2020-2021 Academic Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2020-2021 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


Courses at Furman are typically identified by codes separated into three distinct parts. The first segment designates the academic subject of the course, the second component relates to the level of instruction, and the final element (when displayed) assists with the identification of the meeting times and location for individual course sections.

Credit bearing undergraduate courses typically are numbered between 100 and 599, graduate instruction is typically numbered between 600 and 999, while zero credit experiences frequently have numbers between 001 and 099. Undergraduates can further expect courses numbers to reflect:

100-299 introductory courses, geared to freshmen and sophomores
300-499 advanced courses, designed for majors and other students with appropriate background and/or prerequisites
500-599 individualized instruction, including internships, research, independent study, and music performance studies
 

Music

  
  • MUS-063 Men’s Chorale


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-064 Women’s Chorale


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-065 Chamber Choir


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-066 Oratorio Chorus


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-067 Jazz Ensemble


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-068 Jazz Combo


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-069 Brass Ensemble


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-070 Woodwind Ensemble


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-071 Percussion Ensemble


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-072 String Ensemble


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-073 String Quartet


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-074 Saxophone Quartet


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-076 Guitar Ensemble


    0 credits.
  
  • MUS-077 Collaborative Piano


    Piano and Organ Performance majors have the option of choosing collaborative piano to fulfill their large ensemble requirement in the junior and/or senior year.  This option must be approved by the Keyboard Area Coordinator and the Department Chair by the end of the term prior to the term for which the student elects this option.

      0 credits.

  
  • MUS-100 Concert Music


    GER: VP (Visual and Performing Arts)
    Same as MUS-101  An introduction to music through attendance at live performances. Class meetings, readings, and other assignments will prepare students to experience a variety of different concerts of Art Music at venues throughout Greenville. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-101 Introduction to Music


    GER: VP (Visual and Performing Arts)
    Same as MUS-100  Introduction to the fundamentals of music, exploring a variety of musical genres, and developing an appreciation of the diverse musical genres. Although the focus for each section varies, all sections address certain fundamentals of music: listening skills, cultural context, historical development, musical vocabulary, musical structure, and style. Requires out-of-class listening and attendance at live concerts. Descriptions of the sections are published during the enrollment period for each term. Requires out-of-class listening and attendance at live concerts. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-102 Introduction to Jazz


    GER: VP (Visual and Performing Arts)
    Historical overview of the development of jazz. Intended for non-music majors. Includes the study of significant artists and their recordings in a social and historical context. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-103 Classic Rock


    GER: VP (Visual and Performing Arts)
    Historical overview of the development of classic rock music. Intended for non-music majors. Includes the study of significant artists and their recordings in a social and historical context. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-104 Voice Class I


    Basic fundamentals of correct singing (posture, breathing, tone production). Beginning studies in vocal repertoire. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-105 Voice Class II


    Continuation development of principles and techniques studied in first voice class. Designed for students with prior singing experience. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-106 Piano Class I


    First year piano for students with little or no keyboard knowledge. Early study is devoted to keyboard orientation and functional keyboard skills. Later, the study of the styles and literature of the piano is pursued through standard repertoire. Instructor permission required. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-107 Piano Class II


    Continuation of Class Piano I. For students with some previous keyboard training. Knowledge of basic rudiments of music is assumed, and emphasis is placed on developing pianistic fluency through standard repertoire and finger exercises. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-108 Guitar Class I


    Introduction to guitar skills. Intended for students with no guitar skills. Emphasis is on achievement of basic proficiency in chord playing, note reading, strumming patterns, and basic finger styles. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-109 Guitar Class II


    Continuation of MUS-108. Emphasis is on chord playing, note reading, strumming patterns and basic finger styles through learning various songs. Also designed for students with prior guitar playing experience. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-111 Basic Musicianship I


    GER: VP (Visual and Performing Arts)
    Prerequisite: Department Permission
    Introduction to music fundamentals, basic principles of voice leading, and harmonic progression through development of complementary skills in analysis, composition, improvisation, music technology, sight-singing, ear training, and at the keyboard. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-112 Basic Musicianship II


    Prerequisite: MUS-111 
    Ongoing study of voice leading, diatonic harmony, basic modulation, and small forms through continued development of complementary skills in analysis, composition, improvisation, music technology, sight-singing, ear training, and at the keyboard. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-113 Composition Seminar


    Prerequisite: instructor permission
    Issues and topics relevant to contemporary music in general, current day compositional methods, techniques and literature in particular, and forum for presentation and discussion of works by invited guests, faculty, and students. May be repeated for credit. 1 credit.
  
