Music


Faculty List

Professors
R. Elliott, PhD
J. Haines, PhD
C. Hatzis, PhD
N. Palej, DMA
J. Pilzer, PhD
S. Vande Moortele, PhD

Professors, Teaching Stream
K. Komisaruk, DMus
G. Kulesha, FTCL
J. Packman, PhD
M. Sallmen, PhD

Associate Professors
A. Clements-Cortes, PhD
S. Gutsche-Miller, PhD
F. Hemmasi, PhD
S. Lee, PhD
E. Lockhart, PhD
D. Tan, PhD
A. Vishio, PhD

Associate Professors, Teaching Stream
B. McDonagh, MMus
G. L. Newsome, MMus

Assistant Professors
D. Martin, PhD
C. Sumner, PhD

Assistant Professors, Teaching Stream
L. Kuzmenko, MusBac
A. Tsang, MMus (cross-appointment, UTSC)

Adjunct Professors
S.R. Black, PhD

Introduction

In the Faculty of Arts & Science, Music is approached as one of the liberal arts. This humanistic emphasis aims at a high degree of correspondence with other disciplines such as Fine Art, Cultural Anthropology, Languages and Literatures, History, and Philosophy.

Courses with the prefix MUS are open to any student at the University. Even students with a strong music background should find them stimulating explorations of the world of music. Various large ensembles are also open to students across the University (see MUS120Y1/ MUS220Y1 [audition required] and MUS167H1/ MUS267H1 [no audition required]). Students can obtain a Music Minor by taking these courses (see below).

The Major programs provide excellent preparation for a variety of professional activities including music criticism, library science, positions in the publishing, broadcasting, and recording industries, as well as for graduate studies in musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory, and music technology. Open to Music Majors are a range of Faculty of Music courses, including those in music history & culture (HMU and JMU prefixes), music theory (TMU), composition (CMU), music technology (DMU), and music & health (SMU). Note that students in the Major programs cannot enrol in individual applied music instruction (instrumental or voice lessons) or individual composition lessons.

The Music Major: Research Stream and Music Major: Creative Practice Stream (both with Ensemble Options) are Arts programs. For programs leading to the degree of Bachelor of Music, students should consult the Calendar of the Faculty of Music.

Students are encouraged to attend events sponsored by the Faculty of Music such as the Thursdays at Noon Series, opera productions, student recitals, and numerous other concerts. All concerts are free upon presentation of a TCard.


Regarding Music Programs

Students interested in enrolling in the Music Major for the 2026-27 academic year, should refer to the Faculty of Music website for next steps. Beginning in 2027, enrolment in Major programs, which include Faculty of Music courses, is by interview, held annually in April–May. Students are required to complete and submit the Student Profile available at https://music.utoronto.ca/programs/artsci under “Music Major,” prior to April 1st. Interviews will be assigned after the Student Profile and additional materials, in the case of Music Major: Creative Practice Stream, have been received. Detailed information is available on the Faculty of Music website.

Prospective candidates to the Music Major: Research Stream must be proficient with the rudiments of Western music theory, as demonstrated through a short admissions test. Prospective candidates to the Music Major: Creative Practice Stream must either demonstrate proficiency on a musical instrument or voice, as assessed through a submitted video recording, or portfolio of creative works. Applicants must also be proficient with the rudiments of Western music theory, as demonstrated through a short admissions test.

Students interested in pursuing the Music Major with Ensemble Option (either stream) are required to pass an additional audition-interview for ensemble placement. Please refer to MUS120Y1. (Note: No audition is required for the Music Minor program, see below; and no audition is required for MUS167H1/ MUS267H1.)

 

Contact Information

Website: https://music.utoronto.ca/programs/artsci  

Admissions Office

Email: undergrad.music@utoronto.ca 
Phone: 416-978-3740

Office Location:
Faculty of Music
Edward Johnson Building
80 Queen's Park, Rm 145
 

Note About Program Completion

Students can complete only one of the following programs: ASMAJ2027A, ASMAJ2027B, ASMAJ2276A, or ASMAJ2276B.

