Department of Music
Professors Emeriti: Lynn R. Shurtleff, Hans Boepple
Associate Professor Emerita: Nancy Wait-Kromm
Professor: Teresa McCollough
Associate Professors: Scot Hanna-Weir (Department Chair), Christina Zanfagna
Assistant Professor: Kaley Eaton
Teaching Professor: William Stevens
Associate Teaching Professors: Anthony Rivera, Carl Schultz
The Department of Music offers a degree program leading to the bachelor of arts in music as well as a minor in music. A minor in musical theatre is available in conjunction with the Department of Theatre and Dance. The Department of Music’s curriculum is designed to provide students of diverse backgrounds with the skills necessary to comprehend, perform, and appreciate music’s role in human history and its power to enhance the lives of all people. Because individual study and performance is essential to the expression and acquisition of music as a language and art form, membership in all departmental music ensembles is available to all Santa Clara students and applied instruction is available to Music and Theatre majors and minors and students participating in our departmental ensembles.
Requirements for the Major
Students must fulfill the following requirements for a major in music:
- MUSC 1, 2, 3
- MUSC 1A, 2A, 3A
- Two courses from Introduction to Listening series: MUSC 7, 8, 9, 10
- Music at Noon: one quarter of MUSC 16/116
- Six upper-division electives, including one from the Ethnomusicology/Music History list: MUSC 114, 119, 128, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 139, 189, 190, 192, 194
- At least one course (lower or upper division) must be an Electronic Music course: MUSC 9, 157, 115, 119
- Six units of applied instruction
- Twelve units in an approved department ensemble
Requirements for the Minor
Students must fulfill the following requirements for a minor in music:
- Two Music Theory courses
- Two Musicianship courses
- Two courses from the Introduction to Listening series: MUSC 7, 8, 9, 10
- Two units of applied instruction
- Music at Noon: One quarter of MUSC 16/116
- Six units in an approved departmental ensemble
- At least one course (lower or upper division) must be an Electronic Music course: MUSC 9, 157, 115, 119
- Two electives:
- One Ethnomusicology/Music History Elective (MUSC 114, 119, 128, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 139, 189, 190, 192, 194)
- One course selected from MUSC 3, 3a, or any upper-division elective
Note: Students may take a Music Theory Placement Exam to test into a course that is appropriate for their skill level, but must still complete two courses from both the Theory and Musicianship sequences.
Lower-Division Courses
1. Music Theory I
Beginning course in a comprehensive theory sequence that introduces students to the basic elements of music theory including pitch, rhythm, meter, modes, scales, intervals, triads, and seventh chords Required for musical theatre minor. Prerequisite: None. Majors and minors with extensive theory background are recommended to take the Theory Placement Exam. (4 units)
1A. Musicianship I
Musicianship is hands-on, practical training that builds skill with music fundamentals: rhythm, melody, harmony, ear training, notation, and improvisation. All assessments are performance-based. Students will learn to speak rhythms in simple and compound meters; sing melodies in major and minor keys; and play basic intervals and chords on the piano. No previous training in music is needed. Prerequisite: None. This is the introductory course in a sequence; students with significant musicianship training are encouraged to contact the instructor for a placement assessment. (4 units)
2. Music Theory II
Continuation of Music Theory sequence. Introduction to the application of materials learned in Music Theory I, including basic chord progressions realized through 4-part writing and harmonic analysis. Prerequisite: MUSC 1 or permission of instructor. (4 units)
2A. Musicianship II
This course provides intermediate, hands-on training with rhythm, melody, harmony, ear training, and notation. This course introduces the blues, swing, basic diatonic skips, subdivisions in simple meter, aural interval identification, and advanced keyboard drills with intervals and triad inversions. Prerequisite: MUSC 1A or permission of instructor. (4 units)
3. Music Theory III
Continuation of Music Theory sequence. Further instruction in common practice harmony including figured bass and part-writing with an introduction to chromatic harmony and score analysis. Prerequisite: MUSC 2 or permission of instructor. (4 units)
3A. Musicianship III
This course provides intermediate, hands-on training with rhythm, melody, harmony, ear training, and notation. Topics will include subdivisions in compound meter; complex diatonic skips and chromatic ornaments in the context of major, minor, and blues melodies; harmonic motion by fifth and by third; aural identification of intervals (descending and harmonic); and melodic dictation. Prerequisite: MUSC 2A. (4 units)
7. Introduction to Listening: Global Music
This course explores the relationship between music and culture as it introduces students to a wide range of musical styles throughout the world. Designed for both majors and minors, students will learn basic ethnomusicological concepts and explore musical cultures from Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, and Europe. (4 units)
