Music Courses

Music courses are classified into categories. Course descriptions are provided in numerical order immediately following the classified listing.

Applied Music

The term “applied music” refers to private instruction in any instrument (including voice). Primary consideration is given to the principles of performance and literature of that instrument. All music majors, regardless of the degree program, must designate a major instrument. Non-music majors may take no more than 1 credit hour in applied music in any instrument in a semester. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Music degree with a music performance major must carry 3 credit hours per semester in their major instrument all four years. Applied music may not be taken Pass/Fail. Any exceptions must be approved by the department chair.

Credit

Credit for applied music instruction is given as follows:

• 3 credit hours (major instruments only) for two 30-minute lessons per week. A minimum of three hours daily practice and participation in department recitals are required.
• 2 credit hours (major instrument only) for two 30-minute lessons per week. Two hours daily practice and participation in department recitals are required.
• 1 credit hour for one 30-minute lesson per week. One hour daily practice is required.

Registration

Students may register for one of three levels in applied music courses, numbered as follows:

• 61-79: All first year students or any other students registering for the first or second semester of an instrument except by permission of the department chair.
• 161-179: Any student registering for the third or fourth semester of an instrument.
• 261-279: Any student registering for the fifth semester or more of an instrument.

Courses may be repeated. Prerequisite: Music majors must have completed the sophomore interview in order to enroll in Music 261-279. No Pass/Fail.

Course numbers for applied music are as follows. Each course is offered for 1, 2, or 3 credit hours. Only music majors may register for more than 1 credit hour.
61, 161, 261 Piano
62, 162, 262 Organ
63, 163, 263 Harpsichord
64, 164, 264 Voice
65, 165, 265 Flute
66, 166, 266 Oboe
67, 167, 267 Clarinet
68, 168, 268 Saxophone
69, 169, 269 Bassoon
70, 170, 270 French Horn
71, 171, 271 Trumpet
72, 172, 272 Trombone and Baritone
73, 173, 273 Tuba
74, 174, 274 Percussion
75, 175, 275 Guitar
76, 176, 276 Violin
77, 177, 277 Viola
78, 178, 278 Cello
79, 179, 279 String Bass

Ensembles

Students participating in any ensemble must register for the course. Courses may be repeated. Those not wishing to receive academic credit should register for zero credit. In any case, a grade will be recorded on the student’s transcript. Ensembles may not be taken P/F.
40. Lincoln Civic Choir
41. University Choir
42. University Orchestra
43. University Band
44. Women’s Choir
45. Men’s Glee Club
46. Chamber Music Ensembles
47. Touch of Class Jazz Choir
48. Prairie Wolves Pep Band
49. Jazz Ensemble
50. Opera Workshop
51. Opera - Musical
52. Chamber Singers
55. Recitals

Music Theory and Composition

1. Fundamentals of Music Theory
2. Theory II
3. Fundamentals of Basic Musicianship
4. Basic Musicianship II
101. Theory III
102. Theory IV
103. Basic Musicianship III
105. Music Technology
130. Intro to Jazz Improvisation
201. Arranging and Instrumentation
203. Counterpoint
204. Counterpoint II
205. Composition I
206. Composition II
207. Form Analysis

Music History and Literature

12. American Music
13. Music Appreciation
140. African-American Music
150. Introduction to World Music
160. Music of Women Composers
213. Medieval and Renaissance Music
214. Baroque and Classic Music
215. Music Since 1800
220. Introduction to Vocal Literature

Music Education

80. Piano Techniques I
81. Piano Techniques II
82. Piano Techniques III
83. Piano Techniques IV
85. Woodwind Techniques
86. Brass Techniques
87. String Techniques
88. Percussion Techniques
89. Guitar Techniques
121. Music Methods and Material
for Elementary Teachers
180. Computers and Technology for the Musician and the Music Educator
225. Conducting I
226. Conducting II
227. Advanced Conducting - Vocal
228. Advanced Conducting - Instrumental
229. Marching Band Techniques
230. Elementary General Music Methods
232. Secondary Vocal Music Methods
236. Public School Music - Instrumental
239. Singer’s Diction
240. Piano Pedagogy
241. Vocal Pedagogy
242. Organ Pedagogy
243. Brass Pedagogy
244. Woodwind Pedagogy
245. Percussion Pedagogy

1. Fundamentals of Music Theory (3 hours)
A review of the fundamentals of music (scales, key signatures, intervals) and the presentation of triads and their harmonic and melodic implications.

