Music

MUS 1102 (3 cr.): Comprehensive Musicianship I (Fall & Spring)

MUS 2101 (3 cr.): Harmony (Spring)

MUS 2106 (3 cr.): Music History III (Spring)

And one of:

MUS 3126 (3 cr.): Music History I (Spring)

MUS 3127 (3 cr.): Music History II (Fall)

1. 15 credits of academic coursework, i.e. courses selected from the following groupings: MUS 1100-1199; MUS 2100-2199; MUS 3100-3199; and MUS 4100-4199. These credits:
   1. may include a maximum of 6 credits in courses numbered MUS 1100-1199
   2. must include a minimum of 3 credits in courses numbered 3100-3199 or 4100-4199
2. 4 credits of performance coursework, i.e. ensembles (MUS 1000-1099) and private study (MUS 1500-1599; MUS 2000-2099; and MUS 2500-2599)
3. 6 credits from any course offered by the Music Department (free electives).

MUS 4198 (3 cr.): Senior Seminar (Fall)

MUS 4085 (2-5 cr.): Senior Capstone Project (Spring)

TOTAL CREDITS IN MAJOR: 42-45

MUS 1102 (3 cr.): Comprehensive Musicianship (Fall & Spring)

Music Curriculum: (15 cr.)

1. 5-6 credits of academic coursework, i.e. courses selected from the following groupings: MUS 1100-1199; MUS 2100-2199; MUS 3100-3199; and MUS 4100-4199

These credits must include a minimum of 2 credits in courses numbered above MUS 2100

2. 9-10 credits of free elective, i.e. courses selected from any offered by the Music Program

TOTAL CREDITS IN MINOR: 18

Performance study courses are offered both fall and spring, and may be repeated for credit. Music majors and minors, Presidential Arts Scholarship students, and other students with skills or potential appropriate to the department's select ensembles are eligible for private lessons. Eligibility and placement for students new to private performance study are determined at a placement fair held at the beginning of each semester. For courses numbered 1511 through 1572, students may not register in the same semester for both the 1 and 2 credit course in the same instrument. MUS 1061, 1071, 1081, 1083, 1091, 1095, and 1151 do not include individual lessons and do not require a supplementary fee. All other performance study courses include individual lessons and require a supplementary fee. Supplementary fees for private performance courses are nonrefundable after the first two weeks of the fall and spring semesters; consult the Music Department for details.

The supplementary fee is waived during the fall and spring semesters for full-time music majors and minors and for Presidential Arts Scholars in Music.

Required practice: a minimum of three hours a week for 1-credit courses and six hours a week for 2-credit courses

Department prerequisite: Private performance courses 2012 through 2072 and 2318 are open by examination.  

A minimum of eight hours a week for 2-credit courses.

Students may take individual lessons after declaring their music major or minor. New majors and minors interested in private study should contact Prof. Baker ([email protected]) to begin the registration process. Lesson registration must be done in person in the Music Program office in Phillips Hall B144. Three levels of performance study are available to undergraduates:

• 1000 level: All students will take at least one semester and no more than 3 semesters of performance study on one instrument at this level. 
  • 1 credit = 1/2 hour lesson 
  • 2 credits= 1 hour lesson
• 2000 level: Private instruction that shows advancement beyond the 1000-level of study. Students are also required to participate in a Program of Music select ensemble. 
  • 2 credits = 1 hour lesson
• 4085 level: For the most advanced students, public performance is required. 
•      3 credits = 1 hour lesson

For students who are neither music majors nor minors, the Music Program offers a course which provides the opportunity for a half-hour weekly private lesson while also meeting once weekly in a seminar to explore the aesthetic and historical contexts of their performance repertoire. This course, MUS 1106: Introduction to Music Performance and Experience, will provide three credits of arts G-PAC credit. If the student decides to major or minor in music, the course will count as three credits towards their degree, and they will qualify to continue to study privately. Interested students should contact the instructor, Prof. Baker ([email protected]) for course approval. Registration must be done in person at the Music Program office (Phillips Hall, B144).

