The following is a sample of courses offered through the Performing Arts department.
Music Courses | Theatre Courses | Dance Courses
MUSIC 101, Chorus
2 units
The study and performance of music for chorus from the medieval period through the twentieth century. This course may be repeated for credit.
MUSIC 102, Chamber Singers
2 units
The study and performance of music for the small vocal ensemble. Repertoire ranges from Renaissance madrigals to contemporary music. Limited enrollment. This course may be repeated for credit.
MUSIC 103G, Music as Experience
4 units
An introduction to the art of music including musical elements and the creative process, historical styles, forms and composers. Participants study the cultural significance of representative works, as well as music's relationship to the other arts. Please note: Students may receive credit either for this course or for MUSIC C110 (Listening Experience), but not for both.
MUSIC 104, Jazz Band
2 units
Analysis, improvisation and performance of jazz. Work in small ensembles. This course may be repeated for credit.
MUSIC 105G, Music of the World
4 units
This course examines the power and function of music in pan-human context. Drawing on a wide variety of sounds and texts, students investigate the relationship between music and intellect, spirit, community, and environment. Special attention is given to how terms, concepts and values from various world musics illuminate and amplify our essential understanding of this human phenomenon. Please note: Students may receive credit either for this course or for MUSIC C110 (World Music), but not for both.
MUSIC 106, Orchestra
2 units
The study and performance of music for chamber orchestra. Repertoire ranges from Renaissance to contemporary music. (Often this is available for credit as MUSIC 479, section 1.) This course may be repeated for credit.
MUSIC 110, Listening Experience
3 units
A study of the creative processes which shape the musical artwork, emphasizing a broad range of intensive, analytical listening experiences.
MUSIC 111, An Introduction to Music
3 units
Basic music materials, principles of design, and the cultural significance of representative works in historical sequence. Designed primarily for non-music majors.
MUSIC 115, World Music
3 units
An introduction to the musical traditions of countries throughout the world, embracing the role of music in society, ritual, and culture. Traditional vocal and instrumental styles of folk and traditional music are illustrated through audio and visual materials.
MUSIC 121, Theory I
3 units
An introduction to the fundamentals of tonal harmony: scales, intervals, keys, and triads. Analysis and application of melodic and harmonic structures. (Course offered in the fall only.)
MUSIC 122, Theory II
3 units
A continuation of MUSIC 121: realization of bass lines in four-part harmony. Basic counterpoint. Principles of voice-leading. (Course offered in the spring only.)
MUSIC 123, Ear Training and Sight Singing I
2 units
Interval recognition, rhythmic exercises, and performance of simple melodies from score. (Course offered in the fall only.)
MUSIC 124, Ear Training and Sight Singing II
2 units
A continuation of MUSIC 123. Further score reading and rhythmic exercises. Dictation of moderately simple melodies and introduction to part-singing. (Course offered in the spring only.)
MUSIC 131, Elements: Keyboard I
2 units
Introduction to the keyboard; hand position, fingering, and reading from score. Major scales, harmonization of melodies; simple pieces. Designed primarily for music majors. (Course offered in the fall only.)
MUSIC 132, Elements: Keyboard II
2 units
A continuation of major scales, introduction to minor scales, harmonization of melodies with expanded chord vocabulary. Further study of piano technique, including coordination of hands in more complex rhythmic patterns. (Course offered in the spring only.)
MUSIC 185, Applied Music
1 units
Private, individualized study of voice and all instruments covering both performing techniques and musicianship. Open to all students upon payment of an additional fee. Twelve hour or half-hour lessons per semester. May be repeated for credit. Students may register for this course through Continuing Education.
MUSIC 201, Music History I
3 units
A survey of important stylistic and formal developments from the Middle Ages to the early baroque. Liturgical chant, the rise of polyphony, the motet, monophonic and polyphonic secular song, monody, opera and major works of composers from Machete to Monteverdi. (Course offered every third semester.)
MUSIC 202, Music History II
3 units
A survey of important stylistic and formal developments from the middle Baroque to the dawn of the Romantic period and the transition to independent genres of instrumental music (sonata, symphony, concerto). Composers whose works are studied include Purcell, Bach, H¿ndel, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. (Course offered every third semester.)
MUSIC 203, Music History III
3 units
A survey of important trends in music of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries against a background of social, economic, and political change. The art song, piano music, program music, opera, and choral music. Changes in musical language and concepts in the works of Wagner, Debussy, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Bartok, Ives, and contemporary composers. (Course offered every third semester.)
