Courses
The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.
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CFA ME 799: Curriculum Organization in Music Education
Philosophies and objectives of music in public education; scope and sequence of curriculum appropriate for general choral and instrumental instruction. 4.0 credits. -
CFA ME 841: Quantitative Research Methods
Quantitative research methods and their application to educational research contexts; quantitative research design, sampling techniques, reliability and validity, descriptive and inferential statistics, quantitative studies in music education, and using software to conduct statistical analysis. Prerequisite required: ME 859 Problems, Theories, and Literature (4 cr.) -
CFA ME 842: Qualitative Research Methods
This course introduces graduate students to key issues and concepts in qualitative research. Students develop skills in conducting interviews, and observations; they gain experience with ethnographic and narrative techniques including transcribing, coding, interpreting data and presenting results of analysis. Prerequisite required: ME 859 Problems, Theories, and Literature (4 cr.) -
CFA ME 850: Music Education, Justice, and Equity
This course builds on other social justice-based courses offered by the Music Education Department: CFA ME 545: Power, Marginalization, and Privilege in Music Education; ME 751 Community Music; and ME 550 Empowering Song -- Music with Heart, Body, and Mind. Although this course is a companion to the above courses, it is self-contained and discrete. For students who have taken any of the above-mentioned courses, they may already be awakened to the issues of systemic marginalization. For others, this course may serve as a general introduction to social justice and music education. This course intends to cover a body of equity and justice theories as a means of impelling a reconsideration of music education curricula to deepen the students' reflection, and to foster a strong connection between justice and music education. Students will participate in group discussions and individual reflections to increase awareness of justice and equity particularly as they relate to themselves as music educators. As part of this process, students will engage in project development. Upon completion of the course, students should be better prepared to engage in acts of social justice and to work for music education as a force for social change. -
CFA ME 859: Problems, Theories, and Literature
In this course, students begin the process of transitioning from their roles as graduate students to their lifelong roles as scholars. Topics and activities include: a scholarly reading and writing; theories and conceptual frameworks; constructing a research problem, rationale, and research questions; and creating an outline for a scholarly literature review. -
CFA ME 899: Independent Project/Directed Study
Specialized, individually tailored and guided work on projects not connected with a thesis, dissertation or other terminal document, but of particular interest to the graduate student. Variable credit. -
CFA ME 921: Research and Directed Study in Music Education
Students will refine a research problem and rationale, engage critically with theoretical frameworks and relevant scholarly literature, and align appropriate research methods. Section A1 (for online DMA students) is a week-long residency on campus in Summer II; all other courses must be completed prior to enrollment. Section B1 (for on-campus DMA students) is to be completed in the last semester of coursework, Fall or Spring sem. 1 cr. -
CFA MH 105: Music Appreciation
Basic materials of music; analysis of masterpieces of music with reference to cultural background; group attendance of concerts with preliminary discussion period. Course does not presuppose a technical knowledge of music. 2 cr. -
CFA MH 106: Music and Culture
This course introduces music across history, genre, and cultures, examining music's relationship to politics, race, religion, and identity. We'll approach music as a human activity enmeshed in social, political, economic, philosophical, religious, ecological, and individual contexts. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration. -
CFA MH 211: History & Literature of Music 1
Historical survey of music tracing the history, performance, cultural significance, and development of musical styles from the Middle Ages to approximately the end of the Baroque. Required for all students in the BM and BA Music routes. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy. -
CFA MH 212: History & Literature of Music 2
Historical survey of music from 1750 to the present. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Historical Consciousness. -
CFA MH 401: Graduate Music History Review
Review of music history and literature from the Middle Ages to present. 2 cr. -
CFA MH 404: Approaches to Sacred Music East and West
This course aims to develop a cultural awareness of diversity and global citizenship through a deeper understanding of diverse religious beliefs and sacred music practices. Students will explore civic engagement through participation in several musical subcultures in the Boston area. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy. -
CFA MH 408: Bob Dylan: Music and Words
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - This course examines Bob Dylan's music and lyrics from 1962 to 1975 in the context of his life, artistic influences, and milieu. We will explore the wealth of criticism and reaction his songs have inspired, paying special attention to questions concerning the nature of his art--for example, his dependence on musical tradition or the relationship between song lyrics and poetry--and past and current critical discussion about his legacy. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course. -
CFA MH 409: Music of Black Americans
The course will study genres of Music of Black Americans in the United States and their appearance in and fusion with literature by African Americans. Emphasis on listening, live performances, student presentations, readings, and discussions. Topics include spirituals, ragtime, blues, jazz, popular music, rhythm and blues, rap, and classical music. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Aesthetic Exploration. -
CFA MH 412: Popular, Forgotten, and Misunderstood: Popular music of the 1950s
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First-Year Writing Seminar (CAS WR 120 or equivalent) - "Popular, Forgotten, and Misunderstood: Popular music of the 1950s" seeks to stimulate critical reflections about how popular music of "the Fifties" mirrors, challenges, and complicates conventional wisdom about the era (1945-63). Contemporary representations of the immediate post-world war two period often view the era with nostalgia and/or a sense of distance. We will continually question what people are nostalgic for and/or what they are seeking to distance themselves from. 4 cr -
CFA MH 433: The Beatles
"The Beatles": Selected topics exploring the relationship between popular music and culture, from American popular song and musical theatre, to worldbeat, blues, R&B, rock, Hip-hop, and techno. 4 cr. -
CFA MH 436: Musical Culture
This course offers both an introductory look at four selected regions/countries among the diverse musical cultures around the world: West Africa, Bulgaria, Brazil, and Korea. Through these musical practices, we will investigate the ways in which many of these styles are the product of long running intra/intercultural dialogues, struggles, and negotiation processes that continue to produce new hybrid forms. Because of the vast array of people and cultures within each selected area, this course is necessarily selective and introductory. A variety of scholars and performing artists will be invited to give a workshop on music/dance and discuss their lives as musicians. Over the course of the semester, you will gain an understanding of the myriad ways people use music to construct and individual group identities, the diverse ways groups incorporate music into their lives, and how to understand music within a broader historical, political, and economic context. You will also be introduced to basic musical concepts and terminology, and acquire listening skills that will enable you to better encounter and understand music in this course and beyond. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Aesthetic Exploration, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Research and Information Literacy. -
CFA MH 499: Directed Study: Undergraduates
Individual projects arranged between undergraduate students and faculty, often in areas outside of the regular curriculum. Plans must be submitted in advance of registration. Variable credit. -
CFA MH 561: World Music Ensemble
Learn to perform traditional world music in the context of an ensemble taught by specialists of African, Balinese, Latin American, and many other types of world music. The specific musical style and type of group will change with each semester. Improve your rhythmic skills; lower performance anxiety. Enrollment is open to all students. No previous musical experience is necessary. 1 cr. May be repeated for credit.
