Overhead view of a small orchestra

Music courses are designed for all levels of experience. We help students develop as composers and performers. And we offer courses on music history, literature, theory, and analysis. Students can also develop skills through performance groups and private instruction. We offer instruction on over 30 instruments.

Overhead view of a small orchestra

About Music

General Information

The Department of Music at Carleton enrolls several hundred students every term, both majors and non-majors, in a curriculum that offers a diverse and integrated approach to the areas of performance, composition, theory, history, and ethnomusicology. Students arrive at Carleton with a wide range of musical backgrounds and abilities, and all are encouraged to broaden, deepen, enrich and improve their engagement with music. In addition to applied music-making experiences in our performing ensembles and private lessons, the Department offers an array of classroom courses that range from those designed specifically for the introductory level student to advanced seminars for majors.

Courses in Applied Music

All students, regardless of major, may study an instrument or voice at beginning through advanced levels, and may participate in the Department’s musical ensembles by placement or audition. Registration for applied music lessons and ensembles must be included in the student’s official registration.

There are several registration options for applied music lessons:

  • a one-credit 100-level course, taken with or without the J (jury) designation
  • a two-credit 200-level course, taken with or without the J (jury) designation

Courses with the J (jury) designation are graded, and include a small end-of-term jury performance for area faculty; students may elect to S/Cr/NC these courses in accordance with College guidelines. Courses without the J designation are mandatory S/Cr/NC. Permission of the instructor is required for registration for two credits.

The comprehensive fee does not include the cost of private instruction, and special fees are charged for applied lessons and some ensemble classes. Fees are not refundable for late drops except when a late drop is made for medical reasons or in similar emergency situations. In such cases, the student must consult with the Music Department.

Requirements for the Music Major

The Music Major introduces students to the primary subfields of music, developing the skills of research, analysis, performance, and the creation of original work. Broadly diverse in its coverage of styles, cultures, and fields, the Music Department provides students foundational knowledge in multiple modes of music study, but also offers students substantial freedom in crafting focus of courses relevant to individual interests. The skills in critical thinking, research, writing, and performance gained in the major have proven pertinent and applicable to alumni in a broad variety of fields. Students planning a professional career in music should consult with faculty members in their area for advice and assistance.

64 credits, including:

Musical Foundations and Theory (16 credits)*

One 200- or 300-level course in Western Art Music (6 credits)

  • MUSC 211: Race, Gender, and Classical Music · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 215: Western Music and its Social Ecosystems, 1830-Present
  • MUSC 217: Opera: Stage, Screen, Recording
  • MUSC 218: Improvisation: A Living History
  • MUSC 218: Listening to Dance Music · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 219: The Musical Avant-Garde · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 308: Seminar in Music Analysis
  • MUSC 313: Video Game Music: History, Interpretation, Practice · not offered in 2023-24

One 200- or 300-level course in Ethnomusicology or Popular Music (6 credits)

  • ARBC 222: Music in the Middle East · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 213: J-Pop: Listening to Music in Modern Japan · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 215: Western Music and its Social Ecosystems, 1830-Present
  • MUSC 232: Golden Age of R & B · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 241: Music of Latin America · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 246: Music in Racism and Antiracism · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 248: Music of South Asia · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 313: Video Game Music: History, Interpretation, Practice · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 320: Ambient Music · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 337: Music in Social Movements · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 338: Sonic Spectacles in Minnesota and Beyond: Music as Heritage · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 341: Rock Lab and Lab

Composition (6 credits)

  • MUSC 153J: Composition (Juried)
  • MUSC 208: Computer Music and Sound · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 220: Composition Studio
  • MUSC 221: Electronic Music Composition
  • MUSC 223: Vocal Counterpoint · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 224: Collaborative Composition in Community Partnership · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 225: Performing with Electronics · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 253J: Composition (Juried)

Ensemble Participation (2 credits)

Juried Applied Lessons (4 credits)

  • Any combination of juried applied lessons and MUSC 299 may fill this requirement. Composition 153J/253J does not satisfy this requirement.

300-level Seminar (6 credits)

  • Any Music course numbered between Music 303 to Music 339 Inclusive note: a course which fulfills the seminar requirement may not be “double counted” toward other requirements, e.g., Western Art Music, Ethnomusicology, or Popular Music.

Music Electives (12 credits)

  • Any MUSC credits, including Music classes and CGSC 130 The Musical Mind, GERM 150 German Music and Culture from Mozart to Rammstein, ensembles, chamber music, applied lessons, and MUSC 299.

Integrative exercise (6 credits)

*Students who score a 4 or 5 on the AP Music Theory exam are granted 6 general education credits but still must take the music theory placement exams to determine if they need to take Music 110 and/or Music 103. Credits earned via the AP exam do not count for elective credit in the major or minor. Students who are exempted from 103 need only 61 credits to complete the major. Students who are exempted from 110 will need to take another 6-credit classroom course in Music (MUSC 100 does not qualify).

Music Department Minors

The Music department offers three Music Minors:

  • American Music Minor provides students with a framework for understanding the diverse music and musical cultures of America. This minor does not assume a traditional music background and does not require music theory.
  • Music Minor is a flexible minor that allows students either a broad range of music study, or enables a focus on a particular area of musical inquiry.
  • Music Performance Minor is for students who want to pursue excellence in musical performance with a focus in a particular instrument, voice, or performance area.

A student may major in Music and minor in Music Performance or American Music. Students will not be able to major and minor in Music and additionally cannot minor in both Music and Music Performance.

American Music Minor

The Minor in American Music brings together the most prominent strands of American music scholarship on campus. Taking its inspiration from the multidisciplinary approaches characteristic of this emerging field, the minor includes:

  • A gateway course surveying American musical history and genres
  • A foundational course from a field or interdisciplinary area offering a critical perspective on American culture
  • Three courses offering in-depth study of musical traditions essential to the American soundscape
  • A capstone research seminar in which students pursue individual projects. No previous musical experience is required.

Requirements for the American Music Minor

Six courses are required.

  • Gateway Course: 6 credits
  • Foundations: 6 credits
  • AFST 113: Introduction to Africana Studies
  • AMST 115: Introduction to American Studies
  • CAMS 110: Introduction to Cinema and Media Studies
  • GWSS 110: Introduction to Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies
  • HIST 122: U.S. Women’s History to 1877
  • HIST 123: U.S. Women’s History Since 1877
  • HIST 125: African American History I: From Africa to the Civil War · not offered in 2023-24
  • HIST 126: African American History II
  • MUSC 110: Theory I: The Principles of Harmony
  • MUSC 204: Theory II: Musical Structures
  • RELG 140: Religion and American Culture
  • SOAN 110: Introduction to Anthropology
  • SOAN 111: Introduction to Sociology
  • WGST 110: Introduction to Women’s and Gender Studies · not offered in 2023-24
  • WGST 112: Introduction to LGBT/Queer Studies · not offered in 2023-24
  • Soundtracks of America: 18 credits, at least one course must be at the 200 level or above
  • AMST 269: Woodstock Nation · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 111: Music and Storytelling · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 115: Listening to the Movies
  • MUSC 123: The American Film Musical · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 130: The History of Jazz · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 131: The Blues From the Delta to Chicago · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 136: History of Rock · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 137: Rock, Sex, & Rebellion · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 140: Ethnomusicology and the World’s Music
  • MUSC 144: Music and Migration · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 208: Computer Music and Sound · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 211: Race, Gender, and Classical Music · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 213: J-Pop: Listening to Music in Modern Japan · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 215: Western Music and its Social Ecosystems, 1830-Present
  • MUSC 217: Opera: Stage, Screen, Recording
  • MUSC 218: Improvisation: A Living History
  • MUSC 218: Listening to Dance Music · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 219: The Musical Avant-Garde · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 232: Golden Age of R & B · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 241: Music of Latin America · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 247: 1950s/60s American Folk Music Revival · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 248: Music of South Asia · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 341: Rock Lab and Lab
  • Research Seminar  6 credits
  • MUSC 308: Seminar in Music Analysis
  • MUSC 313: Video Game Music: History, Interpretation, Practice · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 334: Marvin Gaye · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 337: Music in Social Movements · not offered in 2023-24
  • MUSC 338: Sonic Spectacles in Minnesota and Beyond: Music as Heritage · not offered in 2023-24

Requirements for the Music Minor

The Minor in Music is an excellent way for students to pursue their passion for music from a broad perspective, but also offers the flexibility for a student to customize a course of study specific to their particular interests.

