Master of Music (M.M.) Major in Music (Composition Concentration)

MU 5113. Independent Study in Music.

This course provides graduate students with the opportunity to pursue focused, individualized study in an area of music not fully addressed by existing coursework. In consultation with a faculty supervisor, students design a plan of study that supports professional growth in performance, pedagogy, research, composition, conducting, or related fields. The course emphasizes independent inquiry, sustained engagement with relevant materials, and the completion of clearly defined academic or artistic outcomes. Projects may include research, performance preparation, pedagogical development, creative work, or other approved scholarly or professional activities. The course may be repeated for credit with different emphases. Prerequisite: Advisor approval.

MU 5130B. Diction for Singers.

An in-depth study of the pronunciation of singing in Italian, German, English, and French incorporating the International Phonetic Alphabet through the use of lecture and laboratory sessions for practical application. This course does not earn graduate degree credit. Prerequisite: Consent of the graduate music advisor.

MU 5135. Exploring 21st Century Music Education.

This course examines current issues and questions in music education and methods for completing professional scholarship. Students will examine scholarship pertaining to a self-selected topic of interest related to their emerging professional and educational goals. Course activities emphasize critical thinking and scholarly writing to support the development of a focused area in preparation for the music education capstone project. The course provides initial preparation for the music education capstone project and an opportunity for students to explore current scholarship, evaluate multiple perspectives, and consider how research informs the discussion pertaining to their topic of interest within the diverse field of music education.

MU 5142. Diction for Singers.

This course provides an in-depth study of lyric diction for singing in English and Italian or German and French. Through integrated lecture and laboratory sessions, students apply the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to refine pronunciation, articulation, and expressive clarity. The course addresses the accurate production of consonants and vowels, as well as the diction rules specific to each language. Students demonstrate their proficiency through written, spoken, and sung assignments and complete advanced projects that extend mastery of phonetics and diction pedagogy. Graduate-level work emphasizes advanced IPA transcription, rhythmic scansion, repertoire analysis, pedagogical application, and research-informed performance practice. Prerequisite: Advisor Approval.

MU 5192. Graduate Recital.

This course culminates the graduate study of music through the preparation and presentation of a full-length public recital. Under faculty supervision, students develop a program appropriate to their area of specialization, demonstrating advanced technical and artistic achievement. The recital may consist of performance repertoire, original compositions, or a combination thereof, depending on the degree plan. Emphasis is placed on artistic interpretation, program design, rehearsal preparation, professional presentation, and clear communication with audiences. Students are expected to enroll concurrently in applied instruction during the final semester of preparation, as required by their degree plan.

MU 5199B. Thesis.

This course represents a graduate student’s continuing enrollment in thesis work and supports the completion, revision, and submission of the master’s thesis in music. Under ongoing faculty supervision, students finalize research, complete writing, respond to advisor and committee feedback, and prepare the thesis for formal submission in accordance with university guidelines. The course emphasizes sustained scholarly engagement, clear argumentation, and professional presentation of research. Students are expected to enroll in thesis during each semester in which faculty supervision is received. Enrollment requires an approved thesis proposal. The course may be repeated for credit.

MU 5213. Independent Study in Music.

This course provides graduate students with the opportunity to pursue focused, individualized study in an area of music not fully addressed by existing coursework. In consultation with a faculty supervisor, students design a plan of study that supports professional growth in performance, pedagogy, research, composition, conducting, or related fields. The course emphasizes independent inquiry, sustained engagement with relevant materials, and the completion of clearly defined academic or artistic outcomes. Projects may include research, performance preparation, pedagogical development, creative work, or other approved scholarly or professional activities. The course may be repeated for credit with different emphases. Prerequisite: Advisor Approval.

MU 5235. Music Education Capstone.

This course examines current issues and questions in music education and methods for completing professional scholarship within the field. Students engage with literature related to a self-selected topic connected to their professional and educational goals. Course activities emphasize critical thinking, scholarly writing, and research literacy to support the execution of a focused music education capstone project. This course serves as a culminating experience in the graduate program. Students complete a written and oral presentation of their work and situate their project within current discussions in the diverse field of music education.

MU 5299B. Thesis.

This course represents a graduate student’s continuing enrollment in thesis work and supports the completion, revision, and submission of the master’s thesis in music. Under ongoing faculty supervision, students finalize research, complete writing, respond to advisor and committee feedback, and prepare the thesis for formal submission in accordance with university guidelines. The course emphasizes sustained scholarly engagement, clear argumentation, and professional presentation of research. Students are expected to enroll in thesis during each semester in which faculty supervision is received. Enrollment requires an approved thesis proposal. The course may be repeated for credit.

MU 5301. Musicology Seminar in Contemporary Issues.

This course offers a seminar-style immersion in a single theme, selected from contemporary trends, explorations, and inquiries in the discipline of musicology, for each offering. Examples include Music and Artificial Intelligence; Music in the Digital Humanities; Cultural Constructions of Music, Sound, and Noise; The Rise of Ecomusicology; Race and Musical Production; Music and Disability, among others. Students examine pivotal pieces of scholarship and advance toward building their own scholarly modules for discussion with peers. The course provides graduate students with entry into a vibrant and globally engaged contemporary musicology.

MU 5302. Foundations of Digital Music Research.

This course introduces graduate students to foundational concepts, tools, and methodologies in digital music research. Students examine how digital technologies support the collection, encoding, analysis, visualization, and dissemination of musical data across historical, theoretical, ethnographic, and performance-oriented contexts. Topics may include digital archives, metadata standards, music encoding (e.g., MEI or related formats), corpus analysis, computational methods, text mining, visualization, and ethical considerations in digital scholarship. Through applied projects and critical readings, students develop practical and conceptual understanding of how digital methods shape contemporary music research and scholarly communication.

MU 5310. Music in the Baroque Era.

This course examines musical genres and repertories of the Baroque period, from approximately 1600 to the early 1700s, with primary emphasis on traditions of the Western world. Students study sacred and secular music associated with developments such as opera, tonal organization, instrumental virtuosity, and new approaches to musical expression. The course engages current historiographic and analytical research perspectives and situates Baroque music within broader cultural and intellectual frameworks. Approaches intersect with fields such as sociology, aesthetics, and reception studies. Through focused readings and analytical study, students develop historically informed and methodologically aware perspectives on Baroque music.

MU 5313. Independent Study in Music.

This course provides graduate students with the opportunity to pursue focused, individualized study in an area of music not fully addressed by existing coursework. In consultation with a faculty supervisor, students design a plan of study that supports professional growth in performance, pedagogy, research, composition, conducting, or related fields. The course emphasizes independent inquiry, sustained engagement with relevant materials, and the completion of clearly defined academic or artistic outcomes. Projects may include research, performance preparation, pedagogical development, creative work, or other approved scholarly or professional activities. The course may be repeated for credit with different emphases. Prerequisite: Advisor Approval.

MU 5314. Music in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries.

This course examines musical genres and repertories of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, with primary emphasis on traditions of the Western world. Students study period-related music associated with such developments as impressionism, modernism, expressionism, serialism, postmodernism, nationalism, and minimalism, among others. The course engages current historiographic and analytical research perspectives and situates twentieth and twenty-first century music within broader cultural and intellectual frameworks. Approaches intersect with fields such as sociology, aesthetics, and reception studies. Through focused readings and analytical study, students develop historically informed and methodologically aware perspectives on music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

MU 5315. Music in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

This course examines genres and repertories from the fifth century through the early seventeenth century, with primary emphasis on musical traditions of the Western world. Students explore sacred and secular repertories of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance while engaging with current historiographic and analytical research perspectives. The course situates music within broader cultural and intellectual frameworks, drawing on approaches that intersect with fields such as sociology, aesthetics, and reception studies. Through focused readings and analytical study, students develop historically informed and methodologically aware perspectives on early music.

MU 5316. Music and the Dramatic Arts.

This course examines a variety of genres and repertoires in music and the dramatic arts from antiquity to the present, emphasizing developments within the Western tradition. Students analyze historiographic and musicological approaches, exploring how these frameworks inform interpretation of musical and theatrical works. The course incorporates interdisciplinary perspectives from fields such as sociology, aesthetics, and criticism to evaluate cultural and historical contexts. Through critical inquiry, students assess how scholarly methodologies shape understanding of artistic production and reception across time.

MU 5317. Independent Study in Music.

