Graduate Course Offerings

In this doctoral-level course, students will be introduced to the principles, methods, and practices of scholarly research in music. Topics include a broad spectrum of paradigmatic approaches, including historical, philosophical, quantitative, and qualitative methodologies. Students will evaluate existing literature across diverse musical disciplines and develop skills in scholarly writing and research design. Emphasis is placed on formulating research questions, constructing effective arguments, and understanding the ethical considerations of music scholarship. This course serves as a vital bridge between musical artistry and academic inquiry, equipping students with the tools necessary to contribute meaningfully to the evolving landscape of music research.

An introduction to the history of film music. We start the semester with a brief introduction to various theoretical approaches to film music and film sound, learning important terminology along the way. We then launch a historical survey, beginning with the accompaniment of silent film in the early twentieth century and concluding with an examination of present-day film music. An important goal of this course is to acquaint students with the study of primary sources. This includes the direct analysis of film production materials (shot-by-shot diagrams, recording logs, cue sheets) and the interpretation of composer interviews, notes, and essays. Secondary sources will be assigned to provide students with a general introduction to the current state and scope of film music scholarship.

Course description coming soon.

Study and application of significant contemporary methods of music analysis for both tonal and post-tonal repertoire. Prepares students for additional graduate courses in music theory; as such, it should be taken in the student’s first year of study. Required of all DMA candidates. 

Course description coming soon

In this doctoral-level course, students will be introduced to the principles, methods, and practices of scholarly research in music. Topics include a broad spectrum of paradigmatic approaches, including historical, philosophical, quantitative, and qualitative methodologies. Students will evaluate existing literature across diverse musical disciplines and develop skills in scholarly writing and research design. Emphasis is placed on formulating research questions, constructing effective arguments, and understanding the ethical considerations of music scholarship. This course serves as a vital bridge between musical artistry and academic inquiry, equipping students with the tools necessary to contribute meaningfully to the evolving landscape of music research.

The Baroque is an eventful era that begins with the invention of opera and ends with JS Bach and Handel.  The genres of opera, oratorio, and cantata are only part of the story, however, because the years 1600 to 1750 also see the rise of instrumental music and the genres of sonata, concerto, and suite.  Some of the first major artworks that are still in the repertory come from this period. 

When Leonard Bernstein died in October 1990, choreographer Jerome Robbins summed up his collaborator’s creative life as follows: “Here in America, we have lost one of the most vital makers and shakers of the musical world.… The scope and dimension of all his interests and the diversity of all that musical energy is gigantic, almost superhuman, and it will be missed.…” As a conductor, Bernstein had championed twentieth-century American composers and popularized the symphonies of Gustav Mahler. As a composer, he wrote numerous masterpieces of American Musical Theater (On the Town[1944], Wonderful Town [1953], Candide [1956], and West Side Story [1957]); three still largely underrated sym­phonies; an Oscar-nominated film score (On the Waterfront [1954]); and—later in his career—works drawing on modern styles, such as electronic music and rock (Mass [1970]) and aleatory techniques (Concerto for Orchestra [1989]). Finally, as an educa­tor, Bernstein was able to communicate musical meaning to a wider audience than could any of his contempo­raries, most notably in his television essays for Robert Saudek’s CBS (later ABC) Omnibus programs (1954–62), in his Young People’s Concerts(1958–72), and later in The Unanswered Question (1973)—the Norton Lectures he gave at his alma mater, Harvard University. In this Seminar, we will examine Leonard Bernstein’s achievements as a composer and musical thinker.

Course Description Coming Soon

Graphic analysis of tonal music using tools derived from Schenker, Schachter, Westergaard, and others; their effect on musical thought and performance in this century. 

Course Description Coming Soon

Recent developments in the field of mathematics and music with focus on set-, group-, and graph-theoretical approaches to music analysis.

Advanced techniques in digital sound synthesis and composition; analysis/resynthesis techniques, granular synthesis, physical modeling, interactive computer music performance and algorithmic composition using computers; survey of represen

This course is a survey of the field of music psychology, application of the scientific method in music research, and the fundamentals of experimental design. Through readings, discussions, and academic writing, students will develop their understanding of topics such as the neurophysiology of hearing, perception of musical pitch, time, and rhythm, the development of expertise and music practice, the psychology of music performance, and foundations of cognitive neuroscience in music. Students will evaluate published empirical work, learning how to interpret research findings, culminating in an original experiment they design.