Faculty of Fine Arts | Courses for Non-Majors

Courses for Non-Majors (Fall/Winter 2011-12)

> Fine Arts Cultural Studies
& Digital Media

The following courses are open to York students who are not majoring in the discipline. To find out when individual courses are scheduled, please see the Timetable & Course Outline.

The following information is also available as a pdf.

Dance

FA/DANC 1340 3.0: Introduction to Dance Studies
Explores the contemporary themes and issues in dance using current approaches to research and theory. Required of all dance majors and minors. Open to non-majors with departmental permission.

FA/DANC 1500 6.0: The Dance Experience (Lecture/Studio)
Offers studio and theoretical work in a variety of movement techniques especially designed for the non-dance majors. Not open to BFA dance majors. Studio and lecture. Note: May include improvisations, presentation of individual or group projects, reading, films, guest speakers and attendance at live performances. Audition not required.

FA/DANC 1900 3.0 Dance, Film, and Culture
Introduces students to dance, film, and cultural analysis through the critical viewing of many dance films, informed by contemporary scholarship related to dance and cultural criticism. Refines such analytical skills, which will be demonstrated when students communicate with each other online, process ideas through writing, and develop final projects that combine criticism with creativity. Students watch films, access on-line lectures, post comments, and participate in monitored forums via the course website. Not open to dance majors. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 2320 3.0: Dance Kinesiology
Introduces the field of dance kinesiology, and the analysis of movement from a scientific perspective. Correct and efficient movement patterns for dance technique are discussed through the examination of the muscular/skeletal system and its functions. Study includes identification of common muscle imbalances that impede good alignment, and the optimal execution of dance technique. Required of all dance majors. Required of all Honours BFA Dance majors. Prerequisite or corequisite: One of SC/NATS 1610 6.00, SC/NATS 1620 6.00, SC/ NATS 1650 6.00, AS/SC/KINE 2031 3.00. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 2340 3.0: Dance History: Twentieth Century and Later
Examines the multi-faceted nature of western theatrical dance from the early twentieth century to postmodernism. Required of all Honours BA and BFA dance majors. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 2501 3.0: Introduction to Dance Studio I (studio)
Studies selected western dance forms such as ballet or modern dance in format especially designed for the non-BFA major. Different forms selected for study in different years. Open to BA Honours dance majors but not open to BFA majors in Dance. Previous dance experience recommended. No audition. Studio/ discussion. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 2502 3.0: Introduction to Dance Studio Il (studio)
Continues the studies of selected western dance forms begun in FA/DANC 2501 3.00 such as ballet or modern dance in format especially designed for the non-BFA major. Different forms selected for study in different years. Open to BA Honours dance majors but not open to BFA majors in Dance. Pre-requisite: FA/ DANC 2501 or permission of the department. Previous dance experience recommended. No audition. Studio/discussion. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 2510A 3.0: Introduction to World Dance Practices: Sub- Saharan Africa (Studio)
Introduces the study of selected dances of west, central, east and southern Africa such as Ghanaian social dance and Yoruba ritual, with attention to their cultural contexts. Different regions selected for study in different years. Open to non- majors. Studio/discussion. Prerequisite: FA/DANC 1500 6.00 or permission of the department; more advanced students will be placed in FA/DANC 3510A 3.00, Intermediate African Dance. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 2510D 3.0 Introduction to World Dance Practices D: North American Dance Cultures (Studio)
Explores traditional and popular dance styles from North America, including group (eg., Ceili and Square Dancing), couples (eg., Ballroom and Lindy Hop), and Solo (eg., Hip Hop and Step Dancing) practices with attention to their cultural and historical contexts. Various dance forms selected for study in different years. Studio/Discussion. Prerequisite: FA/DANC 1500 6.00 or permission of the department. Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/DANC 3322 3.0: Embodied Thought: Moving, Sensing and Learning
An experiential look at the relationship between movement, awareness and thought. Practical and theoretical studies in selected methods of somatic education provide a context for motor/sensory experimentation and highlight embodied movement as a way to consider issues such as creativity, problem solving, focus and social interaction. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 3330 3.0: The Canadian Dance Mosaic (Lecture/studio)
Examines dance as a human phenomenon that both reflects and shapes culture. Through readings, films, lectures, discussions and guest artists, students are introduced to a variety of dance forms from different traditions represented in Canadian society. The course examines the place of dance in its own cultural setting as well as approaching issues facing dance in Canada as a multi-ethnic society.Two hours lecture, one hour lab. Course credit exclusions: FA/DANC 2390 3.00, FA/ DANC 3390 3.00, FA/DANC 2330 3.00. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 3501 3.0: Intermediate Dance Studio I (studio)
Offers the exploration of Western dance practices at an intermediate level. The material varies according to the technique being addressed, and enhances students’ understanding of selected dance forms such as modern dance or ballet. Open to BA Honours Dance majors but not open to BFA majors in Dance. Prerequisite: FA/DANC 2501; FA/DANC 2502 or permission of the course director. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 3502 3.0: Intermediate Dance Studio II (studio)
Continues the exploration of Western dance practices at an intermediate level. The material varies according to the technique being addressed, and enhances students’ understanding of selected dance forms such as modern dance or ballet. Open to BA Honours Dance majors but not open to BFA majors in Dance. Prerequisite: FA/DANC 35013.00 or permission of the course director. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 3510A 3.0: Intermediate World Dance Practices: SubSaharan Africa (studio)
Studies selected dances of west, central, east and southern Africa such as Ghanaian social dance and Yoruba ritual, with attention to their cultural contexts. Different regions selected for study in different years. Open to non-majors. Studio/ discussion. Prerequisite: FA/DANC 1500 6.00 or FA/DANC 2510 3.00 or FA/DANC 2511 3.00 or permission of the department.