Music Programs

Music Specialist (Arts Program) - ASSPE2276

Enrolment Requirements:

Enrolment in the Music Specialist program (ASSPE2276) will be administratively suspended as of January 15, 2026, and students will no longer be able to enrol in the program. Students presently enrolled in the Specialist will be able to complete the program requirements as described below. Students who are not enrolled in this program but are interested in Music programs are strongly encouraged to consider a Major, or consult with the Faculty of Music (undergrad.music@utoronto.ca).

Completion Requirements:

(10 credits)

First Year:
HMU111H1, HMU126H1, TMU115H1, TMU140Y1 (2.5 credits)

Higher Years:
1. HMU225H1, TMU240Y1 (1.5 credits)
2. 3.0 credits from: HMU425H1, HMU426H1, HMU430H1, HMU431H1, HMU432H1, HMU433H1, HMU435H1, HMU450H1
3. 2.0 credits in music history (HMU) or music theory (TMU) with at least 1.0 credit at the 300-level
4. 1.0 credits at the 100-level or above in a language other than English


Music Specialist with Ensemble Option (Arts Program) - ASSPE2027

Enrolment Requirements:

Enrolment in the Music with Ensemble Option Specialist program (ASSPE2027) will be administratively suspended as of January 15, 2026 and students will no longer be able to enrol in the program. Students presently enrolled in the Specialist will be able to complete the program requirements as described below. Students who are not enrolled in this program but are interested in Music programs are strongly encouraged to consider a Major, or consult with the Faculty of Music (undergrad.music@utoronto.ca).

Completion Requirements:

(11.5 credits)

First Year:
HMU111H1, HMU126H1, MUS120Y1, TMU115H1, TMU140Y1 (3.5 credits)

Higher Years:
1. HMU225H1, TMU240Y1 (1.5 credits)
2. MUS220Y1 (1.0 credits)
3. 3.0 credits from: HMU425H1, HMU426H1, HMU430H1, HMU431H1, HMU432H1, HMU433H1, HMU435H1
4. 1.5 credit in music history (HMU) or music theory (TMU) at the 300+ level
5. 1.0 credit at the 100-level or above in a language other than English

Music Major with Ensemble Option- Creative Practice Stream (Arts Program) - ASMAJ2027B

Enrolment Requirements:

This is a limited enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol.

Special Requirement

  • Students must pass an interview to enrol in the program. The interview is held annually in April-May. Students are required to complete and submit the Student Profile available on-line, prior to April 1st. Detailed information is available on the Faculty of Music website.
  • Prospective candidates must either demonstrate proficiency on a music instrument or voice, as assessed through a submitted video recording, or submit a portfolio of creative works. Applicants must also demonstrate proficiency with the rudiments of Western music theory by passing a short admissions test.
  • Students interested in pursuing the Music Major with Ensemble Option: Creative Practice Stream are required to pass an additional audition-interview for ensemble placement. Please refer to MUS120Y1. Audition requirements and dates are posted online at https://music.utoronto.ca/student-resources/performance-office/major-ensembles-placements
Completion Requirements:

(8.0 credits including at least 2.0 credits at the 300+ level of which 0.5 credit must be at the 400-level)

  1. 3.0 credits from music history, culture, and theory core courses: HMU111H1, HMU126H1, TMU130H1, TMU131H1, TMU145Y1 
  2. 2.0 credits from ensemble courses: MUS120Y1, MUS220Y1
  3. 0.5 credits of additional music history: HMU225H1/​ JMU210H1
  4. 2.5 credits from electives in composition, music technology, music history, culture and theory, and music and health, of which at least 1.5 credits must be completed from composition or music technology courses: 

Notes: Complete details on course offerings may be found in the Academic Calendar of the Faculty of Music

Music Major with Ensemble Option- Research Stream (Arts Program) - ASMAJ2027A

Enrolment Requirements:

This is a limited enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol.

