Graduate Studies in Music Seminars 2024-25

FALL 2024

MUGT 610 (001) Seminar - Music Education – CRN 4048 | Professor Isabelle Cossette

Breathing and Stress: From theory to practice

While respiration and stress are very complex bodily functions and are sometimes ‘in the way’, they are at the core of any living activities, including music making. This course covers the theoretical underpinnings of the respiratory and stress response systems through a whole-person approach and, aims at identifying some evidence-based solutions/applications to students’ current questions.

Class sessions are intended to develop a broad and interdisciplinary knowledge, critical thinking skills and how to implement some concepts into instrumental pedagogy, practicing strategies and healthy lifestyle, etc. Discussions based on readings (scientific textbooks and literature), lectures, online material, peer-work, hands-on measurements and presentations will allow the students to share knowledge and strategies that can be applied to practice.

Evaluation will be based on class preparation and may include a take-home exam, oral and written reflections, an annotated bibliography, presentation and a final project associated to either research, performance or learning aspects of the student’s interests as relate to class content.

FALL 2024

MUGT 611 (001) Seminar - Music Education – CRN 4049 | Professor Liza Lorenzino

Global Music Pedagogy

This seminar is unique in its international focus as it investigates varied pedagogical practices of music education world-wide. Students critically discuss formal, informal, and non-formal music teaching in a range of international settings including curricular, extra-curricular, community based, online, and autodidactic learning. Specific topics studied include rote learning; improvisation and the master/apprentice model; and Orff, Kodaly, and Dalcroze methodologies.

Class sessions may be augmented by guest lecturers. Students wishing to do so will have the opportunity to be involved in the collection of qualitative data via semi-structured interviews in a project of their choice. Evaluation will include one research paper, an in-class presentation and other small assignments.

FALL 2024

MUHL 680 Seminar in Musicology – CRN 4065 | Professor Roe-Min Kok

Music and Colonialism

Many have acknowledged that inequities and inequalities pervade the field of western art music and its practices, whether in institutional, freelance, or other settings. In attempting to address these issues, few have delved into the deep-seated reasons underlying such asymmetries. This seminar examines the roots of sociocultural injustices in music by studying power dynamics in cultural settings past and present. Case studies come from around the world as well as closer to home, and include Canadian Indigenous communities; the Portuguese, Spanish, and Ottoman Empires; Thailand (officially never colonized, thus a particularly interesting case); the British Empire (Canada, India, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore), the French Empire (Haiti, Vietnam), the Japanese Empire, treaty ports in the People’s Republic of China, etc. By analyzing how colonial, postcolonial, and neocolonial politics interact(ed) with notions of gender, race, and ethnicity, as well as with religious and educational institutions, we will develop an informed awareness of why and how certain ideologies continue to affect the field of western art music today. Final projects may focus on musical identity and cross-cultural negotiations in musical works, or collaborations in specific geographical locations, communities, and timeframes. Evaluation will be based on presentations about assigned readings, a final project proposal, a final project presentation, a final paper, and professionalism.

FALL 2024

MUHL 682 Seminar in Musicology – CRN 4066 | Professor Lloyd Whitesell

Film Music and the Meanings of Style

From its very beginnings, film music was polystylistic—patching together a wide range of idioms from popular and classical spheres, not merely to create moods but using style itself to convey meaning. We will explore how musical style signifies in connection with specific film genres (e.g., Western, film noir, musical); how style topics convey crucial information about narrative and character; Romantic, modernist, and postmodernist aesthetics; mismatching for irony and humor; and the effects of eccentric or exaggerated style (e.g., cartoons, Jacques Demy, Wes Anderson). Readings will cover a basic introduction to film music studies as well as recent developments. Evaluation will be based on class participation, occasional short assignments, and a final paper/presentation.

FALL 2024

MUMT 605 (001) Digital Sound Synthesis & Audio Process – CRN 4585 | Professor Philippe Depalle

Most digital sound synthesis methods and audio processing techniques are based on the spectral representation of sound signals. This seminar starts with a theoretical and practical study of spectral representation, spectral analysis, and spectral modification of sound signals. Digital sound synthesis and sound processing techniques are then presented as specific spectral modeling or alterations from which their capabilities, properties, and limitations are deduced. Techniques explored in this context include the phase-vocoder, additive synthesis, source-filter synthesis, and audio effects. Available Computer Music software and ad hoc pieces of software are used as examples and illustrations. Evaluation will be based on two assignments (25% each), one in-class presentation (15%), and a final project (35%).

FALL 2024

MUMT 617 (001) Cognitive Dynamics of Mus. Listening – CRN 4586 | Professor Stephen McAdams

Music theoretic, performance-related, psychophysical, and cognitive perspectives on contemporary musical materials and musical form will be surveyed and discussed. The main aim is to lay the groundwork for a theory of the dynamics of musical listening and experience. This seminar covers a variety of interdisciplinary topics concerning the conception, perception, and memory of contemporary musical materials, as well as the cognitive, emotional and aesthetic aspects of music listening in time. It will combine considerations of a compositional, music theoretic and cognitive psychological nature to attempt to understand these complex phenomena as they operate in real music listening, whether to recorded or to live music in a concert setting.

