1. GEH1040 Exploration in Musical Production, 4 MCs
Assoc Prof Ho Chee Kong
Pre-requisite: Open to students residing in a Hall of Residence only
Monday, 2.00 – 4.00pm, SR7

This module engages students to think and express themselves through the production process of a musical. By introducing the various aspects of mounting a musical production, it empowers students to transmit this understanding into an actual display of intrinsic ideas. The module will be executed through classroom seminars and an experiential component culminating in the form of a micro-musical. Content coverage embodies a survey and appreciation of Singapore musicals; and to expound on the hardware and software requirements in mounting a musical. This includes individual elements like acting, singing, writing, composing, music-making and dancing which are interwoven in the creation of this art form; as well as the financial and budget planning, safety measures and basic aspects of stage management.

Not available on ModReg. Interested students residing in a Hall of Residence, please write to Assoc Prof Ho Chee Kong.

2. GEH1047 Social and Cultural Studies Through Music, 4 MCs
Assoc Prof Ty Constante
Lecture: Friday, 12.00 – 2.00pm, SR8
Tutorial: Students to select one of the following:

• T1: Tuesday, 12.00 – 2.00pm, RS (Assoc Prof Ty Constante)

• T2: Tuesday, 12.00 – 2.00pm, Tutorial Room (Mr Kang)

• T3: Tuesday, 12.00 – 2.00pm, SR2 (Mr V Raghuraman)

• T4: Tuesday, 12.00 – 2.00pm, WS (Ms Rosmainy)

This module provides a cross-cultural introduction to music both as an art and as a human, socio-cultural phenomenon. Through lectures, reading and listening assignments, and actually playing different styles of music, students will learn how music works, why people listen to and make music, what its roles are in a society, and how these things vary in different cultures. The module introduces a variety of musical styles and cultures that represent an enormous wealth of human experience. At the end of the course the students will have access to a much wider variety of music to listen to, participate in, enjoy, and understand.

3. GEH1060 Social History of Piano, 4 MCs
Dr Koo Siaw Sing
Students to select one of the following:

• L1: Monday, 9.00 – 10.00am, MTL and Thursday, 10.00 – 11.00am, SR4

• L2: Monday, 10.00 – 11.00am, MTL and Thursday, 10.00 – 11.00am, SR4

• L3: Monday, 11.00am – 12.00pm, MTL and Thursday, 11.00am – 12.00pm, SR4

• L4: Monday, 11.00am – 12.00pm, MTL and Thursday, 11.00am – 12.00pm, SR4

An interdisciplinary study of how societies and different generations responded to the invention of the piano. This module focuses on the social history of the piano throughout the past three centuries, canvassing a wide array of performers, composers, supporters, manufacturers, “heroes”, politicians, teachers and students. Various expressions of ideologies from differing periods eventually revolutionised and effectuated the versatility of the piano, shaping a legacy which led to the “globalisation” of the piano, including China. Students will learn through lectures, readings, discussions, listening, playing, and attending piano recitals and masterclasses.

4. GES1020 Western Music Within A Singaporean Context, 4 MCs
Dr Marc Rochester
Students to select one of these lectures:

• L1: Tuesday, 2.00 – 4.00pm, SR8

• L2: Friday, 2.00 – 4.00pm, SR8

Students to select one of these tutorials:

• T1: Tuesday, 4.00 – 5.00pm, SR8

• T2: Wednesday, 2.00 – 3.00pm, SR8

• T3: Wednesday, 3.00 – 4.00pm, SR8

• T4: Wednesday, 4.00 – 5.00pm, SR8

• T5: Friday, 4.00 – 5.00pm, SR8

This module will look at the place of the Western Classical music tradition within the cultural life of Singapore. It will assess the impact of majority cultures (particularly from the Chinese, Malay and Indian communities) on the general reception of Western music, as well as on music written by Singapore-based composers. Students will be introduced to the principal figures in Singapore’s musical development. The module will also chart the growth of music education in Singapore, both in the national schooling system as well as in private institutions and tertiary academies. A prior knowledge of music is helpful but not required.

5. GET1047 Art and Identity, 4 MCs
Assoc Prof Greg Petersen
Students to select one of these classes:

• S1: Monday and Thursday, 11.00am – 12.00pm, SR6

• S2: Monday and Thursday, 12.00 – 1.00pm, SR6

• S3: Monday and Thursday, 1.00 – 2.00pm, SR6

From what sources do we engender our individual and group identities, and to what extent do the arts stimulate this process? This course begins with an introduction to identity theory, and then explores identity issues – such as male and female, self, national, racial, and social identities – with an emphasis on their manifestations in various performance, visual, and literary art forms. Students will analyse and evaluate their own identities in relation to the course materials and the arts in their lives, requiring critical self-reflection and self-assessment.

1. MUA1166 Introduction to Computing Media in Max, 2 MCs
Mr Christopher Clarke
Wednesday, 2.00 – 4.00pm, MTL

The module offers an introduction to the programming of music and images within Max, a popular graphical programming environment for sound, music, and visual computing. Aside from general familiarity with the Max workflow, students learn computing basics such as iteration, list processing, working with data structures, data collection, and probability, and how these are applied to drawing, image manipulation, and sound playback.

