Performance Arts Course Descriptions
PERF0311 Emmanuel College Chorus
formerly MUSIC0109
The chorus is open to all students by audtion, including thse from the COF. There is atleast one major concert each semester. The chorus works in conjunction with the Colleges of the Fenway Orchestra and is often called upon to participate in programs throughout New England. Works performed range from the choral compositions of the great masters to the music of Broadway and American popular music.
Fall and Spring semester. 0 credits
PERF0312 Performing Techniques for the Singing Actor
formerly MUSIC0117
This course incorporates movement, acting, & vocal techniques for those interested in musical theatre & opera. Course study to culminate in a Scenes recital.
Fall and spring semester. 0 credits
PERF 1111 Public Speaking: Voice and Diction
formerly SPCH1101
Fundamentals of public speaking are studied, including volume and projection, proper posture and voice-body integration, diction, clarity and techniques for engaging an audience. These skills are then applied to the composition, analysis and presentation of formal and informal speeches, as well as role-play exercises concerning other business and social situations.
Fall and spring semesters. 4 credits
PERF1211 Dance I: Concepts and Practice
formerly MUSIC1115
This course will teach the student the fundamentals of dance techniques and practices in the Western hemisphere. It will also adress the history of these dances, including the chronological and cross-cultural interactions that lead to the development of various dance types. Since dance is a major form of emotional and social expression in nearly every culture, the skills learned in this course will allow the student to "interpret, evaluate, analyze, and understand the products of imagination" across various regions through the art itself as well as through secondary (research) sources. Skills learned in this course can be applied to other courses, both general and major specific, in which musical, visual, and/or physical (the body) creativity is addressed.
Fall semester. 4 credits
PERF1301 Song: From the Monks to the Monkees
formerly MUSIC1102
In this course, we will explore the history of Western music through its songs. After learning certain basic musical concepts and discussing what types of works can fall under the category of "song", the topic will be explored by genre (e.g., love songs, sacred songs, drinking songs), with emphasis on text setting and stylistic characteristics. These issues will be addressed through lectures, reading, and video presentations; however, the greatest emphasis will be on in- and especially out-of-class listening.
Fall semester. 4 credits
PERF1303 History of the American Musical Theater
formerly MUSIC1107
Emphasizing music and theater equally, this course studies the origins of American musical theater from its European opera and operetta influences, through vaudeville and minstrel shows and including the many variations of the form over the last half century. Other forms of popular music, such as jazz, folk and rock, are also studied.
Fall Semester. 4 credits
PERF1321 Foundations of Western Music
formerly MUSIC1111
This course will teach the student the fundamentals of Western musical notation-its language, symbols, and concepts-as it applies to the basic elements of music: melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, form/stucture. It will also address the history of notation, especially in terms of how the various methods of writing music down informed and interacted with the creation of music in any given period. The skills learned in this course will allow the student to "interpret, evaluate, analyze, and understand the products of (musical) imagination." to a far greater extent and in greater depth than one who has not learned them; and they are skill that can be appplied to other courses, both general and major specific, in which musical creativity is addressed.
Fall semester. 4 credits
PERF2111 Acting I: Basic Techniques
formerly SPCH2101
This course is a production-oriented study of movement, acting and improvisation techniques. Students practice rehearsal methods, text analysis and interpretation, and receive working knowledge of the process of directing, mounting and producing a play.
Fall semester. 4 credits
PERF3101 Dramaturgy and Play Analysis
formerly SPCH3103
This course offers individualized work in theater history, readings, and research. Individual projects by class members are required.
Offered as needed. 4 credits.