  • MUS-120 Introductory Music Literature


    Prerequisite: MUS-111 
    Exploration of important composers and works, topics will include: recurring cycles of classicism and romanticism, performance practice, sacredness in music, the nature of creativity, translations of vocal music and the changing roles of the composer, performer and audience in society. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-122 Intro to Ballet History


    VP (Visual and Performing Arts)
    This course offers a survey of the primary genres and models of classical ballet. It is focused on ballet as a performing art, with emphasis on French romanticism, Russian academic classicism, Russian-Western modernisms, and contemporary trends 4
  
  • MUS-125 Music, Ballet, and Movement


    Core Courses: Body and Mind (MB)
    This course is about the corporeality of dance. It uses the lens of ballet to examine the intersection of art and athleticism in dance and to explore how ballet promotes physical, emotional, and artistic integration. The course links a historical-cultural approach to ballet-based movement and fitness practiced in the lab. 4
  
  • MUS-211 Basic Musicianship III


    Prerequisite: MUS-112  
    Ongoing study of voice leading, chromatic harmony, advanced modulation, and small forms through continued development of complementary skills in analysis, composition, improvisation, music technology, sight-singing, ear training, and at the keyboard. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-212 Basic Musicianship IV


    Prerequisite: MUS-211 
    Overview of large musical forms and of contemporary compositional techniques through continued development of complementary skills in analysis, composition, improvisation, music technology, sight-singing, ear training, and at the keyboard. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-220 World Music


    GER: WC (World Cultures)
    Prerequisite: MUS-211 
    Examination of music from selected regions of the world. Emphasis on understanding the culture, meaning, and identities found in music outside the western European paradigm. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-221 Music History I


    Prerequisite: MUS-112 
    The development of musical style, covering the period from Antiquity to c. 1650. Representative examples of music are discussed, with an emphasis on social-historical context and the philosophical origins of Western music. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-310 Form and Analysis


    Prerequisite: MUS-212  
    Prelude, reductive analysis, fugue, motivic analysis, continuous variation, binary (simple, rounded, continuous rounded, etc.), sonata (articulated binaries), theme groups, rondo, hybrid forms, concerto, concerted forms, Lieder, song forms, detailed phrase analysis, miniatures, ternary forms, associations to twentieth century music. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-311 Composition


    Prerequisite: MUS-212   
    Emphasis on applied study in the craft and technique of composition. Revolving topics include choral/vocal music, chamber music, consorts and mixed ensembles, large ensembles, and electronic music, complemented by analysis of representative works from classical and modern literature. May be repeated for credit. May be repeated for credit. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-312 Orchestration


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    The craft of orchestration through knowledge of transpositions, ranges of instruments, actual scoring for string, woodwind, brass, and percussion sections, and finally culminating in a scoring for full orchestra. Music copying skills are developed. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-313 Modal Counterpoint


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    The ecclesiastical vocal style typical of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Emphasis on counterpoint in two, three, and four voices based on polyphonic models by Palestrina, Lassus, Victoria, and others. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-314 Projects in Music Technology


    Prerequisite: instructor permission
    Focus on applied study of music technology, involving both individual and group lessons. Possible topics to include: digital audio recording/editing, advanced MIDI applications, performance with technology, and multimedia production. Students develop an extended creative project and produce appropriate documentation (live presentation, audio CD, interactive DVD, etc.) May be repeated for credit. May be repeated for credit. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-320 Music History II


    GER: WR (Writing-Research Intensive) and HA (Historical Analysis of Human Interactions)
    Prerequisite: any first year writing seminar, MUS-212  and MUS-221  
    The stylistic development of Western European art music within the broader context of European history. It will also explore the relationship of music history to other forms of historical inquiry. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-321 Music History III