This course provides graduate students with the opportunity to pursue focused, individualized study in an area of music not fully addressed by existing coursework. In consultation with a faculty supervisor, students design a plan of study that supports professional growth in performance, pedagogy, research, composition, conducting, or related fields. The course emphasizes independent inquiry, sustained engagement with relevant materials, and the completion of clearly defined academic or artistic outcomes. Projects may include research, performance preparation, pedagogical development, creative work, or other approved scholarly or professional activities. The course may be repeated for credit with different emphases. Prerequisite: Advisor Approval.

MU 5318. Song Literature.

This course examines the historical development of art song, with emphasis on Western European and American repertories from the eighteenth century to the present. Students study representative works within their poetic, cultural, and musical contexts, considering relationships among text, music, and performance practice. The course explores stylistic developments across national traditions and aesthetic movements, engaging analytical approaches appropriate to text setting, harmony, form, and expressive interpretation. Through score study, listening, and scholarly reading, students develop advanced skills in stylistic comparison, textual interpretation, and scholarly writing about art song repertoire.

MU 5320. Music in the Eighteenth Century.

This course examines musical genres and repertories of the eighteenth century, with primary emphasis on traditions of the Western world. Students study sacred and secular music associated with stylistic developments such as galant style, early Classicism, and Classicism. The course engages current historiographic and analytical research perspectives and situates music within broader cultural and intellectual frameworks of the eighteenth century. Approaches intersect with fields such as sociology, aesthetics, and reception studies. Through focused readings and analytical study, students develop historically informed and methodologically aware perspectives on eighteenth-century music.

MU 5322. Advanced Instrumental Techniques.

This course provides an in-depth study of advanced instrumental techniques and pedagogical practices for wind and percussion instruments. Students will evaluate teaching methods, instructional materials, and literature while exploring acoustic principles, tone production, articulation, embouchure, and tuning systems. Emphasis is placed on curriculum objectives, assessment strategies, and program administration for instrumental music education. Through discussion, analysis, and practical application, students will develop competencies in diagnosing performance issues, implementing corrective strategies, and designing effective instructional approaches for a variety of classroom settings. Prior experience with wind or percussion instruments and undergraduate techniques courses is recommended.

MU 5323. Vocal Music Education Methods.

This course provides an in-depth study of the human vocal mechanism and its implications for instructional approaches in the ensemble setting. Students review scientific data on voice production, breathing, resonance, and vocal health, as well as historical approaches to vocal pedagogy. Through readings, demonstrations, and applied projects, students evaluate pedagogical methods for use in the choral music classroom. The curriculum emphasizes critical engagement with research and the development of practical teaching strategies that can be adapted to different learners, ensembles, and musical repertoires.

MU 5325. Research in Music Education.

This course examines the foundational methodologies, techniques, and procedures for identifying, analyzing, interpreting, and conducting research in music education. Students explore philosophical, historical, qualitative, quantitative, and action research methodologies to understand associated processes, analysis procedures, and design consideration. Course activities emphasize critical thinking, scholarly discussion, and written analysis to support examination of the relationship between research and the music classroom. Through structured engagement with scholarly literature, students practice identifying and analyzing scholarly works, interpreting methodological choices, and considering how different research methodologies contribute to the diverse field of music education. The course provides foundational preparation for further work in music education research by developing skills related to locating, analyzing, and discussing academic studies.

MU 5328. Foundations of Music Education.

This course examines the foundational principles that shape contemporary music education through introductions to cognitive psychology, historical perspectives, sociology, and philosophical inquiry. Students explore how these frameworks influence curriculum design, teaching strategies, and the role of music in society. Course content emphasizes critical thinking, scholarly discussion, and written analysis to deepen understanding of the relationships between educational theory and music practice. By the end of the course, students develop competencies in articulating concepts, evaluating historical trends, and applying these insights to inform effective teaching and learning in varied music education contexts.

MU 5329. Psychology of Music.

This course explores the fundamental principles of psychology as they relate to music behavior, learning, and perception, focusing on students’ understanding of music beyond technical skills. Topics include musical attributes, music learning processes, perception and cognition, physiological and neurological responses to music, and methods for measuring music behavior. Students will develop competencies in synthesizing psychological concepts, applying them to music study, and analyzing the role of music in human development and experience. By the end of the course, participants will demonstrate the ability to communicate these principles effectively through discussion, presentations, and written work.

MU 5331. Vocal Pedagogy I: Voice Science.

This course examines the scientific foundations of singing and voice teaching through study of vocal anatomy, physiology, acoustics, and vocal health. Students explore the structure and function of the respiratory, phonatory, and resonatory systems, as well as acoustic principles that influence resonance, registration, and timbre. The course integrates current research in voice science with practical implications for singing and instruction. Attention is given to vocal efficiency, injury prevention, and evidence-based teaching approaches. Through readings, discussion, applied analysis, and practical demonstrations, students develop scientifically informed perspectives on vocal production and pedagogy. Corequisites: MUSP 5120 or MUSP 5220 or MUSP 5320 with a grade of a "C" or better.

MU 5332. Vocal Pedagogy II: Methods.

This course examines historical and contemporary methods of voice teaching through comparative study of pedagogical treatises, technical approaches, and instructional strategies. Students explore vocal exercises and vocalises designed to support breath coordination, phonation, resonance, registration, articulation, and stylistic flexibility. Emphasis is placed on diagnosing and addressing vocal challenges, designing sequenced instructional plans, and applying pedagogical principles in supervised peer teaching contexts. The course integrates theoretical knowledge from voice science with practical teaching methodologies, fostering reflective and informed approaches to voice instruction. Prerequisite: MU 5331 with a grade of "B" or better. Corequisites: MUSP 5120 or MUSP 5220 or MUSP 5320 with a grade of "B" or better.

MU 5333. Teaching and Learning in the Music Classroom.

This course examines the principles and practices of effective teaching and learning in the music classroom. Students explore instructional design, lesson planning, assessment strategies, and pedagogical techniques for varied music learning environments. Course content emphasizes accurate use of educational psychology terminology, evaluation of instructional methods, and application of best practices to specific teaching contexts. Through analysis, discussion, and hands-on activities, students develop competencies in creating well-structured lessons, assessing student progress, and implementing strategies that support meaningful music learning experiences.

MU 5334. Introduction to Graduate Study in Music.

This course introduces students from all music disciplines to research methods that support advanced study, performance, teaching, and scholarly inquiry. Students develop skills in identifying and refining research questions, locating and evaluating sources, and engaging with music-related literature relevant to their area of specialization. Emphasis is placed on effective use of music libraries, archives, and databases, as well as interpretation of primary and secondary sources. The course also focuses on digital tools, interdisciplinary resources, and ethical research practices. Through guided projects, students learn to apply research methods to performance preparation, pedagogy, historical inquiry, and other musical work.

MU 5337. Techniques of Contemporary Music.

This course examines compositional techniques and aesthetic developments in twentieth- and twenty-first-century music, with particular emphasis on works composed since 1945. The course integrates analytical study with practical application. Students explore pitch organization, rhythmic innovation, extended instrumental techniques, timbral design, serial and post-serial procedures, spectral and textural approaches, and selected electroacoustic or experimental practices. Readings in composer writings and aesthetic documents accompany score study and listening. Through analytical writing and model composition exercises, students develop fluency in contemporary techniques and apply them in original creative work.

MU 5340. Music in the Nineteenth Century.

This course examines musical genres and repertories of the nineteenth century, with primary emphasis on traditions of the Western world. Students study sacred and secular music shaped by Romantic aesthetics, nationalism, changing concert institutions, and evolving concepts of authorship, expression, and reception. The course engages current historiographic and analytical research perspectives and situates nineteenth-century music within broader cultural and intellectual frameworks. Approaches intersect with fields such as sociology, aesthetics, and reception studies. Through focused readings and analytical study, students develop historically informed and methodologically aware perspectives on nineteenth-century music.

MU 5341. Jazz Perspectives.

This course provides an overview of genres, repertoires, discographies, and stylistic trends associated with jazz, with a primary attention to those originating within the Americas. Students utilize a range of historiographic and analytical approaches used in current scholarship to examine how musicological perspectives intersect with related disciplines to include social, cultural, aesthetic, and demographic factors. Through selected case studies and readings, the course encourages reflection on the methods and contexts that shape the study, interpretation, and history of jazz traditions.

MU 5342. Jazz Pedagogy.

This course examines the history, methodologies, resources, and instructional strategies associated with teaching jazz in academic and community settings. Students explore approaches to improvisation instruction, ensemble rehearsal techniques, stylistic interpretation, rhythm section pedagogy, repertoire selection, and curriculum design for jazz programs. The course integrates historical perspectives on jazz education with contemporary teaching models and rehearsal practices. Through study, observation, lesson planning, and applied teaching exercises, students develop effective strategies for leading jazz ensembles and fostering improvisational fluency at various instructional levels.

