Graduate Courses

26:561:501,502 Jazz Historiography (3,3) Not a history of jazz, but an intensive examination of the way jazz history has been written and how statements became accepted as facts. Involves research and writing projects aimed at developing new approaches to jazz historiography. Porter. Prerequisites: Should be taken in sequence. For students entering the program, the course should be taken first semester. For other graduate students and advanced undergraduates, by permission.

26:561:505,506 Graduate Topics I,II (3,3) Advanced topics of current interest to be announced. Usually the instructor devotes the semester to an in-depth exploration of an individual artist, genre, locale, societal issue, or research problem. Past topics have included John Coltrane, literature of jazz, world music and jazz, race and jazz, and others. Staff

26:561:509 Thesis I (3) Graduate students complete a thesis comprised of original research and analysis under faculty supervision.

26:561:511 Individual Studies (BA)

26:561:512 Charlie Parker (3) Following Parker's biography from his birth in Kansas City until his death in New York, we discuss the most significant events in his life and analyze both live and studio recordings of his music. In addition to the specific contributions of Parker, the class examines more general issues, such as the relationship of bebop to preceding jazz styles and how the emergence of bebop influenced modern conceptions of jazz.

26:561:513,514 Jazz Theory and Analysis I,II (3,3) Reviews and strengthens students' knowledge of jazz music theory. Primary focus on music analysis, with particular attention to the different styles of jazz and how they can be understood in the context of their historical eras. While the focus is on the music as heard, jazz theory as it relates to performance will be discussed as well. Compares and contrasts various theories of tonal Western concert music with jazz theories. Martin

26:561:515 Stride Piano (3) Stride piano engages in an in-depth study of the important Harlem piano stylings of the 1920s. In addition to studying the pianists and their individual performance practices, the course examines such important issues as the development of early jazz out of ragtime; the comparative significance of New York versus New Orleans and Chicago as a center of ragtime and early jazz; and the key issues of composition, improvisation, and arranging. Martin

26:561:800 Matriculation Continued (E1)