Introduction to Music In this course we will develop critical listening skills through guided study of selected works of Western classical, popular, and folk music, as well as a sampling of music from non-Western cultures, from the Middle Ages to the present. Students will learn to listen actively, to identify how music uses basic sound materials— such as rhythm, melody, timbre, texture, and harmony—to create meaning and expression, and to draw connections between music and its social and historical context. Previous musical training is not required.

American Popular Music: From the Blues to Hip-Hop (and Beyond) In this course we will use a broad historical approach to investigate the musical and cultural history of American Popular Music, from Minstrels and the Blues to the present moment, focusing on both the historical context and the social and political impacts of various musical styles, and centering on the contributions of culture and gender diversity of the artist. We will also explore how the business of the music industry and the technological developments and trends of the 20th and 21st Centuries have impacted - and been impacted by - the music itself. Class meetings will combine lectures with pointed discussion and critical listening to cover key points, and assignments will involve further listening.

Introduction to Electronic Music In this course we will unpack the fundamentals of audio recording, music production, and songwriting including analog / digital audio, signal processing, recording, producing, sequencing, automation, and MIDI. The course has two goals: 1) to build technical skills using a digital audio workstation (DAW) and 2) to apply these skills toward creative projects and exercises. Through lectures, listening sessions, readings, labs, creative projects, film screenings, and hands-on activities, we will build the necessary skills to produce a musical idea or composition in the digital domain for playback and release.

Musicking Power and Resistance Why has music been considered a threat to power, and thus been censured or banned in various geographic and historical moments? Why and how has it served as a form of resistance and protest that has given the oppressed a voice in others? We will use these questions as guiding frameworks for exploring how music has related with power and resistance in a global context. Engaging with music’s sonic and extra-sonic elements, we will develop skills for analyzing how these elements have shaped spiritual, political, social, and economic forms of power and resistance in a series of case studies drawn from different time periods and geographic locations. Course activities will include reading, writing, music and video analyses, performance-related activities and concert attendance, as well as lectures and discussions. No prior musical training required.

Topic is determined by the instructor - refer to section for the course description.

What in the World is Music? In this course we will explore global musical cultures in order to better understand both those musical cultures and our own in relation to one another. The course has two goals: to introduce students to unfamiliar ways of listening to and thinking about different elements of music (including – but not limited to – rhythm, melody, timbre, texture, harmony, and form); and to develop skills for appreciating cultural significances of these elements.  We will achieve these goals through readings, lectures, discussions, film screenings, listening sessions, workshops, concerts, and hands-on activities.

How to Improvise Have you ever watched a friend while they jam away on their guitar, awed that they can make things up on the spot?  This is called improvisation. Perhaps you would like to learn how to improvise. In this course we will learn how to best express what we hear and see in an improvised performance. We will discuss strategies for making the prospect of extemporaneous performance less daunting for a novice. Students will also learn about the foundational influence Black musicians have on the US American improvisational tradition through the study of the philosophies of such artists as Ornette Coleman, Anthony Braxton, and George Lewis.

Introduction to Jazz Methods for Beginning and Intermediate Jazz Musicians In this course we will explore several key methods used by jazz musicians to increase their mastery of the jazz language.  Classwork will focus on using the voice to unlock jazz creativity, then using such methods as transcribing, backing tracks and developing critical listening ability as well as exploring a number of theoretical approaches to improvisation, and playing in small groups.  Coursework will include transcription exercises, written analyses and recordings as well as an independent practice and rehearsal schedule.  Instrumental or vocal proficiency is required; previous jazz experience is not.  The ability to read music and basic theory knowledge are also required.  Beginning and intermediate jazz players are encouraged to enroll.

