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Course Syllabus

MUSC 4696 Private Composition/Production

  • Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
  • Department: Music
  • Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 1; Lecture: 1; Lab: 0
  • Repeatable: Yes.
  • Prerequisites: Successful completion of two semesters of MUSC 3696.
  • Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
  • Semester Approved: Spring 2025
  • Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2029
  • End Semester: Fall 2030
  • Optimum Class Size: 1
  • Maximum Class Size: 1

Course Description

This course provides individual musical instruction at an advanced level. Private instruction is required of all music majors each semester. Songwriting/composition advisement track students are required to take 60-minute lessons each week, while music education and music therapy students are required to take 30-minute lessons each week. All students are also required to participate in master classes, recitals and juries which fulfill the lab portion of the course. An additional fee is required. This course may be repeated for credit.

Justification

Students completing the composition or production advisement tracks may elect to enroll in private applied Comp/Production lessons during the junior and senior years. Similar courses are offered at other institutions with commercial music degrees in the United States.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will demonstrate an understanding of compositional techniques in a variety of musical styles. -
  2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of orchestration and arranging techniques in a variety of musical styles.
  3. Students will demonstrate an understanding of instrument ranges, transpositions and idiomatic playing styles.
  4. Students will demonstrate mastery of productions software used in notation, recording and editing.
  5. Students will demonstrate a mastery of advanced production techniques.
  6. Students will continue to demonstrate proper artistic style and technical facility.

Course Content

Course content may be drawn from the following skill and knowledge areasPractice journal development• Advanced technique study• Instrument ranges and transpositions• Idiomatic playing styles• Typical and atypical instrument groupings• Altered or extreme playing techniques• Stylistic study, including traditional, jazz and contemporary styles• Arrangement vs. adaptation vs. composition• Use of production software, including notation, recording, editing and video• Study of languages necessary to interpret music appropriately