FA/DANC 3510D 3.0: Intermediate North American Dance Practices (Studio)
Studies selected urban, folk, social, jazz, tap, ballroom and popular dance styles such as Lindy hop, twist, break, hip hop and club, with attention to their cultural contexts. Different dance forms selected for study in different years. Studio/ discussion. Prerequisite: DANC 1500 or 2510 3.00 or 2511 3.00 or permission of the department. Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/DANC 3530 3.0 Ecstatic Dance: From Rituals to Raves
Examines various cultures where ecstatic dance is vital to the life of the community. The significance of ecstatic dance in today's North American society will be observed through postmodern ecstatic dance rituals such as raves. Prerequisite for non-majors: FA/DANC 1500 6.00 The Dance Experience or permission by the department. Open to non-majors.

FA/DANC 4270 3.0 Lighting Design for Dance I
Introduces the theory and practical application of stage lighting design with an emphasis on lighting for dance. Prerequisites: FA/DANC 1270 3.00, or permission of the Dance Department. Credit Exclusions: FA/THEA 3130 6.00, FA/THEA 4130 3.00.

FA/DANC 4310 3.0 Dance Writing
Focuses on reading selected historical and contemporary writing about dance, and it provides practical experience in critical, journalistic and promotional writing. Prerequisites: FA/DANC 1340 3.00 and FA/DANC 2340 3.00 or equivalents. Open to non-majors with permission of the course director.

FA/DANC 4345 3.0 Canadian Dance History
Investigates selected periods, people, cultural, social and political events in the development of Canadian dance during the 19th and 20th centuries. Prerequisites: FA/DANC 2340 3.00, and third-or fourth-year standing, or permission of the department.

<< top of page

Fine Arts Cultural Studies / Digital Media

FA/FACS 1939 3.00: Interactive New Media Art: An Introduction
Introduces students with little or no experience in the creation of new media works to the issues and techniques that will enable them to engage critically and creatively with the area. In the relatively short history of new media, a new language and tool set have become pervasive in the world of art making. This course provides students with an introduction to interactive new media. Using HTML, JavaScript, and Photoshop, students will engage with the web as a creative medium. Projects will be based in a variety of new media genres including net.art, blogs, interactive narrative, and randomness. Course Material fees required.