Music Theory I: Fundamentals This course is an introduction to the basic elements and theoretical concepts of Western music. We will focus on such topics as basic keyboard skills, sight singing, musical notation, rhythm, and harmony and form. Theoretical work and drills will be combined with compositional and performance projects. The goal of the course is to expand students’ musical intuition and skill and to provide the technical basis for further music study. No prior musical experience is required. (Students who wish to take upper-level composition or music theory courses must either complete this course or pass a theory and musicianship test administered by the department to demonstrate equivalent experience.) (Formerly MUSC 0109). 2.

Performance Lab Credit can be conferred for performance in faculty-supervised ensembles: (see listing of "Ensembles" in the requirements section). One unit of credit to accrue over two semesters (spring then fall only). The appropriate supervising faculty will give grades, based on attendance and quality of performance. A student should inform the ensemble director of intent to sign up for this course before starting, and should actually register for MUSC 0205 only the SECOND of the two terms by adding it as a fifth course. MUSC 0205 does not fulfill any major course requirements and may not be taken more than once.

Music I Music I focuses on the materials and grammar of music through compositional exercises. As part of these explorations, we will examine the elements of harmony (scales, triads and seventh chords), notation, rhythm, polyrhythm, binary and ternary forms, two-voice counterpoint, variation, transposition, as well as skills in conducting, analysis, ear-training, and sight-singing. Students will write short pieces for a variety of instruments and ensembles, notate their pieces, and rehearse and perform them, thereby learning about music through discovery and observation. The assignments are designed for students with or without compositional experience.

Music II This course is a continuation of MUSC 0209. While using the same format, including composing and labs, as in MUSC 0209, the course covers elements of modality (western and non-western), functional harmony, heterophony, fugal processes, strophic forms, melodic analysis, serial processes, and extensions of tonality and atonality.

Advanced Topics in Electronic Music Building on the topics covered in "Introduction to Electronic Music", this hands-on course will explore advanced techniques in music production including sound design, mixing, and mastering. The goal of the course is to apply these advanced techniques toward individual creative projects and a class compilation album to be released through a record label. In addition to lectures, listening sessions, critiques, labs, creative projects, film screenings, and hands-on activities, we will hear from active professionals in the field of music, business, and publicity in order to build the necessary skills to become active working professionals.

Songwriting and Production Workshop In this course we will offer student singer/songwriters a workshop setting for the creation and production of original songs. The course will revolve around student projects produced in the college’s electronic music studio and campus recording studio. Student projects will explore concepts of musical form and harmony, recording and production techniques, use of Digital Audio Workstations, and the incorporation of electronic sounds in a production. Lectures and demonstrations will provide theoretical and practical background to support those projects, and a collaborative environment will also allow students to learn from each other. (MUSC 0209 or permission).

Storytelling with Sound: The Sound Designer's Art In this course, students will learn about the evocative storytelling power of sound and its use in music, theater, film, television, video games and narrative media like radio and podcasting. The course is structured around weekly creative projects and 4 larger projects exploring the possibilities of expressive sound. Students will acquire a foundation of knowledge in acoustics and recording techniques and will work with sound recording, processing, and mixing tools along with basic video editing tools. The course will also explore a wide variety of sound design examples in popular films and TV shows and other media, with opportunities for analytical writing.

MUSC 0230 The Broadway Musical: Histories, Identities, and Performance In this course, we will explore the vibrant history of the Broadway musical from the early 20th century to the present, emphasizing its role as a dynamic facet of a changing American culture. Through engagement with historical sources and musicological scholarship, as well as analysis of seminal works, we will examine how Broadway musicals have adapted to changing times and audiences, reflecting and shaping societal contexts, with a focus on key composers, librettists and performers. Our discussions will draw connections between the musical and other forms of staged musical performance, including opera, operetta, and cabaret. Discussions will critically explore the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in the production and reception of musicals, as well as the influence of a changing media landscapes in their dissemination. A key source will be the book Enchanted Evenings by Geoffrey Block, with additional readings and a weekly screening of a full musical.

