The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University

PEABODY'S MUSIC THEORY CURRICULUM

Undergraduate Music Theory courses at the Peabody Conservatory are designed for students who are completing the Bachelor of Music degree at the Peabody. Music Theory comprises a significant portion of the first two years of study. It is not sufficient for conservatory students to take only Music Theory I. Rather, to keep pace with the requirements of a conservatory degree, freshman students must take Music Theory I (710.111), Ear-training and Sight-singing I (710.123), and Keyboard Studies I (710.155). This tends to be a prohibitive course load for Homewood students, particularly since these classes are only offered mornings, and Ear-training and Sight-singing meets five days a week. Moreover, if, on the basis of our placement test SACRE, an entering freshman student does not place directly into these classes, that student must also take Music Theory Fundamentals (710.011) and/or Ear-Training Fundamentals (710.023) in addition to the three classes previously enumerated. Students who are enrolled in degree programs at the Peabody must take their Music Theory courses at the Peabody.

THE PEABODY-HOMEWOOD THEORY CURRICULUM

To address the needs of Johns Hopkins students who wish to minor in music or who simply wish to take classes in Music Theory, Peabody's Department of Music Theory now offers a series of courses on the Homewood campus. These courses are specially designed to distribute the first year of Music Theory and Ear-training over three or four semesters (depending on placement). In other words, at the end of the Peabody-Homewood Curriculum, students will have covered the equivalent of one year of the Conservatory curriculum and will thus fulfil the Music Theory requirement of the minor.

There are four classes offered at Homewood:

• RUDIMENTS OF MUSIC THEORY AND MUSICIANSHIP (376.011)
  This course introduces written and aural music fundamentals including notation, scales, intervals, chords, rhythm, meter and sightsinging. Composition of melodies and short pieces as well as listening projects will be undertaken. There are no pre-requisites for this course. (2 credits)

• MUSIC THEORY AND MUSICIANSHIP I (376.211)
  Introduction to basic principles of tonal music through listening, analysis and music making. Students study melody, harmony, voice leading, figured bass and dissonance treatment, and will also undertake short composition projects. Prerequisite: Qualifying examination or Rudiments of Music Theory and Musicianship. (3 credits)

• MUSIC THEORY AND MUSICIANSHIP II (376.212)
  This course continues the written and aural work of the previous course but focuses on chromatic harmony while continuing the study of melody, counterpoint and figured bass. Prerequisite: Music Theory and Musicianship I. (3 credits)

• MUSIC THEORY AND MUSICIANSHIP III (376.213)
  Continuation of written and aural work of the previous two semesters. Projects in four-voice writing from figured bass and counterpoint in two and three voices are completed, using as models a variety of styles and composers. Students study simple binary, rounded binary and ternary forms, and compose a short work in a tonal idiom. Prerequisite: Music Theory and Musicianship II. (3 credits)

Students who wish to earn the minor in Music must complete Music Theory and Musicianship I-II. Music Theory and Musicianship III is an optional class. The rudiments class is offered for students who do not have the background and basic facility with notation and fundamentals to be successful in Music Theory and Musicianship I. Students may test out of Music Theory and Musicianship I with a successful demonstation of their skills on our placement test, the Speed And Competency Rudiments Examination (SACRE). The SACRE is administered before the start of the Fall and Spring semesters.