MUS 2 - Music Theory

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 120)

Corequisite: MUS 5A
Preparation for the study of harmony and form as it is practiced in Western tonal music. Topics include scales, intervals, chords, cadences, counterpoint and Roman numeral analysis. Ability to read music notation is advised. Required for music majors.

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MUS 3A - Harmony - Diatonic

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Prerequisite: MUS 2
Corequisite: MUS 5B
An examination of harmony and form as it is practiced in Western tonal music. This course covers diatonic harmony, from its syntax to its contrapuntal conventions, with musical examples drawn primarily from Renaissance ground basses, American folksong and the chorales of Bach.

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MUS 3B - Harmony - Chromatic I

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Prerequisite: MUS 3A
Corequisite: MUS 6A
Harmony and form as it is practiced in Western tonal music. This course focuses on secondary chromaticism and modulation.

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MUS 3C - Harmony - Chromatic II

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Prerequisite: MUS 3B
Corequisite: MUS 6B
Examination of harmony and form as it is practiced in Western tonal music with a focus on advanced chromatic harmony. The course concludes with a study of sonata form as practiced by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

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MUS 5A - Musicianship - Ear Training and Sight Singing

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Corequisite: MUS 2
Training in diatonic sight singing, rhythm reading, aural recognition and the dictation of rhythm and diatonic melody. Ability to read music and match pitch is advised. Required for music majors.

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MUS 5B - Musicianship - Diatonic

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 135)

Prerequisite: MUS 5A
Corequisite: MUS 3A
Training in sight singing, rhythm reading, aural recognition and the dictation of rhythm, melody and harmony. This course covers diatonic music.

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MUS 6A - Musicianship - Chromatic I

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 145)

Prerequisite: MUS 5B
Corequisite: MUS 3B
Sight singing and dictation of music with chromatic embellishments, secondary functions and modulations to closely-related keys.

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MUS 6B - Musicianship - Chromatic II

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 155)

Prerequisite: MUS 6A
Corequisite: MUS 3C
Sight singing and dictation of music with borrowed chords, linear chromaticism and modulation to foreign keys.

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MUS 7 - Fundamentals of Music

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 110)

Music notation and the elements of music for non-music majors. Topics include pitch, rhythm, key, intervals and chords.

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MUS 9 - Introduction to Music Technology

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)

Advisory: Eligibility for ENGL 68
Uses of computers and electronic devices to capture, create, modify and disseminate music. Provides an introduction to the principles of musical acoustics, sound recording, and digital audio. Computer software for MIDI sequencing, sound synthesis, digital sampling, editing, music notation and composition will be demonstrated and practiced in class. Assignments will include the creation of original music.

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MUS 10A - Keyboard Skills

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Advisory: Ability to read music notation
Keyboard (piano) skills required for music majors emphasizing practical skills applicable to professional positions in music education. Exercises include harmonization of melodies, transposition, sight-reading, improvisation, and theory as applied to the keyboard. Emphasizes proficiency with scales, broken triads and seventh chords of major and minor keys, using hands separately and together, up to two octaves.

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MUS 10B - Keyboard Skills

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Prerequisite: MUS 10A or admission by audition
Keyboard (piano) skills, required for music majors, including harmonization of melodies, transposition, sight-reading, improvisation, and theory. Emphasizes proficiency with scales as well as arpeggios of triads and seventh chord of both major and minor keys up to two octaves; harmonization of melodies with tonic, subdominant, and dominant triads and seventh chords; transposition of simple melodies by a minor and major second, higher and lower; improvisation on given progression; and realization of diatonic figured bass with first and second inversions.

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MUS 11A - Music Literature Survey

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Western music from the 15th through the 18th century, including examples of non-western cultures, for music majors. Lectures are augmented by sound recordings. Attending a live concert may be required.

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MUS 11B - Music Literature Survey

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Western music from the 18th to the early 21st century including examples from several non-western cultures that have influenced music of those style periods. Lectures are augmented by recordings and other support media pertinent to the cultures and periods being studied. Attending at least one live concert is required.

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MUS 12 - History of Jazz

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Advisory: Eligibility for ENGL 68.
A survey of jazz as a significant American art form from its roots in African music to the present. Major styles, leading performers, significant compositions and recordings, and the social, economic, and cultural contexts of the music will be stressed.

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MUS 13 - Introduction to Music Appreciation

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 100)

Western music from the Medieval period through the 21st century, including music from a variety of cultures. Lectures are augmented by recordings and other support media pertinent to the culture and period being studied. Attending at least one live concert is required.

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MUS 13H - Introduction to Music Appreciation - Honors

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 100)

Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Honors Program
Western music from the Medieval period through the 21st century, including music from a variety of cultures. Lectures are augmented by recordings and other support media pertinent to the culture and period being studied. Attending at least one live concert is required.