2. Theory II (3 hours)
A continuation of Theory I including inversions of triads, non-harmonic tones, dominant seventh chords, and their resolutions. Emphasis is on four-part writing and analysis of music from the Common Practice Period.
Prerequisite(s): Music 1 or permission of the instructor.

3. Fundamentals of Basic Musicianship (1 hour)
A graded course in the fundamentals of sight-singing, sight-reading, and ear training. Exercises in rhythm; meter; clef-reading; scales; intervals; error correction; singing of single melodies; duets and simple harmonic patterns; drills in rhythmic and melodic coordination; and rhythmic, melodic, and elementary harmonic dictation.
Pre or corequisite(s): Music 1.

4. Basic Musicianship II (1 hour)
Continuation of Music 3.
Prerequisite(s): Music 3 or permission of the instructor.

12. American Music (3 hours)
The entire range of American folk, popular, and art musical styles, and the history of music in the United States since the beginning of European settlement in Florida in 1565 will be presented. (Normally offered alternate fall semesters.)

13. Music Appreciation (3 hours)
An introduction to the art of music with emphasis on aural skills, historical styles, musical forms, and the general literature of music. Not open to music majors. (Normally offered alternate fall semesters.)

40. Lincoln Civic Choir (0 or 1 hour)
Large choral ensemble open to college and community members. Not available to fulfill the large ensemble requirement for music majors. Prerequisite(s): Admission by audition. (Offered each semester with full year enrollment expectation.)

41. University Choir (0 or 1 hour)
Large ensemble.
Prerequisite(s): Admission by audition. (Offered each semester with full year enrollment expectation.)

42. University Orchestra (0 or 1 hour)
Counts as large ensemble only for students with strings as their primary instrument.
Prerequisite(s): Admission by audition or permission of the instructor.

43. University Band (0 or 1 hour)
Large ensemble.
Prerequisite(s): Admission by audition or permission of the instructor.

44. Women’s Choir (0 or 1 hour)
Large ensemble.
Prerequisite(s): Admission by permission of the instructor.

45. Men’s Glee Club (0 or 1 hour)
Large ensemble.
Prerequisite(s): Admission by permission of the instructor.

46. Chamber Music Ensembles (0 or 1 hour)

47. Touch of Class Jazz Choir (0 or 1 hour)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition. (Offered each semester with full year enrollment expectation.)

48. Prairie Wolves Pep Band (0 or 1 hour)
The Prairie Wolves Pep Band provides musical entertainment at various Nebraska Wesleyan University football and basketball events on campus. The music played in the pep band includes examples from swing, jazz, classic rock and roll, and other appropriate genres.

49. Jazz Ensemble (0 or 1 hour)
Prerequisite(s): Admission by audition or permission of the instructor.

50. Opera Workshop (0 or 1 hour)
Prerequisite(s): Admission by permission of the instructor. (Normally offered alternate fall semesters.)

51. Opera - Musical (0 or 1 hour)
Prerequisite(s): Admission by audition or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered alternate fall semesters.)

52. Chamber Singers (0 or 1 hour)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition. (Offered each semester with full year enrollment expectation.)

55. Recitals (No credit)
P/F only.

80. Piano Techniques I (1 hour)
Class instruction in piano with emphasis on the function of the keyboard as a teaching tool.