FALL 2024

MUMT 618 (001) Computational Modeling of Musical Acoustics – CRN 4587 | Professor Gary Scavone

Methods for discrete-time modeling of musical acoustic systems, with an emphasis on digital waveguide techniques. Delay-based audio effects, artificial reverberation, musical instrument models and physically-informed approaches to sound synthesis. Prior experience with differential equations, digital filters, Matlab, and C/C++ is required. Evaluation will be based on weekly homework, in-class presentations, and a final course project.

FALL 2024

MUMT 620 (001) Gestural Control of Sound Synthesis – CRN 4588 | Professor Marcelo Wanderley

This seminar examines the use of computers as part of novel digital musical instruments, including physical gestures and actions, design and evaluation of new interfaces for musical expression, and mapping strategies between gestures and sounds. Evaluation will be based on summaries of papers, student presentation, project proposal, and a project presentation.

FALL 2024

MUTH 652 (001) Seminar in Music Theory – CRN 4709 | Professor Nicole Biamonte

Theory and Analysis of Funk Music

This seminar explores musical parameters in funk, an important genre of African American music that arose in the 1960s, which has been highly influential on many other genres of popular music, especially hip hop. We will begin with an overview of the genre and its aesthetic values, then examine aspects of the music: rhythm (syncopation, microtiming, meter and hypermeter), form (12-bar blues, loop-based forms), pitch structures (melodies, riffs, extended chords, blue notes and modal mixture), timbre, texture, lyrics, and relation to dance and other forms of embodiment. Coursework will consist of readings, class discussion, analysis assignments, and a final project comprising a 3500-4000 word analytical paper and a 20-minute presentation based on the paper.

FALL 2024

MUTH 653 (001) Seminar in Music Theory – CRN 4710 | Professor Jonathan Wild

Tonality's Edge

In this seminar we shall examine music mostly from the early part of the twentieth century whose harmonic language is sometimes described as "extended tonality" (a term which will certainly require careful scrutiny). Through readings we will familiarize ourselves with modern theories of tonality and some of the analytic approaches to this thorny repertoire, but our primary focus will be on the music itself, with pieces selected each week for your analytic consideration. The composers to be studied will exhibit a range of responses to the late-stage evolutions of tonality, including some who are well-known, alongside lesser-known figures. For evaluation students will post written analytic responses each week, engage in (and occasionally lead) class discussion on the music being analyzed and on the other assigned readings, and submit a 15- to 20-page paper.

FALL 2024

MUTH 654 (001) History of Music Theory 2 – CRN 4711 | Professor Edward Klorman

Sociability and Agency in Mozart’s Chamber Music

The conception of the string quartet as a musical analogue for an artful conversation has been influential to composers from Haydn to Ives, Carter, and beyond. This seminar examines such social metaphors principally as they apply to instrumental chamber music by W. A. Mozart, along with his contemporaries and successors. A central question will be to what extent notions of musical sociability can be integrated with traditional categories of musical analysis, such as harmony, form, motive, topic, and meter. To bridge this gap, we will invoke approaches to musical agency and persona, as expounded both by historical and recent authors. The seminar will also examine relevant eighteenth-century sources on (musical and non-musical) sociability, with an emphasis on domestic music-making. Coursework includes weekly reading and listening assignments. The term project comprises an in-class presentation and an accompanying analytical paper.

FALL 2024

MUPP 690 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4652 | Professor Danielle Gaudry

Wind Literature: Large-Scale Works

This seminar offers a comprehensive overview of the large-scale works in the wind repertoire. Starting with an introduction to the works for a larger wind instrumentation in the early 20th century, we will study the advent of the symphonic form in the 1950s and continue our investigation through to the present-day by examining a broad cross-section of compositional languages and styles that represent cornerstone works in the wind literature. Students will have the opportunity to develop their score reading, analysis, listening, and critical thinking skills through assignments such as readings, score analysis, class discussions, a research project and a class presentation.

FALL 2024

MUPP 691 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4653 | Professor Marina Thibeault

Exploration in Creative Processes and Performance Enhancement Techniques

This course explores artistic legacies and missions, approaches for effective practicing, rehearsal techniques, creative performance practice, and interdisciplinary connections. This weekly seminar comprises dynamic class discussions, workshops with guest presenter(s), and student projects. Its diverse content is aimed at developing skills and philosophical perspectives for the 21st century musician, and will be reflective of the student’s input. Through this course, students will be led by their instructor to select a variety of topics identified in the first class and throughout the semester. Reading assignments will be related to the topics chosen together with the students. Students will be asked to choose a research topic for an article to be written individually or in teams of two or three - if their topics are comparable or complementary. Students will gain experience with public speaking by presenting their findings in a presentation of 15 minutes. Research writing skills will also be developed with a 8-10 pages article to be submitted by the penultimate class. Each article will be unique and meant to make a significant contribution for the music community.

FALL 2024

MUPP 692 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4654 | Professor Jacqueline Leclair

Wellbeing for the Professional Musician

During this seminar, we will research and discuss the following topics as related to musician health, professionalism, performance, and music pedagogy: neuroscience related to music practice and performance, sleep, yoga, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, Zen Philosophy, psychology, massage therapy, acupuncture/acupressure, cranio-sacral therapy, Reiki, meditation, breathing exercises, stretching, performance anxiety management, injury prevention and recovery, EDI, and efficient practice technique.

