MATC 2026-27 Catalog

DEGREE/DIPLOMA/CERTIFICATE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

MUSIC-158

Credits:1

MUSIC-168

Credits:1

MUSIC-148

Credits:2

Improvisation 2 This intermediate to advanced, performance intensive course is designed for students who have completed Music Improvisation 1 or possess equivalent foundational improvisational skills. The course shifts focus from basic competency to developing sophisticated improvisational vocabulary, exploring advanced harmonic and rhythmic concepts, and cultivating a mature, individual musical voice across a broader range of styles. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-167. MUSIC-173 Credits:1 Music Reading Music Reading is designed to provide the student with the ability to read standard music notation. Instruction begins with the fundamental tools and terminology of music notation. It moves through simple melodies in simple rhythms and meters, and progresses to longer and more dif fi cult melodies in more dif fi cult rhythms and compound meters. MUSIC-174 Credits:2 Ear Training 1 Ear Training 1 is an introductory course designed to develop fundamental aural skills and general musicianship. The primary goal is to train students to “hear what they see” and “see what they hear,” fostering the ability to translate sound into musical notation and notation into sound. The course emphasizes developing musical memory, inner hearing and a deeper understanding of how music is constructed. This will be done through sight singing, dictation and transcription, and incorporation of theory fundamentals. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-151. MUSIC-177 Credits:1 Piano Lab1 This course is the fi rst in a series of group instruction designed for students with little or no prior experience in piano or music reading. The class meets in a group setting keyboard lab to provide a supportive and interactive environment for developing fundamental keyboard skills, music reading and proper keyboard technique, the functional use of scales, chords, transposition, and other elements of music theory, as well as basic musicianship, and an introduction to music theory as applied to the piano. MUSIC-178 Credits:1 Piano Lab2 A continuation of MUSIC-177, this class is designed to improve skills in music reading and proper keyboard technique, as well as the functional use of scales, chords, transposition and other elements of music theory. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-177.

Orchestration 1 Students will learn the fundamentals of orchestration (arranging) for small ensembles from jazz combo to small chamber orchestra. Students will orchestrate original works and classic examples from the literature for live players or digital orchestra. Students will learn instrumental ranges, transpositions and characteristics for maximum effect. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-151. MUSIC-159 Orchestration 2 A continuation of Orchestration 1, students will study and develop intermediate and advanced orchestration concepts through writing for larger ensembles from sextets to full orchestra. Students will apply skills to the orchestration of original works and classic literature, contemporary genres, and fi lmscores. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-158. MUSIC-162 Credits:1 Music Ensemble 1 Music Ensemble 1 provides students with practical experience in rehearsing and performing music within a structured group setting. This course is designed to develop ensemble skills such as reading music notation, reading chord charts and lead sheets, improvisation, collaboration, balance, blend, rhythmic precision, and musical communication. The course focuses on foundational rehearsal techniques and preparing a diverse program of music for public performance. MUSIC-163 Credits:1 Music Ensemble 2 Music Ensemble 2 is the second course in the ensemble sequence, building upon the skills developed in MUSIC-162 Ensemble 1. This course offers continued practical experience in a structured group setting, focusing on diverse contemporary popular repertoire and more re fi ned ensemble communication. Students will further develop collaborative skills, enhance musical independence and prepare increasingly challenging programs for public performance. The curriculum emphasizes artistic detail, stylistic nuance and sophisticated ensemble interaction. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-162. MUSIC-167 Credits:1 Improvisation 1 This is an introductory, performance-based course designed for musicians of all backgrounds (instrumentalists, vocalists, composers) who are new to the practice of improvisation. The primary goal is to demystify the improvisational process by providing a structured environment to develop aural skills, creative risk-taking and real-time music-making within various stylistic frameworks such as jazz, blues, pop and comping. Students will learn to move beyond written notation and develop fl uency in spontaneous musical expression. The course involves both the study of theoretical concepts as well as practice and performance on one’s chosen instrument. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-151. Credits:1

Music Fundamentals 1 An introduction to the building blocks of music: reading, notation, keys, scales and chords. MUSIC-149 Credits:3 Music Theory 1 This introductory course provides a systematic foundation in the core principles of tonal music. Designed for students with limited or no prior formal music theory training, the course emphasizes developing music literacy skills through reading, writing, the study of major and minor tonality, key signatures, intervals, scale construction, diatonic triads, harmonic function, voice leading and chord voicing, chord inversion, tonal and structural organization in music, rhythm, introductory ear training and more. Students will gain the tools necessary to understand the building blocks of melody, harmony, rhythm and musical structure. MUSIC-151 Credits:4 Music Theory 2 This course is the second in the music theory sequence and builds upon the fundamentals introduced in Music Theory 1. It is designed for students who can con fi dently read music notation, understand basic rhythm, and identify fundamental scales and triads. The primary focus of Music Theory 2 is the study of four part writing, developing skills in fundamental to advanced harmonizing, diatonic harmony, basic modulation and an introduction to musical form. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-150 or MUSIC-149. MUSIC-152 Credits:3 Composition 1 This introductory, project-based course is designed for students interested in the creative process of composing original music. The course focuses on developing fundamental compositional skills, exploring various musical styles and techniques, and learning to articulate personal musical ideas effectively. Students will move from initial concepts to fi nished, notated pieces, culminating in public performances or recordings of their work. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-151. MUSIC-153 Credits:3 Composition 2 This intermediate course expands upon the foundational skills developed in Composition 1. Students will engage with more sophisticated compositional techniques, explore a wider array of timbral possibilities, and develop a more personal and re fi ned compositional voice. The course emphasizes writing for speci fi c instrumental ensembles and integrating advanced harmony and form into larger musical structures. Prerequisite(s): Complete MUSIC-152.

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