Music History

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About

The Iowa State Music Faculty believe music history to be a crucial and fundamental part of a music major's education. To that end they have designed a carefully graduated four semester sequence of courses beginning in the second semester of a student's first year. Music 120 is designed to bring students from the high school music education into the collegiate and pre-professional level of factual knowledge. An emphasis is placed upon listening, following the process of a piece aurally, and discussing it intelligently within the context of basic style periods. The sophomore year involves a two semester sequence delving into the progress of style between the major eras of music history and also between important composers within each era. In the upper division, students may elect an advanced history course that is era specific (Baroque/Classic, Romantic, 20th Century, or American Music) in which the music of each focus is explored in depth through analysis, research and detailed comparisons of styles. The department also offers the opportunity for foreign experience study in Florence, Italy-either for a summer session or for a fall semester-which also may count toward upper division history requirements.