Music

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  • CFA MU 193: Pep Band
    The BU Pep Band is the powerful driving force behind the spirit and fan ritual at all home men's hockey and men's & women's basketball games. Boasting over one hundred members, this band provides a high-energy way to stay involved in the athletic band program after marching bands. Because the teams are perennial contenders, the band has many opportunities for travel to conference and NCAA tournaments. For more information please visit www.bu.edu/bands 1 cr.
  • CFA MU 194: Jazz Ensemble
    Under the direction of Dr. Andrew Goodrich, the Big Band is a standard big band ensemble that performs a wide range of music. Membership is by audition only. The band consists of members from many colleges in the University. The Big Band is the flagship jazz ensemble of the university. The BU Big Band performs regularly on and off-campus. Performances include the Jazz Power Hour in BU Central, Boston University's Biannual JazzFest and annual Jazz Brunch. For more information please visit www.bu.edu/bands 1 cr
  • CFA MU 195: Jazz Combo
    The Honors Combo is dedicated to playing small group jazz, consisting mainly of a rhythm section (bass, drums, piano or guitar) and one to four other instruments, depending on balance and ability level. This ensemble is open by audition only. The Honors Combo performs several times throughout the semester. Auditions take place during the first week of classes in the fall. For more information please visit www.bu.edu/bands 1 cr.
  • CFA MU 196: Jazz Workshop
    The Jazz Workshop is for those who wish to learn more about the art of playing jazz. This ensemble focuses on improvisation and education in the jazz style. The Jazz Workshop performs one concert per semester. Auditions take place during the first week of classes in the fall. For more information please visit www.bu.edu/bands 1 cr.
  • CFA MU 197: All-Campus Orchestra
    The All-Campus Orchestra is a full concert orchestra with auditions open to anyone in the Boston University community. The orchestra meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00-9:00 p.m. and performs four times throughout the academic year. The orchestra is an audition-only ensemble with a limited number of wind and percussion chairs. Under the direction of Mark Miller, the All-Campus Orchestra is a large ensemble devoted to the study and performance of orchestral music. Participation in the ACO gives student musicians the tools, experience and understanding to appreciate music for the rest of their lives, either as discerning listeners or as participants in the vibrant world of amateur music-making. For more information please visit www.bu.edu/bands 1 cr.
  • CFA MU 199: Symphonic Chorus
  • CFA MU 201: Music Theory 3
    More advanced study of tonal harmony and voice leading. Tonal counterpoint. Formal and compositional idioms of the late Baroque. Keyboard harmony, figured bass, and introduction to score reading. All students must also enroll in Ear-Training and Sight-Singing. 3 cr.
  • CFA MU 202: Music Theory 4
    Continued study of tonal and chromatic harmony and voice leading. Composition of small forms. Introduction to instrumentation and scoring. Formal and compositional idioms of the Classical period. Keyboard harmony and score reading. All students must also enroll in Ear-Training and Sight-Singing. 3 cr.
  • CFA MU 207: Ear-Training and Sight-Singing 3
    Prereq: CFA MU 108 or placement by examination. Continuation of CFA MU 108. More challenging exercises in sight singing and preparation of increasingly chromatic or disjunct materials. Melodic, harmonic, two-part, and rhythmic dictation. Two-part rhythmic exercises and conducting. 1 cr.
  • CFA MU 208: Ear-Training and Sight-Singing 4
    Prereq: CFA MU 207 or placement by examination. Continuation of CFA MU 207. Greater emphasis on non-diatonic material, more difficult exercises in prepared singing, sight-singing, dictation, and rhythm. 1.0 credit.
  • CFA MU 215: Keyboard Sight Reading
    Systematic instruction designed to aid keyboard players in the development of sight-reading skills. Materials are drawn from solo and ensemble literature.
  • CFA MU 221: History and Literature of Music 1
    Historical survey of music from Antiquity to the end of the Baroque. 3 cr. 1st sem.
  • CFA MU 222: History and Literature of Music 2
    Historical survey of music from 1750 to the present. 3 cr. 2nd sem.
  • CFA MU 223: History and Literature of Music 1
    For description, see CFA MU 221. For College of Arts and Sciences students, who are required to do an additional project or projects as determined by the instructor. 4 cr.
  • CFA MU 224: History and Literature of Music 2
    For description, see CFA MU 222. For College of Arts and Sciences students, who are required to do an additional project or projects determined by the instructor. 4 cr.
  • CFA MU 228: Masterpieces of Western Music
    Study of selected major works from each of the historical style periods of Western music: Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classic, Romantic, and the twentieth century. Works are chosen to illustrate the broad scope of Western musical history. Open to all students except CFA Music Majors. 2 or 4 cr. (*)
  • CFA MU 242: Music and Society
    A survey of the complex and fascinating relationship between music and the society it mirrors, from Plato to Punk. Focuses on several crucial crossroads in the history of Western culture: antiquity and musical ethos; medieval plainsong; feudalism and courtly love; the secular courts of the Renaissance; Bach and craftsmanship; Mozart and the Enlightenment; angst, anger, and Romanticism; and the modern ferment. 2 or 4 cr. (*)
  • CFA MU 247: Popular Music: The Beatles
    This course will examine the music of the Beatles in the cultural, social, and musical context of the Sixties. We shall look at the influences that played a part in the formation of their style; the magical interplay of talents among the four musicians; and the special partnership between Lennon and McCartney that led to the creation of some of the most enduring songs of the pop and rock era. This course is especially designed for students who have no technical background in music, though musicians are welcome too.
  • CFA MU 249: Popular Music: Funk
    Funk is a musical style that emerged during the late 1960s and early ?70s, and is widely considered as one of the primary influences in the development of disco, rap, hip hop, fusion, and contemporary urban and R&B styles. This course will follow the trajectory of funk from its roots in rhythm and blues through its classic formulation in the 1970s, and will conclude with a discussion of the urban transformation and revival of funk over the last two decades. We will place funk within its cultural and social milieu, as well as examine the evolving musical characteristics of funk in some detail. This course is intended for the general university student and neither assumes nor requires previous training in music. 3 cr.
  • CFA MU 261: Music Education 1
    Required of music education students and open to any University student interested in building a basic repertoire of teaching skills. Discussion of student's reasons for selecting music teaching as a profession. The study of the nature of teacher power and authority in the classroom and the importance of relationship building with students. Instuctional strategies of master teachers including attention and clarity moves are studied, analyzed, and practiced. Analysis of teacher attributes as portrayed in films. Development of a repertoire of songs for classroom use. FIELD EXPERIENCE: 25 hours of sustained weekly Friday morning internship in a public secondary school music program. 2 cr.

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