The following courses are offered by the Composition Department. Please check the Schedule of Classes for course offerings each semester and consult individual course entries in this schedule for information on course prerequisites and corequisites.
Courses
MUS K100 - Composition Undergraduate Elective/ Secondary
Individual lessons in composition.
MUS K101 - Freshman Workshop in Composition
One-hour weekly meetings of all freshman K400 students consisting of short composition exercises, analyses, and critiques.
MUS K133 - Notation and Calligraphy
Notation and organization of music manuscripts.
MUS K214 - Instrumentation I
Ranges, tonal possibilities, technical limitations, and necessary transpositions for all orchestral and band instruments.
MUS K215 - Instrumentation II
Continuation of K214 including writing for combinations of instruments.
MUS K231 - Free Counterpoint I
Development of contrapuntal skills and techniques in two-, three-, and four-part textures.
MUS K232 - Free Counterpoint II
Continuation of K231.
MUS K301 - Composition Forum
A weekly meeting for most composition majors, providing an opportunity to interact with guest presenters consisting of JSoM composition faculty, JSoM performance faculty, other IU faculty, and external guest composers brought in mostly for New Music Ensemble concerts.
MUS K302 - Projects in Music Scoring for Visual Media
Collaborative project combining music and visual media. May be repeated.
MUS K340 - Songwriting for Music Production
Students will learn songwriting by studying melody, harmony, tempo, structure, and key. Pop, R&B, country, jazz, and world musical genres will be included. Songwriting methodology will be demonstrated by the instructor and through masterclasses from successful music artists. Restricted to music majors and students pursuing the music production minor.
MUS K361 - Introduction to MIDI and Computer Music
Basics of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) system, its software, and the instruments commonly used with desktop MIDI workstations (synthesizers, digital samplers). MIDI sequencing, digital audio editing, and principles of digital syntheses. The course is intended for those with little prior technical training.
MUS K362 - Computer Music: Design/Perform
Projects in fixed-media computer music composition (with and without video) and live electronic music performance. Field recording, audio editing, sampling, effects processing, mixing, mastering, video synchronization, methods of synthesis, virtual instrument design, real-time hardware control of audio, live video processing.
MUS K400 - Composition Major
Individual lessons in composition.
MUS K403 - Electronic Studio Resources I
P: Consent of instructor. An introduction to the computer music studio, techniques of digital recording and editing, analog and FM synthesis, MIDI sequencing, and a comprehensive study of the literature and styles of the classic tape studios.
MUS K404 - Electronic Studio Resources II
Study of advanced synthesis techniques, digital sampling, video synchronization, and multimedia applications.
MUS K406 - Projects in Electronic Music
Compositional projects in electronic music. May be repeated.
MUS K450 - Topics in Music Composition
Variable topics in music composition. May be repeated.
MUS K451 - Advanced Orchestration I
Practical orchestration in all its applications.
MUS K452 - Advanced Orchestration II
Practical orchestration in all its applications.
MUS K455 - Topics in Music Scoring for Visual Media
Specialized techniques course developing students’ skills in music scoring for visual media. May be repeated for different topics.
MUS K501 - Composition Forum
A weekly meeting principally for most composition majors (though all graduate music majors may enroll), providing an opportunity to interact with guest presenters consisting of JSoM composition faculty, JSoM performance faculty, other IU faculty, and external guest composers brought in mostly for New Music Ensemble concerts.
MUS K502 - Projects in Music Scoring for Visual Media
Collaborative project combining music and visual media. May be repeated.
MUS K503 - Electronic Studio Resources I
An introduction to the computer music studio, techniques of digital recording and editing, analog and FM synthesis, MIDI sequencing, and a comprehensive study of the literature and styles of the classic tape studios.
MUS K504 - Electronic Studio Resources II
Study of advanced synthesis techniques, digital sampling, video synchronization, and multimedia applications.
MUS K506 - Projects in Electronic Music
Advanced projects in electroacoustic composition. May be repeated.
MUS K509 - Seminar in Computer Music
Study of advanced topics in computer music, including direct digital synthesis, acoustic research, and interactive composition.
MUS K550 - Topics in Music Composition
Variable topics in music composition. May be repeated.
MUS K551 - Advanced Orchestration
Practical orchestration in all its applications.
MUS K555 - Topics in Music Scoring for Visual Media
Specialized techniques course developing students’ skills in music scoring for visual media. May be repeated for different topics.
MUS K560 - Episodic Television Scoring Practicum
Eight-week immersion practicum in Los Angeles. Students will study and practice composition for episodic TV with a top television composer. Weekly observations of screenings, recording sessions, and other events of interest based on industry availability.
MUS K702 - Doctoral Composition Document I
Movement of chamber music written during a week-long examination period. This course is eligible for deferred (R) grading.
MUS K703 - Doctoral Composition Document II
Setting of a given text during a 24-hour period. This course is eligible for deferred (R) grading.
MUS K710 - Composition Graduate Elective
Individual lessons in composition.
MUS K810 - Composition Graduate Minor
Individual lessons in composition.
MUS K910 - Composition Graduate Major
Individual lessons in composition.