students will focus on improving jazz playing by applying the topic at hand directly to instruments, and immediate feedback on the performance will be given. The workshop environment will allow students to experiment with new techniques as they develop their sound. Topics include jazz chord/scale theory; extensions of traditional tonal harmony; altered chords; modes; scales; improvising on chord changes; analyzing a chord progression or tune; analysis of form; performance and style study, including swing, Latin, jazz-rock, and ballade styles; and ensemble technique. The format can be adapted to varying instrumentation and levels of proficiency.  Placement audition required.

No longer do vocalists need to share valuable time with those wanting to focus primarily on instrumental jazz and vice versa. This ensemble will be dedicated to providing a performance-oriented environment for the aspiring jazz vocalist. We will mostly concentrate on picking material from the standard jazz repertoire. Vocalists will get an opportunity to work on arrangements, interpretation, delivery, phrasing, and intonation in a realistic situation with a live rhythm section and soloists. They will learn how to work with, give direction to, and get what they need from the rhythm section. It will provide an environment to learn to hear forms and changes and also work on vocal improvisation if they so choose. This will not only give students an opportunity to work on singing solo or lead vocals but to work with other vocalists in singing backup or harmony vocals for and with each other. This will also serve as a great opportunity for instrumentalists to learn the true art of accompanying the jazz vocalist, which will prove to be a valuable experience in preparing for a career as a professional musician. Audition required.

An exploration of the relationship between melody, harmony, rhythm, text, style, and how these elements can be combined and manipulated to create meaning and beauty.  A significant level of vocal development will be expected and required. Audition required.

This course encourages an exploration of the student's vocal ability and potential. Each singer develops their technique through repertoire and vocal exercises geared to individual ability and specific voice type. At the core of instruction is the required weekly "practice sheet". This becomes the tool for "self discovery". Each semester ends with a class performance in recital format.

Voice students will gain performance experience by singing repertoire selected in cooperation with the studio instructors. Students will become acquainted with a broader vocal literature perspective through singing in several languages and exploring several historical music periods. Interpretation, diction, and stage deportment will be stressed. During the course of their studies and with permission of their instructor, all Music Thirds in voice are required to take Seminar in Vocal Performance for two semesters.

This course is an introduction to opera through an opera workshop experience that explores combining drama and music to create a story. Open to students in the performing arts (music, dance and theater) as well as the College community at large. Weekly class attendance is mandatory.  Audition required.

The Studio Class is a beginning course in basic vocal technique. Each student's vocal needs are met within the structure and content of the class.  Placement audition required.

From highlife and jújù in Nigeria, to soukous and makossa in Congo and Cameroon, to the sounds of Manding music in Guinea and “Swinging Addis” in Ethiopia, the decades following World War II saw an explosion of musical creativity that blossomed across sub-Saharan Africa. Syncretic styles merging African aesthetics with European, Caribbean, and American influences and instruments resulted in vibrant new musical genres which harken back to traditional African sources while exploring bold and original musical forms.  As European powers formally withdrew from their former colonies, newly inspired African musicians took advantage of broadened artistic resources and created vital, contemporary musical expressions.  This performance course will explore a wide range of African musical styles that emerged in the second half of the twentieth century.  We will undertake a broad musical history, considering prominent groups and individual musicians during this time period, and we will perform tightly structured arrangements of some of their most effective and influential pieces.  There will be some opportunities for genre-appropriate improvisation and soloing.  A wide range of instruments will be welcome, including strings, horns, guitars, keyboards, drums and various percussion instruments. Basic facility on one's musical instrument is expected, but prior experience with African musical aesthetics is not assumed or required.

Bluegrass music is a 20th century amalgam of popular and traditional music styles that coalesced in the 1940s in the American southeast, emphasizing vocal performance and instrumental improvisation.  This ensemble will highlight through performance many of the influences and traditions that bluegrass comprises, including ballads, breakdowns, “brother duets,” gospel quartets, Irish-style medleys, “modal” instrumentals, “old time” country, popular song, and rhythm and blues, among many possible others. Though experienced players will have plenty of opportunities to improvise, participants need not have played bluegrass before. The ensemble should include fiddle, 5-string banjo, steel string acoustic guitar, mandolin, resophonic guitar (Dobro®), upright (double) bass.

