Music History and Literature Faculty
Stratis Minakakis ‡
Gregory E. Smith ‡
Jazz Theory and History Faculty
Eyran Katsenelenbogen
Rick McLaughlin
Joel Yennior
‡ also College faculty
Music History and Literature
Evolution of Jazz: A Listener’s Guide
10 Sessions (Spring Semester Only)
Rick McLaughlin, Instructor
Thursdays, 7:00 - 8:00pm
Non-credit: $260
A 10-class overview of jazz music presented as a "listener's guide," for the jazz lover or enthusiast profiling the music's development from African folksong and ritual through the music of the present day, with emphasis on the cultural context(s) in which the music evolved and the iconic figures who participated in its growth and development. Reading and listening assignments will serve as the basis for in-class discussion. One presentation on a live jazz performance of the student's choice is required.
*This course qualifies for 10 Professional Development Points.
Modernism(s)
Fall Semester Only
Stratis Minakakis, Instructor
Mondays, 6:00-8:00 pm
2 Credits: $1100
Non-Credit: $780
Begins 9/20
The course examines music modernism during the first half of the 20th century as a multi-faceted phenomenon, consisting of several distinct yet interrelated tendencies. Starting with the turn-of-the century precursors of modernism, it covers the first post-tonal period of the Second Viennese School; iconoclastic works by Stravinsky and Bartók; the twelve-tone system; and modernist and experimental movements in America and the European periphery. The course concludes with assessing the impact of various modernist tendencies in the radical developments in music after 1945. Designed to approach the subject from analytical, performance, compositional, and historical perspectives, the course appeals to a wide variety of audiences, including composers, performers, theorists, historians and music lovers with an adequate theoretical background.
The History of Western Music I: from the 9th through the early 18th Centuries
Fall Semester Only
Gregory E. Smith, Instructor
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
3 Credits: $1650
Non-credit: $1170
Note: This course is on the NEC college calendar. First class begins Thursday 9/7.
The recorded history of music in Christianized Europe begins with the notation of sacred chant in the 9th century. The development of that repertory over the next several centuries laid the foundations on which the composition of music, sacred and secular, was based for generations to come. We will trace in this class the course of music's development from its long gestation in the bosom of the Church through its phases of courtly and aristocratic patronage, stopping at the Enlightenment. The focus of study will center on the changes of musical style that occurred over time, and on the social-cultural circumstances that engendered those changes. Among the composers to be studied: Perotin, Machaut, Dufay, Josquin, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Lully, Corelli, Bach, and Handel. There will be a mid-term and final exam, and one written critique of an assigned reading.
The History of Western Music II: from the Enlightenment to Recent Times
Spring Semester Only
Gregory E. Smith, Instructor
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:00 - 7:30 pm (Spring)
3 Credits: $1650
Non-credit: $1170
Note: This course is on the NEC college calendar.
Many of the notions we hold today regarding music and its role in society are rooted in ideas that emerged in the Enlightenment of the 18th century. We will begin with a close study of those ideas and the music it fostered, then follow the rise of music to its preeminent role among the arts in the 19th century. Finally, we will explore the alternative paths composers pursued following the rupture with tonality and with conventional views on music at the start of the 20th century. Works from Bach to Babbitt will be included in our survey. There will be a mid-term and final exam, and one written critique of an assigned reading.
Jazz History
Full Year Course (Fall and Spring)
Rick McLaughlin, Instructor
Tuesdays 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
1 credit: $550 per semester
Non-credit: $390 per semester
Begins 9/21
A comprehensive overview of the evolution of American jazz from its roots in African folksong and ritual through the present day. Related topics such as Crossover, Third Stream, Fusion, and jazz-influenced classical music will also be considered. Emphasis is on listening and class discussion, with possible live in-class performances. There are also reading and listening assignments, plus a final paper each semester that will be a report on a live jazz performance of the student’s choice.
2010-09-02
VIRGIL THOMSON