8. Introduction to Listening: Western Music
This course offers an introduction to Western music history. Students will learn about musical elements, forms, and techniques through listening, lecture, and performance activities. Designed for both majors and non-majors, this course focuses on strategies for listening to, and writing about music. (4 units)
9. Introduction to Listening: Electronic Music
This course combines elements of history, theory, and practice of electronic music. The computer becomes the instrument through which students explore new ways of manipulating and organizing sound. Designed for both majors and non-majors, this course creates a space for discussion and critical listening of different types of electronic music (contemporary, popular, and experimental), culminating in a final creative project by each participant. No previous computer or electronic music experience required. (4 units)
10. Introduction to Listening: Jazz
This course focuses on the intersection of Jazz music and American history. Students will learn to recognize musical techniques used in the different eras of Jazz music. The innovators associated with each technique will be presented in their historical and cultural contexts. (4 units)
11A. and 12A. Cultures & Ideas I and II
A two-course sequence focusing on a major theme in human experience and culture over a significant period of time. Courses emphasize either broad global interconnections or the construction of Western culture in its global context. Courses may address music and language; the ways people around the world have cultivated music and used music to cultivate other aspects of themselves and their societies; and other topics. Successful completion of C&I I (MUSC 11A) is a prerequisite for C&I II (MUSC 12A). (4 units each quarter)
16/116. Music at Noon
This class is organized around the Music at Noon series of concerts and performances. The weekly series brings the opportunity to experience live performances of music from all parts of the world by artists of local, national, and international renown. Students are required to attend all performances and write short reflections that summarize their individual experience. Prerequisite: None. Required class for music majors and minors. (1 unit)
19. Physics of Music
The course explores the physical foundations underlying the production, propagation, and perception of music. No prior knowledge of either physics or music is expected, and math will be restricted to basic algebra and trigonometry. At the end of this course, students should possess a basic understanding of the nature of sound; the basic workings of string, wind, and brass instruments, as well as the human voice and ear; knowledge of basic musical notation; and a familiarity with some acoustical problems and their solutions. Through laboratory investigations, students will become familiar with methods of scientific exploration and gain an appreciation of the experimental method. Also listed as PHYS 7. (4 units)
30. Beginning Piano Class
Introductory instruction in piano in a classroom setting. No experience required. Recommended for music majors or minors to acquire keyboard proficiency. Class limited to 18 students. (4 units)
33. Performance Practicum
This class is designed to offer practical experience in performance and professional development. Students will meet to discuss a specific performance-based topic and perform in a weekly studio-class setting in the Recital Hall. Class discussions will include a range of topics in professional and career development. Recommended for music majors and minors. May be repeated for credit. (1 unit)
34. Beginning Voice Class
Study and application of basic vocal techniques to develop singing facility. Practical experience in performing. May be repeated for credit. Required for musical theatre minor. (4 units)
36. Beginning Guitar Class
Examination of essential elements required to play guitar in the classical style, including fundamental principles of technique, sight-reading, pedagogical repertoire, history, and literature. May be repeated for credit. (4 units)
37. Beginning Composition Class
This course explores personal expression through the creation of original music. Students explore the music and acoustical properties of sound while developing the creative and technical skills necessary to write a song or complete a finished musical piece. (4 units)
Upper-Division Courses
104. Music Theory IV/Advanced Harmonic Language
Continuation of Music Theory sequence. Further instruction in the application of chromatic harmony including post-tonal materials and an introduction to form. Prerequisite: MUSC 3 or permission of instructor. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
105. Modal Musicianship
This is the concluding course in the Musicianship sequence. Topics will include rhythm: triplets and swing with subdivisions, basic irregular rhythms, and polyrhythms; melody: modes of the major scale and skips with chromatic tones; harmony: seventh chords and modal progressions; ear training: mode identification and melodic transcription. Prerequisite: MUSC 3A. (5 units)
109. Lyric Diction
