MUS 4142: Composition III

MUS 4142: Composition III
Instructor: Dr. David Heuser
Office: 3.02.20 Arts
Phone: 458-5321 - email: david.heuser@utsa.edu
Office Hours: Monday 10:00am-11:00am; Wednesday 3:00pm-4:00pm; Thursday 2:00pm-3:00pm; Friday 9:00am-10:00am or by appointment
Web page: http://music.utsa.edu/electron/comp3.htm

Course Description

Our goals in composition lessons will be highly individualized. We will set these goals for the semester at the beginning of the term. In general, though, it will be to further your ability as a composer, to increase your knowledge of the entire repertoire with a special emphasis on the music of this century and the last 30 years, and to stretch and refine the musical vocabulary in your music.

Goals of the Course

After successfully completing this course, the student should have completed an original composition. In the process students should have expanded their compositional abilities. Through listening assignments, students' knowledge and understanding of recent music should also have been expanded.

Grading and course policies

· You must finish at least one piece for each semester you are enrolled in composition lessons. This project will be performed either at the end of the current semester, or during the following semester. The Composition Recital this semester is November 29, 2007 at 5pm in the UTSA Recital Hall.

· You will be graded on your work each week, and the bulk of your grade will be determined by these weekly grades. Therefore you must attend lessons, arriving in a timely way, and regularly write music each week.

· Any assignments I give you (reading, writing and/or listening assignments) should be completed in a timely fashion.

· You will be required to log your composing time, and make notes on works you listen to, so purchase a small notebook for this purpose.

You must also attend regular composition seminars (Tuesdays from11:00-12:00 in AR 2.03.14 when MUS2001 is not meeting), as well as special guest seminars. This semester, regular seminars are on: September 25, October 23, and October 30.

Communication: If you need to contact me, there are a number of ways to do it. I am usually in my office, and will often be available to see students outside of posted office hours. If my door is closed, please check the schedule next to my door before knocking to make sure you are not interrupting a lesson or lunch. You can also reach me via my office phone and email, which are listed above and on the web (http://music.utsa.edu/Faculty/heuser/index.html). Emails should be courteous and formal, with proper spelling, capitalization, etc., and with a subject line that clearly states the purpose of the message. Ambiguous subject lines may result in an email being deleted as suspected spam. All Music Department faculty also have mailboxes located in the music office (3.01.58). If you would like to put something in my mailbox, give it to the office staff and ask them to place it there. If you have a concern, problem, question, issue or whatever, the best thing you can do is talk to me about it. Stay in touch!