Courses

• CFA MP 180: Group Guitar
  Section A, Beginning Guitar, is an introduction to the fundamentals of guitar playing. No previous experience is necessary. By learning music from the Beatles to Bach to the blues, we will cover basic chords, scales, music notation and both pick and finger-style playing. Students should bring their own guitars. Several are available for rent from the Music Education office(CFA room 240, 617-353-6888). Section B, Intermediate Guitar, is designed for students who have acquired some basic guitar and reading skills. This section includes work with movable (barre) chord fingerings, movable scale fingerings, improvisation, accompaniment, and improving one's knowledge of the fingerboard. Repertoire includes everything from rock and blues classics to jazz standards. Section C, Advanced Guitar, is for more experienced guitar students. This section focuses on improving one's playing through mastery of chord and scale fingerings, understanding the music theory behind them, and putting all that information and physical skill to work in the context of improvising and accompanying a selection of jazz standards. Players interested in any style of music can benefit from this skill-building work. All sections 1 cr.
• CFA MP 185: Non-major Private Music Instruction: Other Instruments (Hour)
  14 1-hour private lessons provided for students not majoring in performance on non-traditional instruments supported by CFA, including guitar. Class is offered to students with or without prior experience and no pre-requisites are required. Open to CFA and non-CFA students. Course requires applied music fee. 1 cr.
• CFA MP 186: Non-major Private Music Instruction: Other Instruments (Half-hour)
  14 1/2-hour private lessons provided for students not majoring in performance on non-traditional instruments supported by CFA, including guitar. Class is offered to students with or without prior experience and no pre-requisites are required. Open to CFA and non-CFA students. Course requires applied music fee. 1 cr.
• CFA MP 231: English Diction
  Performance for singers: emphasis on style, interpretation, and perfection of English lyric diction. 1 cr.
• CFA MP 232: Italian Diction
  Performance for singers: emphasis on style, interpretation, and perfection of Italian lyric diction. 1 cr.
• CFA MP 233: French Diction
  Performance for singers: emphasis on style, interpretation, and perfection of French lyric diction. 1 cr.
• CFA MP 234: German Diction
  Performance for singers: emphasis on style, interpretation, and perfection of German lyric diction. 1 cr.
• CFA MP 235: Opera Project 1
  Designed to provide a basic understanding of how to prepare and perform appropriate selections from the operatic repertoire, with a dual focus on stagecraft and musical preparation. Class performance projects include recitative, staged operatic arias and opera scenes. 1 cr.
• CFA MP 236: Opera Project 2
  Continuation of CFA MP235. Designed to provide a basic understanding for undergraduate singers (freshmen and sophomores) of how to prepare and perform appropriate selections from the operatic repertoire, with a dual focus on stagecraft and musical preparation. Class performance projects include recitative, staged operatic arias and opera scenes. Students in the class will be considered for ensemble participation in the mainstage productions. Admission by audition. 1 cr.
• CFA MP 331: Song Literature 1
  The development of the Lied genre will be traced from the 18th through 20th centuries, focusing on the poetry and musical setting. Study and performance of Lieder, including songs of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf and Schoenberg. 2 cr.
• CFA MP 332: Song Literature 2
  The development of the mélodie genre will be traced from the 19th through 20th centuries, focusing on the poetry and musical setting, as well as an overview of Russian art song. Study and performance, including works of Berlioz, Fauré, Duparc, Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and Tchaikovsky. 2 cr.
• CFA MP 333: Song Literature 3
  The development of the English, Italian, and Spanish art song will be traced through study and performance. Among composers to be considered: Dowland, Purcell, Britten, Ives, Argento, Rorem, Granados, Turina. 2 cr.
• CFA MP 335: Performance Techniques for the Singing Actor 1
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Voice Majors. Fundamental stage techniques. Basic stage language, movement, presentation skills, and fundamentals of acting for recital and opera. No audition necessary. Some Opera Workshop participants may be asked to take Performance Techniques as a pre-requisite to casting in scenes. 2 cr.
• CFA MP 336: Performance Techniques for the Singing Actor 2
  Continuation of CFA MP335. 2 cr.
• CFA MP 381: Introduction to the Organ
  Introduction to the Organ, a companion course to CFA MP382 Introduction to the Harpsichord, will cover organ technique, repertoire, registration, history, and design. Basic techniques of touch, pedaling and coordination, and hymn playing will be addressed, as well as a survey of the literature written for the organ as related to developments in organ design and technology. Visits to local organs on and off campus will be included as well as classes regularly held in Room 426 where there is a seven-stop Noack mechanical studio organ. 1 cr.
• CFA MP 382: Harpischord for Keyboard Majors
  Study and performance of the harpsichord and its literature. Students instructed in the various aspects of harpsichord playing, including technique, registration, basso continuo realization, performance practice, national styles, and the major composers for the instrument. 2.0 credits.
• CFA MP 390: Intro to Conducting
  This course covers basic skills, including use of each hand, study of musical terminology, transposition, tempi, and dynamics. Students learn simple score reading and receive conducting experience. 2 cr.
• CFA MP 391: Instrumental Conducting 1
  Basic skills--beat patterns, use of each hand, study of musical terminology, transposition, tempi, and dynamics; simple score reading and conducting experience with emphasis on instrumental techniques. 2 cr.
• CFA MP 411: Piano Literature 1
  Study and performance of keyboard music from the Baroque period through the pre-Classical period. 3 cr.
• CFA MP 412: Piano Literature 2
  Study and performance of keyboard music of the Classical period. 3 cr.

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