College

• In a 4-semester foundational theory program:

  • Theory I (clefs, staves, pitches, melody, rhythm, phrase structure, non-chord tones)

  • Theory II (voice leading, 4-part writing, triads and seventh chords, simple form)

  • Theory III (advanced 4-part writing; extended, altered, and secondary dominants; large-scale form, chromatic pre-dominants)

  • Theory IV (non-essential chromaticism, linear chromaticism, frequent modulation, modes, pitch class set theory, serialism, matrix construction, aleatory, modernism)

• Advanced Tonal Theory​ (Generative Theory of Tonal Music, Rothsteinian phrase structure, Neo-Riemannian theory, basic Schenkerian analysis)

• Post-Tonal Theory (modes, pitch class set theory, transposition, serialism, klangfarbenmelodie, pitch centricity, motivation of composition)

• Counterpoint (18th Century) (species, rules, analysis, canons, fugues)

• Music Semiotics (nature vs. culture; icon, index, symbol; expressivity; cultural units; topic theory; meaning in music)

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Pre-College

• Foundations (clefs, staves, pitches, rhythm)

• Harmony (chords, triads, seventh chords, progressions, modulation, tonicization)

• Pop Theory (chords, progressions, jazz influence, chromatic chords, IV-I vs. V-I)

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