Different Tonalities

This course will examine different approaches to
finding a sense of tonality after the dissipation
of common practice tonal function. Surveying
examples from Western Art music, Classical Jazz,
and Pop from about 1900 to the present day, the
approaches studied will include vertical
structures, cellular thinking, serial techniques,
symmetry, modal techniques, stylistic
combinations, new attitudes towards pitch and
noise, chance operations, simplicity and
complexity, and changing concepts of time in
music. Individual pieces will be studied to see
which analytical techniques are most appropriate
and informative, and a model compositions will be
written every other week.