Students will develop enhanced abilities to make informed choices about their wellbeing throughout their careers. They will learn to practice with optimum efficiency, safety, and productivity. As future teachers and colleagues, they will develop enhanced abilities to help others with these topics. The final project for each student will be a paper about a wellbeing topic chosen in consultation with Prof. Leclair, or the equivalent.

FALL 2024

MUPP 693 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4655 | Professor Elizaveta Miller

Historical approach to duo sonata

This seminar will focus on the genre of duo sonata and its evolution from the 17th century to the late classical period. During the semester, we will survey the different stages of development of the sonata form and writing, engage with different historically appropriate keyboard instruments, and explore different artistic and scholarly approaches to the performance practice, with focus on style and interpretation.

FALL 2024

MUPP 694 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4656 | Professor Fabrice Marandola

Ethnomusicology and Contemporary Performance Practice

In this seminar we will explore how different cultures around the world conceive and perform their music. Through the survey of broad cultural areas where music is primarily orally transmitted, we will study the functioning of different musical systems and the wide variety of playing and singing techniques involved. We will investigate the cultural context in which the music takes place in order to gain a significant insight on how these cultures conceive their musical heritage.

We will discuss the various ways traditional playing and singing techniques are incorporated in works by 20th and 21st century composers, from Bartok to Reich including Kagel, Ligeti, Scelsi and many more. We will also experiment with the ‘portability’ of these techniques in the context of modern Western instruments and voices. Several experts (composers, performers, ethnomusicologists) will be invited to share their knowledge and perspectives on their practices at the intersection between ethnomusicology and contemporary performance and creation.

Evaluation will be based on:

• Two short performance projects (1/ excerpt of Exotica by Kagel or equivalent, 2/ performance, arrangement and/or composition of a piece inspired by musical principles studied during the term)
• Program notes for the second performance
• One research paper
• Participation and preparation

FALL 2024

MUPP 695 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4657 | To be determined.

The Iconography of Early Music

Seminar description to follow.

FALL 2024 - This seminar will run from September to April.

MUPG 675D1/D2 (027) Special Project in Performance 1 – CRN 5919 | Professor Matt Haimovitz

Seminar description to follow.

FALL 2024 - This seminar will run from September to April.

MUPG 675D1/D2 (084) Special Project in Performance 1 – CRN 5921 | Professor Melanie Léonard

Introduction to Conducting

This seminar is offered to graduate performance and composition students who are looking to acquire technical and theorical knowledge related to orchestra conducting. This seminar is offered over two semesters. Topics covered will include score preparation and learning all technical and expressive aspects of the gesture. Classes will include a theory portion and practice exercises. Students will in turn be performing in the class ensemble or conducting the ensemble. These sessions are meant as a laboratory to practice and learn the conducting technique. Students will be evaluated on class participation, development of basic skills and progress through various exercises and assignments, conducting the ensemble during the semester and for their final assessment.

This seminar is not open to conducting students.

FALL 2024

MUPG 677 (001) Seminar in Performance Topics 2 – CRN 4640 | Professor Jacqueline Leclair

Notation and Performance Practices for Composition and Performance Students

This seminar is open to Composition and Performance classical and jazz graduate students.

The seminar will be tailored to the performers and composers enrolled and their interests. To enhance student knowledge and skills in notation and performance practice in a wide range of musical periods and styles, this seminar will take deep dives into many scores, notations, styles, and performance skills.

Composition students will compose (very) short excerpts throughout the semester we will perform and record in seminar meetings.

Shared readings, score study, and listening will include the following topics, among others:

• Graphic Scores
• Rhythmic notation and skills across a wide spectrum of periods and styles – how to achieve desired musical results with the clearest rhythmic notation possible – how to learn and perform a wide range of rhythmic notation
• Modernism/Post-Modernism
• Minimalism/Post-Minimalism
• Proto-Spectral/Spectral/Post-Spectral
• Complexity / Neo-Complexity
• 20th Century American and Canadian Schools
• Site-Specific Scores
• Environmental Scores
• Multimedia Scores
• Extended techniques in general and in detail (e.g. quarter tones, other microtones, glissandi, multiphonics, flutter tongue, prepared piano, alternate tunings, other string/wind/brass/vocal/percussion/keyboard extended techniques, etc.)
  Assignments will include readings, score study, videos, weekly reading summary/reaction journal, weekly research to find scores and recordings of interest to the individual student relevant to the week’s topics, and a final paper.
  Grading will be on the quality of class participation, weekly journal, and the final paper.

FALL 2024

MUPG 677 (002) Seminar in Performance Topics 2 – CRN 4641 | Liliana Araújo

Mastering Mental skills in music performance

This seminar offers students the opportunity to learn, practice and apply mental strategies to music practice and performance situations. Informed by performance psychology, students will build a toolkit of psychological strategies that can be used to build confidence, to manage emotional and physical states, to practice more efficiently, to improve concentration and focus, and prepare for auditions and performance experiences. Activities will include individual and group practice of psychological techniques, development of an individual mental training plan, reflection and peer feedback, problem-solving activities, interactive seminars, and independent study. Students are encouraged to bring their instruments to class and to integrate mental skills training into their practice.