Special Requirement

  • Students must pass an interview to enrol in the program. The interview is held annually in April-May. Students are required to complete and submit the Student Profile available on-line, prior to April 1st. Detailed information is available on the Faculty of Music website.
  • Prospective candidates must demonstrate proficiency with the rudiments of Western music theory by passing a short admissions test.
  • Students interested in pursuing the Music Major with Ensemble Option: Research Stream are required to pass an additional audition-interview for ensemble placement. Please refer to MUS120Y1. Audition requirements and dates are posted online at https://music.utoronto.ca/student-resources/performance-office/major-ensembles-placements
Completion Requirements:

(8.0 credits including at least 2.0 credits at the 300+ level of which 0.5 credit must be at the 400-level)

  1. 3.0 credits from music history, culture, and theory core courses: HMU111H1, HMU126H1, TMU130H1, TMU131H1, TMU145Y1
  2. 2.0 credits from ensemble courses: MUS120Y1, MUS220Y1
  3. 0.5 credits of additional music history: HMU225H1/​ JMU210H1
  4. 2.5 credits from electives in music history, culture, and theory, and music and health: HMU200+ level courses; JMU210H1; JMU215H1; TMU200+ courses; SMU400-level courses

Notes: Complete details on course offerings may be found in the Academic Calendar of the Faculty of Music

Music Major- Creative Practice Stream (Arts Program) - ASMAJ2276B

Enrolment Requirements:

This is a limited enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol.

Special Requirement

  • Students must pass an interview to enrol in the program. The interview is held annually in April-May. Students are required to complete and submit the Student Profile available on-line, prior to April 1st. Detailed information is available on the Faculty of Music website.
  • Prospective candidates must either demonstrate proficiency on a musical instrument or voice, as assessed through a submitted video recording, or submit a portfolio of creative works. Applicants must also demonstrate proficiency with the rudiments of Western music theory by passing a short admissions test.
Completion Requirements:

(7.0 credits, including at least 2.0 credits at the 300+ level of which 0.5 credit must be at the 400-level)


  1. 4.0 credits from music history, culture, and theory courses: HMU111H1, HMU126H1, TMU130H1, TMU131H1, TMU145Y1, TMU230H1 and TMU231H1 
  2. 0.5 credit from composition or music technology: CMU112H1/​ DMU111H1
  3. 2.5 credits from electives in composition, music technology, music history, culture and theory, and music and health, of which at least 1.5 credits must be completed from composition or music technology courses:

Notes: Complete details on course offerings may be found in the Academic Calendar of the Faculty of Music

Music Major- Research Stream (Arts Program) - ASMAJ2276A

Enrolment Requirements:

This is a limited enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol.

Special Requirement

  • Students must pass an interview to enrol in the program. The interview is held annually in April-May. Students are required to complete and submit the Student Profile available on-line, prior to April 1st. Detailed information is available on the Faculty of Music website.
  • Prospective candidates must demonstrate proficiency with the rudiments of Western music theory by passing a short admissions test.
Completion Requirements:

(7.0 credits, including at least 2.0 credits at the 300+ level of which 0.5 credit must be at the 400-level)


  1. 4.0 credits from music history, culture, and theory courses: HMU111H1, HMU126H1, TMU130H1, TMU131H1, TMU145Y1, TMU230H1 and TMU231H1 
  2. 0.5 credits of additional music history: HMU225H1/​ JMU210H1
  3. 2.5 credits from electives in music history, culture and theory, and music and health: HMU200+ level courses; JMU210H1; JMU215H1; TMU300+ level courses; SMU400+ level courses

Notes: Complete details on course offerings may be found in the Academic Calendar of the Faculty of Music.

Music History & Culture Minor (Arts Program) - ASMIN0695

Enrolment Requirements:

This is an open enrolment program. A student who has completed 4.0 credits may enrol in the program.

Completion Requirements:

(4 full courses or equivalent)

1. MUS110H1, MUS111H1
2. MUS200H1 or an alternative 200-level 0.5 credit in world music ( MUS209H1, MUS211H1, MUS212H1, or MUS215H1)
3. 2.5 credits in MUS courses from the list below, including one credit at the 300+ level. Either MUS120Y1 or MUS220Y1 can be counted towards the 2.5 credits in MUS courses


 

Regarding Music Courses

Music Majors have access to a range of Faculty of Music courses, including those in music history & culture (HMU and JMU prefixes), music theory (TMU prefix), composition (CMU), music technology (DMU), and music & health (SMU).