2. MUA1223 Desktop Mixing and Production, 4 MCs
Mr Christopher Clarke
Wednesday, 4.00 – 6.00pm, MTL

The module introduces the mixing of different styles of music in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Topics include audio routing, effective use of volume, pan, filtering, reverb, dynamic and other creative FXs. Projects start simply with the enhancement of a stereo recording and move up to mixing a 4-6 channel session, mixing a multi-mic’d drum kit, and mixing a large project of 10 or more channels.

3. MUA2270 Synthesis and Signal Processing, 2 MCs
Dr Chow Jun Yan
Monday, 2.00 – 4.00pm, SR4

The module explores the techniques of digital synthesis and signal processing within the Max programming environment. In-class activities and project-based assignments address simple synthesiser and effects unit creation utilising both time-domain and frequency-domain techniques.

4. MUA3274 Sonic Environment, 4 MCs
Mr Bani Haykal
Wednesday, 4.00 – 6.00pm, SR3

This course will investigate the changing relationships between humans and their surrounding sonic environments. Students will gain an understanding of the effects of the sonic environment on the human species, as individuals and as larger societies, and the ways in which humans are in turn responsible for drastic changes in the sonic environment, primarily since the advent of electronic and electroacoustic media technology. Another component of the module will be individual and group creative and research projects documenting the local sonic environment, accompanied by analytical essays. The semester will culminate in public presentations of all projects.

5. MUA3275 Sonic Circuits, 4 MCs
Dr Chow Jun Yan
Tuesday, 10.00am – 1.00pm, Old Student Lounge (Level 3) 

This module is a hands-on project-based introduction to electronic audio circuits for artistic purposes. Through hardware hacking, circuit bending, and circuit building, students will gain an understanding of basic electronics theory as well as develop valuable hands-on experience with battery-powered sound-making and sound-processing projects. From repurposing games, toys, and radios to building oscillators, filters, mixers, and amplifiers, and finally interfacing between the physical world and computers via microcontrollers, students will explore the artistic potential of electronic circuits. An introduction to the history and current practice of electronic sound art will be integral to the module. The module will culminate in a group installation/performance. No prior experience in electronics or music is assumed, though either would be helpful.

6. MUT1201 Introduction to Classical Music Composition, 4 MCs
Assoc Prof Ho Chee Kong
Tuesday, 2.00 – 4.00pm, SR4

The module uses the online course Write Like Mozart available on the Coursera platform as the basis of its content. It introduces students to strategies for style writing of European art music. Issues of harmonic progression, voice leading, and texture are addressed as are relevant compositional concepts like repetition, variation, and elaboration. A blended learning module with video lectures and demonstrations, class time is dedicated to hands-on workshops. Simple compositions in the style of common practice European music form the bulk of the assessment. A familiarity with musical rudiments is highly recommended. Prior experience with composition is not required.

7. *MUT3202 Sonata Form, 4 MCs
Ms Adeline Wong
Pre-requisite: Placement Test
Thursday, 10.00am – 12.00pm, SR3

This module is designed for students who wish to further explore the depth and diversity of the most complex of all tonal forms: sonata. Sonata form has been the most important vehicle of the idea of ‘absolute’ music and functioned as the archetypal formal design from the 18th to the 20th centuries. After reviewing its historical predecessors (binary and ternary forms), formal principles, and terminology, this course looks into the structure and techniques of the sonata form through analysis and some creative writing exercises.

8. *MUT3213 Romantic Styles, 4 MCs
Asst Prof Chen Zhangyi
Pre-requisite: Placement Test
Thursday, 10.00am – 12.00pm, SR8 

This module begins with an overview of Beethoven’s music and his influence on contemporaneous and later 19th century composers. The heart of this course explores the divide between absolute and programme music. ‘Leipzigerisch’ composers (Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms) versus the ‘New German School’ (Berlioz, Liszt). Nationalism is included.

The final weeks are devoted to the Opera genre by examining the works of Wagner, Verdi and Puccini. It extends to Strauss and Mahler, who represent the final flowering of musical Romanticism. With the model of a Romantic composer/performer, Romantic Styles is designed to bridge compositional work with performance, supported by interpretative analysis.

9. *MUT3223 Early 20th Century Music, 4 MCs
Ms Adeline Wong
Pre-requisite: Placement Test
Thursday, 2.00 – 4.00pm, SR4

This module introduces students to the compositional ideas developed in the early twentieth century (1900-1945). It provides students the skills and techniques for analysing this repertoire and composing music in this style. Perspectives will include not only the musical materials of these works but also some insights into their cultural context and historical placement. Class meetings will include a combination of lectures and group tutorials. The first half of the semester focuses on organisations of pitch, rhythm, form, texture and orchestration in the early twentieth century while the second half focuses on pitch-class set theory and twelve-tone theory.