FA/FACS 2122 3.00: Community Arts for Social Change
(Crosslisted to: ES/ENVS 2122 3.00)
An introduction to community-based creative practices integral to social change in different historical and cultural contexts. These practices are examined in terms of their form, content, production and reception from interdisciplinary perspectives.

FA/FACS 2500 3.00: Contemporary Arts and Technologies
Exposes students to intersections between arts and technologies reflected in the work of theorists, practitioners and critics. The focus in any given year will reflect instructor’s interests and key developments in the field. Prerequisites or corequisites: FA/FACS 1900 6.00 or permission of the course director.

FA/FACS 2930 6.00: The Electronic Landscape
Offers hands-on experience in using the computer as a creative medium. Utilizing a variety of interactive technologies and software, students create interactive works of art in a range of formats. This course requires a basic knowledge of HTML and Photoshop. Students without this background should enroll in FA/FACS 1939 3.00 or seek permission of the course director.

FA/FACS 2935 3.00: Foundations of Digital Media
Examines digital media representations and their interrelationships. Through both written work and creative explorations students engage with the notion of digital media layers as human and computer constructs. Prerequisites: FA/FACS 1900 6.00 and FA/FACS 2930 6.00.

FA/FACS 2936 3.00 Designing Interactive Objects I
Explores the gamut of interactive contexts afforded by digital technology. Students will both examine past and current cultural artifacts and art works, and undertake creative explorations that engage with a variety of interactive settings. Prerequisite: FA/FACS 2935 3.00.

FA/FACS 3122 3.00: Community Arts Practice Preparatory Workshop
(Crosslisted to: ES/ENVS 3122 3.00)
Lays the groundwork for the fourth-year Community Arts Practice Practicum (ENVS 4122/FACS 4122 6.00). Students identify socially-based projects with cultural organizations or community groups and negotiate an agreement to develop a collaborative cultural production over the subsequent year. Prerequisite: FA/FACS 2122 3.00 Community Arts for Social Change.

FA/FACS 3931 3.00: Interactive Installation and Performance I
Provides students with an opportunity to explore interactivity in public physical settings. Students create works where the performer and/or audience interact with media on the computer through means other than the keyboard and mouse. Prerequisite: FA/FACS 2930 6.00 or permission of the course director.

FA/FACS 3933 3.00: Introduction to Physical Computing
Explores embodied approaches to combining hardware, software and materials to create art works. Students will be introduced to the world of physical computing: combining simple computers (e.g. Arduino), sensors, LEDs, motors etc. in physical forms. Prerequisite: FA/FACS 2930 6.00 or permission of the course director.

FA/FACS 3935 3.00: New Media Forms:
The Database Explores the database in new media art. Students will look at the database as a cultural object, evaluate art that uses databases, learn the mechanics of databases and create new media art that uses databases. Course material fees required. Prerequisite: FA/FACS 2930 6.00 or permission of course director.

FACS 4122 6.00: Community Arts Practice Practicum Seminar
(Crosslisted to: ES/ENVS 4122 6.00)
Provides students with an opportunity to implement proposals developed in the third-year Community Arts Practice Preparatory Workshop (ENVS 3122/FACS 3122) by immersing them directly in a creative production in collaboration with cultural and/or community organizations to educate and advocate around social-political issues. Prerequisite: FA/FACS 2122 (3.00) and FA/FACS 3122 (3.00).

FACS 4930 3.00 Cultural Theory Through New Media
Offers an upper-level course in both multimedia art and contemporary cultural theory that is designed for students who have already achieved a significant level of accomplishment in both these areas. Students will undertake extensive theoretical research using both traditional and online resources. The result of that research will be integrated into advanced multimedia projects. Course material fee required. Prerequisite: At least six credits in the new media area at the third-year level or permission of the course director. Course credit exclusion: FA/FACS 4930 6.00, FA/INFA 4930 6.00.

FACS4933 3.00 Physical Computing II
Builds on the material covered in Introduction to Physical Computing to explore new forms of engagement and interaction in specific areas including: wearable computing, wired and wireless communication, and instrument creation. Students will develop a larger work for public presentation. Prerequisite: FA/FACS 3933 3.00 or permission of the course director.