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    A survey of the development of musical style from ca. 1890 to the present. Representative musical examples are heard, studied and discussed, with an emphasis on social-historical context. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-325 Italian Arts and Culture


    An interdisciplinary, experiential study of select musical, artistic and architectural treasures of Italy, with emphasis on those of the Tuscan region. This course is offered as a component of the Music Department’s study away program. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-327 The Alexander Technique and Body Mapping


    Familiarization with the Alexander Technique, an approach to body awareness, mapping, and ease of movement, specifically but not exclusively designed for performers. Emphasizes the role of anatomy in developing an understanding and application of the principles of Alexander Technique. Active exploration of the Alexander Technique designed to unlock creativity, discover freedom and ease in performance, reduce stress and tension throughout the body, and prevent performance related injuries. 2 credits. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-328 Introduction to Music Research


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    An introduction to the methods and standard resources of music scholarship. Emphasis will be on primary sources, research tools, and evaluation strategies. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-330 String Methods


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Designed to produce a level of proficiency needed to teach violin, viola, cello and bass in the public schools. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-331 Woodwind Methods


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Study of woodwind instruments for the purpose of learning teaching and playing skills. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-332 Brass Methods


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Preparing instrumentalists to teach the fundamentals of brass performance at the elementary and secondary school level. Emphasis will be on pedagogy as well as the acquisition of performance skills on all brass Instruments. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-333 Percussion Methods


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Preparing instrumentalists to teach the fundamentals of percussion performance at the elementary and secondary school level. Emphasis will be placed upon pedagogy as well as the acquisition of performance skills on all percussion Instruments. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-334 Guitar Methods


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Designed to prepare music educators to teach the fundamentals of guitar performance at the elementary and secondary school levels. Emphasis will be placed on pedagogy and course management as well as performance skill. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-340 Church Music Ministry


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Relationship of the music ministry to the church functions of worship, education and evangelism; the varying roles of music in the church and aspects of administering a program of church music. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-341 Hymnology


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Survey of major developments in hymnody 151 both hymn texts and hymn tunes 151 from the early Christian era to the present. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-350 Fundamentals of Jazz Improvisation


    Prerequisite: instructor permission
    Focus on the techniques and performance practice of jazz improvisation. Includes practical application of melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and formal elements of the aural tradition of jazz. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-351 Applied Jazz Improvisation


    Prerequisite: MUS-350  and instructor permission
    Continuation of topics from MUS-350. Individualized instruction, modeled after traditional one-on-one applied music study, with focus on more advanced applications of the melodic, harmonic, formal and textural elements of solo improvisation. May be repeated for credit. May be repeated for credit. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-352 Basic Conducting


    Prerequisite: MUS-211 
    Basic skills required of a conductor: beat patterns, cuing, expressive and functional use of the left hand, introduction to score study. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-353 Instrumental Conducting


    Prerequisite: MUS-352 
    Designed to develop students146 skills and knowledge of ensemble conducting, acquaint them with a variety of musical repertoire and styles both instrumental and vocal, and develop their ability to research and prepare musical scores and administer musical ensembles. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-354 Choral Conducting


    Prerequisite: MUS-352 
    Continuation of MUS-352. Discussion and class performance in areas of rehearsal technique, advanced conducting analysis, criteria for selecting music, and continued development of general conducting skills. Videotaping as well as written and verbal critique of conducting actions included. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-355 Opera Performance Studies


    Prerequisite: instructor permission
    Vocal interpretation and characterization of operatic roles, moving to music, understanding theater skills and conventions, preparation and performance of opera scenes. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-356 Lyric Diction I


    Prerequisite: MUS-511 
    Review of the Internation Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Application of IPA to rules of singing in Italian and German with oral and written drill. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-410 Tonal Counterpoint


    Prerequisite: MUS-212  
    In-depth study of eighteenth century contrapuntal style through analysis of works by Bach, Handel, and their contemporaries. Emphasis on composing free counterpoint in two, three, and four voices, and imitative works such as invention and fugue. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-411 Contemporary Styles and Techniques