The Cultural Work of Country Music “I like all kinds of music...except country.”  Arguably, aversion to American country music often tracks with class- and race-based assumptions about both makers and consumers of this genre.  In this course we will challenge those views while studying the history of the form.  Balancing our consideration of the big picture with case studies of performers like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and The Chicks, we will explore what types of music the “country” tag comprises; some of the major themes and motifs associated with the form; the Black and White roots of country music; and the politicization of the music and its performers throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.  Source materials for the course will include Bill Malone’s Country Music, USA; Ken Burn’s Country Music documentary; Creating Country Music: Fabricating Authenticity, and A Good-Natured Riot: The Birth of the Grand Ole Opry.

Performing Chamber Music In this performance-based course we will deal with practical ensemble performance challenges related to ensemble playing.  Some class time will be devoted to analysis of the works being performed and their historical perspective.  Students will be asked to do research on the biographical details of the composers and the place of the assigned works within the composer’s oeuvre. Performance techniques appropriate for each piece will be investigated. The course will culminate with a final concert (or concerts). Enrollment by audition.

Conducting In this course students will develop basic skills of conducting including movement, aural skills, creative gesture, and score study. Daily work will include preparation to conduct an ensemble of classmates. Score reading ability and proficiency on an instrument or in singing is required.

African Music and Dance Performance This course will introduce students to various techniques of performing East African (primarily Ugandan) musical and dance traditions through regular rehearsals, culminating in an end-of-semester concert. As an ensemble, we will learn and master how to play and sing/dance to bow-harps, thumb-pianos, xylophones, tube-fiddles, bowl-lyres, gourd shakers, struck gourds, reed-box rattles, ankle bells, leg rattles, and various types of drums. Some background in performing music is recommended, but prior knowledge of performing African music and dance is not required.

Collaborative Improvisation: All-Arts Ensemble In this course/ensemble we will open dialogues of performance, improvisation, and social interaction across disciplines in the arts. How do the various disciplines relate to each other in a performance environment? It may be easy to see points of commonality between music and dance or writing and theater, but what about the act of painting and the process of musical improvisation? Through the work of Ornette Coleman, Del Close, John Cage, Pauline Oliveros, and others, students will explore improvisation in music, theater, dance, and visual art. The class will culminate in a performance. All students are welcome.

A Cappella Ensemble Performance Unaccompanied vocal music is rich in cultural expression and artistic beauty. Singing in an unaccompanied vocal ensemble enhances creativity, musicianship, and communication skills. This course affords an opportunity to develop analytical and ensemble skills that contribute to creative and informed performance. Through study of scores and source readings, students will explore vocal technique, performance, and cultural context in European art music, North American folk songs, and styles of improvisation. This course will conclude with a public performance and may include additional performances off campus. Music reading is required, prior singing experience is not. A preview of the reading requirement is available at go/Ensemble246.

Performing Jazz In this course we will explore language, idiom, and improvisation in the mainstream and bop traditions of jazz.  In-class work will focus on repertoire, jazz theory, approaches to improvisation and playing in a combo.  Additional work will include written analyses, transcription exercises and self-recording, anchored by independent listening and practice.  Instrumental or vocal proficiency is required; previous jazz experience is not.  Basic theory knowledge and the ability to sight-read are advised.

Music Theory II: Diatonic Theory This course is an in-depth technical study of the materials of music, a study which expands one’s ability to analyze and create music and to understand different musical styles.  We will cover harmonic materials, introduce musical form, and work with traditional compositional skills. These techniques are applied to the analysis of classical music, jazz and popular music.

Music Theory III: Chromatic Theory This course is a continuation of MUSC 0260. Students will study more advanced harmonic devices including modulation and chromaticism, jazz harmony, and post-tonal techniques. In-depth analysis of classical music, jazz, and popular music supports a more advanced study of musical form.