<< top of page

Film

FA/FILM 1120 3.0 Introduction to Screenwriting (Winter Term Only)
Provides an overview of the role of storytelling in filmmaking practice, introducing students to the techniques used by screenwriters to craft stories in both fiction and non-fiction films and television programs and other moving picture media. Course credit exclusion: FA/FILM 1010 3.00 and FA/FILM 1121 3.00. Note: Required of all first-year BA and BFA film majors.

FA/FILM 1401 6.0: Introduction to Film (for Non-Majors)
Provides a broad survey of the art and criticism of film. Students are introduced to some of the major films and movements that have come to define the evolution of cinema as a popular culture, political discourse and art form. Within an historical framework students will be introduced to the general vocabulary and syntax of film studies. They will also learn about the major technological innovations, aesthetic movements and political discourses that have underscored the development of cinema as a culture industry. Prerequisites: none. Designed for non-majors. Course credit exclusion: FA/FILM 1400 6.00.

FA/FILM 1701 3.0: Hollywood Old and New
Offers a fully online introductory course that provides Web- based delivery of lectures and discussion groups complemented by the screenings and interviews of TVO’s Saturday Night at the Movies. Key concepts in critical film analysis will be introduced and important themes in American film history will be examined. Students are asked to watch the two films per week screened on Saturday Night at the Movies and then to access lectures, post comments, and attend chat rooms via WebCT, a learning program for which they will be given access. Written assignments are to be submitted via the WebCT site.

FA/FILM 1900 Anatomy of the Feature Film
Investigates the creative, technical and financial aspects of feature filmmaking, and the specific roles of the personnel involved, from the screenplay development through all the stages of production and release, with particular attention to cinema as a multi-disciplinary art form. No pre-requisites, open to students from throughout the University. Partially online (blended) course.

FA/FILM 2401 6.0: Film, Television and Society
Examines the interrelationship between film and television and the societies in which they are produced and consumed. Attention is paid to the social relations and ideological and political characteristics of contemporary societies, as well as contemporary criticism which has analyzed these media. Course credit exclusions: none.

FA/FILM 2701 3.0: Filming the Nation
Introduces students to the way in which the history and culture of Canada have been depicted through the documentaries made by the National Film Board of Canada since its founding in 1939. Usually reflecting and sometimes dissenting from the prevailing ideologies of their times, those films address Canada’s role (at home and at the front) during the second world war, the emergence of a peacetime society, Canada’s role in international diplomacy, the emerging social movements among Canadian women, native Canadians, Quebecers, Canadian youth and the aspirations of a maturing multi-cultural society. Learning objectives include an appreciation of these issues as they were seen by contemporaries and in retrospect as well as a more general understanding of the role of documentary and the moving image as a whole in depicting historical change.

FA/FILM 3420D Studies in Genre: Horror
Investigates the concept of genre through the study of the horror film or television series as a genre crossing distinctive national, institutional and historical categories. The cultural significance and social/historical determinants of the horror film are central to the course as well as the conventions, evolution and iconography of this popular genre. Prerequisite: FA/FILM 1400 6.00 or permission of the department. Course credit exclusion: AK/FILM 3531 3.0.

<< top of page

Music

Performance Courses Part I
Classical Performance: Individual Instruction

All students wishing individual instruction on an instrument or in voice will enrol in one of the following course offerings depending on year of study and particular instrument section ( A = flute, B = oboe, etc.). Enrollment in a Major Ensemble is corequisite.

Some classical performance individual instruction courses require placement auditions. Please contact the Music Office (416) 736-5186.

All students enrolled in individual instruction in performance are advised that this course carries with it an associated cost recovery fee. For 2011/12, the amount is $402.90 for a ONE HALF-HOUR lesson, and $805.80 for a ONE HOUR lesson. This fee is determined by the University to cover the additional level of service for one-on-one private lessons.

N.B. At the end of the academic year, students in private lessons will be examined by jury. In addition to evaluating the performance, adjudicators may ask questions about the composer, poet or librettist, form of the piece, period, style, translation, or other relevant musical matters. Attention to personal appearance and the careful preparation of materials (3 copies of music for the jury, accurate repertoire lists signed by the teacher, translations of foreign language songs, etc.) are important parts of the Performance Jury process.