MUSIC 205G, Introduction to Ethnomusicology
3 units
This course provides an introduction to ethnomusicology, the study of music across culture. The class will sample readings from the field's major figures together with sounds and images from the places they studied. Field methods and topical issues raised in ethnomusicology are discussed in class, then applied to the student's own research through several structured projects.
MUSIC 221, Theory III
3 units
A continuation of MUSIC 122: further practice in four-part writing, using dominant, non-dominant, and diminished seventh chords. Realization of figured basses and harmonization of melodies. Analysis of binary and ternary forms.
MUSIC 222, Theory IV
3 units
A continuation of MUSIC 221: advanced four-part writing and the introduction of short tonal compositions in imitation of classic models. Further analysis of complex harmonic and melodic structures.
MUSIC 223, Ear Training and Sight Singing III
2 units
A continuation of MUSIC 124: more advanced score reading and exercises in complex rhythms. Dictation of chord sequences and melodies.
MUSIC 224, Ear Training and Sight Singing IV
2 units
A continuation of MUSIC 223: emphasis on dictation of harmonic progressions and extended melodies.
MUSIC 241, American Music
3 units
The growth and development of American music in both its rural-folk and urban aspects.
MUSIC 248, Universe of Music
3 units
An introduction to the infinite universe of music from its origins to the present, this course investigates the role of instruments, culture, myth and science in the evolution of music. Illustrations through the medium of the World Wide Web present the concept of music as both communication of ideas and expression of feelings in diverse musical traditions of the world.
MUSIC 251, The History and Development of Jazz in America
3 units
The development of jazz from its origin to the present.
MUSIC 252, African-American Music
3 units
African-American Music
MUSIC 253G, Black American Music
3 units
A study of musical activity of Black Americans and the vital role it has played in the development of musical performance in the United States. The study includes an examination of the genres and styles that characterized the music from its earliest manifestations among a people in slavery to the rap beat of the late twentieth century. Capabilities addressed: Critical reading, critical thinking, clear writing, collaborative learning, information technology, oral presentation.
MUSIC 258, American Music in Wartime
3 units
The history of the United States goes back only 255 years, yet in that relatively short amount of time the country has been involved in no fewer than ten wars. This course is a survey course examining American wartime composers, their lives, their works, and the events surrounding the composition of patriotic works.
MUSIC 325, The History of Musical Instruments
3 units
The art and technology of musical construction from the Middle Ages to the present. Representative repertoire is used to illustrate particular instruments in solo and ensemble contexts.
MUSIC 335, Opera
3 units
The musical, literary and scenic components of opera from 1600 to the present with special attention to the works of Monteverdi, Handel, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner and Puccini.
MUSIC 340, Instrumental Methods and Literature in the Teaching of Music
3 units
This course deals with running band and orchestra programs in grades 4-12 in the schools. Topics include: history and literature, psychology of music, teaching methods, organization, administration, literature, adjudication, program evaluation, and the instrumental music teaching profession.
MUSIC 341, Choral and General Music Methods and Literature
3 units
Choral and general music in public and parochial schools. This course deals with all aspects of running choral and general programs in grades N-12. Topics include history and philosophy, psychology, teaching methods, foreign approaches, (Orff, Kod¿ly, Dalcroze, Suzuki), lesson planning, literature, and joining the profession.
MUSIC 342, Conducting
2 units
An introduction to the fundamentals of conducting: the baton, beat patterns, posture, gestures, score study, and rehearsal techniques.
MUSIC 353, The History of Performance
3 units
A study of music literature through the conventions that govern its performance. Notation, musical instruments and ensembles, the role of improvisation, and changing musical tastes are examined in relation to historic repertoires from the Middle Ages to the present. Topics also include the development of the public concert and of the art of the conductor.
MUSIC 354, The Symphony
3 units
A survey of the symphony and symphonic poem from the first half of the eighteenth century to the present. Analysis of representative trends and major works with attention to the evolution of the orchestra and the public concert.
MUSIC 383, Orchestration
3 units
A study of the range and timbre of instruments. Practical ways of combining instruments. Discussion of mass, texture, and sound.
MUSIC 393, An Introduction to Composition
3 units
Original composition. Studies in the nature of melody, harmony, rhythm, and structure.
MUSIC 399, Pre-Practicum in Music
1 units
Field experience consisting of observation and limited assistance in selected public school music programs. This, coupled with the pre-practicum experience taken with required courses of the Provisional Teacher Certification Program, fulfills the pre-practicum requirement established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This course is offered every semester.