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MUS 14A - World Music

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Advisory: Eligibility for ENGL 68
Examines the dominant musical cultures of the world within Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia and compares these to Western popular music. Identifies vocal and instrumental genres within selected cultures and examines the harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic characteristics of each style. Lectures, films, recordings, and media presentations will assist the student in exploring the ways in which music is used around the world for aesthetic, social, and spiritual purposes.

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MUS 14B - American Folk Music

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

The study of American folk music by both region and period. Instruction will include lecture, reading, and listening assignments, and various audio-visual materials. No previous musical experience required.

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MUS 15 - Rock Music History and Appreciation

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass) 
Historical survey of rock music from its beginnings in the early 1950s to the present. Rhythm & blues, rockabilly, the British Invasion, Motown, soul, folk rock, hard rock, punk, metal, and various alternative rock styles will be discussed. Personalities and musical styles will be related to the sociology of the time period being studied.

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MUS 15H - Rock Music History and Appreciation - Honors

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Prerequisite: Acceptance into the Honors Program
Historical survey of rock music from its beginnings in the early 1950s to the present. Rhythm & blues, rockabilly, the British Invasion, Motown, soul, folk rock, hard rock, punk, metal, and various alternative rock styles will be discussed. Personalities and musical styles will be related to the sociology of the time period being studied. An honors course designed to provide enriched experience. Students may not receive credit for both MUS 15 and MUS 15H.

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MUS 16 - Individual Instruction

0.5 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition
Applied music for students also enrolled in a major performing group. Instruction includes a private one-half hour lesson per week. Individual problems of performance techniques, interpretation, and repertoire are included. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice.

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MUS 17A - Elementary Piano

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Reading and performance of piano literature with emphasis on scales, chord progressions, and sight reading. No prior musical experience is required.

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MUS 17B - Intermediate Piano

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Advisory: MUS 17A
Reading and performances of piano literature with emphasis on major and minor scales in multiple octaves utilizing multiple textures. Includes use of damper pedal.

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MUS 18 - Advanced Piano

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Advisory: MUS 17B
Style, technique and interpretation of piano music from the 17th century to the present is studied collectively and individually. Sight reading, improvisation and ensemble playing will be emphasized. Recommended for music majors.

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MUS 20A - Elementary Voice

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Group singing instruction with an emphasis on breathing and posture and their importance in the singing of the musical line, performance techniques, and vocal quality. English and American songs are studied and performed. Open to non-music majors and recommended for all music majors.

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MUS 20B - Intermediate Voice

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Advisory: MUS 20A
Group and individual instruction concentrating on individual vocal development and emphasizing singing techniques required for singing popular, theatrical, and classical music. Includes singing in foreign languages.

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MUS 21 - Advanced Voice

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Advisory: MUS 20B
Group and individual study of the style, techniques, and interpretation of art songs and songs from operas and musicals. Emphasis will be placed on diction and pronunciation Italian, German, and French.

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MUS 22 - Conducting

1.5 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)

Beat patterns, score reading, and rehearsal techniques for conducting. Includes techniques needed for group direction and leadership.

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MUS 23A - Elementary Guitar

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Acoustic guitar playing, note reading, strumming, finger picking, and improvisation. Students must furnish their own guitars.

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MUS 23B - Intermediate Guitar

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Advisory: MUS 23A
Techniques for reading and playing music arranged for the solo guitar. Students must furnish their own acoustic guitar.

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MUS 24 - Advanced Guitar

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

Advisory: MUS 23B
Style, technique, and interpretation of guitar music of the 18th and 19th centuries. Includes sight reading and ensemble playing. Students must furnish their own acoustic guitars.

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MUS 25A - Jazz Improvisation

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Styles and techniques of jazz improvisation. Students must furnish their own musical instruments to play for and with the class.

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MUS 25B - Jazz Improvisation

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Advisory: MUS 25A
Advanced techniques of jazz improvisation. Includes minor, dominant, and pentatonic scales along with arpeggiating polychords, altered chords, chord progressions, and 32-bar jazz standards. Students must furnish their instruments and be able to perform individually and with the class.

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MUS 27 - Chamber Music

1.5 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 180)

(May be taken four times for credit)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition
Select ensemble of winds, strings, guitar, and percussion instrumentalists specializing in the performance of chamber music from the medieval period to the present. The course may include brass quintets, woodwind quintets, saxophone quartets, and mixed instrumental ensembles of two through twenty performers. Students must have previous instrumental experience and pass an entrance audition during the first week of instruction. Public performances on campus and in the community are required. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice.