This course provides singers and actors with a vital introduction to the fundamentals of accurate pronunciation in English, French, German, Latin, and Italian language, with an emphasis on lyric (sung) diction. Pronunciation and comprehension of the International Phonetic Alphabet is taught. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
110. Instrumentation/Arranging
An exploration of orchestration and arranging for all instruments, in various styles. Prerequisite: MUSC 2 or permission of instructor. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
111. Counterpoint
Detailed study and creation of contrapuntal music in the 16th-century Renaissance and 18th-century Baroque styles. Prerequisite: MUSC 3 or permission of instructor. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
113. Form and Analysis
Study of the organization of sound into different established musical forms and their structures with a focus on listening, analysis, performance, and hands-on compositional activities that explore a broad range of musical styles and intellectual traditions from various cultures and historical periods. Prerequisite: MUSC 2 or permission of instructor. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
114. Decolonizing Music Education
This course seeks to address and disrupt the racist, sexist, ableist, homo- and transphobic, and imperialist practices in Western music education, especially at the college level. Working against histories of exclusion and white privilege, students will collaborate with faculty to create new pedagogical models for teaching music theory, history, and musicianship and be active participants in the Music department’s ongoing curriculum development. Also listed as ETHN 173. (5 units)
115. Experimental Sound Design
This course is about creating sounds on the computer from scratch. From simulating nature sounds to creating unique synthesizers, this class provides basic tools for the discovery of new timbres. Using the powerful SuperCollider language in a hands-on class environment, students will learn the basics of various digital synthesis techniques and explore their creative applications in electronic music composition and in other fields. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
117. Contemporary Musical Style and Practice
Study and practice of musical structures, systems, and notation used from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, including post-chromaticism, atonality, timbre, indeterminacy, minimalism, electro-acoustic writing, and other contemporary musical styles. Prerequisite: MUSC 2 or permission of instructor. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
118. Directed Study in Pedagogy
A teaching practicum in which junior or senior music majors work with a music faculty member in a classroom, studio, or ensemble framework to assist in the planning and execution of a course. Music majors only. (1 unit)
119. Music, Technology, and Society
This course examines how technology in music and the arts reflects and informs societal and cultural change. The course explores the ways in which music production, consumption, and distribution inform and are informed by digital technology. Assignments include readings and critical analysis, as well as composing pieces and collaborating on creative projects that explore the topics presented in class. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
120. Junior Recital
Presentation of 30 to 45 minutes of music in recital. All Junior Recitals require a pre-recital hearing, and approval of the student’s applied teacher and assigned committee. Junior Recitals take place in the Winter quarter only, except by permission of the department chair. Registration by permission number only. More information about the recital hearing can be found on the department’s website. Open to majors and minors only. (1 unit)
121. Senior Recital
Presentation of 45 to 60 minutes of music in recital. All Senior Recitals require a pre-recital hearing, and approval of the student’s applied teacher and assigned committee. Registration by permission number only. More information about the recital hearing can be found on the department’s website. Open to majors and minors only. (2 units)
125. Digital Audio Production
Professional digital audio and music production using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Hands-on exercises in recording, editing, arranging, mixing, making beats, essential plugins, virtual instruments, and producing audio and MIDI files in a professional workflow. Topics include an overview of computing basics, managing and processing of media, content creation and rendering audio and video files to disk. Fulfills the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
127. Ethnographic Writing in Music and Film
This course explores the intersections of ethnomusicology and ethnographic filmmaking. Students delve into the cultural and social dimensions of music through ethnographic writing, research methods, and cinematic representation.. Through hands-on projects, they learn to document, analyze, and interpret cultural practices as well as create meaningful ethnographic narratives. The course fosters critical thinking and hones research and writing skills as students articulate their findings in both compelling ethnomusicological essays and short films. Fulfills the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units).