FALL 2024

MUPG 691 (001) Vocal Ornamentation – CRN 4644 | Professor Tracy Smith Bessette

Baroque Vocal Ornamentation

This seminar introduces the major treatises of the Baroque era (1600-1750) with emphasis on the practical application of vocal ornamentation for the modern performer. Through the study and discussion of both primary and secondary sources, students will observe and compare national styles. Evaluation will be based on active class discussions, one oral presentation in class and the performance of five pieces with ornamentation appropriate to the national style and time period of the work. One piece from each of the following will be presented: Italian Monody, German Baroque Recitative, English Baroque song or aria, French Baroque Aria or Air de cour, and Handel Opera Seria (da capo aria).

FALL 2024

MUPG 695 (001) Graduate Jazz Improvisation Seminar – CRN 4645 | Professor Rémi Bolduc

Advanced Improvisation Seminar

The goal of the seminar is to help students develop their own musical voice by researching the improvisational ideas and approaches of various jazz artists. With approval of the instructor, students will choose the artists to be studied and will be responsible for transcribing compositions and improvised solos by these musicians. Students will also have the opportunity to play the music in class and receive feedback from the instructor and their peers, with approximately one third of class time spent performing. The instructor will begin the seminar by presenting his own ideas and insights about specific mentors. There will be at least three transcriptions and written analyses required from each student, as well as weekly practice assignments derived from the material. Evaluation will be based on the quality of the analyses, transcriptions and ideas the students bring to the seminar, and on their ability to incorporate those ideas into their playing.

WINTER 2025

MUCO 633 Seminar in Composition – CRN 7070 | Professor Chris Harman

Minimalism

The term “minimalism” in contemporary music may evoke a certain type of repertoire, one based in repetition and associated with a small group of predominantly late-20th and early-21st century American composers. In contrast, if one understands “minimalism” more broadly as work involving various types of reduction in musical means, a very different picture emerges. In this seminar, the notion of “minimalism” will be considered by way of a broad repertoire survey organized into topics such as ambient music, tape loops and time stretching, minimalism and sacred music, minimalism and film, minimalism and the concerto, and postminimalism. Activities will include readings, written summaries, analyses, and class discussions/presentations; the final project will consist of a composition for one to three instruments with a short accompanying written analysis. Since this seminar is cross-listed with MUCO 575 Topics in Composition, space is limited; enrollment will therefore be restricted to graduate students in Composition.

WINTER 2025

MUGT 611 (001) Seminar – Music Education – CRN 3615 | Professor Liliana Araújo

Research Methodologies in Music Performance, Music Pedagogy, and Applied Performance Science

This seminar offers a comprehensive exploration of research methodologies within the interdisciplinary areas of Music Performance, Pedagogy, and Science. The seminar equips participants with the theoretical foundations, practical skills, and critical perspectives necessary for designing and conducting creative, rigorous, and innovative research that responds to practical and meaningful questions in a range of music settings. Topics will include theoretical foundations of empirical research; quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method paradigms and methods; and ethical considerations. Activities will include interactive lectures, collaborative projects, and self-directed inquiry

WINTER 2025

MUGT 613 (001) Seminar – Music Education – CRN 3616 | Professor Isabelle Cossette

Understanding the Performing Body

This course is designed for students interested in understanding how their body works in optimal, healthy and efficient way but also in pathological contexts.

Through the lens of a whole-person approach, students will explore a broad range of issues related to the use of body during music making. Students will develop their critical thinking skills on topics such as musculoskeletal injuries, breathing strategies, neuroplasticity, nutrition, wellbeing approaches, etc. Discussions based on readings, online material, and presentations will allow the students to share knowledge that can be applied to practice.

Evaluation will be based on class preparation/participation including oral and written reflections, discussions and presentations as well as a final blog-project associated to either research, performance or learning aspects of the student’s area of study as relates to class content.

WINTER 2025

MUHL 681 (001) Seminar in Musicology - CRN 3627 | Professor Dorian Bandy

Philosophy of Historical Performance and Reconstruction

Description: This seminar will provide a comprehensive, critical survey of the philosophical controversies surrounding historical performance. Topics include: composers’ intentions; the ‘authenticity’ debate; the nature and status of musical texts; the conflicts between oral and written musical cultures; and epistemology, with a particular focus on the types, problems, and uses of historical evidence. We will examine these issues primarily in relation to the early music movement of the 20th century; however, many of the theoretical points apply equally to historicism and reconstructionism in nonclassical repertoires. Assessment will be based on two short writing assignments and a final paper.

MUHL 682 (001) Seminar in Musicology – CRN 3628 | Professor Lisa Barg

Music and Dance

How have bodies moving to music been described, analyzed, theorized and situated? This seminar will explore relationships between music and dance through a geographically, musically and historically diverse set of case studies drawn from a variety of dance traditions and practices (theatrical, ritual and social). These case studies will introduce seminar participants to theoretical topics and approaches central to studies of music and dance, or “choreomusicalities,” including theories of corporeality, embodiment, improvisation, collaboration and performance. Readings will be drawn primarily from recent scholarship in critical dance studies, musicology, ethnomusicology, performance and film studies, as well as various area studies. Evaluation will be based on presentations, commentaries on selected readings and video material, seminar participation, and a final seminar research project.