81. Piano Techniques II (1 hour)
Continuation of Music 80.
Prerequisite(s): Music 80 or permission of the instructor.

82. Piano Techniques III (1 hour)
Continuation of Music 81. May be repeated.
Prerequisite(s): Music 81 or permission of the instructor.

83. Piano Techniques IV (1 hour)
Continuation of Music 82. May be repeated.
Prerequisite(s): Music 82 or permission of the instructor.

85. Woodwind Techniques (1 hour)
Class instruction on all woodwind instruments with emphasis on performance and teaching techniques. Students will develop proficiency on three woodwind instruments.

86. Brass Techniques (1 hour)
Class instruction on all brass instruments with emphasis on performance and teaching techniques. Students will develop proficiency on three brass instruments.

87. String Techniques (1 hour)
Class instruction in violin, viola, cello, and bass with emphasis on performance and teaching techniques.

88. Percussion Techniques (1 hour)
Class instruction in the performance and teaching techniques of percussion instruments.

89. Guitar Techniques (1 hour)
Class instruction in the performance and teaching techniques of guitar.

101. Theory III (3 hours)
Seventh chords, including the diminished seventh chord; various types of modulation; introduction of secondary dominants; analysis and writing of the period, binary, and ternary song forms; choral harmonization; and modal scales.
Prerequisite(s): Music 2 or permission of the instructor.

102. Theory IV (3 hours)
Ninth chords and altered chords; modulation to distant keys; 20th century harmonic and melodic styles; introduction of new scale patterns; introduction to serial techniques of composition; and writing and singing applicable to later developments of harmony and melody.
Prerequisite(s):Music 101 or permission of the instructor.

103. Basic Musicianship III (1 hour)
A review of advanced sight-singing, sight-reading and ear training, drills in more complex rhythmic and melodic materials including chromatic formations, and increased emphasis on individual part-singing and harmonic dictation.
Prerequisite(s): Music 4 or permission of the instructor.

105. Music Technology, Introduction to Music Technology (1 hour)
An introduction to basic DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) operation and audio recording and engineering. The course may be repeated. Prerequisite(s): Music 2 or permission of the instructor.

121. Music Methods and Materials for Elementary Teachers (2 hours)
A study of the theoretical materials of music and the methods of teaching music in the elementary schools. Intended primarily for elementary education majors and not open to music majors.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor.

130. Introduction to Jazz Improvisation (1 hour)
Explores jazz improvisation with an emphasis on jazz chords/scale relationships taught from the keyboard. Includes jazz solo transcriptions and small group improvisation.
Prerequisite(s): Music 2 or permission of the instructor.

140. African-American Music (3 hours)
A study of the history of African Americans in the United States, as seen through their musical life, and the place of black concert, popular, and folk music in African American society. (Normally offered each spring semester.)

150. Introduction to World Music (3 hours)
Students are exposed to various musical styles and traditions from selected world cultures, including Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Emphasis is placed both on the study of music in its cultural, social, and historical contexts, and the study of musical sounds. Popular, folk, and art music styles and practices are examined. (Normally offered each fall semester.)

160. Music of Women Composers (3 hours)
This course focuses on the music of women composers and women's involvement in the Western art and popular traditions from roughly the tenth century to the present, examining the roles of women and their considerable influence as patrons, teachers, performers, and composers during various periods of music history. Course work incorporates biographical study with methodologies for the analysis of music based upon current research, scholarship, and paradigms, and ends with a discussion of contemporary feminist aesthetics. (Normally offered each spring semester.)

180. Computers and Technology for the Musician and the Music Educator (2 hours)
A course dedicated to the creation of a "Digital Data e-Portfolio/Vita" which will implement elements and examples of the current music technology trends. These trends and techniques will be discussed and explored during the semester via the process of digitizing artifacts and publishing content. With the development of this "Digital Data e-Portfolio/Vita", the student will demonstrate a sound understanding of certain aspects of music technology and learn how to apply this technology for use in pre K-12 schools environments.