128. NEW First Nights: Five Musical Premieres
Explore landmark moments in music history through five cornerstone pieces of Western Classical Music; Orfeo (1607) by Caludio Monteverdi, Messiah (1742) by George Frideric Handel, Ninth Symphony (1824) by Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphonie fantastique (1830) by Hector Berlioz, and The Rite of Spring (1913) by Igor Stravinsky. Using Thomas Forrest Kelly’s Book, First Nights: Five Musical Premieres, the class will dive into the cultural, political, and social climates surrounding the premiere of each of these transformative works. Through Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Orchestration, and Text, we will gain a deeper understanding of the composer’s musical language and meaning. Music Majors and minors will do additional musical analysis of select sections of each piece, providing a deeper understanding of how the music was constructed. The course will culminate in an interview, paper, and presentation on a living composers First Night of a piece of music. No advanced musical background required. (5 units)
129. NEW The Art and Practice of Songwriting
Through engaging their own creative intuition and analysis of songs written across cultures, genres, and eras, students will study the art and practice of songwriting, culminating in the composition and performance of an original song. This course will focus on the compositional and literary techniques of crafting a song, including lyric and poetry writing, melody, harmony, rhythm, and form. Deep listening activities, collaboration, and exploration of the creative process will prepare all students to activate this profound vehicle of expression. (5 units)
130. Anthropology of Music
An intellectual history of ethnomusicology. Approaches and theories from anthropology, musicology, folklore, religious studies, linguistics, critical theory, and gender studies will be explored in order to interrogate music’s relationship to culture, power, and practice. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. Also listed as ANTH 153. (5 units)
131. Music Research and Writing
This course is an introduction to research methods in music scholarship. Students will engage in local fieldwork-based projects and learn techniques for documenting, interpreting, and writing about musical cultures. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
132. The History of Hip-Hop
This course will examine the historical contexts and diasporic flows that have shaped (and have been shaped by) hip-hop music. Topics explored will include the multicultural roots of hip-hop from West African bardic traditions to Jamaican sound system culture to African-American oral practices. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. Also listed as ETHN 132. (5 units)
133. Music and Community
Music and Community is a course designed to provide exploratory, analytical, and hands-on experience with civic leaders and organizations that focus their work in social advocacy and community engagement. Students will broaden their knowledge and perspectives on rotating communities including Incarcerated Youth, Homeless Women, Veteran Women, and Mexican Immigrants & Farmworkers, immerse themselves in these communities, and utilize the power of music as a vehicle to break social barriers and tell the stories of their community partners. Learning will be focused on activities in and outside the classroom, including interactive and project-based learning. (5 units)
134. Popular Music, Race, and American Culture
A cultural history of blues-based American popular music from minstrelsy to disco. Emphasis will be placed on the development of a wide range of musical styles, such as ragtime, classic blues, swing, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, and funk. Major themes include the impact of the music industry, the commercialization of black music, race and gender politics, social movements, and technology. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. Also listed as ETHN 164. (5 units)
135. Music and Ecstasy
This course examines the relationship of music to the experience of ecstasy or transcendence. Religious or supernatural phenomena are the basis of many musical compositions throughout history and the experience of spiritual transcendence through musical composition and performance crosses all genres of music-making. Interweaving themes from religion, science, psychology, music theory, history, and philosophy, students will examine why music speaks to us in ways that words cannot. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
136. Music of Africa
This course focuses on the history, musical characteristics, and sociopolitical, economic, and cultural roles of selected musical traditions from across Africa. Major themes include nationalism, resistance, and urbanization. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. Also listed as ETHN 148. (5 units)
139. Flamenco History and Performance
This course explores the musical and social history of flamenco, from its roots in India along the “gypsy” trails through North Africa, Asia, and Europe. Students will examine how this dynamic art form grew out of the cultural legacy of the “gitanos” (gypsies) in Andalusia, Spain and learn about flamenco song forms, dances, and rhythms. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
156. Improvisation
This class explores the process of creating music through interactive activities designed to awaken students’ imagination and expand and deepen their understanding of music as an art form. The class community itself will be an improvising performance ensemble. Prerequisites: Theory I and/or Musicianship I; or commensurate experience and permission of the instructor. Meets the elective requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
188. Senior Honors Project
This course is designed to allow senior music majors and minors an opportunity to pursue in-depth musical studies within the parameters of a project or thesis in one of the following areas: music history/ethnomusicology, composition/music theory, or performance studies. This project is administered solely by the Department of Music as a course offering, and is separate from the University Honors program. (2-5 units)
189. Sacred Music and the Church
This course examines the interplay between church doctrine, musical style, and the power of social, political, and cultural forces, primarily through the genre of the mass. Gregorian chant, sacred concert music, modern service music, and non-Western music traditions will be studied. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
190. Music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance
Survey of Western music from approximately 800–1600 CE. Works to be studied include chant, motets, masses, and the development of polyphony through various sacred and secular music of the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
192. Music of the Baroque and Classical Periods
Survey of Western music from approximately 1600 to 1827 CE, including study of the great works of J.S. Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
193. Special Topics
Special topics course in Music. May be taken more than once when topics differ. (5 units)
194. Music of the Romantic Period
Survey of Western music of the 19th century, including the great works of late Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Wagner, and others.. Meets the elective and Ethnomusicology/Music History requirement for music majors and minors. (5 units)
195. Applied Music Instruction (30 Minutes)
30 minute individual applied lessons in voice or musical instrument of choice. Other fields of instruction such as composition and conducting are also available. Students must complete the request form prior to registration. Please visit www.scu.edu/music for more information Meets the applied instruction requirement for music majors and minors. (.5 unit).