MUSIC 400, Master Composers
3 units
A survey of the life, works, and influence of eminent composers. Topics vary each semester, and are listed in the department's announcement of current course offerings.
MUSIC 401, String Methods
2 units
Intensive class instruction in the fundamentals of string technique. This course offers preparation for teaching instrumental music at the secondary level.
MUSIC 402, Woodwind Methods
2 units
Intensive class instruction in the fundamentals of woodwind technique. This course offers preparation for teaching instrumental music at the secondary level.
MUSIC 403, Brass Methods
2 units
Intensive class instruction in the fundamentals of brass technique. This course offers preparation for teaching instrumental music at the secondary level.
MUSIC 404, Percussion Methods
2 units
Intensive class instruction in the fundamentals of percussion technique. This course offers preparation for teaching instrumental music at the secondary level.
MUSIC 478, Independent Study
1 units min / 3 units max
Independent Study
MUSIC 479, Independent Study
1 units min / 3 units max
Open to advanced students who wish to do intensive work on a particular topic. A written outline of the project must be submitted to the prospective instructor well in advance of the beginning of the semester in which the project is to be done. An extended written paper is the normal outcome of such a project. While enrollment in Independent Study is encouraged for advanced students, all students enrolling in MUSIC 479 (other than the Chamber Orchestra section) that involves any aspect of performance do so with the understanding that they will continue to perform in the performing ensemble idiomatic to their instrument, whether officially enrolled for credit or not.
MUSIC 480
Special Topics
3 units
Special Topics
MUSIC 498, Senior Honors
3 units
An opportunity for seniors to work with a faculty advisor on an individualized, advanced project. The senior honors project may be either a major creative effort leading to a recital/portfolio of original compositions, a senior recital, or a written research project in music theory or history. While enrollment in Senior Honors is encouraged for advanced students, all students enrolling in MUSIC 498 that involves any aspect of performance do so with the understanding that they will continue to perform in the performing ensemble idiomatic to their instrument, whether officially enrolled for credit or not.
THRART 100, Introduction to Theatre
3 units
This course introduces the collaborative art of theatre from the varied perspectives of playwright, director, designer, technician, actor, critic, and informed audience.
THRART 102G, Contemporary Issues in Theatre
4 units
This course introduces students to the world of the theatre from a practical perspective, including script and scene study, elements of theatrical design, writing about theatre, and developing an appreciation of plays from a performance perspective. Performance is required. This course may count toward the theatre arts major as a course in dramatic literature.
THRART 105G, Multicultural Drama in the US 1956 - present
4 units
In this course we will read and discuss some of the most exciting and challenging plays written in the US in the last 40 years. We will play particular attention to how play writers assert their sense of identity, exploring various notions of race, class, gender, and sexual orientation.
THRART 108G, Plays from Page to Stage
4 units
Playwrights create works that get produced. How? By whom? Participants study how directors develop concepts; how collaboration with designers, actors, and technicians bears fruit; and how productions are promoted. The course also examines the rehearsal process, and looks behind the scenes to where sets and costumes get built, lights are hung, and tech rehearsals begin and build to opening night.
THRART 110G, Opera as Drama
4 units
Designed for students with little or no experience with opera. Participants explore the nature of drama; tragedy; melodrama; comedy; tragicomedy. Discussions also include the presentation of opera in terms of costume, spectacle, "acting" style, and other elements.
THRART 121, The Styles and Techniques of Comedy
3 units
A study of the comic form, emphasizing the differing styles, techniques, motivations, and degrees of effectiveness of various exemplary comic playwrights, particularly in relation to their audiences, actors, and theatre architectures.
THRART 123, Theatre Crafts I
3 units
An introduction to an exploration of stage facilities and skills, emphasizing skill development in the uses and choices of tools, materials, and procedures necessary for scenic and property execution. Includes 50-hour lab work in department productions. Offered each Fall semester.
THRART 124, Stagecraft II
3 units
A continuation of Stagecraft I (THRART 123) this course emphasizes set design and construction, basic electrical work in theatrical lighting, prop construction, basics of running theatrical and dance productions and the development of related crafts in the theatre. Students gain experience in individual and group design projects. This course has a 40 hour lab requirement. Offered each spring semester.
THRART 200, Musical Theatre
3 units
An introduction to styles, kinds, and techniques of performance in musical theatre, from early mime through commedia dell'arte, opera and operetta, and modern musical comedy. Vocal and movement training, scene work and musical numbers developed, as well as semester projects of musical performances.