HMU111H1, TMU130H1, and TMU145Y1 are prerequisites for all other HMU/TMU courses which are offered annually. Full details on these and other HMU/TMU courses may be found in the Calendar of the Faculty of Music.

For the purposes of Arts & Science breadth requirements, all of the courses listed here are category 1 (Creative and Cultural Representations).

Music Courses

MUS110H1 - Introduction to Music History and Culture

Hours: 24L

Introduction to form, style and the interrelationship of music and culture. A basic ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1, VPMA80H3
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

DMU111H1 - Introduction to Computer Applications in Music

Previous Course Number: TMU111H1

Survey of digital music technology, covering engraving, MIDI, sound and digital audio, sequencing, synthesis, recording and sampling, signal processing, and mixing and mastering. Throughout this course will be an overview of the supporting hardware and software ecosystem, and an emphasis on listening and analyzing a diverse cross-section of electronic music. Coursework is practical, with a focus on creative and proficient use of a digital audio workstation, culminating in a final project.

Exclusion: TMU111H1

HMU111H1 - Introduction to Music and Society

An examination of musical thought and practice in non-Western and Western traditions.

Exclusion: Does not count as an HMU elective.

MUS111H1 - Historical Survey of Western Music

Historical survey of Western art music from the Middle Ages to the present. A basic ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

CMU112H1 - Introduction to Composition I

Previous Course Number: TMU112H1

Material to be covered includes notation and preparation of scores and parts; introduction to linear writing in instrumental and vocal textures; motives and their extensions; short, strict forms for 2-3 instruments, based on traditional and contemporary models. Primarily for students with an interest in composition.

Exclusion: TMU112H1

TMU115H1 - Musical Skills I & II

Reading and listening skills for diatonic and chromatic materials. Topics include sight singing, rhythm reading, keyboard harmony, and dictation.

Prerequisite: RCM Level 8 Theory, RCM Level 9 Harmony, RCM Grade 8 level performing audition, and permission of Department.
Corequisite: HMU111H1 and TMU140Y1.
Recommended Preparation: This course is offered simultaneously with TMU132H1 (F) and TMU133H1 (S) at the Faculty of Music.

MUS120Y1 - Vocal and Instrumental Ensembles I

Hours: 144P

Students rehearse and perform in concerts and reading sessions as assigned by the Faculty of Music. Provides experience in choral groups, orchestra, or in concert band and large wind groups of diverse instrumentation. Development of musicianship skills through performance of large ensemble works; emphasis on sight-reading, ear-training, and musical knowledge.

Attendance at all sessions is required. Placement audition and permission of the Department required.

Download the excerpt that is relevant to the instrument you would like to audition on; excerpts will be available at www.music.utoronto.ca beginning early July.

Exclusion: MUS291Y1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

HMU126H1 - Historical Survey II

Western music from 1750 to the present.

Exclusion: HMU226H1. Does not count as an HMU elective.

TMU130H1 - Music Theory I

Diatonic harmony. Principles of voice leading and harmonic progression. Introduction to musical form.

Exclusion: TMU120H1

TMU131H1 - Music Theory II

Chromatic harmony. Topics include modulation, mixture, Neapolitan and augmented sixths.

Prerequisite: TMU130H1
Exclusion: TMU121H1; TMU220H1

TMU140Y1 - Music Theory I & II

Diatonic harmony, including principles of voice leading and harmonic progression. Chromatic harmony, including modulation, mixture, Neapolitan and augmented sixths. Course requirements include part-writing, analysis, and keyboard harmony/skills.

Prerequisite: RCM Level 8 Theory, RCM Level 9 Harmony, RCM Grade 8 level performing audition and permission of Department.

Corequisite: HMU111H1 and TMU115H1
Recommended Preparation: This course is offered simultaneously with TMU130H1 (F), TMU131H1 (S) and TMU105Y/107Y1 at the Faculty of Music.