MU 5343. Jazz Improvisation.

This course provides advanced study of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic structures employed by jazz improvisers and composers from early jazz to the present. Students examine stylistic developments across major jazz traditions, including swing, bebop, cool jazz, free jazz, modal jazz, post-bop, fusion, and contemporary approaches. Emphasis is placed on analytical understanding of improvisational language, harmonic substitution, motivic development, rhythmic phrasing, and interaction within ensemble contexts. Through transcription, analysis, performance, and creative application, students refine their improvisational fluency and stylistic awareness while situating their work within historical and aesthetic frameworks.

MU 5344. Jazz Arranging.

This course provides advanced study of jazz arranging and composition with emphasis on writing for small and large jazz ensembles. Students examine harmonic language, voicing techniques, orchestration for jazz instruments, reharmonization strategies, form, and stylistic conventions across swing, bebop, cool jazz, free jazz, fusion, contemporary, and commercial idioms. The course integrates score study, listening, and analysis with practical arranging projects that develop fluency in writing for rhythm section and horn sections. Through progressive assignments and workshop readings, students refine technical skills and artistic judgment necessary for professional work in jazz and commercial music contexts.

MU 5345. Piano Literature I.

This course examines piano and keyboard repertoire from the Baroque through the Early-Romantic period, with emphasis on works by composers such as de La Guerre, J. S. Bach, D. Scarlatti, Haydn, Martines, Mozart, Maria Theresia von Paradis, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Hensel, Chopin, C. Schumann, and R. Schumann. Students study genres, forms, styles, and performance traditions associated with the development of keyboard instruments and pianistic technique from the eighteenth to the early nineteenth century. The course engages current historiographic and analytical research perspectives and situates piano literature within broader cultural and aesthetic contexts.

MU 5346. Piano Literature II.

This course examines piano repertoire from the nineteenth century to the present, with emphasis on works by composers including Liszt, Brahms, Beach, Debussy, Ravel, L. Boulanger, Bartók, Crawford Seeger, Prokofiev, Price, Messiaen, Gubaidulina, and Chin. Students study changing pianistic idioms, genres, forms, and performance practices shaped by Romanticism, modernism, and contemporary aesthetics. The course engages current historiographic and analytical research perspectives and situates piano literature within broader cultural, technological, and aesthetic contexts. Through extensive listening, focused readings and score study, students develop historically informed and methodologically aware perspectives on modern and contemporary piano repertoire.

MU 5350. Musical Styles.

This course examines musical styles from the Baroque period to the present through the combined study of musical analysis and historical context. Students explore representative works and repertories while considering how stylistic features relate to broader cultural, aesthetic, and historical developments. The course integrates analytical approaches drawn from music theory with music-historical perspectives, emphasizing melody, harmony, rhythm, form, texture, expressive conventions, and other musical elements as they evolve over time. Through score study, listening, and contextual reading, students develop an informed understanding of stylistic change and continuity from the seventeenth century to today.

MU 5351. Schenkerian Analysis.

This course offers a study of Schenkerian analysis, the influential method of analyzing tonal music developed by Heinrich Schenker (1868–1935). Students explore core analytical concepts such as structural levels (foreground, middleground, background), prolongation, linear progression, and the Ursatz, as well as reductive and graph-based techniques for revealing hierarchical coherence in tonal works. The course also situates Schenker’s ideas historically and critically, examining their reception, evolution, and adaptations in contemporary theory. Recent trends, including expanded applications to repertoires beyond the traditional Germanic canon and integration with complementary analytical tools, are considered alongside careful study of canonical practice. Students apply analytical methods to selected tonal repertoire through graphing, written analysis, and interpretation.

MU 5352. Excursions in Musicology.

This course introduces graduate students to the intellectual trends, cross-disciplinary frameworks, and diverse methodologies shaping musicology as an academic discipline from the early twentieth century to the present. Students examine pivotal pieces of scholarship while exploring fundamental and cutting-edge approaches they can use as individual musicians and scholars. Approaches span foundational disciplinary frameworks (scientific and interpretive) and theories (aesthetic, critical, sociological, analyzed as interdisciplinary research traditions); and contemporary trends and turns, including but not limited to intersections with sound studies, digital humanities, Black and Latinx studies, Indigenous resurgence studies, theories of identity and gender, and musicology’s most prominent sibling disciplines: ethnomusicology and music theory.

MU 5353. Ensemble Rehearsal Techniques.

This course provides graduate-level insights into effective ensemble rehearsal techniques and the complexities of directing ensembles. Students explore topics such as beginning instruction, repertoire selection and analysis, adjudication and evaluation, classroom management, and strategies for fostering creativity and improvisation within ensembles. Emphasis is placed on scholarly literature, critical discussion, and practical assignments to deepen understanding of ensemble pedagogy. Students develop competencies in planning and conducting rehearsals, evaluating ensemble performance, managing varied classroom environments, and addressing challenges associated with running successful music programs.

MU 5355. Pedagogy of Music Theory.

This course examines pedagogical approaches to teaching music theory at the collegiate level, with emphasis on curriculum design, instructional strategies, assessment, and student learning. Students engage with major pedagogical philosophies and current scholarship in music theory pedagogy, including approaches to harmony, form, post-tonal theory, and aural skills. The course integrates research on skill acquisition, cognition, and musicianship with practical teaching applications such as lesson planning, assignment design, and assessment development. Through readings, observation, discussion, and teaching practice, students develop informed and reflective approaches to teaching music theory that support a range of learners and institutional contexts.

MU 5358. Advanced Musicianship.

This course develops advanced, integrated musicianship skills through focused study in sight-reading, aural analysis and dictation, keyboard fluency, score reading, and harmonic realization. Students refine rapid score comprehension, melodic and harmonic transcription, and stylistically informed keyboard harmonization across tonal and post-tonal contexts. Emphasis is placed on connecting analytical understanding with real-time musical execution, strengthening the relationship between hearing, reading, performing, and improvising. Through applied exercises and performance-based assessments, students cultivate higher-level fluency and flexibility in varied musical settings.

MU 5359. Analysis of Modern Music.

This course provides advanced study of analytical methodologies and theoretical frameworks used to examine modern tonal and post-tonal music of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Students engage with pitch organization, intervallic structure, collectional thinking, pitch-class set theory, symmetry, serial techniques, and post-tonal approaches to form and continuity. Emphasis is placed on rigorous analytical practice, theoretical precision, and the relationship between compositional technique and musical perception. The course situates analytical methods within historical and aesthetic contexts and encourages comparison among multiple modern approaches. Through analysis, model composition, and scholarly discussion, students develop advanced fluency in modern theoretical language and practice.

MU 5360. Music in the United States.

This course examines musical genres and repertories of the United States of America. Students study music associated with both the vernacular and cultivated traditions. The course engages current historiographic and analytical research perspectives and situates music in the United States within broader cultural and intellectual frameworks. Approaches intersect with fields such as sociology, aesthetics, and reception studies. Through focused readings and analytical study, students develop historically informed and methodologically aware perspectives on music of the United States of America.

MU 5361. Methods and Methodologies of Music Analysis.

This course examines a range of analytical methods and methodologies used in the study of music, emphasizing how different approaches shape musical interpretation and scholarly inquiry. Students engage with multiple analytical perspectives, including functional and formal analysis, semiotic approaches, and computational music analysis. A central focus of the course is music performance analysis, exploring how analytical tools can be applied to recorded and live performances to address tempo, timing, pitch, and other musical elements. Through readings, case studies, and applied projects, students develop methodological awareness and analytical flexibility across repertories and research contexts.

MU 5362. Instrumental Pedagogy I.

This course examines principles and practices of instrumental pedagogy from beginner through advanced levels of study. Students explore foundational concepts of instrumental technique, physical coordination, tone production, musicianship development, practice strategies, and repertoire sequencing. The course engages pedagogical literature, method books, scholarly articles, and representative repertoire appropriate to the instrument of focus. Emphasis is placed on diagnosing common technical and musical challenges and developing evidence-based instructional strategies. Through observation, lesson planning, and supervised teaching experiences, students develop informed and adaptable approaches to instrumental instruction applicable to studio, classroom, and private teaching contexts.

MU 5363. Instrumental Pedagogy II: Teaching Internship.

This course provides supervised teaching experience in instrumental instruction as a capstone component of the instrumental pedagogy sequence. Students apply pedagogical principles in private lesson settings on their primary instrument while under the guidance of an applied faculty mentor. Emphasis is placed on lesson planning, diagnostic assessment, technical development, repertoire selection, and effective communication with students at various developmental levels. Through observation, guided reflection, and faculty evaluation, students refine their instructional effectiveness and professional teaching practices. Prerequisite: MU 5362 with a grade of "B" or better.