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MUS 29 - Choral Workshop

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
Choral music of all genres with an emphasis on strengthening choral skills, including sight singing, tone, blend, balance and good vocal technique. Covers choral tone of the Renaissance to correct use of the microphone when singing pop or vocal jazz. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice. Open to all students without an audition.

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MUS 30 - Collegiate Chorale

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
A non-auditioned mixed choral ensemble open to all students. A variety of mixed choral repertoire will be studied and performed, from music of the Renaissance to contemporary Pop, Broadway, and Vocal Jazz. Rehearsal time will also be devoted to vocal development and improving music theory skills. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice. Attendance at performances is required.

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MUS 31 - Concert Choir

1.5 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition
A large mixed choral ensemble in which students perform a variety of major choral works. Classical songs are rehearsed in class and performed for a public audience. Sight singing skills and proper vocal technique are emphasized. Voice placement auditions are held the first week of class. Attendance at all performances including those off-site is required. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice. Auditions held first week of the semester.

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MUS 34 - Women's Vocal Ensemble

2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition during the first week of class
Women's vocal ensemble that studies and performs selected classical works, folk songs, spirituals, and popular compositions. Attendance is required at all public performances including off-campus locations. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice. Auditions held the first week.

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MUS 36 - Wind Symphony

1 Unit (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
A wind and percussion ensemble open to students with prior instrumental experience. A variety of wind band repertoire will be studied and performed, from music of the medieval period to contemporary compositions. Rehearsal time will also be devoted to instrumental and aural skills development. Opportunities to conduct, arrange and compose music, and perform as a soloist may be provided. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice. . Public performances on campus and in the community may be required each semester.

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MUS 38 - Ensemble

0.5 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Prerequisite: Ability to read music or admission by audition
The study and performance of music written for small ensembles. On campus performances may be required.

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MUS 39 - Laboratory Band

2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition
Study and performance of improvisation, jazz and pop music of all types. Open to all students with prior instrumental experience. Audition may be required.

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MUS 44 - Vocal Jazz Ensemble

2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition
A vocal ensemble appropriate for beginning and intermediate jazz singers. This group will perform vocal jazz charts accompanied by a rhythm section, as well as a cappella. Basics of singing jazz, vocal improvisation, group singing techniques, and microphone techniques. Ensemble will perform locally and/or at vocal jazz festivals. Attendance at performances and competitions is required. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice.

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MUS 45 - Chamber Singers

2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 180)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition
Premier mixed choral group, specializing in smaller ensemble repertoire. A wide variety of choral literature is performed publicly several times each semester and a performance tour occurs each spring semester. Emphasizes advanced musical skills and vocal techniques while focusing on the importance of blend, balance, and tone. Auditions for this course are held each May. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice. Off-campus performances are required.

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MUS 47 - Jazz Ensemble

2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition
Study and performance of jazz and big band music. Provides an opportunity to learn techniques applicable to the large jazz ensemble. Off-campus public performance required. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice.

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MUS 48 - Men's Vocal Ensemble

2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition the first week of class
Men's vocal ensemble that studies and performs selected classical works, folk songs, spirituals, and popular compositions. Attendance is required at all public performances including off-campus locations. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice.

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MUS 49 - Wind Ensemble

2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, UC, C-ID #: MUS 180)

(May be taken four times for credit)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition
The premier classical wind and percussion ensemble at the college. Students must have previous musical training, a standard band instrument and pass an entrance audition. A variety of wind band repertoire will be studied and performed, from music of the medieval period to contemporary compositions. Public performances on campus and in the community are required each semester and a concert tour may be included. Opportunities to conduct, arrange and compose music, and perform as a soloist may be provided to capable students. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice.

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MUS 50 - Jazz Improvisation and Performance Choir

2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, C-ID #: MUS 180)

(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for option of letter grade or Pass/No Pass)
Prerequisite: Admission by audition
A premier vocal jazz choir. This choir will perform vocal jazz arrangements and students will study the historical, theoretical and technical aspects of both instrumental and vocal jazz. Solo singing techniques and scat singing will be rehearsed and the choir will perform at least one concert each semester at Mt. SAC along with attending and performing at a variety of musical venues. Work with guest artists and make CD recordings. Attendance is required at assigned public performances. Students who repeat this course will improve skills through further instruction and practice. Admission by audition. Off-campus performances are required.

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MUS 99 - Special Projects in Music

1-2 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)

Offered to selected students in recognition of academic interests and abilities to give them the opportunity to explore these interests and abilities in greater depth. The content of each course and the methods of study vary from semester to semester and depend on the particular project under consideration. Students must have an instructor's approval before enrolling in this course.

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NOTE: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this information; however, students should consult
the College Catalog for the most current and accurate information regarding courses.