THRART 201, Theatre History
3 units
The intellectual content, designs, and techniques of the drama of the Western world, from the classic Greek to the contemporary European and American theatres. Emphasis on the cultural environment of each major period and locale of the drama in relation to the theatre and its public.
THRART 218, Modern European Drama
3 units
A study of late-nineteenth, early-twentieth-century theatre in Europe that marked the beginning of naturalistic, realistic, and symbolic drama, and created a revolution in directorial, scenic, and performance techniques. Plays are presented as scripts to be produced. Students create production books integrating all facets of theatrical expression.
THRART 226, Play Analysis
3 units
Decoding a script: interpretation of playwright's intention; director's function; designer's vision; actor's creation. Emphasis on vocal characterization in readings done by the class of a variety of plays-mostly short, some original, some unproduced. Offered each Spring semester.
THRART 230, Workshop In Drama
4 units
Workshop In Drama
THRART 236,Introduction to Acting I
3 units
Dramatic form as required in acting. A survey of various styles: Greek, Elizabethan, Restoration and Modern; the actor's function, with emphasis on recently evolved methods of acting, and on preparation of scenes in class.
THRART 237, Directing I
3 units
Directing I
THRART 240, Women in Theatre
3 units
Plays by and about women; the history of women in theatre, supplemented by visits with women employed in the theatre. The changing role of women in society as reflected in drama and in literature.
THRART 245, Creative Drama for Children
3 units
Students learn creative drama techniques, learn to teach drama to children of various ages, and actually teach in the community's schools. Emphasis on expression of creative energies, bodies, voices, emotions, theatre games, rather than on mounting plays.
THRART 251, Playwriting I
3 units
Writing for the theatre, including examinations of model one-act and three-act plays by major contemporary writers; selected readings on the craft of playwriting; and the completion of an original play begun in class.
THRART 260, Introduction to Scene Design
3 units
Theatre as art form in cultural and popular expression: the function of the designer, application of elementary scenery as given in stagecraft classes, methods of pictorial representation; survey of architectural styles as applied to stage scenery, and of historical design for the stage.
THRART 261, Introduction to Costume Design
3 units
The theatre as incorporation of the history of fashion and costume design. A theoretical approach to designing costumes for the theatre and film. An introduction to the uses of color, scale, and general design elements as they apply to qualities of fabric, basic cutting and draping in stage costumes.
THRART 275, Introduction to Screen and Television Writing
3 units
An introduction to the art and the technical aspects of writing scripts for film and television. Involves analyses of screenplays, study of screen writers past and present, the relationship between director and writer, aesthetics of film writing. Project: the completion of a full-length screenplay from first treatment (synopsis) through first and second drafts and final script.
THRART 300, Seminar in the Scenic Imagination
3 units
The creative principles of stage production, based on an analysis of the play script in its relation to stage action, setting, costumes, makeup, sound design, and lighting. Study of scenic metaphor and a review of historical forms of staging, with emphasis on modern styles from naturalism to absurdism and epic theatre.
THRART 301, Seminar in Contemporary American Playwrights
3 units
Analysis of the art of a major living writer of the American stage; the history of the plays and their production; critical response; contribution of this body of drama to the American theatre and society. In most cases students consult with the playwright and/or those who have worked with him or her.
THRART 316, The Elizabethan Stage
3 units
Study of Elizabethan stage techniques as revealed in plays by Marlowe, Shakespeare, Jonson and Webster.
THRART 320, Shakespearean Acting
3 units
Specialized study of Shakespearean plays based on historical awareness of acting styles and techniques employed since the sixteenth century. Students create a broad range of characters in a variety of scenes from Shakespeare.
THRART 325, Workshop in Drama
4 units
This course culminates in a fully staged, fully mounted production. It is also designed to study the connection between the text and the performance of a play. Attention is given to the playwright, to the time, and to the production history. Production is presented to the University and general community. Note: THRART 325 must be repeated (for credit) by theatre arts majors. Other students may but need not repeat the course.
THRART 335, Directing II
3 units
Directing II
THRART 336, Introduction to Acting II
3 units
Advanced work in acting, including the mounting of scenes and one-act plays.
THRART 338, Voice for the Actor
3 units
Designed to improve vocal clarity and tonal quality of the actor¿s vocal instrument. Emphasis will be placed on such voice and diction problems as improper enunciation and extreme dialects. Improving vocal production will be accomplished by utilizing drills, exercises, the International Phonetic alphabet, audio and videotaped recordings.
