This course explores the human experience in medicine through the lens of individual stories from both patient and caregiver’s perspectives. Through the use of novels, short stories, poems, graphic novels, plays, and film students will examine the practice of medicine and what it means to the patient, the practitioner, and society. The course culminates with a personal narrative based on the student’s own experiences with the healthcare system.
Medieval & Early Modern Studies
This interdisciplinary course explores topics in medieval and early modern studies. Topics and course title may vary by instructor. May be repeated for credit when the topic differs.
Music
In this course we study (mostly) anglophone popular music from 1955 to 2000, from 1950s rock ’n’ roll and ’60s southern soul to ’70s California soft rock, ’80s NYC hip‐hop, ’90s alternative rock, and many other styles, moments, and places in between. Throughout the semester we examine the circumstances that give rise to various genres and artists, while learning how to listen closely to recordings and ask questions about what we hear: Why does this record sound the way it does? How was it made? Who made it, for whom, and for what purpose? How did it circulate? What did it mean to the people who heard it? And what does it mean to us? Through lectures, listenings, and engagement with various primary sources, students learn to connect observations about what they hear to broader questions about historical context, creative process, ideological meaning, and the nature of beauty.
In this course we study (mostly) anglophone popular music from 1955 to 2000, from 1950s rock ’n’ roll and ’60s southern soul to ’70s California soft rock, ’80s NYC hip‐hop, ’90s alternative rock, and many other styles, moments, and places in between. Throughout the semester we examine the circumstances that give rise to various genres and artists, while learning how to listen closely to recordings and ask questions about what we hear: Why does this record sound the way it does? How was it made? Who made it, for whom, and for what purpose? How did it circulate? What did it mean to the people who heard it? And what does it mean to us? Through lectures, listenings, and engagement with various primary sources, students learn to connect observations about what they hear to broader questions about historical context, creative process, ideological meaning, and the nature of beauty.
A general introduction to the language of music, using the piano as a toolkit. Students with little or no experience in piano acquire the ability to read music and play simple piano pieces. Students learn the essentials of reading treble and bass clef, lead sheets, and how to accompany melodies with harmony. Students also engage fundamental theoretical concepts, such as melodic and rhythmic notation, transposition, expressive markings, dynamics, simple song form, chord symbols, Roman numerals, intervals, major and minor key signatures, major and minor five note scales, and simple and compound meters.
A general introduction to the language of music, using the piano as a toolkit. Students with little or no experience in piano acquire the ability to read music and play simple piano pieces. Students learn the essentials of reading treble and bass clef, lead sheets, and how to accompany melodies with harmony. Students also engage fundamental theoretical concepts, such as melodic and rhythmic notation, transposition, expressive markings, dynamics, simple song form, chord symbols, Roman numerals, intervals, major and minor key signatures, major and minor five note scales, and simple and compound meters.
An introduction to the great music of Western civilization from the Middle Ages to the present. The course begins with a discussion of the elements of music and proceeds with a chronological overview of music history. Musical masterworks from all style periods are studied. May not be taken for credit by students who have taken MUSC 211.
Students learn to create and interpret music through musicianship and aural skills practice, exercises in music theory and analysis, and creative composition projects. This course fosters a comprehensive understanding of the musical building blocks of pitch, rhythm, melody, and harmony, preparing students to engage with today’s musical and cultural landscape as skilled musicians and thoughtful listeners. To take this class the student must read traditional music notation on the treble, bass, or alto clefs.
The goal of this course is for each student to develop a personal approach to making music, culminating in a 20‐minute portfolio of original work. Using Logic Pro, students learn the tools and techniques of modern music production including synthesizers, samplers, sequencers, drum machines, effects, and recording and editing of live instruments. Students also study the work of influential artists and producers, analyzing recordings and artist interviews in order to consider how their creative practices, technologies, and production techniques shape the music they make. Through weekly composition/production assignments, students will develop the technical skills and creative habits necessary to become prolific music‐makers.
Jazz has been called "America's Classical Music" and the United States' greatest musical export. Jazz is at once an improvisatory yet timeless art. This course presents a chronological survey of its major styles and artists, from African acculturation in the New World to the present. Topics include the roots of jazz, the New Orleans masters, jazz in the 20's, Big Band, Bebop, Post-Bop styles, Avant-garde, Fusion, recent developments, and jazz vocalists. Through listening assignments and attendance at live performances, students learn to identify jazz styles and instrumentation.
Counterpoint – the interaction between distinct but simultaneous musical parts – is foundational to nearly all styles of music. In this course, students analyze and create musical counterpoint using techniques and methods deriving from across the centuries of Western music, from twelfth-century organum to twentieth-century minimalist processes.
An introduction to musicology that features scholarly assessments and case studies drawn from the whole length of European and American music history, including the "phonograph effect." Students take responsibility for several kinds of in-class discussions, developing leadership skills. The course also helps students prepare the listening and other components of the music comprehensive exam. The course assumes substantial previous contact with music history on the part of the student.
Music, Ensembles and Lessons (Individual and Group)
The University Choir plays an important role in the musical life of the University and All Saints' Chapel. At All Saints', the choir's activities include singing at all Sunday Eucharist services during the semester as well a monthly Choral Evensong. In addition to its liturgical duties, the choir offers several concert performances throughout the year, often with orchestral accompaniment. Membership in the choir is open to any undergraduate student.
The University Orchestra presents the full range of the symphonic repertory and collaborates frequently with other organizations to present choral-orchestral and musico-theatrical works. Participation in the University Orchestra is open to all qualified undergraduate students as well as students from the School of Theology, faculty, and members of the Sewanee community.
Singing from the Sacred Harp hymnal represents an old but still rewarding Southern musical practice, suitable for all amateurs willing to sing loudly. In twice-a-week practices, we cover the fundamentals of shape-note singing and learn to sing in parts. Approximately once a month we travel to Alabama to participate in one of the traditional Sacred Harp singings.
Jazz Ensemble provides experiences in performance of all types of jazz literature from early swing (Duke Ellington, Count Basie) and Latin forms (Antonio Carlos Jobim) to contemporary fusion (Pat Metheny, Brecker Brothers, Yellow jackets). The group focuses on the developing jazz student, providing an opportunity for a challenging ensemble experience while encouraging the performer to explore improvisation. In addition, members have the opportunity to compose and arrange music for the ensemble. Membership is open to all students regardless of major. The group consists of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, guitar, bass, drum set and keyboard. In addition, the group involves male and female vocalists as well as string players with an interest in learning to sing or play jazz. The jazz ensemble offers one or more performances each semester.
The University gospel choir, which performs under the name "Sewanee Praise," offers a campus performance medium for gospel music. The group's repertory includes spirituals, traditional and contemporary gospel, praise and worship, and contemporary Christian. This course may be repeated more than once for credit.
Chamber ensemble is designed to provide students with a performance opportunity in small ensemble repertoire. Ensembles will be formed using the available personnel of woodwind, brass, string, and piano students. These ensembles may include: woodwind quintet, clarinet quartet, flute quartet, brass quintets, string quartets, and other various ensembles based on the repertoire and available players. Pianists may participate based upon the availability of other instrumentalists to form piano-based ensembles.
This course is designed for the non-major. Weekly lessons with the instructor and daily practice are expected. This course may be repeated more than once for credit.
This course is designed for the non-major. Weekly lessons with the instructor and daily practice are expected. This course may be repeated more than once for credit.