MU 5364. Intelligent Music Teaching.

This course explores core principles of music instruction while giving students structured opportunities to implement them in practice. Students examine instructional frameworks, reflect on growth in professional skills, and engage with research on teaching and learning. Activities promote deliberate instructional decision-making, critical reflection, and the ongoing development of effective, adaptable pedagogical expertise across varied educational contexts. Emphasis is placed on connecting theory to classroom application through guided practice and feedback to strengthen confident teaching skills.

MU 5365. Computing in Music.

This course develops advanced concepts and practical skills related to current computer technologies in music. Students explore software and digital tools used in music composition, production, notation, analysis, research, education, and administration. Topics may include digital audio workstations, notation software, MIDI, virtual instruments, audio editing, basic programming or scripting environments, and workflow integration across platforms. Emphasis is placed on applying technology to creative, pedagogical, scholarly, and professional contexts. Through hands-on projects and applied assignments, students develop fluency in digital tools relevant to contemporary music practice.

MU 5366. Salsa Arranging.

This course examines the analysis and arrangement of music for salsa ensemble, with emphasis on stylistic authenticity, orchestration, and ensemble coordination. Students study characteristic rhythmic structures, clave-based organization, harmonic language, and formal conventions of salsa and related Afro-Caribbean traditions. The course addresses instrument ranges, idiomatic writing for rhythm section and horn sections, montuno construction, call-and-response patterns, and sectional interplay. Through score study, listening, and applied arranging projects, students develop technical fluency and stylistic awareness necessary for effective writing and rehearsal preparation in salsa performance contexts. (MULT).

MU 5367. Music in the Caribbean.

This course introduces students to graduate-level study of the music repertoires of the Circum-Caribbean. Topics span popular and academic genres (1700s to the present), including the contradanza complex, salsa, experimental works, influential folk traditions, and resurgence practices. Students examine scholarship that exemplifies musicology's pivotal intersections with anthropology, sociology, aesthetics and criticism, Afro-Caribbean studies, and gender studies, among others. Using current historiographic and analytical approaches, students examine musical examples in cultural contexts. Through selected case studies and readings, the course encourages reflection on the methods and contexts that shape the study, interpretation, and development of Circum-Caribbean musical activity.

MU 5368. Music in Mexico.

This course introduces students to graduate-level study of musical practice in Mexico and associated geographies. Topics span popular and academic genres (pre-colonization to the present), including but not limited to the son complex, mariachi, experimental works, folk traditions, resurgence practices, rock, and border genres. Students examine leading scholarship’s intersections with anthropology, sociology, Afro-Mexican studies, and gender studies, among others. Using current historiographic and analytical approaches, students investigate cultural contexts and analyze musical examples. Through selected case studies and readings, the course encourages reflection on the methods and frameworks that shape the study, interpretation, and development of these rich repertoires. (MULT).

MU 5369. Latin American Soundscapes.

This course introduces students to graduate-level study of Latin American musical practices. Topics span popular, academic, and transnational genres (1700s to the present), ranging from Argentinian tango, Brazilian samba, and Colombo-Venezuelan joropo, to experimental and resurgence practices of Indigenous communities and contemporary artists. Students examine leading scholarship and analyze repertoires and cultural practices through the interdisciplinary frameworks of Sound Studies. Through selected case studies and readings, the course reflects upon how diverse communities and artists define, expand, and challenge the concept of music through creative use of sound and technologies. (MULT).

MU 5371. Choral Literature I: Madrigal/Partsong.

This course examines the repertoire, historical development, and stylistic characteristics of madrigals and partsongs within the Western choral tradition. The course emphasizes score study, text setting, performance practice, and interpretive considerations relevant to rehearsal and performance. Students explore representative works from the Renaissance to later adaptations of the partsong tradition, considering issues of language, rhetoric, texture, and ensemble balance. Through analytical study and contextual research, students develop informed approaches to programming and conducting madrigal and partsong literature.

MU 5372. Choral Literature II: Oratorio and Other Secular Major Works.

This course examines major choral-orchestral works from the Western canon, with emphasis on oratorios and large-scale secular compositions. The course focuses on historical context, stylistic development, formal design, orchestration, and performance practice considerations associated with extended choral works. Students engage in detailed score study of representative repertory spanning the Baroque period to the present, analyzing text setting, large-scale structure, and conductor-centered interpretive decisions. Through analytical study and contextual research, students develop informed approaches to rehearsal preparation, programming, and collaboration with orchestral and solo forces.

MU 5373. Choral Literature III: Liturgical Year - Motet, Anthem, Cantata.

This course examines choral repertoire associated with the liturgical year, including motets, anthems, cantatas, and related sacred genres from the Western choral tradition. The course emphasizes score study, historical context, textual interpretation, and performance practice within worship and concert settings. Students explore repertoire aligned with major seasons of the liturgical calendar and the Revised Common Lectionary, considering stylistic developments from the Renaissance to the present. Through analytical study and contextual research, students develop informed approaches to programming, rehearsal preparation, and interpretive decision-making for sacred choral literature.

MU 5374. Choral Literature IV: Missa Brevis, Missa Solemnis, & Requiem.

This course examines musical settings of the Roman Catholic Mass Ordinary and Requiem liturgies, with emphasis on missa brevis, missa solemnis, and large-scale Requiem compositions from the Western choral tradition. The course focuses on historical development, liturgical context, textual structure, formal design, orchestration, and performance practice considerations. Students engage in detailed score study of representative works from the Renaissance to the present, analyzing theological text setting, large-scale structure, and conductor-centered interpretive decisions. Through analytical study and contextual research, students develop informed approaches to rehearsal preparation, programming, and collaboration with orchestral and solo forces.

MU 5376. Mariachi Rehearsal Techniques & Literature.

This course examines mariachi ensemble literature and rehearsal methodologies within educational and community contexts. Students study representative repertoire across traditional and contemporary mariachi styles, with attention to stylistic authenticity, instrumentation, vocal practices, and performance conventions. Emphasis is placed on conducting techniques, lesson planning, ensemble setup, rehearsal pacing, error detection and correction, and programming for varied instructional levels. Through applied work in a supervised mariachi teaching lab, students implement rehearsal strategies and instructional approaches while developing effective ensemble leadership skills.

MU 5377. Innovation in Music Performance: Sound Lab.

This course explores innovative approaches to music through focused study of listening, sound creation, improvisation, and collaborative experimentation. Students engage with expanded performance practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, technology-assisted sound production, and alternative performance formats. Emphasis is placed on creative process, real-time musical interaction, and the development of artistic adaptability in evolving cultural contexts. Through guided workshops, performance laboratories, and creative projects, students cultivate flexible musicianship, exploratory techniques, and responsive ensemble practices appropriate to contemporary artistic environments.

MU 5378. Salsa Rehearsal Techniques & Literature.

This course examines salsa ensemble literature and rehearsal methodologies within educational and community music settings. Students study representative repertoire across various salsa styles, with attention to clave-based organization, rhythmic precision, harmonic language, instrumentation, and performance conventions. Emphasis is placed on rehearsal planning, ensemble setup, conducting and cueing techniques, error detection and correction, programming, and stylistically informed interpretation. The course integrates score study, listening, and applied teaching exercises, preparing students to lead salsa ensembles effectively while fostering rhythmic accuracy, ensemble cohesion, and cultural awareness.

MU 5379. Contemporary Discourse in Music Education.

This course examines contemporary discourse in music education scholarship. Students explore selected readings, analyze research questions, and discuss implications for teaching and learning within the field. Course activities emphasize critical thinking, scholarly discussion, and written analysis to support understanding of the relationship between scholarship and the music classroom. Students develop skills in analyzing research methodologies, synthesizing findings, and assessing the broader implications of contemporary studies. As part of the course, students select a topic of personal professional interest and create a synthesis of research connected to that topic. The course supports students’ ability to interpret scholarship within the context of their own instructional settings and professional goals.

MU 5381. Inclusive Excellence in the Music Classroom.

This course examines research and practices related to teaching music in classrooms that include varied cultural traditions, musical practices, and learner characteristics. Students analyze scholarship in multicultural music education, world music pedagogy, and ethnomusicology, and evaluate how these areas inform instructional design. The course addresses methods for supporting students with diverse learning needs, including approaches to accommodations and modifications within music settings. Through readings, lesson development, applied projects, and teaching demonstrations, students investigate how musical practices function within broader social and cultural contexts and consider their implications for K–12 music instruction.