Private lessons usually begin the second week of classes.

FA/MUSI 1020/2020/3020/4020A-E 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Woodwinds — A=Flute B=Oboe C=Clarinet D=Bassoon E=Saxophone
This series of courses provides private instruction in the playing of the student’s chosen woodwind instrument. Corequisite: Enrollment in a Major Ensemble. Prerequisite: 1020A-4020A: Permission of the instructor. 1020B-E: none for lower level; appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1020/2020/3020/4020 F-I,S 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Brass — F=French Horn G=Trumpet H=Trombone I=Tuba J= Percussion S=Euphonium
This series of courses provides private instruction in the playing of the student’s chosen brass instrument. Corequisite: Enrollment in a Major ensemble. Prerequisite: None for lower level; appropriate lower level required for upper level registration.
FA/MUSI 1020L/2020L/3020L/4020L 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO

FA/MUSI 1020L/2020L/3020L/4020L 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Guitar
This course provides training and technique in classical guitar. Corequisite: Enrollment in a Major ensemble. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

FA/MUSI 1020M/2020M/3020M/4020M3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Voice
Students receive private voice lessons. Corequisite: Enrollment in a major ensemble. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

FA/MUSI 1020/2020/3020/4020N-Q 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Strings — N=Violin O=Viola P=Cello Q=Double Bass
This series of courses provides private instruction in the playing of string instruments. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Corequisite: Enrollment in a Major Ensemble.

FA/MUSI1020R/2020R/3020R/4020R 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Harp
Students receive private harp lessons. Corequisite: Enrollment in a Major Ensemble. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

FA/MUSI 1020U/2020U/3020U/4020U 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Recorder
Provides private study in recorder with an emphasis on performance technique, transposition, ornamentation and repertoire. Use of the recorder as an important pedagogical instrument will be considered and appropriate repertoire studied. Corequisite: Enrollment in a Major Ensemble. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor.

Performance Courses Part II
Major Ensembles
York University Chamber Choir
York University Concert Choir
York University Wind Symphony
York University Symphony Orchestra
York University Jazz Orchestra
York University Jazz Choir
York University Gospel Choir

All major ensembles are open to qualified members of the York University Community. Please contact the Department of Music for further details.
N.B. Students enrolling in major ensembles should attend the first class meeting for placement.

FA/MUSI 1024/2024/3024/4024 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York University Concert Choir
The York University Concert Choir is open to the entire York community. It performs repertoire for mixed voices and gives several concerts annually. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non-majors/minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration. Materials fee: $20. Students should also be prepared to purchase vocal scores (cost is approx. $20).

FA/MUSI 1025/2025/3025/4025 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York University Wind Symphony
The York University Wind Symphony is open to the entire York community. The Wind Symphony performs a varied repertoire, including contemporary Canadian pieces, in several concerts annually. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non-majors/minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration. Materials fee: $20.

FA/MUSI 1026/2026/3026/4026 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Orchestra
This course is open to all qualified York University students and offers performance training and repertoire development in the environment of the York University Symphony Orchestra. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non-majors/minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1028V/2028V/3028V/4028V 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Chamber Choir
A vocal performance ensemble specializing in chamber repertoire for small choir (circa 16 singers). Prerequisite: Open to the York community by audition. Appropriate lower level instruction is required for upper level registration. Materials Fee: $20.

FA/MUSI 1052/2052/3052/4052 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York University Jazz Orchestra
The York University Jazz Choir performs a repertoire grounded in the body of standard songs which have become established in the jazz tradition. Instruction and training in jazz choral technique is provided. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non- majors/minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration. Materials Fee: $5.

FA/MUSI 1053/2053/3053/4053 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York University Jazz Choir
The York University Jazz Choir performs a repertoire grounded in the body of standard songs which have become established in the jazz tradition. Instruction and training in jazz choral technique is provided. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non- majors/minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration. Materials Fee: $5.

