How does a musical composition take you from the beginning to the end, producing a satisfying, sometimes thrilling experience? Unlike visual art, where your eye can travel at its leisure to take in whatever features appeal to you, music is perceived from beginning to end in a given time period. Your ability to appreciate it depends on perceiving many elements at the same time: rhythm, melody, harmony and musical structure.

In this six week hands-on course you will develop a quicker comprehension of what you are hearing so you can enjoy music more fully. Students will develop musicianship skills, without the need of playing an instrument, to increase your ability to recognize meter, rhythm, the role of each of the 7 notes of the musical scale, and to feel the pull of harmonic changes within the structure of a piece. Students will explore musical forms such as fugue, variation, rondo, three part song, sonata, and the mighty symphony which evolved from many of these forms.

Class will include:
Topics of the day, including rhythm, meter, the musical scale, intervals, harmony, musical form
Musicianship drills and ear training
Live performance of works demonstrating the topics presented
Listen to recordings
Discussion and Q & A