196. Applied Music Instruction (45 Minutes)
45 minute individual applied lessons in voice or musical instrument of choice. Other fields of instruction such as composition and conducting are also available. Students must complete the request form prior to registration. Please visit www.scu.edu/music for more information. Meets the applied instruction requirement for music majors and minors. (.75 units)
197. Applied Music Instruction (60 Minutes)
60 minute individual applied lessons in voice or musical instrument of choice. Other fields of instruction such as composition and conducting are also available. Students must complete the request form prior to registration. Please visit www.scu.edu/music for more information.. Meets the applied instruction requirement for music majors and minors. (1 unit)
Performing Ensemble Courses
Note: These ensemble courses meet the ensemble requirement for music majors and minors, and may be repeated for credit.
140. University Orchestra
The University Orchestra is a vibrant musical community dedicated to the performance of diverse orchestral literature, ranging from classical masterworks to contemporary scores, chamber music, and pops. This ensemble provides a collegiate-level rehearsal environment where students from all majors can refine their technical proficiency, stylistic integrity, and collaborative artistry. Open to all SCU students. A placement video or recording is desired for part and seating assignment. This course fulfills the ensemble requirement for music majors and minors. (2 units)
142. Concert Choir
A mixed ensemble of select singers that performs a wide variety of a cappella and accompanied secular and sacred choral music from every period in music history through the present day. Emphasis is on a comprehensive survey of choral literature through performance, as well as development of choral tone, blend, diction, and sight singing skills.. No audition is required to join. Fulfills the ensemble requirement for music majors and minors. (2 units)
143. Chamber Singers
An 18–24 voice mixed ensemble of highly select advanced singers. Repertoire includes a variety of sophisticated chamber choral music from the Renaissance to the present day. By audition only. Fulfills the ensemble requirement for music majors and minors. (2 units)
145. Jazz Ensemble
Preparation and performance of jazz literature for large ensemble. By audition only. Fulfills the ensemble requirement for music majors and minors. (2 units)
146. Jazz Combo
Focus on jazz improvisation, techniques, and theory in small group performance. By audition only. Fulfills the ensemble requirement for music majors and music minors. (2 units)
152. World Music Ensemble
World Music Ensemble provides opportunities for students to perform music outside the Western art tradition. Open to all SCU students regardless of musical experience. Fulfills the ensemble requirement for music majors and music minors. (2 units)
153. Music Theater Workshop
Preparation of solo and ensemble operatic excerpts in a workshop setting. Technical, stylistic, and dramatic preparation employing music reading skills, ornamentation, gesture, and choreography resulting in a public performance presented at the end of the quarter. Fulfills the ensemble requirement for music majors and music minors. (2 units)
154. Wind Ensemble
The Wind Ensemble is a vibrant musical community dedicated to the performance of diverse repertoire ranging from traditional to contemporary, transcriptions and pops for winds and percussion. This ensemble provides a collegiate-level rehearsal environment where students from all majors can refine their technical proficiency, stylistic integrity, and collaborative artistry. Open to all SCU students. A placement video or recording is desired for part and seating assignment. This course fulfills the ensemble requirement for music majors and minors. (2 units)
155. New Music Ensemble
Flexible ensemble dedicated to the performance and study of a broad range of contemporary styles and musical notations that span the music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Open to all SCU students with permission of instructor. . Fulfills the ensemble requirement for music majors and music minors. (2 units)
Applied Instruction
The College of Arts and Sciences offers applied instruction in composition, improvisation, conducting, voice, instrumental studies, recording engineering, and sound design. Please contact the Department of Music for further information on specific areas of interest.
Note: Individual applied lessons are available to music majors and minors, theatre majors and minors, musical theatre minors, and students enrolled in departmental ensembles. Students may enroll in 1-hour (1 unit), or 30-minute (0.5 units) lessons. A full description of the applied instruction protocols is available on the Department of Music website. Applied lessons may be repeated for credit.