The Guitar in American Culture Although it has European and African antecedents, modern acoustic and electric guitars are American inventions.  From the genteel parlor guitars of the 19th century elite to the electric weaponry of today’s rock stars, the guitar is an essential artifact of American material culture.   Drawing on histories, cultural critiques, interviews, and sound and video recordings, we will study both the evolution of the instrument and the builders and players who have helped define its role.  Examining artifacts and talking with working guitar builders will illuminate the craft of guitar making.  The culmination of the course will be a student-curated exhibition.

Advanced Composition In this course we will focus on writing for string quartet, brass quintet, a cappella singing, piano, or performance art and involve issues of technique, style, and practical considerations, as well as study of selected elements of the literature. The course will culminate with a reading of student works by a professional ensemble or solo performer. This semester we focus on composing for the string quartet. We will discuss a variety of string techniques as well as issues of form and orchestration. We will listen to important works for that medium and discuss the styles from the Classical period to this century.  (MUSC 0209 and 0210 or approval of instructor).

Music in Western Cultures In this course we will develop skills for assessing music’s social, economic, and political importance in Western societies. Through a series of units focusing on various aspects of music (such as composition, performance, dissemination, and reception) and on various eras from ancient Greece to the present, students will engage with the principal questions and methods of historical musicology. Students will learn to interpret musical works’ formal, stylistic, and performative characteristics through close engagement with scores and recordings, and draw connections between musical works and the institutions and wider socio-cultural conditions that have shaped and continue to shape music-making.

Music in World Cultures In this course students will develop skills for analyzing a wide range of music styles and appreciating their social, economic, and political importance. We will explore selected case studies through readings, lectures, discussions, film screenings, listening sessions, workshops, concerts, and hands-on activities.

Approaches to Music Inquiry  In this course we will explore various approaches to music inquiry in order to develop an in-depth understanding of diverse procedures for uncovering, applying, and producing musical knowledge. We will use a seminar format that supports a multimodal study and application of such knowledge. Course activities will include discussions, lectures, analysis, investigation, presentations, readings, writing, and creative work. The seminar will culminate in projects that advance methodologies of our senior and/or related capstone work. All music majors are required to take this course in the fall of their senior year.  3hrs. lect./disc.

Making a Musical: Process and Performance In this experiential course, students will rehearse and perform a musical at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury, in collaboration with the college’s departments of Music and Theatre. Students with a passion for collaborative theatre-making and a desire to further their skills as actors, musicians, singers, dancers and designers will study alongside professional artists and educators from Middlebury College and beyond. This immersive and unique learning experience will be an opportunity to collaborate across artistic disciplines and to share artistic work with the broader Middlebury community. Participation in the course is determined by auditions held the previous term and requires instructor approval. Please contact Craig Maravich (director) cmaravich@midlebury.edu or Carol Christensen (musical director) at christen@middlebury.edu

Music, Image, and Imagination Music’s fusions with dance, visual art, theater, and film have produced some of the most iconic partnerships in our culture. From compelling artistic statements to political propaganda, music has always played a major role. This course will explore how we tell these stories through those alliances. How does it start? What comes first, music or the other medium? What makes them so powerful? Embracing European, American, and Asian traditions---from ballet, opera, and gamelan to theater, film, video, and intermedia art of the present day---students will study the many changing synergies these collaborations have accrued. Individual and collaborative exercises focused on developing relationships between music and image will extend to students creating their own fusions of music with other media.

Electronic Music: Digital Audio Synthesis & Production In this intensive course, taught exclusively in Ableton Live, we will explore the fundamentals of digital audio synthesis and electronic music production. In the context of an original project, each student will learn to design sounds, warp and process audio samples, arrange MIDI, deploy effects, automate parameters, and creatively utilize these skills in tandem. We will also delve into the basic principles of digital audio, signal flow, mix engineering, and emulation theory within software synthesizers. Final projects will be presented in a public exhibition at end of term. Students should expect a substantial amount of work outside of class time. (not open to students who have taken MUSC 0112 or MUSC 0212) (Approval required; please contact Jack Tipper at atipper@middlebury.edu)  Jack Tipper ’15.5 is an independent multidisciplinary artist and audio technologist. He currently develops creative tools and releases music under his professional moniker “Aotu”./

