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Musicology PhD Program and Degree

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Courses — A total of 16 half-courses is required to receive the PhD. Fourteen courses are usually taken during the first two years. Historical musicology students must take two half-courses in ethnomusicology and two half-courses in either theory or composition. No more than one seminar in Medieval theory and/or one analysis course (157x, 157y, 158) can be counted toward the theory require ment. Ethnomusicology students are required to take at least two half-courses each in historical musicology and in offerings outside the department.Ethnomusicology students must also take at least two half-courses in music theory or composition. It is recommended that at least one theory seminar be in cross-cultural music theory. The choice of courses will be determined in consultation with the ethnomusicology advisor.

Theory and composition students do not have a set curriculum and should plan their course of study with their advisor.

Graduate students who have one or more incompletes will not be considered for depart ment summer grants.

Students may be allowed academic credit (normally no more than two half-courses) for work done in other graduate schools in the United States or abroad, subject to the evalua­tion by the department and acceptance by the Graduate School. Petitions may be submitted after the completion of one full year of grad uate work in the department.

Analysis/Tonal Writing — Competence and fluency in traditional harmony, counterpoint, strict composition, and analysis (including analysis of 20th-century music) are prereq uisites for taking the General Examination. Entering students will be given a placement test; students found to have deficiencies in these skills will be required to take Music B, or other pertinent courses. Work must be under taken in the first year of study.

Languages — Written language examina tions are given at specified times throughout the year. Reading knowledge of the following languages must be proved before taking the General Examination:

Historical musicology students must pass German and French or Italian.

Ethnomusicology students must pass a European research language and a second lan guage to be determined in consultation with the ethnomusicology advisor.

Theory students must pass German plus one other language (French, Italian, Latin).

Composition students must pass German, Italian or French unless an alternative language is approved in writing by the graduate advisor.

Historical musicology students and ethnomusicology students must pass a third language appropriate to the field of specializa tion after completing the General Examina tions and within one year of the approval of a dissertation proposal.

Requirements for languages not tested regularly within the department may be satis fied through special examination, or through presentation of other documentation at the discretion of the graduate advisor.

Advising — Advising in the department during the pre-generals period is primarily handled by the appropriate graduate advisors and faculty members in the various programs, with the director of graduate studies available for further advice. After successful completion of the general examination, students consult with individual faculty members on their proposed fields of concentration, and when a dissertation proposal has been completed it is presented to the faculty in that field of study. When the dissertation proposal has been approved by the faculty in the program, it is brought to the entire department for final approval, and a dissertation committee is set up for each student. The dissertation committee consists of an advisor and two readers. Any questions or concerns about advising in the department can be brought to the attention of the director of graduate studies or the chair.

Residency — Two full years are required at full tuition and two at reduced tuition. See The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Hand book for specific information about residency requirements.

Review — The progress of all graduate students is reviewed at the end of each year. In addition to adequate course work, there are special requirements for first- and second-year students. Every student must submit at least one paper written for a graduate course as part of the first-year review. In musicology, every first- and second-year student must write at least one seminar paper per term.

General Examinations — The General Examination consists of two parts: written and oral. The orals are taken within one or two weeks of passing the writtens. The exams are to be taken between May and December of the student’s second year. Both the written and the oral parts can be repeated, but no more than once. The format, which is significantly different for each program, is as follows:

Historical Musicology

For historical musicologists, the general test will have three main parts — written, analysis and oral. The written exam consists of essays and short answer questions related to six of eight topics chosen by the student. The two prepared topics not selected for the written exam will be presented in the oral exam. The open-book analysis exam will be given in the summer, at a mutually agreeable time around mid-July. This will be a take-home exam, distributed on a Friday, and returned on Monday, mid-afternoon. It consists of two pieces of music (chosen from a) before 1700, b) 18th or 19th century, or c) 20th century). Students will choose one topic on which they will make a ten-minute presentation in the oral examination. Students will choose a second topic on which they will prepare a syllabus for a 13-week graduate seminar on the subject. This syllabus will be presented in written form, and may be the subject of discussion in the oral examination.

Ethnomusicology

The written test for ethnomusicologists is divided into three sections: one on ethno­musicology theory and method, a second from two areas of world music, a third on interdisciplinary problems. The analysis test includes two examples, one from the student’s major area (i.e., North Indian music, Swedish music, etc.) and a second from the Western art music tradition. The oral examination in ethnomusicology focuses on the special field or area chosen by the student, but may include questions about general ethnomusicology not necessarily related to topics covered in seminars. The remainder of the examination focuses on questions posed in the written examination.

