Course Descriptions - Spring 2007

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Introduction to Music will teach students how to listen to and understand music more deeply. Students will develop an appreciation for music as a vocation or avocation and will develop an understanding of the role of music in one's life. Students will be introduced to a wide variety of musical styles and genres.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Introduction to Western Music is a chronological survey of the music of Western civilization from ancient to modern times. Emphasis is on the historical evolution of musical styles.

Fine & Performing Arts, Open/Free, Humanities, Liberal Arts

Introduction to World Music will introduce the student to the wide variety of musical styles made by the peoples of the world. The focus will be on learning to listen and understand the musics of cultures other than from Western Civilization.

Fine & Performing Arts, Open/Free, Humanities, Liberal Arts

Aural Skills I will help students begin to develop an aural perception of tonal and temporal relationships through the development of beginning sight-singing and rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic dictation skills.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS115 Aural Skills I

Aural Skills II will further develop the aural perception skills learned in Aural Skills I through sight-singing based on tonic and dominant triads, rhythmic dictation with subdivided beats, melodic dictation on tonic and dominant triads, and harmonic dictation with all primary chords including first inversions.

Fine & Performing Arts, Open/Free, Humanities, Liberal Arts

Music Reading and Writing will introduce the student to the fundamentals of music notation. Students will learn about reading notes and rhythms and will learn how to use that notation to write music using music notation software.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Music Theory I will introduce the technical elements of music beginning with a review of music fundamentals and continuing with cadences, melodic organization, textural analysis, and voice leading. Prior experience in music or MUS 120 Music Reading and Writing is recommended.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS121 Music Theory I

Music Theory II will continue the student's development in the principles of music. Topics will include harmonic progression, seventh chords, modulation, secondary dominants, and form. Music Theory I or permission of the instructor is a prerequisite for the course.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Piano I is designed to provide students with a strong background in playing the piano. Students will receive training in technique, intervals, ear training, rhythm, fingering, basic harmony, performance, and ensemble playing. The course will introduce students to piano literature in its historical perspective and effective practice methods. It is open to beginners or to those who want to improve on skills already acquired.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Piano II is designed to continue and further establish a strong foundation in playing the piano. Students will receive more advanced training in technique, intervals, ear training, rhythm, fingering, basic harmony, performance and ensemble playing appropriate to level two. The course develops the effective practice methods introduced in MUS130 Piano I with more challenging piano literature in its historical perspective.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Class Guitar will teach students how to play basic folk guitar. Students wil learn basic playing techniques including chord patterns, fingering, and strumming patterns. Students will need to provide their own acoustic guitar.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Performance Workshop I will help students develop musical skills needed for performing as a soloist and as a member of a musical ensemble through learning and participating in class critiques and through developing principles for lessons, ensemble performance, and concert attendance.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS141 Performance Workshop I

Performance Workshop II will help students apply the concepts and principles learned in Performance Workshop I through doing beginning level lessons, ensemble performance, concert attendance, and the study of performance techniques.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Students in Chorus I become the Northern Essex Community College Chorus which performs music from pop to classical in concert. Experience in singing, vocal-part learning and performance is developed. Students will be required to audition in order to be in the Chorus.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Students in Chorus II become the Northern Essex Community College Chorus which performs music from pop to classical music in concert. Experience in singing, vocal part learning and performance is developed. Students will be required to audition in order be in the Chorus.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Community Chorus will perform together through singing a variety of choral music from many styles and will present regular concerts.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS154 Community Chorus I

Community Chorus II will perform together through singing a variety of choral music from many styles and will present regular concerts. Community Chorus II will be a continuation of Community Chorus I with the requirement of further progress and musical development.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Jazz/ Rock Ensemble is a class dedicated to the performance of contemporary music with a small performing ensemble. Students will learn and perform a variety of literature within the medium and give regular concerts. An audition will be required for all participants.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS161 Jazz/Rock Ensemble I

Jazz/ Rock Ensemble II is a continuation of MUS 161 with the requirement of further progress and musical development. An audition is required to sign up for the class.