Artistic Creation Through Breath In this course we will explore what artistic creation and performance become when the artist connects their practice to their breathing. We will discuss the act of breathing, meet with artists who have centered breathing in their practices, and create work in which breathing is an integral part of the composition process. We will read James Nestor’s Breath and Pauline Oliveros’ Deep Listening. This discussion- and performance-based course will culminate in a performance and/or exhibition. All are welcome regardless of artistic discipline or artistic proficiency.

Live Coding - Computer Programming as Musical Performance In this course we will learn the art of live coding, an electronic music improvisation/performance practice in which the computer programmer creates music in real time. Live coding is an excellent introduction to computer programming for beginners, and also offers opportunities for more advanced programmers. Students will learn the techniques of live coding, basics of sound design and acoustics, and fundamentals of music theory. Class projects will include solo and group performances and recordings. All students will need a laptop computer (Windows or Mac) with a reasonable amount of free disc space. No previous music or coding experience required.

Visualizing Sound - Creating Animated Computer Art from Music In this course we explore the many ways that sound and music can be transformed into animated computer art using a software tool called Touch Designer. The project-driven course will offer a series of creative projects that explore various approaches to the topic. In the class, we will learn about and apply concepts of music theory, acoustics, and the psychology of music, as well as computer programming techniques used within Touch Designer. Students will need a laptop computer (Windows or Mac) with ample storage space. No previous music or coding experience required.  Peter Hamlin, Christian A. Johnson Professor Emeritus of Music at Middlebury, is a Middlebury alum who has worked as a radio host/producer, TV host, composer, performer, and music professor. At Middlebury, he taught courses in music theory, composition, electronic music, and served as Music Department Chair for many years./

Music in Miniature In this course we will explore musical miniatures: compositions and songs that are not merely short, but extraordinarily and intentionally brief. What do such tiny pieces illuminate about the creative process, aesthetic values, and musical time? How do narrative and irony arise in these unusual forms? Are new platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts reshaping our musical expectations? We will examine a diverse range of musical miniatures alongside small-scale forms from other arts, such as haiku poetry, miniature portraiture, nano-sculpture, and one-minute film. We will create our own stand-alone miniatures, use miniatures as building blocks for longer cycles, and reflect in writing and speech on our work. Composers, songwriters, and performers from all musical traditions are welcome.

The Music of Miles Davis For almost fifty years, there was no greater catalyst in improvised music - and arguably, in all creative music - than Miles Davis. He repeatedly revolutionized Jazz and its associated styles, guiding them from bebop through cool jazz, post-bop, jazz-rock fusion, third stream, psychedelic rock, and hip-hop. In this course we will dive into this path of influence, through a comprehensive look at his music, his collaborators, and his life. In addition to in-class lectures, selected readings, and discussion, we will listen to and analyze Davis’ landmark recordings to chart his path of constant reinvention, and explore the ways in which he continues to influence modern creative music.  Kyle Saulnier is a composer, performer, and educator, specializing in modern American music./

Investigating Musical Theatre In this course, we will explore what it means to be a collaborative performing artist in the 21st century through the lens of musical theatre. This course will function as both a seminar to discuss performance theory and processes as well as a lab for embodied practice. To engage with the latter, we will dedicate much of our class time to the three key elements of musical theatre: acting, singing, and dancing. Our engagement with these skills will culminate in a final performance at the end of the term. Readings include the likes of Stephen Sondheim, Linda Sabo, and Liz Lerman. Screenings include Falsettos, Allegiance, Leave It on the Floor, Into the Woods, Lift, and London Road.  Madison Middleton '22.5 is a multi-disciplinary artist with foci in theatre, music, and teaching artistry. They currently work at Middlebury College as an assistant director, sound designer, and program assistant for Beyond the Page./