36 credits required, including:

Students pursuing work in an interdisciplinary area (e.g., ethnomusicology, media studies, music psychology) may petition for elective courses outside of Music to count towards the minor.

*Students who score a 4 or 5 on the AP Music Theory exam are granted 6 general education credits but still must take the music theory placement exams to determine if they need to take Music 110 and/or Music 103. Credits earned via the AP exam do not count for elective credit in the major or minor. Students who are exempted from 103 need only 61 credits to complete the major. Students who are exempted from 110 will need to take another 6-credit classroom course in Music (MUSC 100 does not qualify).

Requirements for the Music Performance Minor

The Minor in Music Performance has a prescribed area of focus for a student who wishes to pursue excellence in music performance or conducting.

Prerequisite: minimum one term of juried lessons at the 200 level. Entry into the minor is by audition only. Auditions will usually take place during juries held at the end of each term.

36 credits required, including:

  • Musical Foundations and Theory (2-6 credits)*
  • Juried Applied Lessons (10 credits)
    • Any combination of 1- or 2-credit juried lessons.
    • Normally these 10 credits of applied study will be on the same instrument/voice, but in areas such as non-Western and American folk, students may petition to count lessons on more than one instrument/voice.
    • Composition 153J/253J does not satisfy this requirement.
  • Ensemble (3 credits)
    • Three credits from any course number Music 185 to Music 199 (inclusive)
  • MUSC 342: Music Performance Seminar (3 credits)
  • MUSC 299: Recital (3 credits)
    Must be taken once, may be repeated for elective credit
  • Music Electives (11-15 credits to total 36 credits)
    • Any additional MUSC credits, including classroom courses, ensembles, applied lessons or CGSC 130 The Musical Mind.

It is recommended — though not required — that students minoring in music performance take additional courses in theory, history, composition, or world musics.

*Students who score a 4 or 5 on the AP Music Theory exam are granted 6 general education credits but still must take the music theory placement exams to determine if they need to take Music 110 and/or Music 103. Credits earned via the AP exam do not count for elective credit in the major or minor. Students who are exempted from 103 need only 61 credits to complete the major. Students who are exempted from 110 will need to take another 6-credit classroom course in Music (MUSC 100 does not qualify).

Music Courses

  • MUSC 100 Ways of Hearing

    People hear differently. In this course we will consider various “ways of hearing.” We will study topics like historical recreation, physiology and cognitive studies of music, thinking like a composer and musical writing, ethnographic listening, hearing like a performer, and how music creates meaning. There are distinct paths to continue each of the topics, and we will explore opportunities for students to extend these musical interests while at Carleton. “Do you hear what I hear?” asks the famous song. Perhaps not. As we will see, the range of musical activity and interest among our peers can be extremely vast.

  • MUSC 101 Music Fundamentals

    A course designed for students with little or no music background as preparation and support for other music courses, ensemble participation and applied music study. The course covers the fundamentals of music notation, including notes and chords in treble and bass clefs, key and time signatures, and the realization of basic rhythmic patterns.

  • MUSC 103 Musicianship I

    A course in aural skills, focusing upon sight reading using solfège (movable do, la-based minor), and short melodic dictation exercises of up to four bars in length in major and minor keys.

    • Winter 2024
    • 2
    • Arts Practice
    • Music 101, or permission of the instructor as assessed by a diagnostic exam administered at the start of the term
  • MUSC 104 Musicianship II

    Continuation of Musicianship I, with an emphasis on singing and dictation skills. More advanced solfège is introduced, including melodies in minor keys and chromaticism. Longer melodic dictation exercises which introduce standard four-and eight-bar melodic schemas will also be covered. Some harmonic dictation will also be included.

    • Spring 2024
    • 2
    • Arts Practice
    • Music 103, or permission of instructor as assessed by a diagnostic exam administered at the start of the term
  • MUSC 108 Introduction to Music Technology

    A course in using the computer to make meaningful interventions into our practices as musicians. We’ll explore a number of approaches to composing, producing, and hearing music, among them coding, visual programming, and working in a digital audio workstation. Students will ultimately combine and hybridize these different methods in order to create unique, individual systems, using them to make new work. Open to all interested students; no prior experience with music, programming, or production required.

  • MUSC 109 Choir & A Cappella Arranging

    Arranging music for vocal groups is a unique balance between artistic integrity, expressivity, and practicality. This balance will be explored experientially first by broadening student’s compositional skills and then by applying these skills to their own vocal arrangements for choirs and a cappella groups. Class activities will include studying vocal ranges, scoring for vocal ensembles, and arranging/transcribing music for various combinations of vocal groups.

    Not offered in 2023-24

    • 3
    • Arts Practice
    • Music 103, Music 110 or instructor consent
  • MUSC 110 Theory I: The Principles of Harmony

    An introduction to the materials of western tonal music, with an emphasis on harmonic structure and syntax. It covers basic harmonic syntax (through secondary dominants), melodic phrase structure and cadences, and small musical forms, along with related theoretical concepts and vocabulary. Student work involves readings, analysis and composition exercises, and short essay assignments.

    • Winter 2024
    • 6
    • Literary/Artistic Analysis
    • Music 101, or permission of the instructor as assessed by a diagnostic exam administered at the start of the term.
  • MUSC 111 Music and Storytelling

    Western music, especially classical music, is often called a “dead” genre. Part of this has to do with its associations with wealth, its aging audience base, and its seeming loftiness. But is this music really dead? In this class we will explore the history of Western music, with classical music as a starting point, but will examine the numerous ways music functions throughout cultures to tell different kinds of stories. We work from the assumption that no music (or art in general) is apolitical; because of this it behooves us to examine the ways the music of the past is deployed in service of social and political values today, whether it is to convince us to buy pizza or to incite revolution.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 115 Listening to the Movies

    We all watch movies, whether it’s in a theater, on television, a computer, or a smartphone. But we rarely listen to movies. This class is an introduction to film music and sound. The course begins with a module on how film music generally works within a narrative. With this foundation, the course then concentrates on the role film music and sound play in shaping our understanding of the film’ stories. Over the course of the term, students will study a variety of films and learn about theories of film music and sound. Class assignments include a terminology quiz, cue chart, and a short comparative essay. The course will culminate in a final project that may take the form of a term paper or creative project.

  • MUSC 116 Minimalism in Music

    What does minimalism mean in music? If “less is more,” what do “less” and “more” sound like? What feelings does minimalist music uniquely illuminate? We’ll explore these questions in global perspective and across genres, from pop to classical, electronic dance music to film music. Today, minimalism is an art-historical style and an aspirational way of life—a psychological and material ideal. In touch with the simultaneously subtle and towering presence of minimalism around us, we’ll listen for the messages—quiet and loud—that minimalist music can carry.