Faso Foli is the name of our West African performance ensemble: it is a Malinke phrase that translates loosely as "playing to my father's home." In this class we will develop the ability to play expressive melodies and intricate polyrhythms in a group context, as we recreate the celebrated musical legacy of the West African Mande Empire.  These traditions have been kept alive and vital through creative interpretation and innovation in Africa, the U.S. and in other parts of the world.  Correspondingly, our repertoire will reflect a wide range of expressive practices both ancient in origin and dynamic in contemporary performance.  The instruments we play – balafons, the dun dun drums, and djembe hand drums-- were constructed for the college in 2006, handcrafted by master builders In Guinea.  Relevant instrumental techniques will be taught in the class, and no previous experience with African musical practice is assumed: any interested student may join.

Various chamber groups—from quartets or quintets to violin and piano duos—are formed each year depending on the number and variety of qualified instrumentalists who apply. There are weekly coaching sessions. Groups will have an opportunity to perform at the end of each semester in a chamber music concert. 

This is an experimental performing ensemble that explores a variety of musical styles and techniques including, free improvisation, improvisational conducting and various other chance based methods. The ensemble is open to all instruments (acoustic and electric), voice, electronic synthesizers, and laptop computers.  Students must be able to demonstrate level of proficiency on their chosen instrument. Composer-performers, dancers, and actors are also welcome.  Performance opportunities will include; concerts, collaboration with other programs such as dance, theater, film and performance art as well as community outreach. Open to a limited number of students; audition required.

A course in the basics of conducting for qualified students.  Completion of Theory II:  Basic Tonal Theory and Composition is required.  Permission of the instructor is required.

This course is for beginning acoustic or electric guitar students. Recommendation by the faculty.

This class offers informal performance opportunities on a weekly basis as a way of exploring guitar solo, duo and ensemble repertoire. The course will seek to improve sight-reading abilities and foster a thorough knowledge of the guitar literature.  Recommended for students interested in classical guitar. Permission of the instructor is required.

This course is designed to accommodate beginning piano students who take the Keyboard Lab as the core of their Music Third. This instruction takes place in a group setting, with eight keyboard stations and one master station.  Students will be introduced to elementary keyboard technique and simple piano pieces. Placement is arranged by the piano faculty.

Throughout the year students will have the opportunity to experience and participate in a broad range of musical styles from the Baroque to symphonic and contemporary repertory, including improvisation and experimental music.  The Sarah Lawrence Orchestra is open to all students as well as to members of the College and Westchester communities by audition. It is required for all instrumentalists taking a Music Third.

This component offers students the opportunity to share with the larger College community the results of their sustained work in performance study. During the semester of their recital, students will receive additional coachings by their principal teachers. Audition required.

Violin Masterclass meets weekly and involves both playing and discussion.  Each student is required to prepare a solo piece.  An accompanist will be present before and during each class to rehearse and perform with students.  Each master class is organized as a series of individual lessons that address recurrent performance problems, including discussions concerning technical and musical issues (basic and advanced) as well as performance practices.  All students will receive copies of the works being performed. 

The music faculty wants students to have access to a variety of musical experiences. Therefore, all Music Thirds are required to attend all Music Tuesday events and three music department-sponsored concerts on campus per semester, including concerts (the required number varies from semester to semester) presented by music faculty and outside professionals that are part of the Concert Series.

A series of concerts, instrumental and vocal seminars, and lecture demonstrations pertaining to music history, world music, improvisation, jazz, composition, and music technology. Master Classes take place on Wednesdays from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in either Reisinger Concert Hall or Marshall Field House Room 1. They are open to the College community. 

Approximately twice-monthly music workshops are held in which a student or student ensemble, with consent of the individual teacher, may participate as performer(s). The College community is welcome to attend. Since the only limitation is that the composition(s) should be well prepared, these workshops serve as important opportunities for students at all levels to share their playing, singing, or composing work with others and to have a significant way to trace their own development.