Independent composition work by doctoral students, under the supervision of a faculty member.

Individual instruction in Composition. Continuation of MUS3300Y.

A study of the teaching of tonal and atonal music theory, keyboard harmony, and aural skills. The course surveys various analytic and pedagogical approaches through an examination of textbooks and other sources. Students compare, contrast, and evaluate these approaches; and apply the concepts in oral presentation and in the creation of sample course materials (outlines, assignments, and handouts). Topics for the final paper will be determined by the research interests of the students.

This seminar will examine connections between music theory and cognitive science. We will survey contemporary music — theoretical writings that draw on research in schema theory, conceptual metaphor theory, ecological perception, and theories of embodied and grounded cognition to provide insights into musical experience and musical meaning. Historical antecedents for these cognitive perspectives will also be discussed.

An introduction to the atonal and twelve-tone repertoires through analysis of selected compositions by Schoenberg, Berg, Webern, Varese, Boulez, Dallapiccola, Berio, Babbitt, and Carter. The course also surveys the related theoretic and analytic literature (Babbitt, Forte, Lewin, and others). Course requirements include assignments, presentations, and a final paper.

An analytic study of the music of Debussy, Bartok, Stravinsky, and others. The course will focus on harmony (modes, scales, chords), rhythm, form, and methods of motivic and thematic development.

This seminar will examine central figures and ideas in the history of music theory. The semester will begin in the 17th century and end in the early 20th century. Weekly readings will be drawn from primary and secondary sources. Students will complete regular writing assignments and take turns leading class discussion. Representative topics: counterpoint, figured bass, functional harmony, tonal form, theories of rhythm, music psychology, and Schenkerian theory.

This seminar offers a survey of the current state of music theory as an academic discipline, its institutional base, and its ideological superstructure. It will introduce students to the field’s major areas of research and methodological challenges, focusing on three topic clusters: 1) recent and current debates in North American music theory; 2) trends in the discipline in Canada and the U.S. over the past half century; and 3) music-theoretical practices in other parts of the world and the place of North American music theory in a global context.

In-depth analysis of musical works from c. 1750 to 1840; study of recent analytical approaches to music and meaning, musical form, and text- music relationships; selected readings.

In-depth analysis of musical works from c. 1840 to 1910; study of recent analytical approaches to musical form, chromatic harmony, and text-music relationships; selected readings.

Through readings in the recent music-theoretical literature, listening and score study, this seminar explores advanced analytical methodologies for tonal music of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Especially featured are linear-harmonic, functional, and transformational approaches focused on aspects of pitch organization, including its interaction with other musical parameters, such as rhythm, thematic development, and form. Students will build fluency in analytical methods, develop skills to combine them productively, and gain experience writing persuasive analytical prose. Consideration of genre and historical style, and how they can contextualize analytical findings, will be another central outcome.

The seminar considers definitions of metre, relationships between rhythm and metre, and rhythmic-metric processes proposed by recent music theorists. Readings include Cohn, Epstein, Hasty, Kramer, Krebs, Lehrdahl and Jackendoff, London, Roeder, Rothstein, Schachter, Temperley, and van den Toorn. After surveying theoretical models, the seminar shifts to analytical applications. The final paper may present a rhythmic-metric analysis of a tonal or post-tonal composition, it may probe a theoretical problem in the study of rhythm and metre, or it may pursue connections to areas such as performance and music cognition.

Likely the most widely influential musical composition ever, Richard Wagner's operatic tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen (1848–74) continues to spark music-theoretical and analytical interest. This seminar offers students the opportunity to acquaint themselves thoroughly with the many dimensions of this important work and to study various aspect of its reception within the field of music theory and analysis. The first part of the course comprises an overview of each of the four music dramas and an introduction to the vast literature about them. Later sessions offer a more detailed investigation of individual scenes in view of specific theoretical and analytical topics (phrase structure and large-scale form, Leitmotiv technique and semiotics, harmony and large-scale tonal organization, orchestration and Klang, etc.). A recurring concern throughout this exploration will be the ways in which the musical analysis can both illuminate and be illuminated by the drama that unfolds on stage.

This course explores vocal and operatic composition for the operatic medium. Students will compose scenes for performance following a process of dramaturgy, rehearsal, and revision. Performances of the composition will be in collaboration with the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble and the Opera Division. By permission of the Department.

This course will examine compositional techniques specific to composing for percussion instruments. It is open to graduate and undergraduate students majoring in composition and/or percussion majors. Three composition assignments, and two in-class (group) presentations will be the course requirement for each student.