TMU145Y1 - Musical Skills I & ll

Hours: 144L

Reading and listening skills for diatonic and chromatic materials. Topics include sight singing, rhythm reading, dictation, and keyboard harmony/skills.

Prerequisite: Interview-audition and permission of the Faculty of Music.
Corequisite: HMU111H1, TMU130H1, and TMU131H1
Exclusion: TMU115H1

MUS167H1 - University of Toronto Faculty of Music Gospel Choir

Hours: 72P

This course will explore various forms of gospel music repertoire, from its roots in African American spirituals to mainstream contemporary gospel choir music. Students will develop their aural musicianship skills and their ability to ‘learn by ear’ through a rote style of teaching. Students will also be encouraged to develop their improvisation skills in solo and group settings. Students will have the opportunity to engage in several authentic gospel choir performances during the course.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS200H1 - Music of the World's Peoples

Hours: 24L

A survey of musical traditions from various regions of the world, with particular emphasis on the sociocultural contexts in which those musics are created and appreciated. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1, VPMA99H3
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS202H1 - Beethoven

Hours: 24L

A study of Beethoven’s musical style in historical context, including a non-technical consideration of Beethoven’s innovations based on listening to music and reading history. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1, VPMC85H3
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS204H1 - The Age of Bach & Handel

Hours: 24L

A study of the representative major works in their social and cultural setting with emphasis on the high baroque style of Bach and Handel. No prior background in music or the ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS206H1 - The World of Opera

Hours: 24L

Examination of selected operas from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century. Musical and dramatic styles will be considered in their cultural context. The ability to read music is not required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS207H1 - Music for Orchestra

Hours: 24L

Study of selected orchestral works from 1700 to the present. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS209H1 - Performing Arts of South Asia

Hours: 24L

Survey of classical, devotional, folk and popular musics and dances from the Indian subcontinent and their toll in the sociocultural life of the region. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS210H1 - Music in Film

Hours: 24L

This course introduces students to the history and theory of music in film, beginning in the so-called silent era and ending in recent years. Students will become familiar with basic film music concepts and be able to identify the main ways in which music works in the movies.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

JMU210H1 - Jazz History I

Jazz History I begins with Ragtime era (early 20th century), and proceeds through the Jazz Age (1920s), Swing (1930s), Bebop (1940s), and Post Bop periods (1950s), culminating in the pivotal musical year of 1959. A historical timeline shows how the evolution of the music reflected and influenced societal events.

Prerequisite: HMU111H1, HMU126H1
Exclusion: HMU133H1; HMU351H1

MUS211H1 - The World of Popular Music

Hours: 24L

A survey of popular music traditions from various regions of the world with particular emphasis on the sociocultural contexts in which those musics are created and appreciated. Explores the role of the recording industry, media, festivals, and local institutions in shaping these music cultures both at home and in the international arena. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS212H1 - Music, Sound & Power in the Middle East

Hours: 24L

An investigation of the social life of classical, devotional, folk and popular music and dance from across the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS214H1 - Introduction to Computer Applications in Music

Hours: 24L

Survey of digital music technology, covering engraving, MIDI, sound and digital audio, sequencing, synthesis, recording and sampling, signal processing, and mixing and mastering. Throughout this course will be an overview of the supporting hardware and software ecosystem, and an emphasis on listening and analyzing a diverse cross-section of electronic music. Coursework is practical, with a focus on creative and proficient use of a digital audio workstation, culminating in a final project.

Exclusion: DMU111H1/ TMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS215H1 - Performing Arts of East Asia

Hours: 24L

An investigation of the social life of classical, devotional, theatrical, folk, and popular music and dance across East Asia.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS220Y1 - Vocal and Instrumental Ensembles II

Hours: 144P

Students rehearse and perform in concerts and reading sessions as assigned by the Faculty of Music. Provides experience in choral groups, orchestra, or in concert band and large wind groups of diverse instrumentation. Development of musicianship skills through performance of large ensemble works; emphasis on sight-reading, ear-training, and musical knowledge.