  • MUSC 123 The American Film Musical

    A survey of film musicals from their beginnings in the 1920s to the present. The course will cover the definition and attributes of film musicals, how a film musical differs from a film with music, and then continue with a historical survey of various eras of musicals, such as early sound film musicals, the film musical at its zenith, the adaptation of Broadway musicals to the screen, and current postmodern musicals and animated musicals by Disney and Pixar. The course will also discuss how musicals convey evolving cultural attitudes of gender, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, as well as good vs. evil.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 124 Hip-Hop in the 1980s

    This course will consider the musical elements of early of hip-hop. Using guided listening and student responses, we will focus on a single album each week through the term, traversing the entire deace of the 1980s. 

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 125 Listening to Rock

    This course will consider the musical elements of Rock. The instructor will create a theme for the term focusing on a subset of rock history (girl groups, concept albums, etc.). Using guided listening and student responses, the class will focus on a single album (or other group of tracks) per week throughout the term. No theme will repeat during any four-year period, allowing students to take the course multiple times. This course may be offered as a stand-alone class or as a coordinated trailer to “History of Rock.”

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 126 America’s Music

    A survey of American music with particular attention to the interaction of the folk, popular, and classical realms. No musical experience required.

  • MUSC 127 Music and Censorship

    This course examines the causes, methods and logic behind attempts to censor music by governments, commercial corporations and religious authorities through guided listening, reading, and writing assignments. Lectures focus first on the “entartete musik” of Nazi Germany. Contemporary cases of music censorship are then selected from a wide range of countries, including the United States, South Africa, and Russia. The music studied includes that by Pussy Riot, Paul Simon, Pete Seeger, and Richard Wagner.

  • MUSC 128 Introduction to Conducting

    This course provides an overview of the history of conducting, as well as an introduction to score analysis and the physical skills required for communicating with an ensemble.  Extensive classroom time is given to conducting the other members of the class in order to develop a repertory of non-verbal gestures that communicate form, timbre, ensemble.

  • MUSC 130 The History of Jazz

    A survey of jazz from its beginnings to the present day focusing on the performer/composers and their music.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 131 The Blues From the Delta to Chicago

    A history of the Delta blues and its influence on later blues and popular music styles, tracing its movement from the Mississippi Delta in the 1920s to Chess Records and the Chicago Blues of the 1940s and 50s (especially Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters). Music and musicians discussed will include the classic blues singers of the 1920s, early country music (Jimmie Rodgers), and the legacy of Robert Johnson. Issues of authenticity and “ownership” of both the music and its cultural legacy will also be discussed. The course involves readings, listening assignments, and some transcriptions of early recorded blues. No prerequisite, although the ability to read music is helpful.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 136 History of Rock

    This course is an introduction to the history of rock music, emphasizing primarily the period between 1954 and the present. Mixing historical and cultural readings with intense listening, we will cover the vast repertoire of rock music and many other associated styles. We will focus on the sounds of the music, learning to distinguish a wide variety of genres, while also tracing the development and transformation of rock and pop styles. The lectures will use a wide variety of multimedia, including commercial audio and video, unpublished audio and video sources, print materials, and technological devices. Knowledge of a technical musical vocabulary and an ability to read music are not required for this course. 

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 137 Rock, Sex, & Rebellion

    This course will develop critical listening skills and an understanding of musical parameters through an introduction to select genres within the history of rock music. Our focus is on competing aesthetic tendencies and sub-cultural forces that shaped the music. The course includes discussions of rock’s significance in American culture and the minority communities that have enriched rock’s legacy as an expressively diverse form. Examined genres include blues, jazz, early rock ’n’ roll, folk rock, protest music, psychedelia, music of the British Invasion, punk, art rock, Motown, funk, hip hop, heavy metal, grunge, glitter, and disco. Lectures, readings, careful listening, and video screenings. Students will also argue for the best rock song of all time. 

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 140 Ethnomusicology and the World’s Music

    This course introduces the discipline of ethnomusicology and its history, theory, methods, and contemporary critiques. Centering the social and cultural analysis of music, the course explores case studies of global popular, vernacular, and classical musics. We will expand our skills as listeners while also considering key issues, such as the “world music” market; ethnographic methods; gesture, dance, and embodiment; copyright and repatriation; the role of media forms and AI technologies; and the politics of representation. No musical experience necessary.

  • MUSC 144 Music and Migration

    Throughout history, people have relocated for a variety of reasons, both voluntarily and forcibly. What sorts of consequences do mass movements of people have on cultural practices? This course will examine the legacy of the slave trade with relation to African-influenced music developments throughout the Americas and the Caribbean. We will first consider the nuances of West African music practices and beliefs before and during the slave trade. Then, we will explore a variety of sacred and secular traditions that developed in the New World as a result of the African Diaspora, including spirituals, the blues, jazz, rock and roll, and hip hop in North America; tango, blocos afro, cumbia, and candombe in South America; and Santería, reggae, timba, rara, and steel pan in the Caribbean. As part of this exploration, we will consider difficult questions, such as what is “black music”?; What ethical considerations must we think about in relation to who can/should play black music?; and What sorts of similarities and differences exist between African-influenced music styles in the Americas, and why? Lastly, we will consider how music in Africa has changed in more recent times due to a return of African-Americans back to their ancestral roots as well as other points of contact between the Americas and Africa, especially in relation to genres like Afrobeat, highlife, and gumbe. No previous musical experience required.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 150 Piano

    Weekly half-hour lessons, with repertoire selected as appropriate for the individual student’s experience. Works from a variety of style periods may be studied, with attention to both musical and technical development. Open to students with no previous musical experience.

  • MUSC 150J Piano (Juried)

    Weekly half-hour lessons, with repertoire selected as appropriate for the individual student’s experience. Works from a variety of style periods may be studied, with attention to both musical and technical development. The juried (J) course includes the opportunity for students to share their work in an end-of-term public or closed performance. Open to students with no previous musical experience.

  • MUSC 151 Voice

    A study of voice production, breathing, tone development, diction, and pronunciation. Selection (according to the individual voice) of Italian, German, French, and English songs of the Classic, Romantic, and Modern periods. Arias and songs from operas, oratorios, musical theater and popular songs from Western and non-Western traditions. In addition, one studio class per week.

  • MUSC 151J Voice (Juried)

    A study of voice production, breathing, tone development, diction, and pronunciation. Selection (according to the individual voice) of Italian, German, French, and English songs of the Classic, Romantic, and Modern periods. Arias and songs from operas, oratorios, musical theater and popular songs from Western and non-Western traditions. In addition, one studio class per week.

  • MUSC 152 Guitar

    Studies for the development of technique appropriate to the needs of the student. Music is chosen from all musical periods including folk picking, blues, ragtime, popular and classical styles. Students with no prior experience or lessons should take one term of class guitar (Music 197).

  • MUSC 152J Guitar (Juried)

    Studies for the development of technique appropriate to the needs of the student. Music is chosen from all musical periods including folk picking, blues, ragtime, popular and classical styles. Students with no prior experience or lessons should take one term of class guitar (Music 197).

  • MUSC 153J Composition (Juried)

    Individual instruction focusing on the student’s original compositions. Course work includes the study of compositional techniques, analysis of relevant works, and computer/MIDI/synthesizer technologies. The course is particularly directed toward the major who wishes to pursue the composition option in the Senior Integrative Exercise.

