Music

Oren Tirschwell gives flourish at the end of a cello performance in outdoor tent
Points of Entry

Any 100-level course provides a potential starting point for students new to the study of music. 200-level courses are points of entry for students with some musical experience, as specified in the course descriptions.

Fundamentals of Musical Practice

Preparation for further coursework in performance, creation, and analysis:

Music 111 ("Introduction to Music"), 211 ("Exploring Music") and 213 ("Jazz Theory and Improvisation I") develop fluency in the practical skills for making music, and explore their use in performance, creation, and analysis.

Fundamentals of Scholarship

Preparation for further coursework in ethnographic studies and historical studies:

Students are offered an introduction to Ethnographic Studies through any of the following courses: MUSI 105 ("African Popular Music"), 106 ("Master Musicians of Africa"), 115 ("Writing About Music"), 116 ("Live Music"), 123 ("Sacred Sound"), 128 ("The Blues Muse"), 225 ("Jazz Film"), 232 ("Listening, Hearing, and the Human"), 238 ("Connecticut River Valley Soundscapes")

...and Historical Studies through these courses: MUSI 110 ("The Symphony Orchestra"), 126 ("Hip Hop History"), 220 ("History of Opera"), 221 ("Voices from a Bygone Time"), 222 ("Music & Culture II"), 223 ("The Musical Symptoms of Modernism"), 226 (Jazz History to 1945), 227 ("Jazz History After 1945")

Individual and Ensemble Performance Instruction

Individual instrumental and vocal performance instruction is available (MUSL 151H - 183H).

Performance ensembles are also a good entry point to the major (MUSI 129H - 133H).

Below are some links to help you get started:

Five College Ethnomusicology Certificate

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Studying music from a multi-disciplinary perspective

The Five College Certificate Program in Ethnomusicology allows students interested in studying music from a multi-disciplinary perspective to build bridges across departmental boundaries in a rigorous and structured manner, and to receive credit for their accomplishments, even while completing a major in another field. In reflecting interdisciplinary trends in Ethnomusicology, students are encouraged to combine the certificate with degrees in various overlapping fields, such as African American and African Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Asian Studies, Asian American Studies, Cultural Studies, European Studies, Gender Studies, language studies, Latin American Studies, Religion, Sociology, as well as other courses of study in Music.

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