Music Theory and Composition (MTC)

MTC 125 Basic Music Theory. (3)
fall and spring only
Notation, scales, keys, modes, intervals, chords, basic part writing. Development of related aural skills through sightsinging and dictation. Prerequisite: Music major or instructor approval.

MTC 221 Music Theory: 18th Century. (3)
fall and spring only
Styles, techniques, and idioms of 18th-century music; emphasis on analysis, composition (part writing), and related aural skills, with applications for performance. Prerequisite: MTC 125.

MTC 222 Music Theory: 19th Century. (3)
fall and spring only
Styles, techniques, and idioms of 19th-century music; emphasis on analysis, composition (part writing), and related aural skills, with applications for performance. Prerequisite: MTC 221.

MTC 223 Music Theory: 20th Century. (3)
fall and spring only
Styles, techniques, and idioms of 20th-century music; emphasis on innovative treatments of musical elements; related aural skills. Prerequisite: MTC 222.

MTC 315 Modern Arranging. (2)
fall only
Techniques in arranging for the contemporary jazz, radio, television, and studio orchestra. Prerequisite: MTC 223.

MTC 316 Modern Arranging. (2)
spring only
Continuation of MTC 315. Prerequisite: MTC 315.

MTC 320 Modal Counterpoint. (2)
fall only
Counterpoint based on 16th-century vocal polyphonic style. Prerequisite: MTC 221.

MTC 321 Tonal Counterpoint. (2)
spring only
Counterpoint based on 18th-century polyphonic style. Prerequisite: MTC 221.

MTC 323 Composition. (2–3)
fall and spring only
Writing music compositions, with emphasis on basic techniques and smaller structures. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: instructor approval.

MTC 327 Form and Analysis I. (3)
fall and spring only
Organizing elements in the most important contrapuntal and homophonic musical forms from the Renaissance through the 19th century. Prerequisite: MTC 222.

MTC 422 Musical Acoustics. (3)
fall only
Properties of sound and tone. Harmonic series, instruments, the ear, auditorium acoustics, and the reproduction of sound. A thorough knowledge of musical notation, intervals, scales, and harmony, or 2 years of music theory is assumed.

MTC 425 Studies in 20th-Century Theory. (3)
fall only
Continued development of analytical techniques and aural skill, with an examination of theoretical systems applicable to 20th-century music. Prerequisite: MTC 223.

MTC 428 Form and Analysis II. (3)
spring only
Organizing principles of the large forms of musical composition in the 19th and 20th centuries. Prerequisite: MTC 327.

MTC 429 Canon and Fugue. (2)
fall in odd years only
Writing of canons and fugues in tonal style. Prerequisite: MTC 321.

MTC 430 20th-Century Counterpoint. (2)
spring in even years only
Counterpoint studies utilizing 20th-century idioms. Prerequisite: MTC 223.

MTC 432 Instrumentation. (2)
fall in even years only
Study of the characteristics and performance techniques of individual orchestral instruments. Prerequisite: MTC 223.

MTC 433 Orchestration. (2)
spring in odd years only
Theoretical and practical study of scoring music for orchestra. Prerequisite: MTC 432.

MTC 436 Electronic Studio Techniques I. (2)
fall only
Principles of analog electronic music systems and their application in the composition of electronic music. A thorough knowledge of music notation and intervals is assumed.

MTC 437 Electronic Studio Techniques II. (2)
spring only
Principles of digital electronic music systems and their applications in the composition of electronic music. Prerequisite: MTC 436.

MTC 440 Jazz Theory and Ear Training. (2)
fall only
Advanced study of jazz harmonic systems. Daily oral drills. Prerequisite: MTC 223.

MTC 441 Jazz Composition. (2)
fall only
Creative writing in the smaller forms and in the idiom of jazz. Prerequisite: MTC 321.

MTC 495 Final Project. (0)
fall and spring only
A half recital of compositions or approval of a large-scale composition or a research paper.

MTC 496 Theory Project. (3)
fall and spring only
Supervised individual writing project dealing with music theory.

MTC 516 Baroque Music. (3)
spring in even years only
Detailed analysis of selected examples of music from the Baroque period.

MTC 517 Classic Music. (3)
spring in odd years only
Detailed analysis of selected examples of music from the Classic period.

MTC 518 Romantic Music. (3)
fall in even years only
Detailed analysis of selected examples of music from the Romantic period.

MTC 519 Late 19th-/Early 20th-Century Music. (3)
fall in odd years only
Detailed analysis of selected examples of music from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

MTC 520 Analytical Techniques. (3)
spring and summer only
Analytical techniques systematically applied to music. Concentration on structural and compositional procedures.

MTC 523 Advanced Composition. (2–3)
fall and spring only
Advanced music composition, including complex techniques and larger structure. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: instructor approval.

MTC 525 Pedagogy of Theory. (3)
fall in even years only
Practices and principles of teaching music theory. Emphasizes most desirable and practical offerings possible. Comparative studies of existing practices.

MTC 527 History of Music Theory. (3)
not regularly offered
Theory from Pythagoras to the 16th century. Need not be taken in sequence with MTC 528.

MTC 528 History of Music Theory. (3)
not regularly offered
Theory from the 17th century to the present. Need not be taken in sequence with MTC 527.

MTC 555 Computer Music Notation. (2)
not regularly offered
Instruction in preparing score and parts of music compositions using various music-notation software packages. Credit cannot be applied toward the graduate theory requirement. Lecture, lab. Prerequisite: instructor approval.

MTC 591 Seminar. (1–12)
not regularly offered

MTC 592 Research. (1–12)
not regularly offered

MTC 599 Thesis. (1–12)
not regularly offered

MTC 647 Directions in New Music. (3)
not regularly offered
Studies in contemporary idioms and aesthetics drawn from recent works of visiting composers; involves analytical discourse, critical writing, and applied concepts in composition. Lecture, discussion, exercise. Prerequisite: instructor approval.

MTC 723 Advanced Composition. (3)
fall and spring only
Special problems in writing in complex forms and textures. May be repeated for credit. Studio.

MTC 755 Music Composition Technology. (3)
not regularly offered
Advanced study in digital sampling, synthesis, sequencing, computer-generated sound, and computer/performer interfaces. May be repeated for credit. Lecture, lab. Prerequisites: MTC 436, 437 (or their equivalents).

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