  • MUSC 155 Violin

  • MUSC 155J Violin (Juried)

  • MUSC 156 Viola

  • MUSC 156J Viola (Juried)

  • MUSC 157 Cello

  • MUSC 157J Cello (Juried)

  • MUSC 158 Classical String Bass

    The study of the acoustic string bass in the Classical style.

  • MUSC 158J Classical String Bass (Juried)

    The study of the acoustic string bass in the Classical style.

  • MUSC 159 Flute

  • MUSC 159J Flute (Juried)

  • MUSC 160 Oboe/English Horn

  • MUSC 160J Oboe/English Horn (Juried)

  • MUSC 161 Clarinet

  • MUSC 161J Clarinet (Juried)

  • MUSC 162 Saxophone

  • MUSC 162J Saxophone (Juried)

  • MUSC 163 Bassoon

  • MUSC 163J Bassoon (Juried)

  • MUSC 164 French Horn

  • MUSC 164J French Horn (Juried)

  • MUSC 165 Trumpet

  • MUSC 165J Trumpet (Juried)

  • MUSC 166 Trombone/Euphonium

  • MUSC 166J Trombone/Euphonium (Juried)

  • MUSC 167 Tuba

  • MUSC 167J Tuba (Juried)

  • MUSC 168 Orchestral Percussion

    Instruction on orchestral percussion instruments such as snare drum, mallets, and tympani. Equipment available for registered students.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 168J Orchestral Percussion (Juried)

    Instruction on orchestral percussion instruments such as snare drum, mallets, and tympani. Equipment available for registered students.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 169 Harp

    Studies to develop technique and a varied selection of works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Works from the Romantic and Modern periods are also studied.

  • MUSC 169J Harp (Juried)

    Studies to develop technique and a varied selection of works from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Works from the Romantic and Modern periods are also studied.

  • MUSC 170 Harpsichord

  • MUSC 170J Harpsichord (Juried)

  • MUSC 171 Organ

    Basic piano skills required.

  • MUSC 171J Organ (Juried)

    Basic piano skills required.

  • MUSC 172 Oud

    Beginning through advanced study of the Arab oud. Previous musical experience is not necessary. Instruments are provided.

  • MUSC 172J Oud (Juried)

    Beginning through advanced study of the Arab oud. Previous musical experience is not necessary. Instruments are provided.

  • MUSC 174 Recorder

  • MUSC 174J Recorder (Juried)

  • MUSC 175 Jazz Piano

    Study the tools for learning the jazz “language.” Learn to improvise through scale and mode study, transcription, and composition. Turn chord symbols into chord voicings and accompaniment. Explore the blues, jazz “standards,” and today’s music. Materials: staff paper, The Real Book, vol. 1, or similar fake book, and the app iReal Pro. Weekly studio class required.

  • MUSC 175J Jazz Piano (Juried)

    Study the tools for learning the jazz “language.” Learn to improvise through scale and mode study, transcription, and composition. Turn chord symbols into chord voicings and accompaniment. Explore the blues, jazz “standards,” and today’s music. Materials: staff paper, The Real Book, vol. 1, or similar fake book, and the app iReal Pro. Weekly studio class required.

  • MUSC 176 Electric & Acoustic Bass

    The study of either electric bass guitar or acoustic string bass in all contemporary styles including rock, jazz, pop, rap, and reggae.

  • MUSC 176J Electric & Acoustic Bass (Juried)

    The study of either electric bass guitar or acoustic string bass in all contemporary styles including rock, jazz, pop, rap, and reggae.

  • MUSC 177 Jazz and Blues Guitar

    Study of chord voicings, accompanimental techniques, and solo guitar performance in the jazz idiom. Prerequisites: previous study of guitar and the ability to read music, or the permission of the instructor. Students must provide their own instruments.

  • MUSC 177J Jazz and Blues Guitar (Juried)

    Study of chord voicings, accompanimental techniques, and solo guitar performance in the jazz idiom. Prerequisites: previous study of guitar and the ability to read music, or the permission of the instructor. Students must provide their own instruments.

  • MUSC 178 Drum Set Instruction

    Drum Set Instruction on/in jazz and popular drumming styles which use the standard drum set. Equipment available for registered students.

  • MUSC 178J Drum Set Instruction (Juried)

    Drum Set Instruction on/in jazz and popular drumming styles which use the standard drum set. Equipment available for registered students.

  • MUSC 179 Jazz Improvisation

    The study of the basic grammar and syntax of jazz improvisation styles, including transcribing solos, chord/scale materials and melodic patterns. Weekly studio class required.

  • MUSC 179J Jazz Improvisation (Juried)

    The study of the basic grammar and syntax of jazz improvisation styles, including transcribing solos, chord/scale materials and melodic patterns. Weekly studio class required.

  • MUSC 180 Raga: Vocal or Instrumental Study of Hindustani Music

    Beginning, intermediate, and advanced students of voice, guitar, violin, flute, clarinet, etc., approach raga from their current level of musicianship. In all cases, traditional practical instruction is complemented by some theoretical and philosophical exploration of the underpinnings of the music.

  • MUSC 180J Raga: Vocal or Instrumental Study of Hindustani Music (Juried)

    Beginning, intermediate, and advanced students of voice, guitar, violin, flute, clarinet, etc., approach raga from their current level of musicianship. In all cases, traditional practical instruction is complemented by some theoretical and philosophical exploration of the underpinnings of the music.

  • MUSC 181 Sitar

    Beginning through advanced study of sitar in the gayaki ang style of Ustad Vilayat Khan. Previous musical experience is not necessary. Sitars are provided.

  • MUSC 181J Sitar (Juried)

    Beginning through advanced study of sitar in the gayaki ang style of Ustad Vilayat Khan. Previous musical experience is not necessary. Sitars are provided.

  • MUSC 182 Chinese Musical Instruments

    Beginning through advanced study on traditional Chinese instruments, pipa (Chinese lute), erhu (Chinese violin), guzheng (Chinese zither), zhongruan (Chinese moon guitar), hulusi, bawu and dizi (Chinese bamboo flutes).

  • MUSC 182J Chinese Musical Instruments (Juried)

    Beginning through advanced study on traditional Chinese instruments, pipa (Chinese lute), erhu (Chinese violin), guzheng (Chinese zither), zhongruan (Chinese moon guitar), hulusi, bawu and dizi (Chinese bamboo flutes).

  • MUSC 183 World Drumming Instruction

    World drumming instruction in various ethnic drumming styles including West African (Ghanaian instruments), Cuban (congas), North Indian (tabla) and Middle Eastern (dumbek). Equipment available for registered students.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 183J World Drumming Instruction (Juried)

    World drumming instruction in various ethnic drumming styles including West African (Ghanaian instruments), Cuban (congas), North Indian (tabla) and Middle Eastern (dumbek). Equipment available for registered students.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 184 American Folk Instruments

    Beginning to advanced study of technique and improvisational styles on American folk instruments. Students may study 5-string banjo (bluegrass or clawhammer style), bluegrass guitar, Dobro©, fiddle (violin, viola, cello), bass, ukulele, mandolin, and accordion. The Music Department has a single mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar (and two ukuleles) available for shared use by enrolled students unable to provide their own instruments.

  • MUSC 184J American Folk Instruments (Juried)

    Beginning to advanced study of technique and improvisational styles on American folk instruments. Students may study 5-string banjo (bluegrass or clawhammer style), bluegrass guitar, Dobro©, fiddle (violin, viola, cello), bass, ukulele, mandolin, and accordion. The Music Department has a single mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar (and two ukuleles) available for shared use by enrolled students unable to provide their own instruments

  • MUSC 185 Carleton Choir

    The Carleton Choir, the cornerstone of the choral program, is a select mixed chorus of Carleton students. Each term, the ensemble presents a concert of short and extended works from the large bodies of classical, ethnic, and cultural repertories, including works for mixed, treble, and tenor-bass voices. Concerts are sometimes repeated off campus. Students must have good vocal skills, music reading ability, and a high degree of interest in performing quality choral music. Admission is by audition.