THRART 351, Playwriting II
3 units
Writing for the theatre, with emphasis on the three-act form. Students construct a scenario and complete a draft of an original three-act play.
THRART 355, Lighting Design
3 units
The principles and techniques of illumination for the stage.
THRART 360, Advanced Design
3 units
Advanced techniques in the scene sketch, models for scenery, interpretations of the differing styles required for plays, opera, ballet, musical comedy, etc. Sketches, ground plans, and one major design project to be executed during the term.
THRART 365, Acting for the Camera
3 units
An exploration and evaluation of techniques of television production, with particular emphasis on common industry practices.
THRART 404, Advanced Directing
3 units
Advanced work on special class projects in a laboratory situation. The mounting of small scenes and plays.
THRART 435, Theatre Arts Internship
3 units min / 6 units max
Designed to enable theatre arts majors to earn 3-6 credits for a semester's internship in communication arts or in commercial or other working theatres outside the university.
THRART 436, Advanced Acting
3 units
Advanced work on selected projects with special attention to the individual actor's needs. Scene work, script breakdown, and development of a character.
THRART 478, Independent Study
1 units min / 3 units max
Open only to a limited number of students in any one semester. Research, study and participation in theatre projects outside the classroom involving consultation with a faculty advisor. A written prospectus is required.
THRART 479, Independent Study
1 unit min / 3 units max
Open only to a limited number of students in any one semester. Research, study and participation in theatre projects outside the classroom involving consultation with a faculty advisor. A written prospectus is required.
THRART 481, Selected Topics
3 units
The study of different areas within the field of theatre arts preparation. Courses vary each semester and are announced during pre-registration periods.
THRART 482, Directing & Designing Play
3 units
Directing & Designing Play
DANCE 130, Understanding Dance
3 units
The course features the study of dance and its choreography, and varied views of dance by artists such as Duncan, Nijinsky, Graham, Tharp and Balanchine. Lectures, slides, films, readings, discussions, writing and studio practice focus on critical observations of dance.
DANCE 131, Dance for the Stage
3 units
This course is an introduction to such various forms of dance as social, folk, square and tap used in theatrical productions. Emphasis on performance.
DANCE 132, Ballet I
3 units
This course is an introduction to the study of ballet; emphasis on performance.
DANCE 133, Jazz Dance I
3 units
This course is an introduction to the study of jazz dance; emphasis on performance.
DANCE 134, Modern Dance I
3 units
This course is an introduction to the study of modern dance; emphasis on performance.
DANCE 135, Multicultural Dance
3 units
This course focuses on the theory, practice, and performance of American, Latin-American, and African-American dance styles.
DANCE 232, Intermediate Ballet
3 units
This course continues the study of ballet; emphasis on performance. Placement by audition.
DANCE 233, Jazz Dance II
3 units
This course continues the study of jazz dance; emphasis on performance.
DANCE 234, Modern Dance II
3 units
This course continues the study of modern dance; emphasis on performance.
DANCE 325, Dance Theatre Workshop
4 units
Different colors, textures, rhythms, and images expressed in body movement. The final project is a movement-dance-theatre piece incorporating all the techniques experienced in class. Repeatable for credit.
DANCE 330, The Pedagogy of Dance
3 units
This methods course develops teaching skills in modern dance, ballet and jazz. Emphasis is on educational theory in practice through development of teaching modules.
DANCE 331, Choreography
3 units
In this course experienced dancers develop their skills in creating dance compositions. Repeatable for credit.
DANCE 332, Advanced Ballet
3 units
This course is the study of ballet for advanced dancers; emphasis on performance. Placement by audition. Repeatable for credit.
DANCE 435, Dance Internship
3 units min / 6 units max
Designed to enable Dance students to earn 3-6 credits for a semester's internship in dance at professional or other working studios outside the University.
DANCE 478, Independent Study
1 units min / 3 units max
Open only to a limited number of students in any one semester. Research, study and participation in dance projects outside the classroom involving consultation with a faculty advisor. A written prospectus is required. Repeatable for credit.
DANCE 479, Independent Study
1 units min / 3 units max
Open only to a limited number of students in any one semester. Research, study and participation in dance projects outside the classroom involving consultation with a faculty advisor. A written prospectus is required. Repeatable for credit.
DANCE 481, Selected Topics
3 units
The study of different areas within the field of Dance preparation. Courses vary each semester and are announced during pre-registration periods.