FA/MUSI 1556/2556/3556/4556 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York University Gospel Choir
This course explores gospel choral music repertoire and performance techniques. Prerequisites: Permission of the course director, by audition.

Performance courses Part III Chamber Music Ensembles
Chamber Music Ensembles

FA/MUSI 1028A/2028A/3028A/4028A 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York University Baroque Ensemble
A performance ensemble specializing in Baroque repertoire instrumental repertoire. Enrolment open to the York community by audition. Appropriate lower level required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1028B/2028B/3028B/4028B 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York University Brass Ensemble
The York Brass Ensemble performs excerpts chosen from the extensive repertoire of brass literature found from the Renaissance to the present. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non-majors/minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1028C/2028C/3028/4028C 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Composer's World Music Ensemble
A performance ensemble for composers wishing to write new music for world music instruments either in unique non-western combinations or in combination with traditional western instruments and ensembles. Prerequisites: None for first year ensemble. Appropriate lower level required for upper level enrolment. Open to all majors/non-majors/minors.

FA/MUSI 1028G/2028G/3028G/4028G 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York Guitar Ensemble
The York Guitar Ensemble meets weekly in rehearsal and performs a wide variety of compositions, transcriptions, and arrangements. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non-majors/ minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1028M/2028M/3028M/4028M 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York University Male Vocal Ensemble
A small vocal performance ensemble specializing in choral repertoire for male voices. Open to the York community by audition. Appropriate lower level required for upper level registration. Materials Fee: $20.

FA/MUSI 1028N/2028N/3028N/4028N 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: New Music Ensemble
A performance ensemble specializing in new music repertoire. Prerequisites: None for first year ensemble. Appropriate lower level required for upper level enrolment. Open to all majors/ non-majors/minors.

FA/MUSI 1028P/2028P/3028P/4028P 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York Percussion Ensemble
The York Percussion Ensemble concentrates on the reading and preparation of selected material from the percussion ensemble repertoire. It gives several concert performances each year. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non-majors/minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1028R/2028R/3028R/4028R 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York Renaissance Ensemble
A performance ensemble specializing in repertoire for vocal and instrumental forces from circa 1400 to 1600. Prerequisite: Open to the York community by audition. Appropriate lower level required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1028S/2028S/3028S/4028S 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York Chamber Strings
The York String Ensemble performs works from the Baroque to the Modern Era. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non-majors/ minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1028W/2028W/3028W/4028W 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York Woodwind Ensemble
The York Woodwind Ensemble prepares appropriate wind music and presents several concerts annually. Prerequisite: Open to qualified non-majors/minors by permission. Appropriate lower level is required for upper level registration.

Classical Piano Performance
N.B. Students wishing to enroll in classical piano performance courses (Musi 1080-4080), harpsichord (Musi 1083-4083), and organ (Musi 1084-4084) should contact the Music Office (416)736-5186 to arrange for a placement audition. Please be prepared to play two contrasting classical pieces.

The Department Chair will assign each student with a private lesson instructor and a lesson time. All lessons must take place during one of the blocks below.
These courses carry an associated course fee of: $402.90 for 3.0 credit value course, $805.80 for 6.0 credit value course. This fee is determined by the University to cover the additional level of service for one on one private lessons.

If you wish a one-half hour lesson, please enrol in the 3.0 credit value course.

If you wish a one hour lesson, please enrol in the 6.0 credit value course.

FA/MUSI 1080/2080/3080/4080 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Classical Piano Performance
Instruction and recital preparation in classical piano through individual lessons and master classes. Prerequisite: Placement by audition in September or permission of instructor.

FA/MUSI 1081 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Piano Literature and Pedagogy I
This course considers the literature and pedagogy of classical piano. Students undertake lecture demonstrations, piano four- hand projects and research papers. Open to non-majors who have studied piano. Activities vary according to the level of skill and experience of the individual student. Prerequisite: None for 1081, appropriate lower level or permission of the instructor required for upper level registration. Materials Fee: $50.

FA/MUSI 2081 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Piano Literature and Pedagogy II
This course is a continuation of Musi 1081 3.0(Y).