Theory

The examination consists of four different parts: 1. A preliminary oral examination on repertoire and analysis (“single sheets”), lasting 30 mins, with 1 hr preparation time, usually taken at the beginning of the summer. 2. Four written exams of 3 hrs each: (a) systematic theories, (b) history of music theory, (c + d) two examinations in special fields relevant to dissertation research. 3. Analytical essays on two musical works from different periods (take-home paper over 4 days). 4. A two-hour oral examination will allow discussion on the written work and may broaden to engage a variety of related issues in music theory.

Composition

For composers, a written analysis is to be completed in three days at the end of the spring term of the second year of graduate study. It consists of a piece or set of pieces that should be analyzed by the student in the allotted time period. Students are also required to write an original composition of 7-10 minutes length with an imposed instrumenta tion, to be submitted by August 15. The oral examination is based on an in-depth discus sion of three major works that are assigned in the late spring of the second year of graduate study, plus an analytical presentation of the student’s original composition.

Teaching

Beginning in the third year, graduate students in good standing are eligible for teaching fellowships. Most teaching fellows devote 2/5 TIME to teaching.

Additional third-year requirements — The third year is primarily devoted to developing a dissertation proposal and the beginning of work on the dissertation. All students will complete their required courses; in most cases, that will mean two half-courses, the topics of which may be assigned by the faculty as a result of the General Examination. Musicology students will begin their third language (to be completed within one year of the approval of a dissertation proposal).

Dissertation — Within the academic year in which the General Examination is passed, the PhD candidate is expected to develop a proposal for a dissertation, which should be a major original contribution to the field. The proposal must be submitted for approval to the department, which is responsible for assigning the student a committee consisting of a dissertation advisor and two other faculty members. Normally, the complete disserta tion must be submitted within five years after passing the General Examination, and satisfactory progress must be demonstrated every year in order that the student remain in good standing. If the dissertation is submitted thereafter the department is not obligated to accept it. The formal requirements for the dissertation are set forth in The Form of the PhD Dissertation, provided by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The depart ment requires one bound copy for the Music Library, in addition to the two copies required for the Registrar.

Colloquium — Musicology and theory students, after the approval of their disserta tion proposal, will participate in the doctoral colloquium until the dissertation is accepted. Exceptions are made for traveling scholars researching outside of Harvard.

Course Information

In general, for all students, 100-level courses should be taken as supplemental to the grad­uate program, and should not be the major portion of the student’s coursework. The students should discuss their intentions with the graduate advisor. Students are encouraged to pursue course offerings in performance.

Graduate credit will automatically be given to composition students for any of the following 100-level courses: Music 157x and y, 160, 165r, 167r. In order to receive graduate credit, permission to take any addi tional half-courses at the 100-level must be granted by the graduate advisor before taking the course.

For theory students, the following courses will count as “in their secondary area”; in composition, 166r, 167r, up to a total of two terms in all, 261r, 262r, 264, 270, and 272; in musicology, courses numbered 201 through 219 or any 100-level course which has been specifically designated as satisfying this requirement in a given term by both the graduate advisors in musicology and the graduate advisor in theory. Theory students intending to count graduate credit (toward the 16 half-course credits) for any 100-level course should obtain written authorization to do so from the graduate theory advisor prior to taking the course.