WINTER 2025

MUHL 684 (001) Seminar in Musicology – CRN 3630 | Professor Althea SullyCole

Seminar description to follow.

WINTER 2025

MUHL 685 (001) Seminar in Musicology – CRN 3631 | Professor Roe-Min Kok

Music and the Home

This seminar analyzes notions of “home” that were developed in various times and places – and investigates such ideas in relation to music. In the west, for instance, a particular ideal of “home” was born following the social upheavals caused by the French Revolution (1789). Many aspects of this ideal remain: the perception of home as a refuge from external turmoil (“home sweet home”); the culturally charged phrases “coming home” and “homecoming,” etc. This ideal also assumes the presence of certain inhabitants: a married heterosexual couple with biological children. Within its walls, and in private, subtle, yet powerful ways, “home” spawn(ed) practices that are/ were gendered, classed, racialized, and differentiated by religious beliefs and age.

What was/is the position of music played, listened to, and shared in the home, whether composed for it or not? The departure point for this seminar is a critical study of Robert and Clara Schumann in the context of the family life they shared for thirteen years (September 1840-February 1854). Notwithstanding their romantic match – often idealized – Clara and Robert’s life together was severely strained by inadequate income, a fast-growing family, cramped living quarters, and debilitating illness. At the center of these difficulties lay two individuals’ conflicting views of home, particularly their respective gender roles in relation to family finances and the rearing of their children. We shall scrutinize the Schumanns’ music for the domestic sphere, primarily art songs, and ask how these articulate issues of marriage, motherhood, fatherhood, and childhood. Using tools and techniques gained from the Schumann case study and related materials, seminar participants will pursue projects that study relationships between “home” and music. Final projects are not restricted in terms of historical eras, cultures, and musical genres, although they must explore private life and identity formation in home (or home-like) settings and refer to ideas or concepts from at least 2 class readings. Evaluation will be based on presentations about assigned readings, a final project proposal, a final project presentation, a final paper, and professionalism.

WINTER 2025

MUMT 619 (001) Input Devices for Music. Expr.– CRN 4115 | Professor Marcelo Wanderley

Basic technologies used in the design of input devices for musical expression, including the most common types of electronic sensors, actuators and associated conditioning circuits and examples of their application to gestural controllers. Evaluation will be based on assignments and a final project.

WINTER 2025

MUMT 621 (001) Mus. Info,Retr.,Acq.,Preserv. – CRN 4116 | Professor Ichiro Fujinaga

This seminar will investigate current research activities in the area of music information retrieval. The goal is to discover ways to efficiently find and retrieve musical information. Although the field is relatively new, it encompasses various music disciplines including music analysis, music education, music history, music theory, music psychology, and audio signal processing.

Each student will be expected to present various music information retrieval topics along with literature reviews. The final project may consist of software development, a theoretical paper, or an extended review paper. Class format will be presentations followed by discussions.

Potential topics include: Themefinder, MELDEX, Elvis, Cantus, SIMSSA, audio content analysis and search, web crawling, melodic similarities, computer-aided transcription, beat tracking, timbre recognition, speech / music separation, audio and music formats (MPEG-4/7/21, MP3, MEI, MusicXML), and Web API. Students will be evaluated on the quality of the presentations, written assignments, class participation, and the final project.

Evaluation will be based on assignments (50%), class participation (10%), and a final project (40%).

WINTER 2025

MUMT 622 (001) Time-Frequency & Parameter Rep. of Sounds – CRN 4117 | Professor Philippe Depalle

In this seminar the current trends of research on time-frequency representation and parametric modelling and their use in the context of musical and audio applications will be discussed. More specifically, time-frequency distribution, wavelets, matching pursuit, and sparse time-frequency representation will be introduced; and their comparative merits will be discussed. In a second part the use of parametric modelling as the analysis part of current sound synthesis techniques will be presented. Evaluation is based on in-class research literature presentations (48%), and on a final project (40% for the project), and 12% for its presentation.

WINTER 2025

MUSR 692 (001) Music Production Workshop – CRN 4210 | Professor Martha DeFrancisco

A Graduate Seminar for Performance and for Sound Recording Students.

The seminar focuses on the collaborative interaction between performing and recording partners during music recordings. It explores aesthetical questions of performance and recording, and it examines music performance issues in connection with the use of changing technological tools for recording and music production. Discussions are lead regarding the historical development of music production, and an updated analysis of current developments in the recording industry is provided.

The production sessions under the supervision of an expert music producer, realized as part of the seminar, help students acquire insight in the musical, technical and logistical processes that characterize professional music productions, giving both sides suitable tools to enhance their potential as recording artists in the 21st century.

Evaluation will be based on in-class participation and presentations, individual work on the music productions as well as a final research paper or a completed Master of an own production project with a written description/analysis.