MU 5382. History of Music Education in the United States.

This course examines the historical development of the field of music education in the United States. Students explore major movements, influential figures, and policy changes that shaped the profession from its early beginnings to contemporary practice. Course activities emphasize contextual analysis of primary and secondary sources to support understanding of how educational practices and administrative structures evolved over time. Students investigate the emergence of professional organizations, teacher preparation models, and standards-based approaches to instruction. Through reading, discussion, and written analysis, students consider how historical developments inform present-day structures, expectations, and philosophical perspectives within music education. The course provides a foundation for interpreting historical scholarship and understanding how past practices relate to current educational systems.

MU 5385. Mariachi Arranging Techniques.

This course examines analytical and practical approaches to arranging for the mariachi ensemble. Students study traditional and contemporary mariachi styles, including son, ranchera, bolero, huapango, and polka, with attention to instrumentation, vocal writing, harmonic language, rhythmic organization, and formal design. The course addresses idiomatic writing for mariachi instrument families, including violins, trumpets, guitars, vihuela, and guitarrón, as well as effective voicing and scoring techniques. Through score study, listening, and applied arranging projects, students develop technical fluency and stylistic awareness necessary for writing authentic and effective mariachi arrangements.

MU 5392. Introduction to Music Instruction in Higher Education.

This course prepares graduate students in music for instructional roles in higher education across classroom, applied, and ensemble settings. Students examine principles of academic structure, best practices in job/graduate program application/interviews, and effective college-level teaching, including course design, syllabus development, assessment strategies, inclusive pedagogy, and professional communication. The course addresses responsibilities commonly associated with Graduate Teaching and Instructional Assistants, such as classroom instruction/course design, syllabus preparation, leading discussion sections, supervising labs, coaching ensembles, and assisting with applied instruction. Emphasis is placed on reflective teaching practice, ethical standards, and professional development within academic music contexts. This course does not earn graduate degree credit.

MU 5399A. Thesis.

This course represents a student’s initial enrollment in thesis work and marks the formal beginning of an extended, faculty-supervised research project in music. Students develop a focused research topic, refine research questions, and begin sustained investigation using appropriate methodologies. The course emphasizes proposal development, source identification, literature review, and the establishment of a clear research plan. Students are expected to enroll in thesis during each semester in which faculty supervision is received. No thesis credit is awarded until the thesis is completed in MU 5199B or MU 5299B or MU 5399B. The course may be repeated for credit.

MU 5399B. Thesis.

This course represents a graduate student’s continuing enrollment in thesis work and supports the completion, revision, and submission of the master’s thesis in music. Under ongoing faculty supervision, students finalize research, complete writing, respond to advisor and committee feedback, and prepare the thesis for formal submission in accordance with university guidelines. The course emphasizes sustained scholarly engagement, clear argumentation, and professional presentation of research. Students are expected to enroll in thesis during each semester in which faculty supervision is received. Enrollment requires an approved thesis proposal. The course may be repeated for credit.

MU 5599B. Thesis.

This course represents a graduate student’s continuing enrollment in thesis work and supports the completion, revision, and submission of the master’s thesis in music. Under ongoing faculty supervision, students finalize research, complete writing, respond to advisor and committee feedback, and prepare the thesis for formal submission in accordance with university guidelines. The course emphasizes sustained scholarly engagement, clear argumentation, and professional presentation of research. Students are expected to enroll in thesis during each semester in which faculty supervision is received. Enrollment requires an approved thesis proposal. The course may be repeated for credit.

MU 5999B. Thesis.

This course represents a graduate student’s continuing enrollment in thesis work and supports the completion, revision, and submission of the master’s thesis in music. Under ongoing faculty supervision, students finalize research, complete writing, respond to advisor and committee feedback, and prepare the thesis for formal submission in accordance with university guidelines. The course emphasizes sustained scholarly engagement, clear argumentation, and professional presentation of research. Students are expected to enroll in thesis during each semester in which faculty supervision is received. Enrollment requires an approved thesis proposal. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5099. Concert Ensemble.

This course is a performance-based music ensemble with variable instrumentation designed to provide music majors with ongoing experience in collaborative music-making. Students develop ensemble performance skills through the rehearsal and performance of repertoire drawn from various stylistic traditions and historical periods. Emphasis is placed on musicianship, technical proficiency, stylistic awareness, and effective ensemble collaboration. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, students strengthen listening skills, interpretive abilities, and professional rehearsal practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5100. Mariachi Lince de Oro.

This course is an ensemble course devoted to the study and performance of traditional and contemporary Mariachi repertoire. Students rehearse and perform music drawn from regional Mexican traditions while developing ensemble skills such as rhythmic accuracy, stylistic articulation, balance, blend, and expressive phrasing. The course emphasizes characteristic forms, rhythms, instrumentation, vocals, and performance practices associated with Mariachi music, as well as its cultural and historical contexts. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, students strengthen musicianship, listening skills, and collaborative performance techniques. May be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5101. Bobcat Basketball Band.

This course is a performance ensemble that supports the university’s men’s and women’s basketball programs through musical performance at home games and postseason tournaments as well as community/university-centered event performances. Students rehearse and perform a wide range of pep band and athletic-event repertoire, developing skills in ensemble coordination, rhythmic precision, stylistic versatility, and musical responsiveness in a live sporting environment. The course emphasizes professional rehearsal habits, adaptability, and collaborative performance under dynamic conditions. Travel for postseason tournaments may be required. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5102. Salsa Del Rio.

This course is a performance-based ensemble dedicated to the study and performance of salsa and related Latin and South American musical styles. Students develop ensemble performance skills through the rehearsal and presentation of repertoire that emphasizes rhythmic precision, stylistic authenticity, and collaborative interaction among instrumentalists and vocalists. The course explores characteristic rhythms, forms, and performance practices associated with salsa and its cultural contexts. Through regular rehearsals and performances, students enhance technical proficiency, listening skills, and stylistic awareness. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5103. Mariachi Nueva Generación.

This course is an ensemble course devoted to the study and performance of traditional and contemporary Mariachi repertoire. Students rehearse and perform music drawn from regional Mexican traditions while developing ensemble skills such as rhythmic accuracy, stylistic articulation, balance, blend, and expressive phrasing. The course emphasizes characteristic forms, rhythms, instrumentation, vocals, and performance practices associated with Mariachi music, as well as its cultural and historical contexts. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, students strengthen musicianship, listening skills, and collaborative performance techniques. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5104. Panorama Steel Drum Band.

This course is a performance-based ensemble focused on the study and performance of music for steel pans (steel drums). Students rehearse and perform repertoire drawn from Caribbean traditions and related styles, emphasizing rhythmic accuracy, melodic clarity, harmonic awareness, and ensemble coordination. The course introduces characteristic performance practices, forms, and stylistic conventions associated with steel band music while developing core musicianship skills such as listening, timing, and collaboration. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, students strengthen technical proficiency and stylistic versatility. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5105. VocaLibre.

This course is an auditioned choral ensemble open to students across the university and dedicated to expressive, collaborative music-making. The ensemble studies and performs repertoire spanning traditional choral works, early music, jazz-influenced styles, popular and R&B selections, and vocal music from various global traditions. Emphasis is placed on stylistic flexibility, healthy vocal production, ensemble blend, rhythmic precision, and meaningful communication with audiences. Through innovative programming and public performances, students develop musicianship, artistic identity, and professional rehearsal practices while engaging audiences on campus and throughout the surrounding community. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5106. Opera Workshop.

This course is a performance-based course designed to develop the practical and artistic skills required for operatic performance. Students study and apply techniques related to singing, acting, movement, diction, characterization, and ensemble collaboration through scenes, excerpts, and/or staged productions. The course emphasizes stylistic interpretation, musical preparation, dramatic communication, and professional rehearsal practices. Through coached rehearsals and performances, students gain experience integrating musical and theatrical elements while preparing for professional operatic and related performance contexts. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5107. Opera Theatre.

This course is an advanced performance ensemble in which students study and perform complete operatic roles through operatic scenes, chamber operas, one-act operas, and/or fully staged productions. The course emphasizes the integration of vocal technique, musical preparation, dramatic interpretation, movement, and ensemble collaboration within a professional rehearsal environment. Students work closely with directors, conductors, and coaches to prepare roles to performance-ready standards. Through rehearsals and public performances, participants develop artistic independence, stylistic awareness, and professional performance practices essential to operatic careers. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5108. Orquesta del Rio.