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The Program in Musicology

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

Music

The Graduate Program of the Department of Music offers advanced training in historical musicology, ethnomusicology, theory, and composition, leading to the degree of PhD in music. There is no admission to an AM program separate from these PhD programs. In unusual cases, students who cannot success fully complete the General Examination may be given the option of completing the require ments for a terminal AM degree. The Graduate Program of the Depart ment of Music also offers an AM Degree in Music with a specialty in Performance Prac tice. This two-year program is designed for a small number of specialized students who are preparing or engaged in careers as performers and teachers. The program description and requirements follow the description of the PhD program. The faculty of the department includes about 20 members. There are 60 to 65 graduate students in residence; six to ten new graduate students enter each year. The Music Building contains a concert hall (the John Knowles Paine Hall), classrooms, faculty and graduate offices, a superb research library (the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library), a microfilm library of primary source materials (the Isham Memorial Library), an archive of world music recordings, listening facilities, an electronic music studio (HUSEAC), an ethnomusicology lab, an early instrument room, chamber music rehearsal rooms, and individual practice rooms. Other facilities throughout Harvard University include the vast resources of Widener Library, the Houghton Library (which contains rare music prints and manu scripts, and autographs of major composers), the Morse Music Library at the Hilles Library, and the libraries and practice rooms of the undergraduate houses, and Dudley House, the center of graduate student activities. In addition, a wealth of musical opportunities is readily available to students at Harvard and at the many neighboring universities (e.g., Boston University, Brandeis University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and civic and professional institutions (e.g., Boston Public Library, Museum of Fine Arts with the Mason Collection of Musical Instruments, and the New England Conservatory). Since teaching is an integral part of graduate training, most graduate students are teaching fellows during part of the time they are at Harvard. Teaching fellows are also eligible to apply for a resident or nonresident tutorship in one of the 13 undergraduate houses. In addition to financial benefits, teaching fellowships and tutorships provide excellent professional experience. In recent years virtually every graduate student has received one or more of the fellowships and grants awarded by the Univer sity and the music department. Awards given by the department each year include several prizes in composition, the John Knowles Paine Traveling Fellowships, the Oscar S. Schafer Fellowship, the Richard F. French Fellowship, the Ferdinand Gordon & Elizabeth Hunter Morrill Fellowship, and the Nino and Lea Pirrotta Research Grant. All applicants are required to take the GRE General Examination and must submit, along with their applications, samples of their previous work in musicology (for the musicology PhD), ethnomusicology (ethno musicology PhD), or theory (theory PhD). Applicants to the composition program must submit three to four compositions, both scores and recordings where possible. All supplemental materials should be sent to the Admissions Office of the GSAS. Samples of work should be sent with a self-addressed, stamped envelope if they are to be returned to the student. Applications for admission and for financial aid must be received at the Admissions Office of the Graduate School by January 2 for candidates who seek entrance in the following fall term. For applications for admissions and financial aid write: Admissions Office, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Holyoke Center 350, 1350 Massa chusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138. The application may be submitted online at www.gsas.harvard.edu. The Program in Musicology At Harvard, musicology is broadly defined as the disciplined study of music and includes the historical, comparative, and systematic aspects of the field. The program incorpo rates two tracks: historical musicology, with an emphasis on the history, theory, and literature of Western music in its contexts, from antiq uity to the present; and ethnomusicology, which concentrates on the ethnographic study of any musical tradition in relationship to its cultural setting. Most graduate courses in historical musicology and ethnomusicology are research seminars; many treat specific topics, periods, and regions, while others deal with current problems and methods. On the completion of preparatory training and the passing of the General Examinations, PhD dissertations may be written in either field. The Program in Theory The PhD in music theory is characterized both by a deep involvement in the inner workings of music and by an engagement with the wider philosophical, cultural and psychological ques tions surrounding music. Our PhDs typically apply for the theory program with a “minor” in either composition or musicology. The program reflects this interdisciplinary interest of our students, and seeks to explore the links of music theory to other areas of critical engagement, while providing our theorists with the specialized skills they require. The teaching in the program empha sizes analytical techniques–all students take courses on Schenkerian theory and on a range of tonal and post-tonal analytical practices, as well as an introductory course to explore current issues in the field. At the same time, the program also encourages students to build a framework in which to place these tech niques and to reflect on the underpinnings of music theory. Regular courses on questions in psychology, temporality, history of music theory, and aesthetics round off our course offerings and often take music theory into interdisciplinary territory. Graduate courses on challenging repertoires–e.g. modal theory, non-Western music, or very recent composi tion–frequently round off our offerings. The dissertation projects our theory grad uates work on reflect this unique combination of interests. Recent and current PhD topics include Feminist approaches to performance analysis, Microtonality and tone imaginations, Multi-modal analysis of boy-band videos, Athanasius Kircher’s Musurgia universalis (1650), and Neuro-scientific imaging of perceptual parameters. Our theory faculty is enhanced on a regular basis by exciting visiting faculty, which complement our existing research and teaching strengths in interesting new ways. Recent visi tors have included Allan Keiler (Brandeis), Fred Lerdahl (Columbia), Allen Forte (Yale), Ellie Hisama (Columbia)–as well as Brian Ferneyhough (Stanford), Helmut Lachenmann (Stuttgart) and Harrison Birtwistle (London). The Program in Composition Harvard’s program in composition is designed to give students the time and opportunity to develop as composers by offering general musical guidance as well as specific individual criticism of their works. The program is centered around students’ achieving clarity of expression through developing their command of compositional technique. In addition, acquaintance with the literature of the past and present through analysis and performance is considered indispensable. Most courses are seminars and deal with specific topics or student works. On the completion of prepara tory training and the passing of the General Examinations, PhD dissertations comprising a substantial portfolio between five to seven pieces of varied scoring and length may be submitted. Normally, students do not transfer from one program to another. Under exceptional circumstances, a change from one depart ment graduate program to another may be possible. Students applying for a change must be in good standing in their original program. They must submit a formal request to the director of graduate studies no later than the first week of May of the first year of study, including a list of courses indicating how they propose to fulfill the requirements of the new program. The admissions committee of the new program will make the decision in consul tation with the graduate advisors; the decision will be presented to the department faculty. The students have to fulfill all the require ments of the new program (number and area of courses, languages, general exams).