  • MUSC 186 Carleton Chamber Choir

    The Carleton Chamber Choir is a select, mixed ensemble performing challenging choral music from the Renaissance era to the twenty first century. Admission is by audition and membership in the Carleton Choir (MUSC 185) is also required. Except in rare instances, Chamber Choir singers are expected to commit to all three terms in a given academic year. One weekly TBD sectional rehearsal in addition to the Thursday 5-6:30PM meeting time.

  • MUSC 187 Carleton Orchestra

    The Carleton Orchestra performs large symphonic masterpieces, such as Beethoven, Stravinsky and Bernstein. Concerti with students and faculty soloists, and smaller works for string and wind ensembles are also performed. Occasional sight-reading sessions. Admission by audition.

  • MUSC 188 Carleton Chinese Music Ensemble

    The ensemble will use indigenous instruments and a Chinese approach to musical training in order to learn and perform music from China. In addition to the Wednesday meeting time, there will be one sectional rehearsal each week.

  • MUSC 189 Carleton Symphony Band

    The Carleton Symphony Band performs music selected from the standard and contemporary repertory, including compositions by Holst, Masianka, Arnold and others. Regular sight-reading sessions. Admission by audition.

  • MUSC 190 Carleton Jazz Ensemble

    The Carleton Jazz Ensemble’s focus is on improvisation and the fusion between jazz, rock, funk, and Latin influences. There is no predetermined instrumentation. Rather, the ensemble’s size and instrumentation vary each term. String players, vocalists, and any brass or woodwind instrumentalists are welcome to register. The ensemble performs once each term.

  • MUSC 191 The Rhythms of West Africa

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 192 West African Drum Ensemble

    Participants will learn basic playing techniques, drum patterns, and polyrhythmic structures by playing in djembe-centered percussion ensembles based on repertoire from Mali. The teaching and learning style will be primarily oral/aural and “by doing”. Course objectives include an informal public performance toward the end of the semester. A highlight will be rehearsing and a brief but intense joint performance with a group of professional guest artists from Mali, who will share their concert stage with us for a piece.

  • MUSC 194 Chamber Music

    Small group study and performance of instrumental and/or vocal chamber music from the western art music or non-western/folk repertory. Groups are usually formed by students prior to registration, and should consist of 3-8 musicians. Student groups are coached weekly by specialized music faculty, and participate in an end-of-term performance. Students must be registered, may not audit, and can register for only one group per term.

    • Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024
    • 1
    • Arts Practice
    • At least one term of applied music lessons at Carleton, or co-registration in applied music lessons, or permission of instructor
  • MUSC 195 Jazz Chamber Music

    Small groups participate in the study and performance of instrumental and/or vocal jazz chamber music. Groups are usually formed by students prior to registration, and should usually consist of 3-8 students. Groups rehearse independently, and are coached weekly by jazz music faculty; all groups participate in an end-of-term performance. Students must register, and may not audit; students register for only one group, but may participate in two groups with permission of instructor.

    • Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024
    • 1
    • Arts Practice
    • At least one term of applied music lessons at Carleton, or co-registration in applied music lessons, or permission of instructor
  • MUSC 196 Jazz Workshop

    This class focuses on the theory and practice of jazz improvisation. Students will develop their improvisational skills by learning and applying various scales, modes, and chord structures to lab performances of standard jazz repertoire on their respective instruments.

  • MUSC 197 Class Guitar

    An introduction to classical and folk guitar: styles, chords and music notation for persons with little or no previous music instruction. Not to be taken concurrently with Music 152 or 252 (Guitar).

  • MUSC 198 Class Voice

    This course provides students with a communal experience to learn the art of singing. Designed for beginners, the class offers group exercises and vocalizing, solo lessons, listening assignments, lectures, and readings to learn the skills to sing musical styles ranging from classical to musical theater to global folk songs. Some experience with Western musical notation is helpful, though not required.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 199 Fundamentals of African Drumming

    Class instruction in basic techniques of African drumming. No musical training or experience is necessary.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 204 Theory II: Musical Structures

    An investigation into the nature of musical sounds and the way they are combined to form rhythms, melodies, harmonies, and form. Topics include the nature of musical pitch, the structure of musical scales and their influence on melody, what gives rise to a sense of tonality, the complexity of rhythmic patterns, and the architecture of musical form. Student work includes building a musical instrument, programming a drum machine, writing computer code to create harmonies and timbres, and an extended music analysis project using empirical methods.

  • MUSC 208 Computer Music and Sound

    This course surveys computer techniques for analyzing, synthesizing, manipulating, and creating musical sounds. We’ll study the basic components of digital sound: waveforms, oscillators, envelopes, delay lines, and filters. While we’ll explore the techniques and concepts of computer music in detail, our focus will be putting them to work in our creative practice, using open source computer music languages as well as digital audio workstations, according to the strengths and limitations of each music-making environment. We’ll show how computer music composition takes shape in a wide variety of styles and aesthetics, free to choose among them or create our own.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 211 Race, Gender, and Classical Music

    This course tackles a crucial question in the study of western classical music: why do compositions by white, dead, men still dominate the concert halls in the twenty-first century? And more importantly, how can we as music students and lovers change this? By looking at the role race and gender have historically played in the production and reception of western classical music, students will interrogate what it means to listen to it. Through a variety of assignments including listening analyses, creative responses, and a final QRE project, students will develop skills to help them succeed in their various musical endeavors.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 213 J-Pop: Listening to Music in Modern Japan

    Japanese popular music encompasses a wide variety of genres, from World War II propaganda tunes to anime soundtracks. But how does this music relate to the history of modern Japan? What is “modern” (or post-modern) about this specific music? This class will examine the creation and consumption of Japanese popular music from around 1945 to present, focusing on how popular music worked in the cultural and political milieu. Through the study of Japanese folk, jazz, rock, hip-hop, bubble gum pop, and film music, students will engage with broader historical trajectories in society. We will discuss music as it relates to issues of race, gender, and pop culture in Japan and around the world.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 215 Western Music and its Social Ecosystems, 1830-Present

    How does music shape society? What does it feel like to participate in musical life—as a creator, performer, listener, leader, fan, or critic? These questions will guide us as we study the history of Western music with an emphasis on social experience. We’ll explore music from the Romantic era to our contemporary moment, with our ears and eyes trained toward the repertoire’s civic and interpersonal meanings. Along the way, you’ll respond to current concert programming and curate playlists that speak to your communities on campus and beyond. Front of mind will be expansive themes of belonging and identity. 

  • MUSC 217 Opera: Stage, Screen, Recording

    Opera has something for everyone: drama, desire, politics, stagecraft, design. The medium sets life to music and reveals the music within people’s lives. In the spirit of exchange between art and reality, this course looks at the history of opera through a contemporary lens. Centering on a diverse collection of operas—and voices—from past to present, we’ll ask how modern sensibilities animate the music’s production and performance. We’ll bring concepts of relevance, risk, representation, and justice to bear on opera, with attention to media and technology. We’ll listen to recent operatic interpretations and discover how creatives are making opera new.

