| Freshman/Sophomore Composition Seminar Syllabus Listening Assignments Instrumental Clinics Song Project Concert Reports Grading ________________________________________________________________________________ Syllabus MU107/MU207 Composition Seminar Fall Semester 2009, Spring Semester 2010 Credits: 1 per semester Prerequisites: none Instructor: Andy Vores avores@bostonconservatory.edu Course Objectives This weekly meeting, required of all composition majors, provides student composers with tools to foster a sophisticated awareness of contemporary composition, to facilitate familiarity with a broad range of cultural references, and to become focused and articulate when speaking of one's own and others' music. A wide range of topics will be touched on, including professional development (program notes, commissions, grants, identifying performance opportunities, etc.); introduction to composers and music not covered in other conservatory courses (recent contemporary music, vernacular and popular music); visiting composers, masterclasses and clinics with conductors and performers; analogies to other art forms; issues of orchestration, instrumentation, structure, and form. |
| Calendar FALL 2009 Week 1 September 9 Week 2 September 16 Week 3 September 23 Week 4 September 30 Week 5 October 7 Week 6 October 14 Week 7 October 21 Week 8 October 28 Week 9 November 4 Week 10 November 11 Week 11 November 18 Week 12 November 25 Week 13 December 2 Week 14 December 9 |
v v Composition Department Meeting: Concert Room class meeting class meeting class meeting class meeting guest composer Augusta Read Thomas talks about her music Jorja Fleezanis masterclass class meeting class meeting guest composer Howard Frazin talks about his music no class: Thanksgiving Break class meeting |
Textbooks Aaron Copland Signet Classics, 2002 ISBN: 9780451528674 |
______________________________________________________________________ back to top Listening Assignments Ten Listening Assignments are given each semester. Students are expected to listen to assigned works with the score two or three times (at the very least) in order to become well acquainted with each piece. It is also important to read biographical and program notes relevant to the assignment. Scores for each assignment will be on library reserve. Most pieces are available on the Naxos website. CD's will be on reserve for works unavailable on Naxos. The final examination tests familiarity with the assigned works by asking students to identify soundclips and to identify extracts from scores. This exam will also include general questions about the composers of the assigned works and the works themselves. |
| ______________________________________________________________________ back to top Instrumental Clinics In order to better familiarize composers with the specifics of writing for various instruments Clinics are held each semester, usually spanning three or four weeks with two group meetings. For the first meeting composers write a brief exercise for the featured instrument. This is the springboard for a presentation and discussion given by faculty and students on effective notation, idiomatic writing, extended techniques, and related topics. After this meeting the composers each write a short work which will be workshopped at the next group meeting. ________________________________________________________________________________ Song Project Early in the fall semester composers are paired with Voice majors from the Junior Vocal Performance Seminar for whom they compose a work for voice and piano. These songs will be workshopped throughout the year with Kathryn Wright, the instructor of the Junior Vocal Performance Seminar. A spring semester masterclass with a visiting artist is followed by a concert performance. >Song Project ________________________________________________________________________________ Concert Reports Attendance at each concert in the Composer Recital Series and the New Music Festival is a requirement of the Composition Seminar. From time to time students will be asked to provide written or verbal Concert Reports. ________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Grading Class Participation Assignments Final Exam |
v 50% 25% 25% |
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