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.

• CFA MT 321: Composition 5
  Prereq: CFA MT 222. Original work in contemporary composition. (May be repeated for credit.) 2 cr. Undergraduate.
• CFA MT 322: Composition 6
  Prerequisite: CFA MT 321. Original work in contemporary composition. (May be repeated for credit.) 2 cr. Undergraduate.
• CFA MT 341: Modal Counterpoint 1
  Prereq: CFA MT 102. Analysis and writing of examples of sixteenth-century vocal styles including the motet. 2 cr.
• CFA MT 342: Tonal Counterpoint 2
  The study of the early eighteenth-century styles of J.S. Bach and his contemporaries, with an emphasis on the relationship between theory and practice. Special attention will be paid to composing and analyzing invertible counterpoint, canon, two-part inventions and fugue. This is an undergraduate course, cross-listed with the graduate course MT642. 2.0 credits.
• CFA MT 401: Graduate Theory Review
  This course is dependent on a student's theory proficiency exam results. Review of fundamental music theory and analysis through the study of chord grammar, voice leading principles, figured bass, four-part chorale harmonization and form. Materials are approached through listening, writing and analytical work. Pre-requisite for MT601 and/or MT602 unless placed out via theory proficiency exam.
• CFA MT 411: Music Theories of the World
  In "Music Theories of the World" we study music theory from within a variety of traditions, from different parts of the world and with focus on different elements, such as rhythm, instrumentation, tuning, mode, melody, and harmony. The goal is to learn theories indigenous to each tradition, coming from practitioners rather than being imposed from a foreign tradition. By learning many different such theories in one course, we will discover not only the diversity of human music thought but also how many concepts are shared between makers of often very different kinds of music. Effective Spring 2023 this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Creativity/Innovation.
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  • Creativity/Innovation
  • Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
• CFA MT 421: Senior Composition 7
  Prereq: CFA MT 322. More advanced original work in contemporary musical composition. Undergraduate. 3 cr.
• CFA MT 422: Senior Composition 8
  Prerequisite: CFA MT 421. More advanced original work in contemporary musical composition. Preparation for senior recital. Undergraduate. 3 cr.
• CFA MT 431: Orchestration 1
  Basic techniques in scoring for chorus, orchestra, band, and ensembles. Ranges and transpositions of voices and instruments; idiomatic writing, score reading, and clef transposition. 2 cr.
• CFA MT 432: Orchestration 2
  Prerequisite: CFA MT 431. Contemporary orchestral techniques. Advanced study in scoring for modern orchestras, ensembles, choruses, and bands. 2 cr.
• CFA MT 435: Composing with Electronic Sounds and Computers 1
  Offers aesthetic and technical knowledge for creative work in electronic media via computers, recording equipment, and digital audio software. Develops skills in synthesis, recording, and live sound. Assignments include literature, listening, aspects of acoustic and electronic theory, and creative work. Required for Music Composition and Theory Majors. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Digital/Multimedia Expression.
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  • Digital/Multimedia Expression
• CFA MT 436: Composing with Electronic Sounds and Computers 2
  Prereq: CFA MT 435 or equivalent experience and permission from instructor. Expansion of aesthetic and technical knowledge in the domains of computer music, sound manipulation and sound recording. Introduction to computer-assisted composition environments and real-time interaction between electronics and instruments.
• CFA MT 441: Acoustical and Psychoacoustical Basis of Music
  Music is a complex system of human behavior with a basis in the physics of sound, musical instruments, and human physiology and cognition. There is a deep base of knowledge about music in the application of different modes of scientific inquiry -- physics, psychology, neuroscience -- to this complex system. This knowledge is a valuable resource for musicians and music researchers. In this class we investigate how we can use the science of sound and auditory perception to explain aspects of musical practice, and apply it to aspects of musical performance, composition, and music theory. Effective Spring 2024, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Scientific Inquiry I, Critical Thinking.
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  • Critical Thinking
  • Scientific Inquiry I
  • Social Inquiry II
• CFA MT 472: Music Perception and Cognition
  Covers selected topics in empirical research on music perception and cognition. These may include the cognitive processing of melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre, the connection of music to emotion, computational study of musical corpora, the quantitative study of music performance, and the connection of music to other areas of human intelligence. Students learn to evaluate research articles, apply statistical models to musical and behavioral data, and propose their own studies. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Research and Information Literacy.
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  • Quantitative Reasoning II
  • Research and Information Literacy
  • Social Inquiry II
• CFA MT 499: Independent 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 MT 520: Composers' Forum
  Required seminar for all composers. Visiting composers present and discuss their music. Students also present their own music and lead topics for discussion.
• CFA MT 601: Analytical Techniques 1
  Investigations into musical form and harmonic techniques in tonal repertoire in a variety of historical periods, styles, and genres. Students learn and practice methods of interpretation and analysis. Credits not applicable to MusAD in Composition.
• CFA MT 602: Analytical Techniques 2
  Analysis of post-tonal music. Investigation into compositional methods and procedures used in 20th and 21st century music. Lectures leading to individual analytical projects. Credits not applicable to MusAD in Composition. 3 cr.
• CFA MT 621: Graduate Composition
  Prereq: Two years of composition. Original work in advanced musical composition. May be repeated for credit. 3 cr.
• CFA MT 631: Orchestration 1
  Basic techniques in scoring for chorus, orchestra, band, and ensembles. Ranges and transpositions of voices and instruments; idiomatic writing, score reading, and clef transposition. 3 cr.