WINTER 2025

MUTH 655 (001) Seminar in Music Theory – CRN 4232 | Professor Robert Hasegawa

Music Theory Pedagogy

This seminar provides students with tools for teaching college-level music theory and musicianship. We will consider curricular issues, course design, pedagogical strategies, and techniques for presenting theoretical and analytical material. Broader issues such as inclusive models of teaching, decolonizing the traditional curriculum, and other recent research in music theory pedagogy will also be considered. Coursework will include reading, music analysis, and online/in-class discussion, as well as teaching demonstrations (in-person and recorded), development of original course materials, and written assignments.

WINTER 2025

MUTH 656 (001) Seminar in Music Theory – CRN 4233 | Professor Christoph Neidhöfer

“Gestures, Words, Sounds”: The Creative Worlds of Cathy Berberian and Luciano Berio

As performer, collaborator, composer, and translator Cathy Berberian (1925-1983) had an enormous impact on avant-garde music of her time. Through what she defined as “The New Vocality in Contemporary Music” (1966) she advanced novel ways of thinking about musical expression by pioneering new vocal techniques that “use the voice in all aspects of the vocal process,” by bringing into dialogue a wide spectrum of musical styles, and by putting together her recitals in innovative ways, incorporating theatrical elements and repertoire from Monteverdi to The Beatles. Among the numerous composers with whom she collaborated, Luciano Berio (1925-2003) is the one with whom she shared the longest and deepest creative relationship, going back to their student days in Milan. Berio, who was a pioneer of serialism, the concept of the open work, and the use of linguistic research in composition, wrote many of his groundbreaking works in collaboration with, and for, Berberian. In this seminar we will analyze Berberian’s three compositions Stripsody (1966), Morsicat(h)y (1969), and Anatema con varie azioni (1969, first published in 2024) as well as the works by Berio that were the result of his collaboration with Berberian, including Chamber Music, Thema (Omaggio a Joyce), Visage, Circles, Epifanie, Sequenza III, Folk Songs, and Recital I (for Cathy). In addition, we will study selected works by other composers for whom Berberian’s New Vocality served as source of inspiration (Sylvano Bussotti, John Cage, Harry Somers, Igor Stravinsky, among others), in conjunction with an examination of the scholarly literature on Berberian the composer and her role in the collaborative work with others (writings by Angela Ida De Benedictis, Pamela Karantonis, Jennifer Paull, Francesca Placanica, Anne Sivuoja-Kauppala, Pieter Verstraete, Marie Christine Vila, and others). We will also read a selection from Berberian’s and Berio’s own writings on composition, aesthetics, and performance practice, together with the relevant secondary literature. Course requirements include weekly assigned readings, listening, and analysis, two in-class presentations, a short midterm paper (poster), and a final paper (poster).

WINTER 2025

MUTH 658 (001) History of Music Theory – CRN 4234 | Professor Peter Schubert

Selected topics in the history of music theory from Greek antiquity to 1700 through readings of primary and secondary literature.

WINTER 2025

MUPP 690 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4176 | Professor Richard Stoelzel

Audition Preparation for Orchestral and University Positions

This course is designed for students preparing for orchestral auditions and university teaching positions. It aims to equip students with the skills and strategies needed to excel in these highly competitive environments.

Students will explore various methods to enhance their readiness for both orchestral brass auditions and university teaching position interviews. Key areas of focus will include:

• Preparing and recording audition materials
• Developing comprehensive audition lists from start to finish
• Sight-reading proficiency
• Effective listening and speaking skills
• Navigating interview situations
• Competition strategies
• Breathing techniques and nervousness management

Students will work on actual orchestral audition lists, pre-screening recordings for orchestras, and materials for master's and doctoral level positions. Emphasis will be placed on achieving a high-quality sound, understanding recording techniques, mastering style, rhythm, and pitch, as well as preparing for a university audition recital./p>

Assessment will be based on class preparation and participation, including in-class performances and speaking engagements, book reports, and recordings of selected audition lists. Students will also participate in mock auditions with peers, which will be videotaped for review. The final exam will consist of a presentation of a videotaped live audition of a pre-selected audition list or a 20–30-minute recital preparation, along with live in-class mock auditions. Throughout the semester, students will complete various assignments, including book reports and listening exercises.

WINTER 2025

MUPP 691 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4177 | Professor Tracy Smith Bessette

Advanced Vocal Pedagogy

Through the lenses of both Voice Science and Evidence Based Vocal Pedagogy (EBVP), students will explore advanced topics in physiology, voice acoustics, and cognitive science for singing. Special topics will include breath management, vocal tract shaping, motor learning, and performance anxiety/mental health. Evaluation will be based on active participation in class discussions, one oral presentation in class and a final term paper or oral presentation in class on the findings from the teaching unit.

WINTER 2025

MUPP 692 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4178 | Professor Isabelle Demers

Music and Politics

Arts and politics have always been closely intertwined; from Ars Nova musicians to twentieth-century performers, artists have suffered and thrived under different regimes and leaders. This seminar will explore the lives and careers of musicians who were particularly impacted by their political environment. How did musicians such as Byrd and Tallis navigate the complicated policies of the Tudor era? The story of Stalin and Shostakovich is well-known, but how did Stalin impact other Soviet musicians such as Prokoviev and Maria Yudina? What performances took place in the concentration camps? Grading will be based on class discussions, assignments, as well as on a final class presentation and performance.