Culture & Craft of DJing This course will cover the cultural history of the DJ in hip-hop, dancehall, and house music. We will explore the biographies of influential DJs, and how they moved popular culture. The course will also offer an introduction into the technical aspects of DJing, including cueing, blending, scratching and transitions. A good DJ interacts with and adapts to the crowd. We will explore the psychology of the dance floor, including crowd dynamics, energy management, and performance strategies. We end this course by organizing a party as a DJ event.  DJ Serena Kim was one of the first female club DJs in New York City in the 1990s. She has rocked the dance floor at legendary dance clubs and held a two-night residency at Veruka, where she DJed for the Yankee’s 1999 World Series celebration party. She has DJ’ed alongside Mark Ronson, Q-Tip, and Kool Herc. In addition, DJ Serena Kim served as features editor for Vibe magazine and has been a prolific music journalist with publication credits in nearly every hip-hop magazine, as well as the LA Times, the Washington Post, and many others./

Music in the United States In this course we will examine folk, classical, and popular music in the United States from the 17th century to the present. We will use historical and analytical approaches to gain insight into the music, the musicians, and the social and cultural forces that have shaped them. Students will explore music’s relation to historical events, other artistic movements, technological changes, and questions of national identity and ethnicity. Topics will include music in the British colonies, minstrelsy, American opera and orchestras, jazz, popular music, and the experimentalist composers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Sing the World into Place Would you enjoy spending your winter term...singing? Are you excited to learn and compare different ways of singing? Do you perceive singing as a way to develop community? In this course, we will address these questions as we explore singing of different places, purposes, and time periods. Through daily workshops supported by readings, listening, and discussion, we will build a broader understanding of how and why we sing. Our repertoire will span genres, including global folk, traditional, classical and popular music broadly defined. We will reinforce positive attributes of group singing and refine our narrative of the collective singing experience. No prerequisite or vocal performance experience required. go/singtheworldintoplace Lecture/disc.

Alexander Tipper

Carol Christensen

Craig Maravich

Damascus Kafumbe

Danielle Simon

Dick Forman

Doug Anderson

Evan Bennett

Jeff Buettner

Kyle Saulnier

Larry Hamberlin

Madison Middleton

Matthew Quayle

Matthew Taylor

McLean Macionis

Peter Hamlin

Rebecca Mitchell

Ronald Romano

Sarah Trouslard

Su Tan

William Nash

Read 87 reviews for Music courses at Middlebury College. Find the best Music professors and courses.  Discover your new major today!

I think this class is definitely one of my favorites. While the content wasn't really helpful for my major, I'd recommend this class to anyone interested in creating music, or just knowing how their favorite music is made, even if you aren't a music major. It will probably be more helpful for someone interested in EDM or DJing, but this class still teaches quite a lot that is helpful in producing more acoustic, indie style music, too. Homework was very simple, we reviewed one short album per week, and there were quick quizzes (not difficult if you take notes in class!) each class but if people were falling behind he was always very accommodating. There's a lot of peer and professor feedback in the class, which was also very helpful. People in the class came from all different kinds of levels, but he grades according to the amount of experience you're coming from, so it's very open to beginners. Highly recommend!

I loved the professor. Extremely friendly and accomodating, takes late work, online quizzes. An easy class but sometimes difficult to sit through the lecture and a lot of busy work at home. Would definitely reccomend. 

I enjoyed and would recommend anyone interested in taking this class co-taught by Jack and McLean in the future. I came here with zero background in electronic music production, Ableton, or any DAWs. The course consists of lectures, where we were taught some techniques like mixing and sound design, and labs, where we produce our music on our own and ask the instructors for advice. I received a lot of solid advice. We presented our work at the end of the course. Generally, any genre of electronic music is welcomed, and it is a rewarding course for students from any background.