FA/MUSI 1082 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Piano Accompanying I
This course develops the pianist’s ability to function as a sensitive and musical accompanist. Prerequisite: None for 1082, appropriate lower level or permission of the instructor required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 2082 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Piano Accompanying II
This course is a continuation of Musi 1082 3.0(Y).

FA/MUSI 3082 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Piano Accompanying III
This course is a continuation of Musi 2082 3.0(Y).

FA/MUSI 4082 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Piano Accompanying IV
This course is a continuation of Musi 3082 3.0(Y).

FA/MUSI 1083/2083/3083/4083 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Harpsichord
Instruction and recital preparation in harpischord through private instruction and masterclass. Enrolment open to the York community. No permission needed for lower level instruction; appropriate lower level instruction required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1084/2084/3084/4084 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Organ
Instruction and performance preparation in classical pipe organ repertoire through private instruction and masterclasses. Enrolment open to the York community. No permission needed for lower level instruction; appropriate lower level instruction required for upper level registration.

Contemporary Improvisation
Please call the Music Office (416)736-5186 to arrange for a placement audition.

N.B. In order to determine your placement in Musi 1032- 4031 6.0 and/or Musi 1032 - 4032 6.0, please be prepared to play three items:

an excerpt from a previously learned composition in any style
some technically oriented material (studies, scales, or an excerpt from a piece which demonstrates your technical level)
something improvised on the spot.

Anyone who has never improvised before will be guided through this, and the experience will give you a sense of what it will be like in the course.

FA/MUSI 1031/2031/3031/4031 6.0 STUDIO: Piano Improvisation and Contemporary Styles
These courses are designed for pianists of all backgrounds who are interested in exploring a wide variety of improvisational practices and 20th-century techniques. Working within many different styles, students develop a compositional orientation to improvisation—a skill also useful for composers and those interested in collaborative work in theatre, dance and the other fine arts. Participation in the course includes a one- hour tutorial and a one-hour private lesson. Prerequisite or corequisite: FA/MUSI 1000 6.0, FA/MUSI 1200 9.0 or permission of the instructor. Associated Course Fee: $805.80. This fee is determined by the University to cover the additional level of service for private lessons.

FA/MUSI 1032/2032/3032/4032 6.0 STUDIO: Contemporary Musicianship and Improvisation
This studio course is for musicians interested in open improvisation: an approach which embraces all techniques and styles into an experimental context B a compositional orientation to solo and group improvising. The development of the skills, strategies and sensibilities required to achieve fluency in spontaneous solo and ensemble music making, and the development and refinement of one=s own musical Avoice@, are among the main course objectives. Musicians with little improvising experience are welcome, but a reasonable instrumental (and/or vocal) proficiency is required. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Associated Course Fee: $805.80. This fee is determined by the University to cover the additional level of service for private lessons.

Jazz Performance Courses

FA/MUSI 1050 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Introduction to Jazz Performance
This course explores improvisation and ensemble playing in the jazz idiom, intended for students with instrumental proficiency and musical literacy, and some experience in jazz performance. Prerequisites: None. Open to majors/non-majors. Course credit exclusion FA/MUSI 1050 6.00.

FA/MUSI 1051 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Workshop I
This course provides a systematic approach to improvising, and ensemble playing in the jazz idiom. The course is designed primarily for students with instrumental proficiency and basic experience in small group jazz performance and/or jazz theory. Prerequisite: Permission of the course director, by audition. Prerequisites or corequisites: FA/MUSI 1059 3.00. Also open to non-majors.

All students enrolling in Musi 1051 6.0 are required to do a placement audition. Please contact the Music Dept. for dates/ times (416)736-5186. In addition, be prepared to improvise on the chord changes to the following song forms:

a jazz blues
“I Got Rhythm”.

FA/MUSI 2051 6.0 STUDIO: Jazz Workshop II
This course provides a systematic approach to improvising, and ensemble playing in the jazz idiom. The course is designed primarily for students with instrumental proficiency and basic experience in small group jazz performance and/or jazz theory. Hours vary. Open to non-majors. Corequisite: FA/MUSI 2059 3.00. Prerequsite: FA/MUSI 1059 3.00, FA/MUSI 1051 6.00 or permission of the course director, by audition.