This course is a performance-based ensemble dedicated to the study and performance of salsa and related Latin and South American musical styles. Students develop ensemble performance skills through the rehearsal and presentation of repertoire that emphasizes rhythmic precision, stylistic authenticity, and collaborative interaction among instrumentalists and vocalists. The course explores characteristic rhythms, forms, and performance practices associated with salsa and its cultural contexts. Through regular rehearsals and performances, students enhance technical proficiency, listening skills, and stylistic awareness. The course may be repeated for credit. (MULT).

MUSE 5109. Opera Production.

This course is an advanced performance ensemble in which students participate as singers in a full opera production or in staged opera scenes. The course emphasizes comprehensive preparation for professional operatic performance, integrating vocal technique, musical interpretation, dramatic expression, movement, and ensemble collaboration. Students work within a structured rehearsal and production process that reflects professional standards, including staging, coaching, and performance. Through rehearsals and public performances, participants develop artistic discipline, performance stamina, and professional rehearsal practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5110. Rock Ensemble.

This course prepares students to perform commercial music in a live venue one or more times per semester. Students rehearse and perform repertoire that includes but is not limited to music from the 1950s to the present, representative of various genres such as rock, blues, pop, rhythm and blues, and metal. Through rehearsals and public performances, students develop musicianship, collaborative skills, and professional performance practices applicable to contemporary popular music contexts. May be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5112. Bobcat Country.

This course is a performance-based ensemble dedicated to the study and performance of country music and related American roots styles. Students rehearse and perform repertoire drawn from various periods of country music history, emphasizing stylistic authenticity, rhythmic feel, ensemble coordination, and expressive communication. The ensemble focuses on song form, groove, instrumental roles, and vocal–instrumental interaction while developing collaborative rehearsal practices. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, students strengthen musicianship, stylistic awareness, and professional ensemble skills applicable to contemporary performance settings.

MUSE 5114. Conjunto.

This course is a performance-based course devoted to the study and performance of conjunto music and related regional Mexican styles. Students rehearse and perform repertoire featuring characteristic forms, rhythms, instrumentation, and performance practices associated with the tradition, with attention to stylistic authenticity and ensemble interaction. Emphasis is placed on rhythmic precision, articulation, phrasing, balance, and collaborative musicianship. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, students develop technical proficiency, stylistic awareness, and professional rehearsal practices while engaging with the cultural and historical contexts of the repertoire.

MUSE 5122. Aurora Voce.

This course is a highly selective choral ensemble open by audition to treble singers across the university. The ensemble focuses on the study and performance of high-quality, challenging repertoire spanning various historical periods, stylistic traditions, and genres. Emphasis is placed on refined vocal technique, precise intonation, blend, balance, diction, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to small-ensemble singing. Through intensive rehearsals and public performances, students develop advanced musicianship, ensemble sensitivity, and professional rehearsal practices within a collaborative setting. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5123. Concert Band.

This course is a performance-based instrumental ensemble that provides ensemble experience for both music majors and non-music majors. The ensemble rehearses and performs wind band repertoire representing various historical periods and stylistic traditions. Emphasis is placed on developing fundamental ensemble skills, including tone production, intonation, rhythmic accuracy, balance, and stylistic interpretation. Through regular rehearsals and performances, students strengthen musicianship, ensemble awareness, and professional rehearsal practices. Music majors are placed in Concert Band through the ensemble auditions. Non-music majors may register for Concert Band without audition. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5124. Treble Voice Choir.

This course is a performance-based choral ensemble devoted to the study and performance of choral literature written for treble voices. Students rehearse and perform repertoire representing various historical periods, stylistic traditions, and genres while developing foundational ensemble skills. Emphasis is placed on healthy vocal technique, tone production, blend, balance, diction, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to treble-voice singing. Through regular rehearsals and performances, students strengthen musicianship, listening skills, and collaborative rehearsal practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5125. Tenor Bass Choir.

This course is an ensemble course dedicated to the study and performance of choral repertoire written for tenor and bass voices. Students develop advanced ensemble skills through focused work on tone production, diction, phrasing, blend, balance, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to lower-voice literature. The course emphasizes musicianship, score preparation, and collaborative rehearsal processes while exploring historical and contemporary repertoire. Performances, sectional rehearsals, and reflective practice contribute to the development of students’ musicianship and ensemble proficiency. May be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5126. Chamber Music.

This course is a performance-based course consisting of small ensemble groups that study and perform chamber literature for mixed and similar instrumental combinations. Students work collaboratively to rehearse and present repertoire representing various historical periods and stylistic traditions. The course emphasizes musical independence, ensemble coordination, stylistic interpretation, and shared responsibility for musical outcomes. Through coached rehearsals and performances, students develop advanced listening skills, communication, and professional rehearsal practices essential to chamber ensemble performance. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5127. Jazz Combo.

This course is a small performance ensemble focused on developing improvisational skills, stylistic fluency, and individual musical creativity through the study and performance of standard jazz repertoire. Students rehearse and perform in a chamber-sized setting that emphasizes interaction, listening, and spontaneous musical decision-making. The course addresses jazz forms, harmonic structures, rhythmic feel, and ensemble roles while fostering collaborative rehearsal practices. Through regular rehearsals and performances, students strengthen musicianship, stylistic awareness, and professional ensemble skills. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5128. Conducting Seminar.

This course is an advanced seminar course focused on the development of conducting technique, musical interpretation, score reading, rehearsal skills, and professional development. Activities may include engagement in detailed score analysis and application of analysis to interpretation, as well as the examination of conducting literature, musical philosophies, leadership strategies, and performance practices with the goal of refined musical judgment and conducting skills essential for effective rehearsal and performance leadership. The course also explores strategies for obtaining positions in the profession. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5129. Latin Ensemble Lab.

This course is an auditioned, performance-based ensemble with flexible size and instrumentation, dedicated to the advanced study and practice of Latin Jazz: the fusion of Afro-Caribbean musical traditions and American Jazz. The course emphasizes arranging, performance, and improvisation within a variety of Latin Jazz styles, with a focus on rhythmic precision, stylistic authenticity, ensemble interaction, and creative development. Students engage in rehearsal and performance experiences that integrate listening, experimentation, and collaborative music-making. Through guided exploration and public performance, participants strengthen musicianship, rhythmic fluency, and stylistic versatility in a laboratory-style ensemble setting. The course may be repeated for credit. (MULT).

MUSE 5130. Wind Symphony.

This course is a major instrumental ensemble composed of advanced wind and percussion students. The ensemble is dedicated to the rehearsal and performance of high-level wind band literature. Students engage with repertoire representing various compositional approaches and performance practices while developing refined ensemble skills. Emphasis is placed on advanced instrumental technique, balance, intonation, rhythmic precision, style and artistic interpretation. Through intensive rehearsals and public performances, participants strengthen musicianship, ensemble awareness, artistic engagement, and professional rehearsal standards. Open to music majors and non-music majors, the course requires an audition and may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5131. Symphonic Winds.

This course is an major instrumental ensemble composed of highly-qualified wind and percussion students. The ensemble rehearses and performs wind band repertoire representing various historical periods, compositional approaches, and stylistic traditions. Emphasis is placed on advanced ensemble musicianship, refined instrumental technique, balance, intonation, rhythmic precision, and stylistic interpretation. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, students develop ensemble awareness, listening skills, and professional rehearsal practices within a large wind ensemble setting. Open to music majors and non-music majors, the course requires an audition and may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5140. Chorale.

This course is the university’s premier auditioned choral ensemble, dedicated to the study and performance of major works from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century. The ensemble emphasizes historically informed performance practices, refined vocal technique, and high-level musicianship appropriate to advanced choral literature. Students engage in intensive rehearsals and public performances that develop ensemble blend, intonation, diction, stylistic interpretation, and expressive communication. Participation fosters professional rehearsal standards and artistic excellence within a collaborative, disciplined choral environment. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5141. University Singers.

This course is a major choral ensemble dedicated to the rehearsal and performance of choral literature spanning from the seventeenth century to the present. Students engage with repertoire representing various historical periods and stylistic traditions, including large-scale masterworks and selected contemporary compositions. Emphasis is placed on healthy vocal technique, ensemble blend and balance, accurate intonation, diction, and stylistic interpretation. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, students develop advanced musicianship, listening skills, and professional rehearsal practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5150. Symphony Orchestra.

This course is a full symphony orchestra dedicated to the rehearsal and performance of standard orchestral repertoire, including symphonies, overtures, concerti, and works that accompany choral and operatic productions. Students engage with literature representing various historical periods and stylistic traditions while developing advanced ensemble skills. Emphasis is placed on refined instrumental technique, ensemble balance, intonation, rhythmic precision, and stylistic interpretation. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, participants strengthen musicianship, ensemble awareness, and professional rehearsal practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5160. Jazz Ensemble.

