MUS 515

Spring 2026 Part of Term 1

Part of Term 1
Jan 20-May 6

Topics in Vocal Music

SHOW FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE

Credit: 4 hours.

Intensive or comparative study of specific repertoires of vocal music, of particular genres or styles of vocal composition or performance practice, and/or of particular vocal artists.

May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours. Prerequisite: MUS 528 A (consult Class Schedule for specific section information); graduate standing in Musicology; Music and Sound Studies graduate minor; or consent of instructor. Restricted to graduate students.

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MUS 515 class schedule data for spring 2026
	CRN	Type	Section	Time	Day	Location	Instructor	Section Details
	78248	Lecture-Discussion	A	11:00AM -12:20PM	TR	0320 Music Building	Magee, J	Part of Term: 1 Date Range: 01/20/26-05/06/26 Section Info: Topic: The American Songbook The American Songbook is a term that encompasses thousands of songs by American songwriters who flourished in the period from about 1920 to 1960 and beyond, including George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Kurt Weill, Carolyn Leigh, Jule Styne, Fats Waller, Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields, Billy Strayhorn, Hoagy Carmichael, Vernon Duke, and many others. The repertory forms a crossroads for performers working in a wide array of musical idioms and venues: jazz, opera, cabaret, art song, gospel, R&B, rock, pop, country, musical theater, and Hollywood film. The course will explore the Songbook’s historical contexts including immigration and black migration and the consolidation of the songwriting industry in New York; engage in close analysis of music and lyrics of several dozen songs; explore a wide range of approaches to performance and arrangement of the repertoire; and investigate other ways the Songbook continues to grow and thrive in the 21st century. Students will be required to participate in discussion of assigned songs and recordings, to do songwriting exercises, to read scholarly and journalistic commentary on the Songbook, and to write brief analysis papers. Final projects include research, performance, and creative options. There are variable credit options, and adjusted workloads, for undergraduates (3 credits) and graduate students (4 credits).