Attendance at all sessions is required. Placement audition and permission of the Department required.

Download the excerpt that is relevant to the instrument you would like to audition on; excerpts will be available at www.music.utoronto.ca beginning early July.

Prerequisite: MUS120Y1. Placement audition and permission of the Department required.
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

HMU225H1 - Historical Survey I

Western music up to 1750.

Prerequisite: In Year 2.
Exclusion: Does not count as an HMU elective.

MUS225H1 - Music: Islamic World

Hours: 24L

A survey of the musical systems of Muslim societies from North Africa to Southeast Asia, with special focus on the broader cultural contexts in which they are created, used, and appreciated. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS230H1 - Music of the 1960s

Hours: 24L

Examination of musical and cultural aspects of the decade, with emphasis on North America. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

TMU230H1 - Music Theory III

Form & Analysis. Study of forms and analysis of repertoire from c. 1700-c. 1900. Forms to be studied include binary, ternary, sonata, rondo, variation, and fugue.

Prerequisite: TMU131H1
Exclusion: TMU221H1

TMU231H1 - Music Theory IV

Post-tonal theory and analysis. Study of compositional practices in music written after 1900.

Prerequisite: TMU230H1
Exclusion: TMU302H1

MUS235H1 - Survivors' Music

Hours: 24L

Investigating music’s myriad roles in the lives of survivors of violence and traumatic experience, for example, in health and recovery, witnessing, and advocacy—and the hidden histories these musics reveal. We encounter survivors of the Holocaust, Hiroshima, the Japanese “comfort women” system, and quotidian domestic and sexual violence.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS240H1 - Heavy Music

An investigation of different world genres of “heavy music” as creations of sounding figures of social order, practices of destruction, practices of personal and collective power, social critique, parody, and so on. Includes obvious suspects—metal, punk, gangsta rap—but also opera, military musics, ritual musics, and others.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

TMU240Y1 - Music Theory and Skills III & IV

The first semester focuses on the study of forms and analysis of repertoire from c.1700-c.1900; forms to be studied include binary, ternary, sonata, rondo, variation, and fugue. The second semester focuses on post-tonal theory and analysis of music post-1900 along with reading and listening skills suitable for understanding post-tonal music.

Prerequisite: TMU115H1, TMU140Y1
Exclusion: TMU230H1, TMU231H1, TMU232H1

MUS267H1 - University of Toronto Faculty of Music Gospel Choir

Hours: 72P

This course will explore various forms of gospel music repertoire, from its roots in African American spirituals to mainstream contemporary gospel choir music. Students will develop their aural musicianship skills and their ability to ‘learn by ear’ through a rote style of teaching. Students will also be encouraged to develop their improvisation skills in solo and group settings. Students will have the opportunity to engage in several authentic gospel choir performances during the course.

Prerequisite: MUS167H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)
Course Experience: University-Based Experience

MUS300H1 - Music, Media and Technology

Hours: 24L

This course explores various intersections of music with technology and media in historic and recent contexts, particularly during the last 150 years. Topics may include print media, instruments as technologies, the recording industry, film, and broadcasting (radio, internet), with case studies drawn from popular and art music traditions.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS301H1 - African Popular Music

Hours: 24L

A survey of popular music in Sub-Saharan Africa from the 1920s to today. Students will listen to and think critically about a range of musical genres in their historical and social contexts. Case studies include Ghanaian highlife, Congolese rumba, Ethiopian jazz, South African kwaito, and Nigerian afrobeat(s). In our exploration of popular genres, we will engage topics of colonialism, nationalism, ethnicity, aesthetics, commodification, and appropriation, among others. No prior background in music is required.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS302H1 - The Symphony

Hours: 24L

An introduction to the history, culture, and practice of one of the central genres of Western classical music. Study of representative symphonies from the repertoire, their reception, and their performance. The ability to read music is not required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS303H1 - Music in the Contemporary World

Hours: 24L

The modern musical repertoire, including popular and traditional music from various parts of the world, will be studied from a variety of theoretical perspectives. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS305H1 - Latin American and Caribbean Music

Hours: 24L

A survey of popular, folk, and religious music from Latin America and the Caribbean.  Each practice will be considered in its socio-cultural context with attention to the histories and discourses of racial and cultural mixing that deeply inform everyday life in nation-states including Peru, Brazil, Haiti, and Jamaica among others. 

