Courses

Five- and six-part writing for instruments. Application of voicings in seconds, thirds, and fourths. Upper-structure triads, clusters, and other nonmechanical voicings derived from chord scales. Extensive score analysis.

The technical aspects involved in creating finished, professional scores. Score layout; instrumental/vocal ranges and performance characteristics; special playing techniques and limitations; breath and bowing considerations; choice of key, meter, beat, and subdivision values; use of slurs, articulation marks, dynamics, tempo variation, and other devices for indicating expressive nuance; proper underlaying of vocal text; calligraphy; creating a practical piano reduction; and extracting parts.

A practical course for conductors and music directors in preparation, organization, rehearsal, and recording under studio conditions. Emphasis on establishing fluency in conducting and rehearsal techniques to maximize efficiency in the session.

Rehearsing and recording to picture with live performers under studio conditions. Focus on preparation, efficiency, and accurate synchronization.

Study of the process for creating multilinear textures in a given melodic and/or harmonic situation. This course will address issues of voice-leading, melodic analysis and embellishment, rhythm, and form. Assigned written projects will emphasize the role of contrapuntal practices in arranging.

An introduction to writing and production techniques in hip-hop styles. Topics include the social and cultural aspects of hip-hop music as it pertains to the music's origins and early pioneers, the analysis of stylistic and musical characteristics, and instruction in the use of sequencing software in hip-hop production.

This class focuses on the musical analysis and writing techniques of many of the most important contemporary recording/performing artists and composers in South America. Using a map of South America and the Caribbean, this course virtually travels through the continent visiting each country (except Brazil), to explore their traditional and contemporary music. Scores, recordings, literature, and video material explains how South American music was born, evolved, and transformed by absorbing the encounter between indigenous, African, and European traditional music in the "New World." Using classical and modern musical forms, including: orchestral, chamber, jazz, rock, pop, flamenco, and African music examples, students learn about the wide, and yet relatively unexplored, spectrum of South American music and how to apply these elements into their own compositions. Through analysis, transcriptions, and scored music material provided by the instructor, students learn various rhythmic and harmonic patterns from different countries of South America and the Caribbean, such as: Colombia, Argentina, Perú, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba, Trinidad, and others. Students also discuss the historical and social process of South American culture in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the multicultural and multiracial roots of contemporary South American music.

Composition of music for radio and television commercials. Emphasis on means of creating suitable product image. Working with, and alteration of, given lyrics. Some lyric writing. Determining proper instrumentations. Timing considerations.

A study of rhythmic styles of contemporary salsa music, including characteristics of instrumentation and the unique clave rhythmic pattern. Specific rhythmic styles analyzed will include mambo, son montuno, guajiro, bomba, merengue, and songo, among others. Musical scores of Eddie Palmieri, Juan Luis Guerra, Oscar D'León, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito D'Rivera, and many others will be analyzed. Students will create melodies as well as piano, guitar, bass, and percussion rhythmic patterns; they will write brass instrumental sections using the clave rhythmic pattern.

This course examines the concepts and techniques of writing flamenco music, which is a vital and growing genre in contemporary music. The course covers the origins of the various styles of flamenco, their individual influences, primary composers of flamenco, overview of popular lyrics, and common composition and arranging techniques in flamenco styles. Students will investigate the various aspects of writing flamenco music: use of improvised structure; binary, ternary, and polyrhythm rhythmic styles; traditional harmonic approaches and concepts; melodic approaches; and the use of microtones. A variety of compositions, arrangements, and orchestrations will be analyzed, including examples of contemporary compositions and new stylistic variations in flamenco that feature the use of electronics and flamenco without guitar. Students will create compositions and/or arrangements for a flamenco music ensemble.

A study of the flute, clarinet, and double reed families based on intensive listening, transcription, live demonstration, and composition. Compositions will include: visual imagery, storytelling, non-Western based concepts and forms, sound exchange, layering sound, and techniques for composition that include improvisation.

Alternative approaches and concepts to writing that can be used in various aspects of songwriting, arranging, and composing for contemporary broadcast media, such as film and TV scores, that will supplement other writing approaches. Using compositional concepts pioneered by George Tremblay and Jack Smalley, the course explores writing techniques based on the use of the 12-tone row concept and the process of extracting consonant melodic components from the rows that are then applied to writing for contemporary musical styles and forms and commercial clients. Some writing projects will be realized through sequencing and live performance.