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Hampden-Sydney College: Spring 2016

Music 341 Songwriting

MW 2:30-3:50 p.m.

Classroom: Winston 203

Professor: Dr. R. David Salvage

E-mail: dsalvage@hsc.edu

Office: Winston 204

Office Hours: Tuesday, 12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m.; Friday, 2:30 – 3:50 p.m.; or by appointment

SYLLABUS

Introduction

Music 341 is a workshop in the craft of writing songs. Classes are a mix of student composition

readings, critiques, and analysis of songs from the classical, popular, and traditional repertories.

Students complete three original songs and an analysis paper by the end of the semester.

Recommended Tests

Cooke, Deryck. (1959) The Language of Music. Oxford: Oxford U.

--- (1982) Vindications: Essays on Romantic Music. New York: Cambridge U.

I will be lecturing from these books and assigning occasional readings. However, you will not be

tested on the material. Instead, I expect your compositions to reflect what we have covered from

Cooke’s writings. I have put both books on reserve at the library.

Grading and Requirements

Original Songs 75%

The songs amount to 75% of your grade. Rough drafts are required. Drafts are due in class the

day on which we will be critiquing your work. Only complete drafts will be accepted. If you do not have

a draft that day but on a later day, your draft will receive half credit. If you do not turn in a draft at all,

you will receive no credit for the draft.

Song 1 15% (Draft: 5%, Final: 10%)

This will be a setting of an assigned text. The song will be unaccompanied—that is, for

voice alone.

Song 2 25% (Drafts: 5%, 10%; Final: 10%)

This will be a setting of a text of your choice, though I will make some suggestions. The

song will have an accompaniment that articulates a harmonic dimension to the music.

Song 3 35% (Drafts: 5%, 10%; Final: 20%)

This will be a short piece for four-part men’s chorus. The piece may have an

accompaniment or be a cappella. The text is of your choice, though, again, I will make

some suggestions.

2

Short Analysis Paper 5%

To prepare for your long analysis paper, you will be writing a short one, most likely on a given

piece of music.

Analysis Paper 15%

The analysis paper will be 5-6 pages long. You must approve your choice of song (or songs) with

me before starting.

Concert Attendance 5%

You are required to attend this semester two concerts sponsored by the music program. At

both concerts, you must turn in your program to me in person and signed after the concert. (I will not

accept programs the day after.) If you have too many scheduling conflicts with the Series concerts, you

may—with advance approval—attend a concert off campus.

Some Important Dates

Wednesday, January 27 Song 1, draft

Wednesday, February 3 Song 1, final

Wednesday, February 10 Concert 1: Crawley Forum, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 17 Concert 2: Parents and Friends Lounge, 7:30 p.m.

March 7 and 9 NO CLASS: Spring Break

Thursday, April 7 Concert 2: Crawley Forum, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 22 Concert 3: Crawley Forum, 7:30 p.m.

Other deadlines are pending confirmation from in-class guests.

A Note on Listening

In addition to listening to music in class, I will be providing you with listening lists cued to pages

in The Language of Music. Listening to this music will improve both your music and your listening skills.

Please take the time to do this listening. I do not plan to test you on whether you can identify the pieces

on these lists, so I will not always be able to tell if you have been doing the listening. But please assume

this responsibility anyway.