190. Selected Topics (1, 2, or 3 hours)
A course designed to treat subject matter not covered in other departmental courses or to provide intermediate level study of subject matter introduced in other courses. The title, content, and credit will be determined by current mutual interests of students and faculty.
Prerequisite(s): To be determined.

201. Arranging and Instrumentation (2 hours)
The study of arranging techniques for instrumental and vocal ensembles, including the ranges and capabilities of instruments and voices and scoring procedures.
Prerequisite(s): Music 102. (Normally offered fall semesters only.)

203. Counterpoint (2 hours)
Two-part counterpoint based on styles developed in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, beginning with the five species, followed by canon and invention. Invertible counterpoint.
Prerequisite(s):Music 102 or permission of the instructor.

204. Counterpoint II (2 hours)
This course will continue the study of 18th-century counterpoint in a 3-voice texture and will extend to various styles from the 20th century. Students who have taken Counterpoint I will build on their knowledge of 2-voice texture of 16th- and 18th- century counterpoint. They will be expected to write a 3-voice invention in 18th-century style, and will experiment writing counterpoint in 20th-century style, such as that of Hindemith.
Prerequisite(s): Music 203.

205. Composition I (2 hours)
Beginning composition in small forms for voice, piano, and small instrumental groups. May be repeated one time.
Prerequisite(s): Music 102 or permission of the instructor.

206. Composition II (2 hours)
Continuation of Music 205 with emphasis on large forms, choral, and orchestral composition. May be repeated one time.
Prerequisite(s):Music 205 or permission of the instructor.

207. Form and Analysis (2 hours)
A historical and analytical study of musical forms.
Prerequisite(s): Music 102.

213. Medieval and Renaissance Music (2 hours)
The study of composers, forms, and styles of Western music from Antiquity to about 1600.
Prerequisite(s): Music 2 and sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered every third semester in alternation with Music 214 and 215.)

214. Baroque and Classic Music (3 hours)
The study of composers, forms, and styles of Western music from about 1600 to the early nineteenth century.
Prerequisite(s): Music 2 and sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered every third semester in alternation with Music 213 and 215.)

215. Music Since 1800 (3 hours)
The study of composers, forms, and styles of Western music from the early nineteenth century to the present.
Prerequisite(s): Music 2 and sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered every third semester in alternation with Music 213 and 214.)

220. Introduction to Vocal Literature (1 hour)
A general survey/overview of music written for the solo voice from 1600 to the present. The development and transformation of song style throughout the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras will be traced through listening assignments, lectures, and student presentations of specific composers and songs. Other selected topics will be covered, which may include: repertoire selection and programming for recitals and other occasions (weddings, funerals, church, etc.), poetic analysis, performance preparation, song study techniques, memorization, song translation, acting for the singer, and research techniques.
Prerequisite(s): 4 semesters of Applied Voice or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered spring semesters in odd numbered years.)

225. Conducting I (2 hours)
An introduction to technique and conducting style with emphasis given to developing a non baton competency. Attention also will be given to vocal interpretation and choral score reading.
Prerequisite(s): Sophomore standing or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered fall semesters.)

226. Conducting II (2 hours)
Continuation of Music 225 with emphasis on instrumental pedagogy, principles of instrumental transcription, orchestration, instrumental ranges and idiomatic characteristics, and score preparation.
Prerequisite(s):Music 225 or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered spring semesters.)

227. Advanced Conducting - Vocal (2 hours)
A study of advanced conducting techniques adapted to individual student need. Emphasis will be placed on an in-depth study of choral style, literature, and various philosophies of choral singing.
Prerequisite(s):Music 226 or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered spring semesters.)

228. Advanced Conducting - Instrumental (2 hours)
A study of the advanced conducting techniques as applied to the needs of the student (i.e., band directing, orchestral conducting, and others).
Prerequisite(s):Music 226 or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered fall semesters.)

