Courses | MA in Popular Music Pedagogy | UOnline

This foundational course will introduce the fundamentals of teaching music at secondary (middle and high school) and ternary (collegiate) levels. The focus will be on defining core educational concepts and terminologies; developing musical curricula across a variety of 21st-century musical forms; engaging students through several instructional paradigms; provide practice presenting instruction with a variety of educational strategies.

This course focuses heavily on aural recognition of the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic language of contemporary music using jazz and commercial theoretical analysis and aural dictation. The harmonic focus of this semester is on 7th chords, chord quality substitution, and the use of non-diatonic chord tones when using the dominant chord. Progressions will become familiar (i.e. II-V-I, standard progressions and substitute harmonic options), as well as voicing structure and proper construction of basic contemporary pop/jazz chords. Melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic skills will be developed through aural recognition, theoretical analysis, and transcription.

A keyboard lab will accompany this course where students will learn to play and understand the use of all material covered in the lecture meetings, as well as additional contemporary, jazz, and traditional piano technique.

This course provides a foundation for students to gain experience and exposure to areas of contemporary education including contemporary instrumentation (keyboard, guitar, drums, and bass), contemporary vocal pedagogy, considerations for ensemble direction, and essential equipment and technology. Students will gain familiarity with common terms, concepts, and methods used in contemporary/commercial education.

This course surveys popular music from the Renaissance to the present. We will discuss the geographical, historical, political, economic, and social contexts in which each genre is produced and consumed, the technological developments that facilitated their dissemination, as well as the relevant composers, performers, instruments, aesthetics, and cultural values of each genre.

Over the semester you will become familiar with terminology and a variety of methodologies to talk and write about popular music, as well as selected musical repertoire chosen to illustrate the various distinctive popular music genres and styles.

Artists are not only creating their own music but are often responsible for marketing, publishing, distribution, management, promotion, and contract agreements to get it out to the world. In this course, you will gain a broad understanding of the ever-expanding business of music. You will learn how these various segments operate and how developments in technology are opening new opportunities for artists to create revenue. This course provides knowledge, strategy, and guidance to navigate the industry and achieve your goals.

The course offers solutions to young musicians on their quest to become more confident and expressive performers. This unique and forward-thinking course will be both performance and research-based—giving students the tools to succeed, and reinforcing them through weekly performance assignments. The goal is to encourage fearless artistry, beginning in the practice room and continuing onstage and beyond.

More information to come.

This course is intended to provide the student with the ability to record, edit, mix, and master content in both video and audio mediums, by using the most current, practical, and affordable technology available today.

This course provides students with an overview of the music business and related entrepreneurial fundamentals. Music business topics explored include copyright, publishing, the record business, licensing, the live music industry, and arts administration. Entrepreneurial topics explored include starting a business, accounting and marketing basics, and securing funding.

This course explores critical concepts of leadership, decision-making, and teamwork in the wide-ranging arts presentation setting. Through experiential learning, students practice and acquire the knowledge and skills vital for effective navigation through the dynamic arts industry.

Students will become familiar with the responsibilities of a tour planner. Individual tour planning projects are assigned which will give the students insight into the management and production of a tour.

Students learn how to fulfill demand and influence consumer behavior through effective marketing techniques. The course provides the students with information on the latest technologies being employed to reach and communicate with target consumers.

Students learn the many aspects of managing a live entertainment and performing arts center facility. Logistics, management, budgeting, marketing and programming within a live entertainment and performing arts facility are addressed.

Building a career in the twenty-first century and beyond creates challenges both exciting and daunting. The purpose of this course is to provide grounding, critical information, as well as planning and vision for shaping the key components of launching and sustaining a career in the arts.

Students learn how to write and present a line-item budget for an arts presentation event, arts presenting organization, and an arts facility. Specific techniques and methods that are used to reduce event risk and safety are discussed.

Students become familiar with various artist, client, production, vendor, and facility contracts and agreements commonly used in the industry.

In this course, the concepts, techniques, and conduits of communication will be defined and detailed – as they pertain to the musical artist and with an emphasis on the most up-to-date technologies and platforms for getting your message across.

More traditional ways of interfacing will not be neglected: The honing of clear writing, speaking, and person-to-person skills will be stressed. We will also reveal the ins and outs of working with publicists and other marketing professionals in our field. By the end of this course, you should have the tools to execute a communication and marketing strategy appropriate for your own career goals.