Multiple opportunities exist to perform in small, mixed-instrumental and vocal chamber ensembles. Learn repertoire and rehearsal and communication strategies. Weekly coaching with faculty and end-of-semester public performances included.

Contact

Email Prof. Ning Yu for more information.

Directed by Peter Fraize and staff, the Jazz Ensembles concentrate on small group jazz from the 1940s to today, focusing on such artists as Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis and Art Blakey.

The instrumentation consists of a rhythm section and a small number of horns players, performing in a showcase at the end of each semester.

Rhythm & Blues

The band emphasizes polished, entertainment-oriented performances, ranging from late 1940's jump-blues to contemporary R&B. All band members are required to sing at least back-up. Instrumentation is horn section, rhythm section-drums, bass, keyboard, guitars, and vocalists.

Latin Band

The George Washington University Latin band Los Gringos is a vibrant group of young musicians who have embraced the cultural diversity that exists in the nation's capital. Cultural exploration is at the heart of the music the band performs. Here the students explore the nuances of playing samba, Bossa Nova and Partido Alto music styles from the former capital of Brazil, the city of Rio de Janeiro. From the Caribbean Islands the students learn how to make an Afro-Cuban danzón connect with the famous cha-cha-chá. Mambo, comparsa, songo, and timba become familiar Cuban vocabulary the students speak through their instruments. Under the leadership of Professor Alejandro Lucini, born in Rio de Janeiro, and co-directed by saxophonist Peter Fraize, the ensemble has attracted over the years a flow of students who add a rich and unique cultural experience to their education.

Auditions

All ensembles are by audition only. These auditions are held during the first week of classes.

Contact

Please email Peter Fraize before the first week of class.

The University Band class consists of two ensembles: The University Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. The University Band and Wind Ensemble rehearse on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. 

**Auditions: Held during the second Thursday of classes. Requirements: Two pieces of a contrasting nature, chromatic and major scales and sight reading.

Contact

Please contact the University Band Office at 202-994-9041, or email Robert Birch for more information.

Visit the GW Band's website for more information. 

The University Orchestra rehearses Monday evenings 6:30-7:30 pm and Wednesday evenings, from 6:30-8:30 pm. The orchestra rehearses and performs a wide array of music including current as well as traditional orchestral repertoire, often featuring soloists from within the ensemble, the faculty and the professional community. Orchestra performances consist of two to three concerts per year. Performances are in Lisner Auditorium. Membership in the orchestra is made up from the varied and talented GW community and is not limited to those only taking music classes and/or registered as a music major. All are encouraged to audition.

**Auditions are held at the begining of each semester. Subsequent auditions throughout the academic year will be by appointment only. Requirements: Please prepare at least one minute of music that shows off your technical and expressive capabilities. Sign-ups for new players ONLY. Please contact [email protected] to schedule an audition time. 

If you are a returning member of the Orchestra, auditions for actual placement will be only as necessary. This procedure will be discussed at the first rehearsal. For the moment, all returning members should take their relative places as they were last spring.

**Auditions for second semester: Held during the first week of spring classes, by appointment only. Requirements are the same for auditions in the spring (see above, for fall semester).

Contact

For further information, please email Scott Wood.

The University Singers is a mixed choir of undergraduate and graduate students. The group has two formal
concerts each academic year. They have toured extensively, with overseas tours occurring every two years. Past tours have included South America, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy and South Africa.

Other off-campus performance venues include Washington National Cathedral, Strathmore Concert Hall, Schlesinger Performing Arts Center, Princeton Chapel and The Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

**Auditions consist of vocalising, ear training and sight-reading. No prepared solo is necessary. Rehearsals are Mondays and Wednesdays from 12:45-2:00 pm in Phillips Hall B-120.

Contact

Email Blake Clark for more information.