WINTER 2025

MUPP 693 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4179 | Professor Fabrice Marandola

Experiments in New Music

This performance seminar will explore different compositional approaches developed during the 20th and 21st centuries, including (but not limited to) chance composition, graphic notation, game-based works, open orchestration, minimalism, microtonality and musical theatre. Topics and works will include composers such as Andriessen, Brown, Cage, Cardew, Kagel, Riley, Schafer, Varèse, Vivier, Zorn.

Students will discover and experiment different types of compositional approaches developed during the past 100 years, and learn how to prepare and perform new pieces using unfamiliar compositional languages. Class time will combine lectures, discussions and chamber music rehearsals. Each participant will give one presentation on a solo or small chamber piece in a short lecture-recital form, participate to the preparation and discussion of the works studied in the seminar, and perform in the final concert. The list of works to be performed will be determined on the basis of the enrolment, after the add/drop period.

Evaluation will be based on:
1/ the preparation of course material (readings, listenings, arrangements, music to be performed), the participation in class discussions and the performance at the end of the term (70%)
2/ a short lecture-recital (30min), which will be accompanied by a 6-12 pages written paper (30%).

WINTER 2025

MUPP 694 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4180 | Professor Stefano Algieri

The Art of Bel Canto /A Dramatic Approach to the Lyrical Art of Singing

This seminar will be focused on the Principles of The Art of Bel Canto from Baroque to the present day. From the advent of recordings, students will have the opportunity to research and analyze Master Singers, and otherwise, perform repertoire within their vocal ranges, a/o their particular field(s) of vocal interest.

Based on the intentions of the Master Composers, the singers’ implementation of Language (Dramatic Approach/Text), as applied to the Principles of Bel Canto Vocal Technique (Lyrical Art of Singing), will be researched and analyzed.

Reference to major Vocal Treatises will be encouraged.

Students' working knowledge of Vocal Technique terminologies will be helpful, though not a prerequisite.

Grading for this seminar will be based on the quality of the students' in-class research presentations. Students will email their presentations to their fellow students and Prof. Algieri before each of their in-class presentations.

Class participation and students' interaction with the in-class research presentations of their fellow students is important. For the above-mentioned reasons, class attendance is essential.

WINTER 2025

MUPP 695 (001) Performance Practice Seminar – CRN 4181 | Professor Jacqueline Leclair

Wellbeing for the Professional Musician

During this seminar, we will research and discuss the following topics as related to musician health, professionalism, performance, and music pedagogy: neuroscience related to music practice and performance, sleep, yoga, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, Zen Philosophy, psychology, massage therapy, acupuncture/acupressure, cranio-sacral therapy, Reiki, meditation, breathing exercises, stretching, performance anxiety management, injury prevention and recovery, and efficient practice technique.

Students will develop enhanced abilities to make informed choices about their wellbeing throughout their careers. They will learn to practice with optimum efficiency, safety, and productivity. As future teachers and colleagues, they will develop enhanced abilities to help others with these topics.

Final projects will be a paper about a wellbeing topic chosen in consultation with Prof. Leclair, or the equivalent.

WINTER 2025

MUPG 590 (001) Vocal Styles and Conventions – CRN 4131 | TBA

This seminar emphasizes vocal performance practices through practical application: text, language, inflection, pronunciation and interpretation considered with the individuality of each student’s voice and technical development. After examining historical treatises, students will discuss and present musical selections using modern performance standards while remaining true to the stylistic demands of each period.

WINTER 2025

MUPG 677 (088) Seminar in Performance Topics 2 – CRN 4165 | Professor Jean-Michel Pilc

Improvisation in all languages

The goal of this seminar is the acquisition of fluency in improvisation, in all musical idioms (classical, jazz, pop, world etc.) and on all instruments. More generally, it will address the subject of how to make music in a natural and idiomatic way, regardless of the style

The process at work will be based on the way spoken language is learnt and mastered, and also rooted in my own experience discovering music, improvising, and learning jazz and other kinds of music through oral tradition. We will show that improvisation, often and wrongly seen as the difference between classical and jazz, is, on the contrary, the main bridge between all styles of music, and the essential ability to perceive and express music organically, naturally and spontaneously, and to communicate musical ideas instantaneously when playing the instrument - the latter being, in the spoken language analogy, the musician’s “speech organ.”

We will explore the specificities of each musical idiom – its own “words”, rhythms, accents etc. – and will learn how to develop practicing methods and a personal approach by deep listening, imitation, playing along, manipulation, trial and error, self-editing, assimilation and evolution through time. "Fluency tests" will be used and experimented with, as well as exercises devised to become better at these tests. Hence we will develop the ability to fully experience the musical act and speak the language of music freely and meaningfully at the instrument, while still being creative away from it.

Many other topics will be covered, such as ear training and tuning, the 3 “bookends” of music (rhythm, melody, and bass), feeling, tempo, swing and groove, phrasing and articulation, internalization, and using the multitasking ability of the human brain in order to become a successful improviser / instant composer / storyteller. We will draw inspiration from many different styles of music, and the students will be exposed to a wide selection of musical pieces (from recordings and also from live performances by teacher and students).

