MUC6932
Graduate Composition Seminar
Syllabus - Fall 2020 (V.1)
Identifying problematic techniques in developing compositional craft for research, presentation, and discussion.
Required Texts:
- (available online via numerous vendors)
Rutherford-Johnson, Tim. Music after the Fall: Modern Composition and Culture since 1989. (University of California Press, 2017). [amazon.com] [barnesandnoble.com] |
Materials Required:
- High quality music manuscript paper
Soft lead pencils, No. 2 or softer
CD-R blank disks for PROJECTS
32 GB Flash Drive (for data backup)
- 25% Reading/Discussion
35% Solo Composition Projects
40% One-on-One Opera (OOOO) "MICROpera" Project
Office Phone No.: (352) 273-3176
Office Hours: see schedule
Professor: Dr. James Paul Sain [email]
Listserv (closed): ufemu-l@lists.ufl.edu
Policies:
1) Late work is not accepted.
2) Attendance is required at all classes. Should a class be missed, it is the student's responsibility to see that the lecture notes from the missed class are obtained from a classmate and any work assigned is completed by their return (a class list will be supplied to help facilitate this policy). After three (3) class absences your grade will be lowered one grade increment for each absence after three (ie A to A-, or C to C-). Your grade will be lowered one grade increment for each UnBalanced Connection concert missed. Each missed concert or presentation will also result in a reduction in your grade by one increment.
3) Plan early for your projects...things have a way of happening at the last minute.
4) The requirements, emphasis, and timing of this course may be changed or adjusted to meet the specific needs of the class as determined by the instructor.
5) All students of The University of Florida are expected to conduct themselves in a reasonable and professional manner at all times as described in the Student Honor Code; please refer to The Code for specifics.
6) UF Software Copyright Policy: All faculty, staff and students of the University of Florida are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against the University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate.
7) UF Counseling Services - Resources are available on-campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic goals which interfere with their academic performance.
These resources include:
a. University Counseling Center, 301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575, personal and career counseling;
b. Student Mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, personal counseling;
c. Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS), Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual assault counseling;
d. Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling;
e. University Police Department 352-392-1111 (or 9-1-1 for emergencies).
8) Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office in Peabody Hall. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.
a. Disability Resource Center 352-392-8565.
9) Students are expected to provide professional and respectful feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing course evaluations online via GatorEvals. Guidance on how to give feedback in a professional and respectful manner is available at gatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/students/. Students will be notified when the evaluation period opens, and can complete evaluations through the email they receive from GatorEvals, in their Canvas course menu under GatorEvals, or viaufl.bluera.com/ufl/. Summaries of course evaluation results are available to students atgatorevals.aa.ufl.edu/public-results/
10) My virtual office door is always open; please feel free to send me an email so that we can discuss class issues as the need arises. Grading Scale:
A | 100-94% |
A- | 93-90% |
B+ | 89-87% |
B | 86-83% |
B- | 82-80% |
C+ | 79-77% |
C | 76-73% |
C- | 72-70% |
D+ | 69-67% |
D | 66-63% |
D- | 62-60% |
E | 59-0% |
Week 1 (3 Sept)
- IN THE BEGINNING: there was composition and it was good
Overview of the Semester
- Solo Compositions with guest faculty
One-on-One Operas/MICROperas (OOOO) PDF schedule for Opera Workshop
Readings in Music After the Fall
- GETTING STARTED: the state of contemporary music Music After the Fall:
- 1. 1989 and After (pp 1-23)
OOOO Pairing (Wed, 9 Sept) :: Story due
- FLUTE: trying to avoid being a sine wave Music After the Fall:
- 2. Mediation and the Marketplace (pp 24-50)
OOOO Planning (Wed, 16 Sept) :: Libretto due
4:05 - Presentation - Name: Stoner, K
- FRENCH HORN/FLUTE: the whole point is mute Music After the Fall:
- 3. Permissions: Freedom, Choice, and the Body (pp 51-86)
4:05 - Presentation - Name: Basler, P
5:10 - Reading - Name: Stoner, K
- FRENCH HORN: Music After the Fall:
- 4. Fluidity: Digital Translations, Displacements, and Journeys (pp 87-119)
OOOO Development (Wed, Sept 30)
4:05 - Presentation - Name: Connor, C
5:10 - Reading - Name: Basler, P
- GUITAR: exercise string theory Music After the Fall:
- 5. Mobility: Worldwide Flows, Networks, and Archipelagos (pp 120-161)
4:05 - Presentation - Name: Cuilei, S
5:10 - Reading - Name: Connor, C
- TRUMPET/GUITAR: Music After the Fall:
- 6. Superabundance: Spectacle, Scale, and Excess (pp 162-205)
OOOO Rehearsals? (Wed, Oct 14) :: First Draft
4:05 - Presentation - Name: Lee, R
5:10 - Reading - Name: Cuilei, S
- TUBA/TRUMPET: low and not so slow Music After the Fall:
- 7. Loss: Ruins, Memorials, and Documents (pp 206-231)
4:05 - Presentation - Name: VanTuinen, D
5:10 - Reading - Name: Lee, R
- BASSOON/TUBA: double your reed, double your fun Music After the Fall:
- 8. Recovery: Gaps between Past and Present (pp 232-263)
4:05 - Presentation - Name: Lowe, S
5:10 - Reading - Name: Van Tuinen, D
- OOOO: Production Plan/Staging (Wed, 4 Nov)
- 4:05 - Presentation - Name: VanTuinen/Moreau Duo
- TROMBONE/BASSOON: slip sliding away
- 4:05 - Presentation - Name: Robertson, J
5:10 - Reading - Name: Lowe, S
6:10 - Reading - Name: VanTuinen/Moreau Duo
- TROMBONE:
- 5:10 - Reading - Name: Robertson, J
OOOO Costumes/Sets (Wed, Nov 18)
Week 14 (3 Dec)
- CLOSING THOUGHTS: Final Opera Scores and Parts Due OOOO Costumes/Sets (Wed, Nov 18)
DISCUSSIONS/READING: Readings and discussions on "Music after the Fall."
COMPOSITION PROJECTS Solo compositions for each visiting faculty performer during the course of the class.
ONE-ON-ONE OPERA (OOOO) "MICROpera" PROJECT: A work for solo or duo vocalists to be presented via the Internet. Composition of score, parts and other resources necessary for the premiere of the work in the spring of 2021.
SAFETY HINT: Always keep several back-up copies of your work on multiple disks; if you have a personal Macintosh you may wish to keep one copy on your personal hard-drive. Do not use the labs'/studio's hard-drives as personal storage devices. All drives are regularly cleaned of all unauthorized software, files, and documents.
HEARING SAFETY: It is very important that the student of electroacoustic music be aware of the listening environment in which they are working. The studio environment can, if used improperly, subject the listeners ears to unhealthy sound pressure levels. For more information and links to web sites about hearing health click here .
- Different Trains (1988), Steve Reich (1936)
- Piano Sonata No. 6 (1988), Galina Ustvolskaya (1919-2006)
- Kits Beach Sound Walk (1989), Hildegard Westerkamp (1946)
- Brain Forest - For Acoustic Metal Concrete (1989), Merzbow: Masami Akita (1956)
- H'un (Lacerations) (1988), Bright Sheng (1955) CD 375
Chapter No. 2
- Tabula Rasa (1977), Arvo Pärt (1935)
- The Protecting Veil (1988), John Tavener (1944-2013)
- Symphony No. 3 (1976), Henryk Góecki (1933-2010)
- Course Materials
- Additional Resources
- last update 17 October 2020 -