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Course Description

Summary

Composers and improvisers periodically reinvent the wheel, creating systems of scales and tunings, instruments, and even philosophies of harmony and rhythm. In this course, we'll also explore how to invent your own systems. Beginning with tuning, students will build an acoustic or virtual instrument based on their own temperament. We will then explore harmonic systems that ground the work of Bartok, Hindemith, and Messiaen, as well as serialism and minimalism in the late 20th century. We'll look at Indian concepts of raga and tala, and Javanese concepts of pathet, alongside other rhythmic and harmonic systems. Students will be expected to do advanced harmonic analysis, master readings, and create original work. Students must be able to read musical notation.