    Prerequisite: MUS-212  
    Introduction to the analysis of musical composition and performance practice in the 20th and 21st centuries. Topics include: extended tonality, atonality, serialism, minimalism, and electroacoustic music. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-412 Senior Project


    Prerequisite: MUS-212  and instructor permission
    Capstone requirement of music theory and/or composition degree programs. Synthesis and culmination of undergraduate music study, especially as it relates to the area of specialty. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-420 Literature of the Instrument


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Survey of the musical literature of a particular performance area. Students (typically performance majors) channel their research and study toward their own performance specialty and survey the general body of compositions written for that medium 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-421 History and Literature of the Instrument


    Prerequisite: MUS 212  
    A comprehensive study of the development of a specific instrument and a survey of the music written for it. Topics will include music written originally for the medium as well as modern developments in musical variety 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-422 Music History and Literature Topics


    An intensive study of a narrow area of music history and literature, focusing on a region, genre, style, composer or other theme. The topic for each course offering will vary and will be published beforehand. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. May be repeated for credit with change of topic. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-423 Survey of Choral Literature


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Choral literature, both sacred and secular, beginning with Gregorian Chant and concluding with choral-orchestral music of the 20th and 21st century will be discussed, analyzed, and heard. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-424 Beethoven’s Ninth: Before and After


    Prerequisite: MUS-101  or MUS-120  and the ability to read music
    Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was recognized as a landmark work even before its first performance in 1824. In the decades following its influence was keenly felt by every composer contemplating writing a symphony. This course will use a seminar format to study Beethoven’s most influential work and its aftermath. May Experience ONLY. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-425 Tuning Systems and the Aural Experience


    Study of the history of tuning systems which date back thousands of years. Exploring the differences between a Just Intonation tuning system and an Equally Tempered system, including the 12 Tone Equal Temperament System (12-TET). Provides students with a global perspective for experiencing music. May Experience ONLY. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-426 Symphonic Sojourn


    Prerequisite: MUS-101  or MUS-120 
    An opportunity to immerse oneself in orchestral music, through a number of complete works. Students will read a variety of articles and experience performances of symphonies and other works for symphony orchestra, which will become the basis of seminar discussions. Students will prepare a final presentation and paper on a topic to be selected in collaboration with the instructor. May Experience ONLY. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-427 Opera Overload


    Prerequisite: MUS-101  or MUS-120  and the ability to read music
    Opportunity to intensively study several complete operas. Students will prepare a variety of readings and watch video performances as a group of operas to become the basis of seminar discussions. Students will prepare a final presentation and paper on a topic to be selected in collaboration with the instructor. May Experience ONLY. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-428 Impressionism in France


    A detailed study of Debussy and Ravel: influences by their impressionistic colleagues in the art world (Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet) and their collaborations with poets Verlaine, Mallarme, Baudelaire, Rimbaud. May Experience ONLY. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-429 The Music of John Coltrane


    Prerequisites: MUS-111A, MUS-111B, MUS-111C and instructor permission
    Saxophonist John Coltrane was a titanic figure in jazz history whose career simultaneously featured a quest for both musical discovery and spiritual truth. Students will study Coltrane’s life and music, and will analyze a number of Coltrane’s seminal compositions and improvised solos. May Experience ONLY. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-430 Music for Elementary Classroom Teachers


    Prerequisite: EDU-111  and EDU-120 
    Designed to prepare students to teach singing and general music in elementary school. Explores methodologies of children’s music, the teaching of music reading and basic elements of music, and the use of music in the teaching of other academic content areas. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-431 Vocal and Choral Methods


    Prerequisite: MUS-212  and prior vocal training
    Comprehensive study in methods of teaching vocal production in the choral setting and the private studio. Considerable emphasis on breathing, phonation, diction, intonation. In addition to the adult voice, consideration is given to the child and adolescent vocal technique. Designed to develop teaching skill. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-432 Instrumental Music Methods


