Music

Whether aspiring to a career in music or wishing to deepen their love of the art, students in the Department of Music get to take courses in theory and composition, on the history and culture of Western art music, world musics, and popular music, and take lessons in voice and instruments. All students, regardless of musical background, are welcome in any course unless a prerequisite or an instructor鈥檚 permission is indicated (for example, in certain music theory courses).

The Music Department offers a variety of courses (MUSA1100, MUSA2200, MUSA2300, MUSA2310) that satisfy the University Core requirement in the Arts and serve as introductions to the various areas of musical knowledge. These courses are also foundational courses required for the major and minor. MUSA1100 Fundamentals of Music Theory focuses on technical aspects of the language of music and functions as a prerequisite to Harmony and further upper-level courses in theory and composition, such as Chromatic Harmony, Counterpoint, Jazz Harmony, and the Seminar in Composition. MUSA2200 History of Western Art Music offers a broad historical survey of the styles and genres of classical music; while upper-level electives focus on specific periods of music history, the historical development of specific genres, the contributions of various individual composers, and other topics. MUSA2300 Musics of the World looks at multiple musicking traditions from around the world, while MUSA2310 Popular Music explores the history, technologies, and styles of popular music. Upper-level courses in global and/or popular musics explore traditions like jazz and hip-hop or are country/region-specific, including courses on Brazil, India, and the Middle East. Several Enduring Questions courses are offered at the MUSA1700-level; these satisfy the Arts Core requirement and have a co-requisite in another area. MUSA2300 and many of the region-specific courses satisfy the Cultural Diversity requirement of the Core. MUSA2300 Musics of the World is unique in that it satisfies both the Cultural Diversity and the Arts Core requirements.

Music majors, minors, and music-curious students will encounter a liberal arts framework that offers a broader perspective than that offered by conservatories or schools of music. In this comprehensive liberal arts framework, students encounter historical, theoretical, cultural, ethnographic, and performance perspectives on music. The student majoring in Music at Boston College may find employment in teaching, communications, arts administration, or liturgical music, or may major in music to provide a firm enriching discipline for the mind or a source of lifelong enjoyment. Some students go on to graduate school or a conservatory to become professional performers, composers, musicologists, ethnomusicologists, educators, or arts professionals. Others, many of whom are double majors, look especially well-rounded and attractive to professional graduate school admissions teams and go on to become lawyers, doctors, and financial executives. Within the major, all students acquire a common base of knowledge through the foundational courses and then a specialization at higher levels in composition, performance, music history, or cultural studies. For 21st-century performers, scholars, critics, and lovers of music, a broad grounding in Western art music, world musics, and popular music is indispensable鈥攖hat鈥檚 why, with music theory, all of these areas are required for the major and minor.

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