This course is an advanced performance ensemble devoted to the rehearsal and presentation of sophisticated arrangements of contemporary popular music and established jazz repertoire. The course emphasizes stylistic authenticity, rhythmic precision, ensemble balance, and expressive interpretation across various jazz styles. Students refine skills in section playing, ensemble coordination, and improvisation appropriate to advanced repertoire. Through intensive rehearsals and public performances, participants develop high-level musicianship, stylistic awareness, and professional ensemble practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5161. Jazz Orchestra.

This course is an advanced jazz ensemble focused on the rehearsal and performance of intermediate-level arrangements of contemporary popular music and established jazz repertoire. The course emphasizes stylistic accuracy, rhythmic precision, ensemble balance, and expressive interpretation across various jazz styles. Students develop skills in section playing, ensemble coordination, and improvisation as appropriate to the repertoire. Through regular rehearsals and public performances, participants strengthen musicianship, stylistic understanding, and professional ensemble practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5162. Jazz Lab Band.

This course is a performance-based ensemble that introduces students to jazz-oriented ensemble playing through the rehearsal and performance of beginning-level arrangements of contemporary jazz styles. The course emphasizes fundamental jazz ensemble skills, including swing feel and other groove styles, rhythmic accuracy, balance, blend, articulation, and basic improvisation concepts as appropriate. Students develop musicianship and ensemble awareness through regular rehearsals and performances while gaining experience with stylistic conventions common to jazz and popular music settings. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5170. Accompanying.

This course is a coaching seminar for pianists focused on developing collaborative performance skills essential to professional music-making. Students work on sight-reading, score preparation, stylistic interpretation, and rehearsal collaboration while accompanying instrumentalists, vocalists, or ensembles of various sizes and types. Emphasis is placed on rhythmic reliability, balance, flexibility, and responsiveness to partners in a range of performance contexts. Through coached rehearsals and performances, students strengthen musicianship, ensemble awareness, and professional rehearsal practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5180. Mysterium for New Music Ensemble.

This course is a performance-based ensemble devoted to the study, rehearsal, and presentation of contemporary music across various styles, aesthetics, and media. Designed primarily for composition majors, the course emphasizes close engagement with recent and experimental repertoire, including works that incorporate extended techniques, nontraditional notation, electronics, improvisation, and interdisciplinary elements. Students analyze compositional strategies and performance practices while collaborating closely with peers and faculty to realize new and recent works. Through rehearsals, workshops, and performances, participants develop advanced musicianship, analytical insight, and professional rehearsal practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSE 5190. Guitar Ensemble.

This course is a chamber ensemble designed for guitarists that emphasizes collaborative music-making and ensemble musicianship. Students rehearse and perform repertoire written or arranged for multiple guitars, representing various historical periods and stylistic traditions. The course focuses on ensemble coordination, rhythmic precision, balance, tone production, and stylistic interpretation within a chamber setting. Through regular rehearsals and performances, students strengthen listening skills, musical independence, and professional rehearsal and performance practices. The course may be repeated for credit.

MUSP 5101. Graduate Recital.

This course culminates graduate applied study through the presentation of a full-length public recital or equivalent capstone performance in the student’s primary area of specialization. Students prepare, rehearse, and present a program demonstrating advanced technical proficiency, interpretive maturity, stylistic breadth, and artistic coherence. For composition majors, the recital may include the public presentation of original works in live or multimedia formats. Emphasis is placed on program design, artistic vision, presentation standards, and reflective evaluation. Coursework is typically taken during the final semester of applied study within the degree program.

MUSP 5120. Applied Voice.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in vocal performance through 30-minute supervised private study. Vocal and musical proficiency of an advanced nature is assumed. Emphasis focuses on refined technical consistency, expanded vocal color, and stylistic and dramatic interpretation of representative repertoire appropriate to graduate-level study, while cultivating professional standards in preparation, musical analysis, and performance practice. Students apply advanced technical and interpretive strategies to meet complex musical and expressive demands. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5127. Applied Conducting.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in conducting through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined baton and gesture technique, score reading and analysis, rehearsal planning, stylistic interpretation, and leadership in ensemble contexts. Students engage in detailed study of music across representative repertories while developing efficient rehearsal strategies and expressive clarity in gesture. Through focused work on musical structure, stylistic awareness, and ensemble communication, students cultivate artistic authority and professional conducting practice. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisite: Conducting Major or instructor approval.

MUSP 5130. Applied Keyboard.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in keyboard performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical coordination, stylistic interpretation, and informed performance practice. Students engage with representative repertoire appropriate to graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, stylistic awareness, and professional standards of preparation. Through focused work on technique, articulation, touch, registration (where applicable), and musical structure, students develop artistic maturity and advanced keyboard proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5140. Applied Woodwind.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in woodwind performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical facility, breath coordination, tone production, articulation, intonation control, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to the student’s primary woodwind instrument. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, structural awareness, and a personal commitment to the preparation process. Through focused work on technique, musical analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity and advanced instrumental proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5150. Applied Brass.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in brass performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined embouchure development, breath control, articulation precision, intonation, range extension, endurance, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to the student’s primary brass instrument. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, structural awareness, and professional standards of preparation. Through focused work on technique, repertoire analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity and advanced instrumental proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5160. Applied String.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in string performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical coordination, including bow control, intonation accuracy, shifting facility, vibrato development, tone production, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to the student’s primary string instrument. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, structural awareness, and professional standards of preparation. Through focused work on technique, repertoire analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity and advanced instrumental proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5164. Mariachi Melodia Techniques.

This course provides students with the fundamentals of playing and teaching the melodic instruments associated with the Mariachi ensemble, with specific emphasis on the voice, violin, and trumpet. Topics will cover history, tuning, and stylistic techniques associated with each instrument. This course is repeatable for credit three times. (MULT).

MUSP 5165. Mariachi Armonia Techniques.

This course provides students with the fundamentals of playing and teaching the rhythm/harmony instruments in the Mariachi ensemble, with specific emphasis in the guitarrón, vihuela/guitar, and the harp. Topics will cover history, tuning, strumming, and stylistic techniques specific to each instrument. This course is repeatable for credit three times. (MULT).

MUSP 5166. Latin Music Methods.

This course provides students with knowledge that is essential to become effective directors of Mariachi and Salsa ensembles. Instruments, styles, repertory, and resources that are related to these ensembles will be discussed. (MULT).

MUSP 5170. Applied Percussion.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in percussion performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical coordination across multiple percussion instruments, as appropriate to the student’s primary focus. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, rhythmic precision, tonal control, and stylistic awareness. Through focused work on technique, repertoire analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity, versatility, and professional standards of preparation. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5175. Afro-Cuban Hand Drumming.

The fundamentals of playing and teaching Afro- Cuban Drums. Topics will cover history and knowledge of styles of the various Afro-Cuban percussion instruments. (MULT).

MUSP 5180. Applied Composition.

This course is advanced individual instruction in the craft of musical composition in the form of weekly private lessons. Students work on original projects of their own choosing or as assigned by the instructor. While developing these projects, students receive guidance in a variety of forms, including listening assignments, score study, musical analyses, etude assignments, development of notation techniques, and strategies for thinking critically about aesthetic choices. The projects students create will form a portfolio of work for public performance and further professional and educational opportunities. In addition to the weekly private lessons, students attend a weekly Composers Forum, which includes discussions on various topics, presentations from guest artists, and other relevant activities. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5185. Electronic Music Composition.

This course is advanced individual instruction in the techniques of electronic music composition in the form of weekly private lessons. Students work on original projects of their own choosing or as assigned by the instructor. Topics may include recording and tape manipulation techniques of musique concrète, electro-acoustic techniques of digital and analog synthesizers, and MIDI. Students are introduced to these topics through technical demonstrations and musical examples. The projects students create will form a portfolio of work for public performance and further professional and educational opportunities. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5220. Applied Voice.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in vocal performance through 50-minute supervised private study. Vocal and musical proficiency of an advanced nature is assumed. Emphasis focuses on refined technical consistency, expanded vocal color, and stylistic and dramatic interpretation of representative repertoire appropriate to graduate-level study while cultivating professional standards in preparation, musical analysis, and performance practice. Students apply advanced technical and interpretive strategies to meet complex musical and expressive demands. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5227. Applied Conducting.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in conducting through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined baton and gesture technique, score reading and analysis, rehearsal planning, stylistic interpretation, and leadership in ensemble contexts. Students engage in detailed study of music across representative repertories while developing efficient rehearsal strategies and expressive clarity in gesture. Through focused work on musical structure, stylistic awareness, and ensemble communication, students cultivate artistic authority and professional conducting practice. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisite: Conducting Major or instructor approval.

