This practical course is a survey of the compositional practices of Western Art Music, beginning in the Medieval Era, and extending until the present day. The course will examine the predominant technical and aesthetic concerns of each era, with a focus on how historical practice can inform and transform contemporary composition. Students will create their own music based on the studied material, with the goal of taking inspiration from the music of the past without imitating it. This is a practical course, designed around the creation of original material. The course is intended to enrich the vocabulary of composition students and provide a broad understanding of the historical development of musical composition.