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Music Education Can Help Children Improve Reading Skills

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Children exposed to a multi-year programme of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music.

According to authors Joseph M Piro and Camilo Ortiz from Long Island University, USA, data from this study will help to clarify the role of music study on cognition and shed light on the question of the potential of music to enhance school performance in language and literacy.
Studying children the two US elementary schools, one of which routinely trained children in music and one that did not, Piro and Ortiz aimed to investigate the hypothesis that children who have received keyboard instruction as part of a music curriculum increasing in difficulty over successive years would demonstrate significantly better performance on measures of vocabulary and verbal sequencing than students who did not receive keyboard instruction.
Several studies have reported positive associations between music education and increased abilities in non-musical (eg, linguistic, mathematical, and spatial) domains in children. The authors say there are similarities in the way that individuals interpret music and language and “because neural response to music is a widely distributed system within the brain…. it would not be unreasonable to expect that some processing networks for music and language behaviors, namely reading, located in both hemispheres of the brain would overlap.”
The aim of this study was to look at two specific reading subskills – vocabulary and verbal sequencing – which, according to the authors, are “are cornerstone components in the continuum of literacy development and a window into the subsequent successful acquisition of proficient reading and language skills such as decoding and reading comprehension.”
Using a quasi-experimental design, the investigators selected second-grade children from two school sites located in the same geographic vicinity and with similar demographic characteristics, to ensure the two groups of children were as similar as possible apart from their music experience.
Children in the intervention school (n=46) studied piano formally for a period of three consecutive years as part of a comprehensive instructional intervention program. Children attending the control school (n=57) received no formal musical training on any musical instrument and had never taken music lessons as part of their general school curriculum or in private study. Both schools followed comprehensive balanced literacy programmes that integrate skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
All participants were individually tested to assess their reading skills at the start and close of a standard 10-month school year using the Structure of Intellect (SOI) measure.
Results analysed at the end of the year showed that the music-learning group had significantly better vocabulary and verbal sequencing scores than did the non-music-learning control group. This finding, conclude the authors, provides evidence to support the increasingly common practice of “educators incorporating a variety of approaches, including music, in their teaching practice in continuing efforts to improve reading achievement in children”.
However, further interpretation of the results revealed some complexity within the overall outcomes. An interesting observation was that when the study began, the music-learning group had already experienced two years of piano lessons yet their reading scores were nearly identical to the control group at the start of the experiment.
So, ask the authors, “If the children receiving piano instruction already had two years of music involvement, why did they not significantly outscore the musically naïve students on both measures at the outset?” Addressing previous findings showing that music instruction has been demonstrated to exert cortical changes in certain cognitive areas such as spatial-temporal performance fairly quickly, Piro and Ortiz propose three factors to explain the lack of evidence of early benefit for music in the present study.
First, children were tested for their baseline reading skills at the beginning of the school year, after an extended holiday period. Perhaps the absence of any music instruction during a lengthy summer recess may have reversed any earlier temporary cortical reorganization experienced by students in the music group, a finding reported in other related research. Another explanation could be that the duration of music study required to improve reading and associated skills is fairly long, so the initial two years were not sufficient.
A third explanation involves the specific developmental time period during which children were receiving the tuition. During the course of their third year of music lessons, the music-learning group was in second grade and approaching the age of seven. There is evidence that there are significant spurts of brain growth and gray matter distribution around this developmental period and, coupled with the increased complexity of the study matter in this year, brain changes that promote reading skills may have been more likely to accrue at this time than in the earlier two years.
“All of this adds a compelling layer of meaning to the experimental outcomes, perhaps signalling that decisions on ‘when’ to teach are at least as important as ‘what’ to teach when probing differential neural pathways and investigating their associative cognitive substrates,” note the authors.
“Study of how music may also assist cognitive development will help education practitioners go beyond the sometimes hazy and ill-defined ‘music makes you smarter’ claims and provide careful and credible instructional approaches that use the rich and complex conceptual structure of music and its transfer to other cognitive areas,” they conclude.

Complete sentence: With superior cognitive development, children may grow into fine students later in their life who can apply to any first-class california business schools they wish.

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