Developed in partnership with the Experimental Music-Theatre studio class offered at the Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies, the Composing for Theatre course will allow students to experience the process of writing for modern theatre. Several collaborative projects will be developed throughout the term, and a small chamber ensemble will workshop them on a weekly basis. A selection of the final projects will be presented at the New Music Festival. Complementing the creative aspect, the course will also approach the topic from a theoretical perspective and explore current practice, repertoire and tradition, as well the aesthetic relationship between music and theatre.

This is a business course for musicians. Concepts such as incorporation, accounting, and taxation are introduced as well as methods of finance. Models of commerce specific to the music industry are analyzed. Case studies are reviewed, and students will formulate and present a business plan. Research, best practices, and models from the international Music Cities movement are applied.

Making music with computers can involve several complex steps including composition, synthesis, montage, performance, recording, and mixing. Each of these processes can be optimized through the thoughtful combination of specialized software tools, critical listening skills, and the application of basic principles. The purpose of this course is to develop practical skills that will increase productivity and creative potential.

A continuation of and complement to Creative Applications of Technology I. Through reading and discussing, listening and analyzing, and creating and presenting, this seminar will focus on refining a creative practice in music technology with the aim of honing artistry, gathering technique, and nurturing collegial response. There will be an ongoing emphasis on composing and arranging, sound design, and mixing. In-depth lectures will occur on an intermittent basis.

An introduction to the acoustical foundations of music. Topics to include: properties of sound, instrumental models, performance practice, perception, room acoustics, tuning and temperament, and the electronic reproduction of sound.

An examination of the theory and practice of sound recording in terms of live and in-studio practices. Stereophonic techniques are discussed with respect to capturing a realistic perspective of events. Experiments and in-class recording sessions illustrate concepts, and students are encouraged to provide sources for recordings. Critical listening skills are introduced, and analyses of recordings are undertaken. The mechanics and electro-acoustics of sound recording are introduced.

A continuation of Sound Recording I. An exploration of the acoustic properties of instruments with respect to method of sound production and directivity. Multi-microphone techniques are used to capture specifically intended elements of the sound spectrum. Analysis and critical listening skills are further developed.

This course explores in depth the creative possibilities of the recording studio and software applied to mixing and production. Ideas and strategies are introduced with the intent of producing successful mixes. Concepts and techniques are explored to help create and define the direction of the production. Students will work with both original and provided materials.

Methods of production for Immersive Audio for Video Games, 360 Video and Virtual Reality are introduced. The tools of production are provided and students will both create and mix material for these formats. Implementation of Ambisonic recording and mixing techniques as well as binaural methods of delivery are explored. High-channel count formats for cinema are introduced.

The concept of orchestration with respect to recording is explored. While traditional orchestration and arranging methods largely apply for live performance, recording in the studio brings a new set of parameters to consider. This course explores what needs to be done in the studio to get the desired results in the control room (e.g., how to achieve the maximum result with the minimum resource). This course explores how recording in the studio can change the performance, and it examines such techniques as multi-track overdubbing and signal manipulation. Extensive analysis of recorded material and exercises in orchestration illustrate the possibilities. The students will work with video material and write to picture in order to explore how to create mood and ambience.

This course aims to develop students' auditory sensitivity to small changes in technical sound parameters. Students improve their ability to recognize, describe, and quantify the auditory signature of a variety of signal processors: equalizers, dynamic range compressors, automated volume faders, reverberators, and other effects. This technical listening training is presented in the context of sonic aesthetics through discussion of technical decision making and artistic intent.

This course introduces students to acoustical and recording system design and implementation in the context of music studios. The course begins with essential concepts, sound in rooms, sound treatment, sound isolation, acoustical measurements, audio systems fundamentals, schematics, and ends with project-based applications, studio design, system configuration, and acoustical measurement. Students will gain the knowledge and skills to design and implement a small-scale music production environment.

This interdisciplinary research-creation seminar explores aesthetics, techniques, and challenges related to interactive performance systems. Groups work together to develop a concept, performance framework and musical composition. The course culminates in an informal final concert where pieces are performed and documentation is presented. The course emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, papers, posters, and high-quality performance documentation.

Working in music and sound for video games means not only composing music or designing sounds but building and maintaining complex interactive systems that take players’ input and translate it into sonic feedback. This course provides students with the opportunity to create their own interactive music and sound systems for video games, acquiring the relevant technical skills and the experience of team-based video game development.

Video is an integral aspect of intermedia performance, pairing with music, theatre, and dance. Following a core overview of non-linear editing, including colour correction and grading, this course will focus on interactive system development with TouchDesigner, exploring image manipulation, external and programmatic control, compositing, audio and motion reactivity, and effect processing. This course will also cover 3D graphics, including geometry, material, light and shadow, instancing, and animation, and introduce the OpenGL Shading Language and Python. Coursework is practical, with a focus on creating intermedia, culminating in a final project.