Fine & Performing Arts, Open/Free, Humanities, Liberal Arts

Class Voice will teach students how to sing. Students will learn basic vocal techniques including vocal production, breathing, phrasing, and musical expression.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS122 Music Theory II and MUS141 Performance Workshop I

Audio Portfolio will be a class providing guidance for the completion of a final project for music students. The nature of the the project will depend on the student's career focus and previous academic work and may include a short recital, the preparation of an audition tape, or a conducting or composition project which will be recorded for the purpose of creating an audition tape for college transfer or employment.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Music Technology: Sound will introduce the student to the basic principles of digital audio music through experiential learning. Specific topics will include digital audio sound, complex sound production and manipulation, digital synthesis, sampling, sound modifiers, recording, mixing, and sequencing.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS121 Music Theory I

Music Technology: Composition will teach the student to compose music through the use of a digital audio workstation incorporating digital sequencing and mixing. Students will develop and produce original compositions.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS116 Aural Skills II

Aural Skills III will further develop the aural perception skills learned in Aural Skills II through sight-singing based on primary chords in major and minor keys, rhythmic dictation with syncopations and unusual divisions, melodic dictation with chords in major and minor, and harmonic dictation using modulations.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS217 Aural Skills III

Aural Skills IV will further develop the aural perception skills learned in Aural Skills III through sight-singing based on all triads, rhythmic dictation with cross-rhythms and hemiolas, melodic dictation using all chords and meters, and harmonic dictation including chromatic chords.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS122 Music Theory II

Music Theory III will continue the student's development in the principles of music. Topics will include music chromatic and dissonant harmonies and advanced forms. Music Theory II or permission of the instructor is a prerequisite for the course.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS223 Music Theory III

Music Theory IV will continue the student's development in the principles of music. Topics will include complete parametric analysis of all styles of Western Classic music as well as popular, jazz, and Non-Western musics. Music Theory III or permission of the instructor is a prerequisite for the course.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS142 Performance Workshop II

Performance Workshop III will help students apply the concepts and principles learned in Peformance Workshop II through doing intermediate level lessons, ensemble performance, concert attendance, and the study of performance techniques.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

MUS243 Performance Workshop III

Performance Workshop IV will help students apply the concepts and principles learned in Performance Workshop III through doing advanced level lessons, ensemble performance, concert attendance, and the study of performance techniques.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Students in Chorus III become the Northern Essex Community College Chorus which performs music from pop to classical music in concert. Experience in singing, vocal part learning and performance with intermediate repertoire is developed. Students will be required to audition in order be in the Chorus and will be expected to lead their section in singing and learning music.

Fine & Performing Arts, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Open/Free

Students in Chorus IV become the Northern Essex Community College Chorus which performs music from pop to classical music in concert. Experience in singing, vocal part learning and performance of advanced repertoire is developed. Students will be required to audition in order be in the Chorus and will be expected to lead their section in singing and learning music and will need to be prepared to do solo work.

Northern Essex Community College

MUS101

Introduction to Music

MUS102

Introduction to Western Music

MUS112

Introduction to World Music

MUS115

Aural Skills I

MUS116

Aural Skills II

MUS120

Music Reading and Writing

MUS121

Music Theory I

MUS122

Music Theory II

MUS131

Piano I

MUS132

Piano II

MUS133

Class Guitar

MUS141

Performance Workshop I

MUS142

Performance Workshop II

MUS151

Chorus I

MUS152

Chorus II

MUS154

Community Chorus I

MUS155

Community Chorus II

MUS161

Jazz/Rock Ensemble I

MUS162

Jazz/Rock Ensemble II

MUS172

Class Voice

MUS210

Audio Portfolio

MUS211

Music Technology: Sound

MUS212

Music Technology: Composition

MUS217

Aural Skills III

MUS218

Aural Skills IV

MUS223

Music Theory III

MUS224

Music Theory IV

MUS243

Performance Workshop III

MUS244

Performance Workshop IV

MUS251

Chorus III

MUS252

Chorus IV