OHIO UNIVERSITY - School of Music - Robert Glidden Hall

MUS 3080: Composition for Non-Majors - Fall 2017

COURSE SCHEDULE AND SYLLABUS
Class Number: 3531 Section: 100

Time & location: TBD, Glidden Hall: Room 475B or C

Instructor: Dr. Robert McClure, Assistant Professor of

Composition/Theory
E-MAIL: mcclurer@ohio.edu
Office: School of Music - Robert Glidden Hall, Room 475B
Office Hours: by appointment with the instructor via e-mail

Brief description of course:

This course will focus on current compositional trends and techniques with an
emphasis on creative music composition. The student will listen to recent music,
analyze scores, and compose original music compositions.
The course will be designed collaboratively with the student and will focus on
projects that the student wishes to undertake or projects that the professor
deems suitable. The student will complete 1-2 pieces or a series of short exercises
in addition to weekly listening journals.
Attendance at weekly composition seminar is required for pre-majors and
optional for non-majos. This seminar will take many different formats but,
ultimately it is a forum to share work and facilitate critical discussion. The
schedule will be posted to Blackboard.

Required Materials:
Access to computer notation software (Sibelius, Finale, MuseScore, etc).
**Note: I am a Sibelius user. Ive never used Finale. You are free to use whatever software you
choose however, I cannot be of much help diagnosing software problems and suggesting solutions
with Finale. If you are a pre-major and are not entrenched yet, I suggest using Sibelius.
Staff paper, pencil, idea notebook
USB thumb drive (we will often transfer files back and forth)

Suggested Materials:
Cope, David. Techniques of the Contemporary Composer. Toronto, Schirmer
Books. 1997.

Learning Objectives:
- Gain understanding of current compositional trends and genres through
reading/listening
- Gain understanding of contemporary composition techniques through
reading/listening
- Gain understanding of orchestration and instrumentation through reading/score
study
- Gain experience writing music for performers with or without electronics and
working with performers to learn about various instrumental techniques
Academic Dishonesty: Anyone caught duplicating another's work on an exam
or assignment will automatically fail the course and may be reported to the Office
of Community Standards and Student Responsibility. That office may impose
additional sanctions. Any student in this class may appeal academic sanctions
through the grade appeal process.
Special Needs or Disabilities: Any student who feels s/he may need an
accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to
discuss your specific needs. If you are not yet registered as a student with a
disability, please contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services at 740-593-
2620 or visit the office in 348 Baker University Center.
https://www.ohio.edu/uc/sas/index.cfm or http://www.ohio.edu/uc/sas/
Attendance: The student is allowed one unexcused absence. Each additional
absence exceeding the maximum will result in a 5% deduction from the final
course grade. For all excused absences (documented sickness, documented death
in the family, documented professional absence, etc.) please give as much prior
notice as possible with a weeks notice being preferred.
Grading Scale example:
Grading: 87-89 = B+
Composition Portfolio 60% 83-86 = B
Listening Journals 40% 80-82 = B-

Important Dates (extracted from Ohio University Official Academic

Calendar 2017-18: https://www.ohio.edu/registrar/upload/2017-
18_Printable_Calendar.pdf

Sept. 1 - Last day to add a fall class without instructor's approval

Sept. 8 - Last day to add a course with instructors permission
Sept. 4 - Labor Day: No Class
Oct. 10- Reading Day: No Class
Oct. 28 - Last day to drop a class
Nov. 3 - Veterans Day Observed: No Class
Nov. 22 - Thanksgiving Break No Class
Nov. 27 - Classes Resume
Dec. 9 - Last day of classes
Dec. 15- Fall Semester Grades Available

Listening Journals:
Each student will listen to entire selected piece multiple times (I suggest first
without a score, then with if available) and then write a 500-word (minimum)
typed essay using double-spaced, 12-pt font on that piece. The student should
research the piece using any of the following: new grove music dictionary,
reputable online resources (no Wikipedia, blogs, etc), School of Music library,
scholarly articles. Be sure to properly cite the sources you consulted with a brief
list (does not need to conform to MLA/Chicago standards). Also, some of these
composers are still alive. And they have email addresses. It might be worth it to
reach out to them with questions. Composers love to know someone is listening to
their work. However, I would plan ahead for these. Check out the schedule and do
some pre-listening, generate questions, and shoot off an email*.
Half of the essay should address the composers aesthetics, technical information
about the work, notable performances, performance practices that are associated
with the work, critical reception. The essay should not be a biography of the
composer. About 250 of the 500 words should be used as the students personal
response to the work detailing their opinions, reactions, and creative responses to
the work.
Listening Journals will be completed on Blackboard and will be due by 5pm on
Friday of each week.
Listening Journal Pieces
John Cage - Third Construction
Pierre Boulez - Derive 1
Gyrgy Ligeti - Chamber Concerto for 13 Instruments
Kaija Saariaho - Grammaire Des Rves
Steve Reich - Tehillim
Eliane Radigue - Trilogie de la Mort - Kailasha
Earl Kim - Where Grief Slumbers
John Luther Adams - In The White Silence
*Shih-Hui Chen - Returning Souls: Four Short Pieces on Three Formosan Amis
Legends
*George Lewis & The NOW Orchestra Shadowgraph 5
*Elainie Lillios - Veiled Resonance
*Kate Soper - Voices from the Killing Jar
*Asha Srinivasn - Janani
*Malin Bng - Turbid Motion
*Heather Stebbins - and Drift