  • MUSC 218 Improvisation: A Living History

    Jon Batiste told Forbes in 2019: “I think that you have to open your mind to really be comfortable improvising. It really starts in the mind.” We’ll embrace this mind-music connection by thinking flexibly and critically about improvisation in American music, and by improvising musically ourselves. Readings and discussion will engage Black studies, performance studies, gender studies, philosophy, and political theory. And we’ll build our creative practice with your instruments and voices. Throughout, we’ll keep alive to the ethics of improvisation and the term’s multiplicity of meanings, which call out for your interpretation. Expected preparation: participation in a music ensemble, registration in music lessons, or facility on a musical instrument (Western or non-Western) including voice

  • MUSC 218 Listening to Dance Music

    This course explores the relationship between western art music and social dance, staged productions, or stylized concert genres based on social dance and staged productions. Students will examine how bodies have moved to music by asking the questions: which music? and which bodies? Repertoire will range from sixteenth-century French court ballets, to the un-danceable waltzes of Chopin and Brahms, to Hamilton, where hip hop meets colonial American country dance.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 219 The Musical Avant-Garde

    “Piano Piece for David Tudor #3: most of them were very old grasshoppers.” –La Monte Young (1960). What is an avant-garde? How can music be “ahead of its time”? In this class, students will explore the histories, aesthetics, and socio-cultural contexts of musical avant-gardes and musical experimentalism post-WWII. While the course focuses on art music of the 1950s-1970s (from concert pieces by Stockhausen and Cage, to the “intermedial” art forms promoted by Fluxus, to the avant-jazz of Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane), students will also consider what a musical avant-garde in 2020 might sound like, look like, or act like.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 220 Composition Studio

    This course focuses on creating new music, through several exercises as well as a substantial term composition. Class meetings reinforce key concepts, aesthetic trends, and compositional techniques, as well as provide opportunities for group feedback on works in progress. Individual instruction focuses on students’ own creative work in depth and detail.

    • Winter 2024
    • 6
    • Arts Practice
    • Music 110, 204 or instructor permission
  • MUSC 221 Electronic Music Composition

    This course focuses on creating new electronic music. We will use digital audio workstations for composition and production, grounding their use in the fundamentals of digital audio. We will listen extensively, in many genres of electronic music, applying this critical listening to our own work and our colleagues’ work. Frequent composition assignments build fundamental skills in melodic creation and development, drum programming, synthesis, and audio production. The course culminates in a term project, a stylistically unrestricted, substantial original composition.

    • Winter 2024
    • 3
    • Arts Practice
    • Music 108, Music 110 or instructor consent
  • MUSC 223 Vocal Counterpoint

    In this composition course, we’ll write for (our own) singing voices, anchoring our writing to various traditions of vocal part writing while developing our own idiosyncratic approaches. We’ll move methodically from singing single lines against drones, to creating two-, three-, and four-part compositions, culminating in a substantial composition for multiple voices per part. We’ll sing constantly to reinforce key concepts and to hear our works in progress, and will base our analysis of our own compositions as well as more canonical works on bringing the music to life through vocal performance.

    Not offered in 2023-24

    • 3
    • Arts Practice
    • Ability and willingness to sing from score, and Music 110 or instructor permission
    • Music Composition
  • MUSC 224 Collaborative Composition in Community Partnership

    In this composition course, students will co-create music with youth at The Area Learning Center, a non-traditional education environment for qualifying Northfield students. Members of the class will visit regularly to make and share music, and will work towards a substantial collaborative composition, while also creating smaller projects throughout the term. To support this work, we will study model compositions that leave key parameters open, such as instrumentation and ensemble size, or that use alternate notation systems, or that depend on structured improvisation. We will also explore various technological tools that can extend our collaborative capabilities and that can assist us in documenting and presenting our collaborative work.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 225 Performing with Electronics

    Performing with Electronics is both a survey and a creative course. We will explore historical and contemporary examples of performing with live electronics that incorporate both analog and digital technologies, such as use of turntables and sampling, microphones and speakers, synthesizers, no-input mixing, digital processing, among others. Taking cue from these different approaches to working with electronics in real time, we will investigate ways of approaching a live scenario, designing hardware and software interfaces for performance. Our goal will be learning to perform with our setups, ultimately looking into the possibilities of performing as an ensemble. 

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 227 Perception and Cognition of Music

    Covers basic issues in auditory perception and cognition with an emphasis on the perception of musical pitch, including sensory discrimination, categorical perception, roughness and dissonance, absolute pitch, and auditory streaming. Other topics to be covered include the processing of language and music, and emotional responses to music. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Music 227 and 228 to satisfy the LS requirement.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 228 Perception and Cognition of Music Lab

    An introduction to the methods of experimental and observational research in music perception and cognition. Student teams will replicate/extend classic experiments in music perception, which will involve reviewing historical and current literature, creating stimuli, running experimental trials, performing statistical analyses of data, and giving a poster presentation of their results. A grade of C- or better must be earned in both Music 227 and 228 to satisfy the LS requirement.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 232 Golden Age of R & B

    A survey of rhythm and blues from 1945 to 1975, focusing on performers, composers and the music industry.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 239 The Philosophy of Music

    What is Music, and what exactly is a “musical composition,” especially in the age of recorded music and sampling? Can music tell a story, express an emotion, or convey a proposition? And if music can do any of these things, how does it do it? Last but not least, how are we to judge the value of musical pieces and musical practices? Do we need to judge popular music differently from so-called “art” music?  To address these questions we will listen to a wide range of musical examples, from Bach and Mozart to the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, and we will read a wide range of writings about music, from Plato, Rousseau, and Kant to current philosophers, including Scruton, Kivy, Davies, Carroll, and Gracyk.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 241 Music of Latin America

    This course is designed to increase your awareness of musical styles in Latin America within particular social, economic, and political contexts. We will cover topics related to popular, folkloric, classical, and indigenous musics spanning from Mexico to South America’s Southern Cone. The course will include elements of performance and dance instruction in addition to a critical examination of lived experiences across the region. No previous musical experience is necessary.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 246 Music in Racism and Antiracism

    Music has a long, ugly history as a tool for the transmission of racism, and a vital one as a weapon against it. We will survey important instantiations at the intersections of music and racism in blackface minstrelsy, western classical music, Dalit music, the U.S. national anthem, white nationalism, and the anti-apartheid movement, among others. Centering racism and antiracism, we will investigate the careers and music of Paul Robeson, Hazel Scott, Charity Bailey, and Janelle Monae, among others. Students will complete an original guided research project on a topic of their choice. No musical experience required.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 247 1950s/60s American Folk Music Revival

    Through scholarship and music-making, we’ll explore the historical bases of musical style, the role of recorded music, the social construction of a “folk music” milieu, and the music of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Odetta, et al. No musical experience necessary; you need not read musical notation. Section 1 (beginning folk guitar–instruments provided) only for those with no guitar experience; Section 2 (folk workshop –provide your own instruments) if you have any experience on guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, ukelele, Dobro, viola, cello, or bass.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 248 Music of South Asia

    This course focuses on South Asian musical traditions including qawwali, folk and popular musics, and the classical Hindustani and Carnatic traditions of North and South India. We will consider the historical and cultural contexts of several genres, read the work of scholars from various disciplines, and study relevant audio and video. Students will learn rudimentary theory of Indian classical music, understand its twentieth and twenty-first century developments, and develop listening skills to enable recognition of major genres, styles, and artists. One day a week will be devoted to applied study of Indian vocal raga. No musical background required.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 250 Piano

    Weekly one-hour lessons, with repertoire selected as appropriate for the individual student’s experience. Works from a variety of style periods may be studied, with attention to both musical and technical development. Music 250 is intended for the more advanced piano student; permission of instructor is required.