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS306H1 - Popular Music in North America

Hours: 24L

A selected survey of North American popular music from the 1930s through present. Students will develop a critical framework for listening to and analyzing popular music in historical and social context by focusing on aspects of performance, representation, composition, mass media, aesthetics, and commodification. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS308H1 - Handel

Hours: 24L

Handel’s life and music will be examined in its cultural contexts.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS310H1 - Music & Noise in Cities

Hours: 24L

Cities are noisy, musical places, brimming with wanted and unwanted sounds. Musical genres and scenes emerge from the crucible of cities. In cities, people compete for and coexist in sonic space. This course takes students through ethnographic and sociological case studies of major musical genres and the cities they come from. Examining cultural policy, urban soundscapes, and local laws, policies, and customs regarding sound in public space, we also examine how city-dwellers contend with and profit from their dense urban sonic environments. Exploring the Greater Toronto Area’s diverse musical life is a key feature of this course.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS315H1 - Roots Music in North America

Hours: 24L

A survey of selected folk and regional popular music practices in North America with an emphasis on how they are entangled with local and ethnic identities as well as related histories of (im)migration. Case studies may include: Cape Breton Fiddling, Pow Wow, Klezmer, Cajun/Zydeco, Bluegrass, and Delta Blues. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS321H1 - The Beatles

Hours: 24L

In The Ultimate Encyclopedia Of Rock, it was written of the The Beatles that “From three-minute pop classics to the psychedelic extravaganza of ‘Sgt. Pepper’, their songs soundtracked the Sixties. They were the greatest group in history. They probably always will be”. In addition to a survey of the group’s history, their recordings, and their films, this course aims to answer two basic questions: (1) what made the songs of The Beatles so successful? (2) in what ways did the band’s artistic output “soundtrack” the 1960s? No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS325H1 - The Age of Haydn & Mozart

Hours: 24L

Selected works from the second half of the eighteenth century by Haydn, Mozart, and their contemporaries will be examined in cultural and historical context. No prior background in music or ability to read music is required.

Exclusion: HMU111H1
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS330H1 - Music, Violence, and War

Hours: 24L

An inquiry into the social life of music in situations of violence, war, social domination, and traumatic experience. Case studies include music and African-American slavery, the First World War, Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, the Asia-Pacific War, Khmer Rouge Cambodia, the Iraq Wars and others.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS335H1 - A Social History of the Piano

Hours: 24L

A survey of the changing roles and gendered associations of the piano c.1700 to the present day. Examples from the western art music tradition are compared to the acculturating force of the piano in other cultures, representations in the visual arts and film, and contemporary contexts of piano performance.

Exclusion: VPMB76
Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

MUS340H1 - 20th Century Music for Theatre

Hours: 24L

An examination of the role that music has played in modern Western theatre, with specific case studies drawn from one or more of the following genres: ballet, modern dance, musical theatre, opera, spoken theatre.

Breadth Requirements: Creative and Cultural Representations (1)

HMU430H1 - Topics in Music Before 1900

An advanced seminar for critical studies focused on (a) selected topic(s) in music before 1900 (topics vary by year/instructor; see current timetable). Students will encounter the relevant scholarly literature and engage in original research.

Prerequisite: Completion of 4-course History and Culture requirement.
Recommended Preparation: One additional HMU elective.

HMU435H1 - Topics in Ethnomusicology: Current Issues

An undergraduate seminar devoted to exploring an emergent sub-field of ethnomusicology. The sub-field to be explored will rotate, but some examples are: the study of music and gender, race, or class; music and language; music and violence; sociomusicology; medical ethnomusicology; the ethnomusicology of popular music and technology; analytical approaches in ethnomusicology.

Prerequisite: Completion of 4-course History and Culture requirement.
Recommended Preparation: One additional HMU elective.

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