229. Marching Band Techniques (2 hours)
A survey of the organization, rehearsal, and production of shows for the marching band. (Normally offered fall semesters.)

230. Elementary General Music Methods (3 hours)
A survey of teaching vocal music in the elementary school (grades K-6). Emphasis is on methods, materials, and the philosophy of music as a public school subject.
Prerequisite(s): Acceptance in the Teacher Education Program or by permission of the chair of the Department of Education. Must have passed piano proficiency and PPST exam.

232. Secondary Vocal Music Methods (3 hours)
A survey of teaching vocal music in the secondary schools (grades 7-12). Emphasis is on administration, organization, rehearsal procedures, materials, and the philosophy of music as a public school subject.
Prerequisite(s): Acceptance in the Teacher Education Program or by permission of the chair of the Department of Education. Must have passed piano proficiency and PPST exam.

236. Public School Music - Instrumental (2 hours)
A survey of teaching instrumental music in the public schools. Emphasis is on administration, organization, repertoire, and the philosophy of music as a public school subject.
Prerequisite(s): Acceptance in the Teacher Education Program or by permission of the chair of the Department of Education. Must have passed piano proficiency. (Normally offered fall semesters.)

239. Singers’ Diction (1 hour)
A study of the phonetics and pronunciation of the international phonetic alphabet (IPA) and languages appropriate to the singer.
Prerequisite(s): Music major status, two semesters of private voice study or permission of the instructor. (Normally offered fall semesters.)

240. Piano Pedagogy (1 hour)
A study of teaching techniques, method books, and repertoire for the novice piano teacher. Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college piano study or permission of the instructor.

241. Vocal Pedagogy (1 hour)
A course designed to prepare voice students to teach private lessons. Includes a study of methods of voice production, selected exercises for correcting vocal problems, and a survey of vocal literature for beginning and intermediate singers.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college voice study or permission of the instructor.

242. Organ Pedagogy (1 hour)
A study of materials and pedagogy of the organ.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college organ study or permission of the instructor.

243. Brass Pedagogy (1 hour)
A study of materials and pedagogy of brass instruments.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college brass study or permission of the instructor.

244. Woodwind Pedagogy (1 hour)
A study of materials and pedagogy of woodwind instruments.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college woodwind study or permission of the instructor.

245. Percussion Pedagogy (1 hour)
A study of materials and pedagogy of percussion instruments.
Prerequisite(s): Four semesters of college percussion study or permission of the instructor.

290. Selected Topics (1, 2, or 3 hours)
A course designed to treat subject matter not covered in other departmental courses or to provide advanced study of subject matter introduced in other courses. The title, content, and credit will be determined by current mutual interests of students and faculty.
Prerequisite(s): To be determined.

295. Independent Study (1, 2, or 3 hours)
Individual study of a specific music topic under the supervision of a staff member. Independent study may not duplicate courses described in the catalog.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department chair.

297. Music Internship (1, 2, or 3 hours)
An on-the-job training situation to satisfy the mutual interests of the department, the sponsor, and the student. P/F only.
Prerequisite(s): Senior standing and permission of the department chair.

298. Senior Capstone Seminar (1 hour)
To assist music students with integration and synthesis of knowledge as they approach the end of their undergraduate work, the Senior Capstone Seminar prompts students to reflect upon their learning experiences and revisit them in greater depth and with added perspective. Preparation of a portfolio, student presentations, guest speakers, and individual oral examinations (Senior Dialogues) are the primary components of this enriching culminating experience. The Senior Capstone Seminar is to be taken in the student’s last semester in residence at Nebraska Wesleyan. P/F only.
Prerequisite(s): Music major with senior standing or permission of the department chair. (Normally offered each fall semester.)

299. Senior Recital (1 hour)
Final performance demonstrating the ability of performance or other music majors.
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the department chair.