  • MUSC 250J Piano (Juried)

    Weekly one-hour lessons, with repertoire selected as appropriate for the individual student’s experience. Works from a variety of style periods may be studied, with attention to both musical and technical development. The juried (J) course includes the opportunity for students to share their work in an end-of-term public or closed performance. Music 250J is intended for the more advanced piano student; permission of instructor is required.

  • MUSC 251 Voice

    A study of voice production, breathing, tone development, diction, and pronunciation. Selection (according to the individual voice) of Italian, German, French, and English songs of the Classic, Romantic, and Modern periods. Arias and songs from operas, oratorios, musical theater and popular songs from Western and non-Western traditions. In addition, one studio class per week. Prerequisite: Music 151 or permission of the instructor.

  • MUSC 251J Voice (Juried)

    A study of voice production, breathing, tone development, diction, and pronunciation. Selection (according to the individual voice) of Italian, German, French, and English songs of the Classic, Romantic, and Modern periods. Arias and songs from operas, oratorios, musical theater and popular songs from Western and non-Western traditions. In addition, one studio class per week. Prerequisite: Music 151 or permission of the instructor.

  • MUSC 252 Guitar

    Studies for the development of technique appropriate to the needs of the student. Music is chosen from all musical periods including folk picking, blues, ragtime, popular and classical styles. Students with no prior experience or lessons should take one term of class guitar (Music 197).

  • MUSC 252J Guitar (Juried)

    Studies for the development of technique appropriate to the needs of the student. Music is chosen from all musical periods including folk picking, blues, ragtime, popular and classical styles. Students with no prior experience or lessons should take one term of class guitar (Music 197).

  • MUSC 253J Composition (Juried)

    Individual instruction focusing on the student’s original compositions. Course work includes the study of compositional techniques, analysis of relevant works, and computer/MIDI/synthesizer technologies. The course is particularly directed toward the major who wishes to pursue the composition option in the Senior Integrative Exercise.

  • MUSC 255 Violin

  • MUSC 255J Violin (Juried)

  • MUSC 256 Viola

  • MUSC 256J Viola (Juried)

  • MUSC 257 Cello

  • MUSC 257J Cello (Juried)

  • MUSC 258 Classical String Bass

    The study of the acoustic string bass in the Classical style.

  • MUSC 258J Classical String Bass (Juried)

    The study of the acoustic string bass in the Classical style.

  • MUSC 259 Flute

  • MUSC 259J Flute (Juried)

  • MUSC 260 Oboe/English Horn

  • MUSC 260J Oboe/English Horn (Juried)

  • MUSC 261 Clarinet

  • MUSC 261J Clarinet (Juried)

  • MUSC 262 Saxophone

  • MUSC 262J Saxophone (Juried)

  • MUSC 263 Bassoon

  • MUSC 263J Bassoon (Juried)

  • MUSC 264 French Horn

  • MUSC 264J French Horn (Juried)

  • MUSC 265 Trumpet

  • MUSC 265J Trumpet (Juried)

  • MUSC 266 Trombone/Euphonium

  • MUSC 266J Trombone/Euphonium (Juried)

  • MUSC 267 Tuba

  • MUSC 267J Tuba (Juried)

  • MUSC 268 Orchestral Percussion

    Not offered in 2023-24

    • 2
    • Arts Practice
    • Instructor Permission
  • MUSC 268J Orchestral Percussion (Juried)

    Not offered in 2023-24

    • 2
    • Arts Practice
    • Instructor Permission
  • MUSC 269 Harp

  • MUSC 269J Harp (Juried)

  • MUSC 270 Harpsichord

  • MUSC 270J Harpsichord (Juried)

  • MUSC 271 Organ

    Basic piano skills required.

  • MUSC 271J Organ (Juried)

    Basic piano skills required.

  • MUSC 272 Oud

    Advanced study of the Arab oud. Instruments are provided. Instructor’s permission required.

  • MUSC 272J Oud (Juried)

    Advanced study of the Arab oud. Instruments are provided. Instructor’s permission required.

  • MUSC 274 Recorder

  • MUSC 274J Recorder (Juried)

  • MUSC 275 Jazz Piano

    Study the tools for learning the jazz “language.” Learn to improvise through scale and mode study, transcription, and composition. Turn chord symbols into chord voicings and accompaniment. Explore the blues, jazz “standards,” and today’s music. Materials: staff paper, The Real Book, vol. 1, or similar fake book, and the app iReal Pro. Weekly studio class required.

  • MUSC 275J Jazz Piano (Juried)

    Study the tools for learning the jazz “language.” Learn to improvise through scale and mode study, transcription, and composition. Turn chord symbols into chord voicings and accompaniment. Explore the blues, jazz “standards,” and today’s music. Materials: staff paper, The Real Book, vol. 1, or similar fake book, and the app iReal Pro. Weekly studio class required.

  • MUSC 276 Electric & Acoustic Bass

    The study of either electric bass guitar or acoustic string bass in all contemporary styles including rock, jazz, pop, rap, and reggae.

  • MUSC 276J Electric & Acoustic Bass (Juried)

    The study of either electric bass guitar or acoustic string bass in all contemporary styles including rock, jazz, pop, rap, and reggae.

  • MUSC 277 Jazz and Blues Guitar

    Study of chord voicings, accompanimental techniques, and solo guitar performance in the jazz idiom. Prerequisites: previous study of guitar and the ability to read music, or the permission of the instructor. Students must provide their own instruments.

  • MUSC 277J Jazz and Blues Guitar (Juried)

    Study of chord voicings, accompanimental techniques, and solo guitar performance in the jazz idiom. Prerequisites: previous study of guitar and the ability to read music, or the permission of the instructor. Students must provide their own instruments.

  • MUSC 278 Drum Set Instruction

    Drum Set Instruction on/in jazz and popular drumming styles which use the standard drum set. Equipment available for registered students.

  • MUSC 278J Drum Set Instruction (Juried)

    Drum Set Instruction on/in jazz and popular drumming styles which use the standard drum set. Equipment available for registered students.

  • MUSC 279 Jazz Improvisation

    The study of the basic grammar and syntax of jazz improvisation styles, including transcribing solos, chord/scale materials and melodic patterns. Weekly studio class participation required.

  • MUSC 279J Jazz Improvisation (Juried)

    The study of the basic grammar and syntax of jazz improvisation styles, including transcribing solos, chord/scale materials and melodic patterns. Weekly studio class participation is required.

  • MUSC 280 Raga: Vocal or Instrumental Study of Hindustani Music

    Beginning, intermediate, and advanced students of voice, guitar, violin, flute, clarinet, etc., approach raga from their current level of musicianship. In all cases, traditional practical instruction is complemented by some theoretical and philosophical exploration of the underpinnings of the music.

  • MUSC 280J Raga:Voc/Instr Study Hindustani (Juried)

    Beginning, intermediate, and advanced students of voice, guitar, violin, flute, clarinet, etc., approach raga from their current level of musicianship. In all cases, traditional practical instruction is complemented by some theoretical and philosophical exploration of the underpinnings of the music.

  • MUSC 281 Sitar

    Beginning through advanced study of sitar in the gayaki ang style of Ustad Vilayat Khan. Previous musical experience is not necessary. Sitars are provided.

  • MUSC 281J Sitar (Juried)

    Beginning through advanced study of sitar in the gayaki ang style of Ustad Vilayat Khan. Previous musical experience is not necessary. Sitars are provided.

  • MUSC 282 Chinese Musical Instruments

    Beginning through advanced study on traditional Chinese instruments, pipa (Chinese lute), erhu (Chinese violin), guzheng (Chinese zither), zhongruan (Chinese moon guitar), hulusi, bawu and dizi (Chinese bamboo flutes).