Taking example on masters such as Mozart or Charlie Parker, we will realize that improviser, composer, interpreter and performer are actually different sides of the same entity; and also, transcending the cliché of “classical player who can’t play jazz” (or vice versa), we will discover that the many languages of music can be understood and spoken by all those who are willing to embrace their authenticity and their richness.

This class, like any language learning experience, will require the active participation of each student, as a listener, performer, and practitioner. Evaluation will be based on the participation, progress, motivation and creative energy of each student, presentations and special projects, which will be an essential component of the seminar.

WINTER 2025

MUPG 677 (389) Seminar in Performance Topics 1 – CRN 4166 | Professor Ira Coleman

Music from Mali

The music of Mali is one of the supremely great traditions. Transmitted from generation to generation for centuries, it has had an immense impact on the global musical community. This course is designed to bring students as close to this tradition as possible.

The rhythmic vocabulary of Malian music is immediately infectious and also extremely challenging for a musician who has not been raised in this tradition. Students will listen intensely to great recordings, and we will form an ensemble in the class to become as conversant as possible with the inner workings of this music. Just learning to hear where “one” is, can prove to be extremely challenging! We will play along with recordings and also perform ourselves. The class will become familiar with the historical background of the Empire of Mali, (a far more expansive territory than current-day Mali).

The primary emphasis will be on developing a familiarity with traditional Malian music. But we will also explore modern developments, as the musicians of Mali confront and are confronted by Europe and the West. We will consider the conflict between dynamic growth versus commercial dilution.

Evaluation will be based on class participation, listening, and reading assignments. While there will not be a formal listening exam, students are expected to become conversant with a wide selection of Malian music. Each student will develop their final research project in collaboration with the instructor. Students may write a short paper, transcribe a traditional Malian composition, create an original composition employing elements of Malian music, create a group project adapting a Malian song to their own instrumental and vocal abilities. In short, the final project should be based on each students’ interests and abilities.

WINTER 2025

MUPG 677 (390) Seminar in Performance Topics 1 – CRN 4167 | Prof. Darrell Green

Introduction To The Drum Set As Applied To Jazz Drumming

The history of Jazz from the perspective of the drums, exploring the evolution of jazz drumming, the intersection of culture and community, and how the drum set has shaped Jazz and popular music from the early 1900s to the present. This exploration will be through literature, audio/video recordings, and interviews. Upon completion of this course, the student will understand the origin of jazz drumming, be able to distinguish between the varying rhythmic styles of drumming throughout the 19th century and know their importance to the evolution of the music. We will identify significant historical figures in jazz drum history and their contributions. Course requirements include assigned readings, listening, analysis, class discussions, a midterm exam, and a final exam.

WINTER 2025

MUPG 678 (001) Seminar in Performance Topics 2 – CRN 4168 | Professor John Hollenbeck

Concentration and Ensemble Practice

The primary exercise used throughout this course seems very simple: to play short quarter notes with the ensemble, while subdividing the beat at a very slow tempo with eyes closed. The shortness of the notes and slow tempo makes it easy to hear if the musicians are together or not. Eyes closed makes it impossible to use visual cues to help the musicians play together. This way, you must rely on your own internal time and subdividing. The simplicity of the exercise is why it is an excellent path to improve concentration skills.

Added to the primary exercise is the additional of long notes, accents, dynamics, specific pitches on specific beats, individual playing and singing of the subdivisions (one at a time), improvisation on the subdivisions, ensemble inclusion of 1-5 extra notes on the subdivision. Each student is expected to practice the basic exercise as a solo exercise in between classes. Throughout the course, there will be class discussions, to talk about the internal experience and issues that come up in the practice. Students will also maintain a journal, detailing their practice and thoughts on the class and individual practice.

To break up the potential monotony of the primary exercise, other exercises involving improvisation will be practiced.

Benefits of the course:

1. Increased awareness and practice of concentration.
2. Increased awareness and insight into sound production.
3. Increased rhythmic awareness and strengthening of internal time.
4. Practice of pinpoint listening skills.
5. Ensemble listening and playing.
6. Understanding and experiencing the power of unison tutti playing.
7. Awareness and practice of the efficiency "between the notes”.
8. Increased ability to be “still".

Evaluation will be based on participation (30%), preparation (30%), 3 book reports (20%), and class journal (20%).

REGISTRATION

Registration in seminars is usually limited to 12 students per class (14 for Performance Practice (MUPP) and Performance (MUPG) seminars. In cases where too many students have registered for a seminar, some students may be asked to drop the course. The following priority list will be followed:

1. Music students in a specific program for whom the seminar is required and who need the seminar to graduate in the year in which it is offered.
2. Music students in a specific program for whom the seminar is required.
3. Music students in a specific program for whom the seminar is an elective seminar.

4. Other McGill students in graduate programs (music and non-music).
5. Visiting graduate students.
6. McGill undergraduate music students who have the necessary prerequisites.
7. Other McGill undergraduate students who have the necessary prerequisites.
8. Visiting undergraduate music students.
9. Special Students.

If you cannot register on MINERVA for a course you would like to take, contact the instructor by email to indicate your interest and attend the first class.

DO NOT REGISTER FOR MORE THAN 2 seminars per semester.