    Prerequisite: EDU-221 
    Comprehensive study in methods of teaching instrumental music for the elementary, middle, and secondary school. Considerable emphasis on philosophy, objectives, and teaching techniques of the various instrumental ensembles. 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-433 Music Education Methods


    Prerequisite: EDU-221 
    Designed to prepare students for K-12 teaching certification in choral and general music. Explores methodological, philosophical, managerial, instructional, and administrative factors specific to general music curricula and choral programs in middle and high schools 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-434 Elementary Music Methods


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Required for choral/ general music education majors. Explores Orff, Dalcroze, Kod224ly, Suzuki, and Gordon, their theories of teaching children, and/or their instructional methods and strategies. Other topics include how to teach children to sing properly, how to teach musical concepts and basic skills such as sight-reading and active listening, and how to incorporate technology into the elementary music classroom. Required for choral/general music education majors. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-435 Jazz Performance Methods


    Prerequisite: MUS-111  and instructor permission
    Designed to prepare instrumental music education majors to teach jazz at the secondary school level, but open to any student with jazz experience. Focuses on jazz history, theory, improvisation, rhythm section techniques, rehearsal techniques, and jazz ensemble literature. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-440 Practicum in Church Music


    Prerequisite: MUS-340  and MUS-341 
    A semester-long field placement that will serve as a culminating experience in which the philosophies, methods and materials presented in the music core and the Church Music major curricula will be put into practice 4 credits.
  
  • MUS-450 Vocal Pedagogy


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    The science and application of vocal techniques for the teaching of singing. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-451 Piano Pedagogy


    Prerequisite: MUS-212 
    Designed for pianists to better understand the process of teaching piano. Learning theories, various piano methods, appropriate literature, and laboratory application, developing teaching skills for the piano. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-452 Service Playing


    2 credits.
  
  • MUS-453 Analytical Encounters


    Prerequisite: MUS-212  
    Topics in music analysis, in which students will perform analyses, read scholarly materials, and present their findings. The topic will be announced beforehand and vary for each offering. May contribute to a major in the department as a general elective. May be repeated for credit. May Experience ONLY. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-456 Lyric Diction II


    Prerequisite: MUS-511 
    Review of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). Application of IPA to rules of singing in English, French, Latin and Spanish with oral and written drill. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-457 Rites of Spring: the Ballets Russes in Paris


    A study away course on the Ballets Russes performed in Paris from1909-29, presenting collaborations that mirrored the aesthetic and socio-political currents of the early 20th century. Uses the company as a catalyst for exploring those currents in their historical and physical context. May Experience ONLY. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-458 Engaging Music


    Students develop presentations which combine live chamber music performance with music theory and history in such a way to help non-specialist audiences to recognize and appreciate sophisticated aspects of classical music. Performances will be created and rehearsed, then presented in multiple venues in the local community. May Experience ONLY. 2 credits.
  
  • MUS-501 Independent Study


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-505 Chamber Music for Winds & Percussion


    Practical knowledge of the characteristics and inherent difficulties of individual instruments through rehearsals and coaching sessions, culminating in a public performance of the selected repertoire. Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-510 Vocal Performance Topics


    Concurrent enrollment in appropriate performance studies instruction required.
    Enhancement of private studio study. Systematic exposure to a wide gamut of technical and artistic musical performance issues. Concurrent enrollment in appropriate performance studies instruction required. Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-511 Voice


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-512 Opera


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-520 String Performance Topics


    Concurrent enrollment in appropriate performance studies instruction required.
    Enhancement of private studio study. Systematic exposure to a wide gamut of technical and artistic musical performance issues. Concurrent enrollment in appropriate performance studies instruction required. Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-521 Violin


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-522 Viola


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-523 Cello


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-524 Double Bass


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-525 Classical Guitar


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-526 Jazz Guitar


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-527 Harp


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-528 Jazz Bass


    Variable credit.
  
  • MUS-530 Brass Performance Topics


    Concurrent enrollment in appropriate performance studies instruction required.
    Enhancement of private studio study. Systematic exposure to a wide gamut of technical and artistic musical performance issues. Concurrent enrollment in appropriate performance studies instruction required. Variable credit.
 

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