  • MUSC 282J Chinese Musical Instruments (Juried)

    Beginning through advanced study on traditional Chinese instruments, pipa (Chinese lute), erhu (Chinese violin), guzheng (Chinese zither), zhongruan (Chinese moon guitar), hulusi, bawu and dizi (Chinese bamboo flutes).

  • MUSC 283 World Drumming Instruction

    World drumming instruction in various ethnic drumming styles including West African (Ghanaian instruments), Cuban (congas), North Indian (tabla) and Middle Eastern (dumbek). Equipment available for registered students.

    Not offered in 2023-24

    • 2
    • Arts Practice
    • Instructor Permission
  • MUSC 283J World Drumming Instruction (Juried)

    World drumming instruction in various ethnic drumming styles including West African (Ghanaian instruments), Cuban (congas), North Indian (tabla) and Middle Eastern (dumbek). Equipment available for registered students.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 284 American Folk Instruments

    Beginning to advanced study of technique and improvisational styles on American folk instruments. Students may study 5-string banjo (bluegrass or clawhammer style), bluegrass guitar, Dobro©, fiddle (violin, viola, cello), bass, ukulele, mandolin, and accordion. The Music Department has a single mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar (and two ukuleles) available for shared use by enrolled students unable to provide their own instruments.

  • MUSC 284J American Folk Instrument (Juried)

    Beginning to advanced study of technique and improvisational styles on American folk instruments. Students may study 5-string banjo (bluegrass or clawhammer style), bluegrass guitar, Dobro©, fiddle (violin, viola, cello), bass, ukulele, mandolin, and accordion. The Music Department has a single mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and guitar (and two ukuleles) available for shared use by enrolled students unable to provide their own instruments.

  • MUSC 299 Recital

    A public music recital of a minimum of thirty minutes of solo performance (some chamber music may be included). Students enrolling in 299 do so in lieu of registering for applied lessons; 299 includes nine one-hour lessons. Normally 299 would be taken in the junior or senior year, and is repeatable one time. Fees and financial aid for 299 are the same as for two-credit applied lessons.

    • Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024
    • 2
    • Arts Practice
    • Permission of department. At least two terms of juried lessons at the 200 level. Students must have completed recital form and permission of the Music Department the term prior to the recital
  • MUSC 308 Seminar in Music Analysis

    An introduction to advanced analytical techniques for larger formal structure in Western Art Music repertoire from the classic, romantic and early twentieth century. Musical forms to be considered are binary, ternary, rondo, and variation forms, with particular emphasis on theories and analyses of sonata forms of eighteenth and nineteenth century music.

  • MUSC 313 Video Game Music: History, Interpretation, Practice

    Over the decades, video game music has evolved from simple beeps and boops into a genre that has garnered millions of fans worldwide. This course traces the history of video game music aesthetics and technology. We will consider how it relates to a variety of musical traditions and engages with broader social issues. We will learn to listen for loops, styles, structures, and function in games via direct engagement with primary sources: the games themselves. The course culminates in the practical application of knowledge via a creative project. 

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 320 Ambient Music

    In the liner notes to his Ambient 1: Music for Airports, Brian Eno claims that ambient music “should accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular; it must be as ignorable as interesting.” In this class, we will investigate what we can learn from listening intently to that which is meant to sound in the background. While we will discuss the ambient as a genre, we will also consider its broader implications on how we experience music in everyday life. Our study of the repertoire will be paired with critical readings on ambient music and immersive sound.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 334 Marvin Gaye

    This is a research-based course focused on the music and creative practices of Marvin Gaye, one of the most famous and successful popular vocalists of the 1960s and 1970s. We will begin with a furious survey of Gaye’s life and music, and move quickly into more critical readings. Along the way, students will develop individual research topics with the assistance of the instructor, and present findings to the group on a weekly basis. The seminar will culminate with individual student research presentations and a well-crafted research paper on a topic related to Gaye.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 337 Music in Social Movements

    How, specifically, is music instrumental in social change? What musical choices are made, and by whom? How are new musics made, and old musics repackaged, to help mobilize social movements and create collective identity? We’ll approach these questions through the work of diverse scholars and participants, through focused listening, and ultimately through guided student research projects. Among the social/musical movements we’ll consider: Nueva cancíon, Rastafari, anti-Apartheid; the labor, civil rights, women’s, anti-war, anti-nuclear and environmental movements, the Black Arts Movement, American Indian, Jesus, Hippie, and white nationalist Movements, and Black Lives Matter. No musical experience or previous coursework required.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 338 Sonic Spectacles in Minnesota and Beyond: Music as Heritage

    In the last fifty years, governments and transnational entities such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have increasingly called to safeguard cultural practices and historic buildings around the world. Through trial and error, social scientists and policymakers have realized that such cultural heritage preservation programs come with unforeseen consequences, especially regarding musical performance and the communities that practice such traditions. This course is divided into two sections. First, we will concentrate on case studies from around the world, considering the advantages, detriments, and best practices for recognizing and celebrating music as heritage. We will debate questions such as: What is heritage? How can something ephemeral such as music be ‘conserved’ for generations to come? What role does the West play in shaping musical practices around the world, and for who do we want to ‘save’ the music? Who makes decisions of what music should or should not be safeguarded, and what are the implications for local practitioners? Second, we will explore music festivals and other music heritage projects specifically in Minnesota. Learning from the mistakes of the past, the course will culminate with a collaborative class project that will contribute to a sensitive yet productive endeavor to document oral histories of musicians, or plan a festival/performance on campus that highlights musical life in and around Northfield.

    Not offered in 2023-24

  • MUSC 339 Music and Humanitarianism

    Can music be a form of international aid? How do humanitarian interventions inform musical encounters? This course approaches these questions by considering the ethical and political ambivalence of humanitarian projects in global perspective. As we will explore, musicians navigate this ambivalence when performing in televised fundraisers and music festivals, alongside international NGO programs, and throughout their own experiences of displacement. We will study musical recordings, film, and critical readings in order to discover how music offers multi-sensory perspectives for engaging with the anthropology of humanitarianism and Critical Refugee Studies.

  • MUSC 341 Rock Lab and Lab

    This class combines performance and academic study of rock music. In the first half of the course, we will learn to perform simple songs in small-group coaching sessions with a polished public performance as a midterm goal. During the second half of the course, we will make recordings of these performances. Throughout the term, we will accompany performance and recording activities with readings and discussion about aesthetics, performance practice in rock music, and mediation of recording techniques, all extraordinarily rich topics in popular music studies. No performance experience is needed. The course will accommodate students with a range of experience. Students will be grouped according to background, interest, and ability. There is a required hands-on laboratory component, which will be assigned before the start of the course. In these smaller groups, students will perform, record, and work with sound in small groups. Work will include experimentation with electric instruments, amplifiers, synthesizers, microphones, recording techniques, performance practice issues, musical production, mixing, and mastering.

  • MUSC 342 Creative Music Performance Seminar

    Over the course of the term, each student will prepare the performance of a solo work, informed by the exploration of sources, comparison of recordings, score analysis, and performance science. Group meetings explore the pedagogy of musical, psychological, and intellectual preparation, and will guide improvement in technical and musical consistency during performance. Open to performers of all genres of applied music taught in the Carleton music department.

    • Winter 2024
    • 3
    • Arts Practice
    • One term of 2 credit juried lessons on any instrument/voice or permission of instructor
  • MUSC 400 Integrative Exercise

    Required of senior majors. The integrative exercise may be fulfilled by completion of a significant composition, performance, or research-paper project. Students who wish to fulfill Music 400 with such projects must meet department-specified qualifying criteria.