MUSP 5230. Applied Keyboard.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in keyboard performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical coordination, stylistic interpretation, and informed performance practice. Students engage with representative repertoire appropriate to graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, stylistic awareness, and professional standards of preparation. Through focused work on technique, articulation, touch, registration (where applicable), and musical structure, students develop artistic maturity and advanced keyboard proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5240. Applied Woodwind.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in woodwind performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical facility, breath coordination, tone production, articulation, intonation control, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to the student’s primary woodwind instrument. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, structural awareness, and a personal commitment to the preparation process. Through focused work on technique, musical analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity and advanced instrumental proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5250. Applied Brass.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in brass performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined embouchure development, breath control, articulation precision, intonation, range extension, endurance, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to the student’s primary brass instrument. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, structural awareness, and professional standards of preparation. Through focused work on technique, repertoire analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity and advanced instrumental proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5260. Applied String.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in string performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical coordination, including bow control, intonation accuracy, shifting facility, vibrato development, tone production, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to the student’s primary string instrument. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, structural awareness, and professional standards of preparation. Through focused work on technique, repertoire analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity and advanced instrumental proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5267. Mariachi Guitarrón Techniques.

This course provides instruction on the fundamental teaching pedagogy, specifically preparing music education majors with practical and transferable teaching skills for guitarron instruction within the mariachi ensemble setting. Students examine strategies for teaching posture, instrument position, hand positioning, tone production, rhythmic accuracy, and stylistic authenticity. Through lesson planning, peer-teaching demonstrations, repertoire analysis, and field-based applications, future educators develop the tools necessary to confidently instruct students at the secondary level while preserving the integrity and traditions of mariachi performance practice. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5268. Mariachi Vihuela Techniques.

This course provides instruction on the fundamental teaching pedagogy, specifically preparing music education majors with practical and transferable teaching skills for vihuela instruction within the mariachi ensemble setting. Students examine strategies for teaching posture, instrument position, right-hand strumming mechanics, left-hand chord formation, tone production, rhythmic accuracy, and stylistic authenticity. Through lesson planning, peer-teaching demonstrations, repertoire analysis, and field-based applications, future educators develop the tools necessary to confidently instruct students at the secondary level while preserving the integrity and traditions of mariachi performance practice. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5270. Applied Percussion.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in percussion performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical coordination across multiple percussion instruments, as appropriate to the student’s primary focus. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, rhythmic precision, tonal control, and stylistic awareness. Through focused work on technique, repertoire analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity, versatility, and professional standards of preparation. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5275. Afro-Cuban Hand Drumming.

This course provides applied instruction in the performance and pedagogy of Afro-Cuban drumming. Students examine stylistic practices, rhythmic structures, and cultural contexts associated with traditional instruments such as congas, bongos, timbales, and auxiliary percussion. Emphasis is placed on technique, tone production, independence, ensemble interaction, and clave-based rhythmic patterns across traditional and contemporary styles of Afro-Cuban music. Through supervised coaching and applied performance work, students refine technical control, stylistic fluency, and pedagogical strategies for teaching Afro-Cuban drumming in educational and community settings. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5280. Applied Composition.

This course is advanced individual instruction in the craft of musical composition in the form of weekly private lessons. Students work on original projects of their own choosing or as assigned by the instructor. While developing these projects, students receive guidance in a variety of forms, including listening assignments, score study, musical analyses, etude assignments, development of notation techniques, and strategies for thinking critically about aesthetic choices. The projects students create will form a portfolio of work for public performance and further professional and educational opportunities. In addition to the weekly private lessons, students attend a weekly Composers Forum, which includes discussions on various topics, presentations from guest artists, and other relevant activities. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5285. Electronic Music Composition.

This course is advanced individual instruction in the techniques of electronic music composition in the form of weekly private lessons. Students work on original projects of their own choosing or as assigned by the instructor. Topics may include recording and tape manipulation techniques of musique concrète, electro-acoustic techniques of digital and analog synthesizers, and MIDI. Students are introduced to these topics through technical demonstrations and musical examples. The projects students create will form a portfolio of work for public performance and further professional and educational opportunities. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5320. Applied Voice.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in vocal performance through 80-minute supervised private study. Vocal and musical proficiency of an advanced nature is assumed. Emphasis focuses on refined technical consistency, expanded vocal color, and stylistic and dramatic interpretation of representative repertoire appropriate to graduate-level study while cultivating professional standards in preparation, musical analysis, and performance practice. Students apply advanced technical and interpretive strategies to meet complex musical and expressive demands. May be repeated for credit.

MUSP 5327. Applied Conducting.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in conducting through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined baton and gesture technique, score reading and analysis, rehearsal planning, stylistic interpretation, and leadership in ensemble contexts. Students engage in detailed study of music across representative repertories while developing efficient rehearsal strategies and expressive clarity in gesture. Through focused work on musical structure, stylistic awareness, and ensemble communication, students cultivate artistic authority and professional conducting practice. May be repeated for additional credit. Prerequisite: Conducting Major or instructor approval.

MUSP 5330. Applied Keyboard.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in keyboard performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical coordination, stylistic interpretation, and informed performance practice. Students engage with representative repertoire, from different time periods and styles, appropriate to graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, stylistic awareness, and professional standards of preparation. Through focused work on technique, articulation, touch, registration (where applicable), and musical structure, students develop artistic maturity and advanced keyboard proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5337. Advanced Conducting.

This course provides advanced performance-based study in conducting with emphasis on refined baton technique, expressive gesture, score analysis, rehearsal leadership, and stylistic interpretation across representative repertories. Students engage in detailed score study, structural analysis, and rehearsal planning while developing clarity of gesture, efficiency of communication, and artistic authority in ensemble settings. Emphasis is placed on integrating analytical insight with interpretive decision-making and rehearsal considerations. Through focused work on musical structure, stylistic awareness, and ensemble communication, students cultivate artistic authority and professional conducting practice. May be repeated once with different emphasis for additional credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5340. Applied Woodwind.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in woodwind performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical facility, breath coordination, tone production, articulation, intonation control, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to the student’s primary woodwind instrument. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, structural awareness, and a personal commitment to the preparation process. Through focused work on technique, musical analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity and advanced instrumental proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5350. Applied Brass.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in brass performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined embouchure development, breath control, articulation precision, intonation, range extension, endurance, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to the student’s primary brass instrument. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, structural awareness, and professional standards of preparation. Through focused work on technique, repertoire analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity and advanced instrumental proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5360. Applied String.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in string performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical coordination, including bow control, intonation accuracy, shifting facility, vibrato development, tone production, and stylistic interpretation appropriate to the student’s primary string instrument. Students engage with representative repertoire suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, structural awareness, and professional standards of preparation. Through focused work on technique, repertoire analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity and advanced instrumental proficiency. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5370. Applied Percussion.

This course provides advanced, individualized instruction in percussion performance through supervised private study. Instruction emphasizes refined technical coordination across multiple percussion instruments, as appropriate to the student’s primary focus. Students engage with repertoire from different time periods and styles that is suitable for graduate-level study while cultivating interpretive depth, rhythmic precision, tonal control, and stylistic awareness. Through focused work on technique, repertoire analysis, and performance practice, students develop artistic maturity, versatility, and professional standards of preparation. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5380. Applied Composition.

This course is advanced individual instruction in the craft of musical composition in the form of weekly private lessons. Students work on original projects of their own choosing or as assigned by the instructor. While developing these projects, students receive guidance in a variety of forms, including listening assignments, score study, musical analyses, etude assignments, development of notation techniques, and strategies for thinking critically about aesthetic choices. The projects students create will form a portfolio of work for public performance and further professional and educational opportunities. In addition to the weekly private lessons, students attend a weekly Composers Forum, which includes discussions on various topics, presentations from guest artists, and other relevant activities. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.

MUSP 5385. Electronic Music Composition.

This course is advanced individual instruction in the techniques of electronic music composition in the form of weekly private lessons. Students work on original projects of their own choosing or as assigned by the instructor. Topics may include recording and tape manipulation techniques of musique concrète, electro-acoustic techniques of digital and analog synthesizers, and MIDI. Students are introduced to these topics through technical demonstrations and musical examples. The projects students create will form a portfolio of work for public performance and further professional and educational opportunities. Prerequisite: Music major status or instructor approval.