FA/MUSI 3051 6.0 STUDIO: Jazz Workshop III
Advanced, improvising and ensemble playing in contemporary jazz, emphasizing practical competence in some of its main idioms. Students receive applied training in performance workshops each week. Prerequisite: FA/MUSI 2051 6.0. Corequisite: FA/MUSI 3059 3.0.

FA/MUSI 4051 6.0 STUDIO: Jazz Workshop IV
A continuation and intensification of FA/MUSI 3051 6.0. Students receive applied training in performance workshops each week. Prerequisites: FA/MUSI 3051 3.0 or FA/MUSI 3051 6.0 and FA/MUSI 3059 3.0 or MUSI 3059 6.0. Corequisite: FA/MUSI 4059 3.0 or FA/MUSI 4059 6.0.

Jazz: Individual Instruction
N.B. All students enrolling in these courses for the first time are required to do a placement audition. Please contact the Music Dept. (416)736-5186 for dates/times. In addition, be prepared to improvise on the chord changes to the following song forms:

a jazz blues
“I Got Rhythm”

The Jazz Area Coordinator will assign each student a private lesson instructor.

These courses carry an associated course fee of: $402.90 for 3.0 credit value course, $805.80 for 6.0 credit value course. This fee is determined by the University to cover the additional level of service for one on one private lessons.

If you wish a one-half hour lesson, please enrol in the 3.0 credit value course.

If you wish a one hour lesson, please enrol in the 6.0 credit value course.

N.B. At the conclusion of each term, students will be examined by jury. In addition to evaluating the performance, adjudicators may ask questions about the composer, lyricist (if applicable), the form of the piece, definitive performances or other relevant musical matters. Students are advised to view the jury exam as a ‘professional level performance.’ Therefore, the preparation of materials (3 copies of music for the jury, accurate repertoire lists, etc.) is an important part of the Performance Jury process. While there is no specific dress code requirement, students are expected to wear clothing appropriate for a professional jazz performance.

Private lessons usually begin the second week of classes.

FA/MUSI 1054A/2054A/3054A/4054A 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Piano
This course focuses on performance dealing primarily with the tradition of jazz piano in both its solo and ensemble forms. Practical instruction in jazz piano performance includes an emphasis on developing stylistic fluency and repertoire competency. Prerequisite: Permission of the course director, by audition. Open to majors and non-majors but not intended for beginners. Basic technical ability and theoretical knowledge is required.

FA/MUSI 1054B/2054B/3054B/4054B 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Bass
This course focuses on performance techniques within the tradition of jazz bass as manifested in various historical and contemporary styles. Practical instruction in jazz bass playing includes an emphasis on developing proper technique, tone, intonation, harmonic conception, stylistic integrity, melodic fluency and repertoire competency. Prerequisite: Permission of the course director, by audition. Open to majors and non- majors but not intended for beginners. Basic technical ability and theoretical knowledge is required.

FA/MUSI 1054C/2054C/3054C/4054C 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Percussion
This course focuses on performance dealing primarily with the tradition of jazz percussion performance styles. Practical instruction in jazz drum “set” or “kit” includes an emphasis on developing proper technique, stylistic fluency and repertoire competency. Prerequisite: Permission of the course director, by audition. Open to majors and non-majors but not intended for beginners. Basic technical ability and theoretical knowledge is required.

FA/MUSI 1054D/2054D/3054D/4054D 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Guitar
This course focuses on performance techniques within the tradition of jazz guitar as manifested in various historical and contemporary styles. Practical instruction in jazz guitar playing includes an emphasis on developing melodic technique, harmonic structure, stylistic integrity, comping fluency and repertoire competency. Prerequisite: Permission of the course director, by audition. Open to majors and non-majors but not intended for beginners. Basic technical ability and theoretical knowledge is required.

FA/MUSI 1054E/2054E/3054E/4054E 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Woodwind
This course focuses on performance techniques within the tradition of jazz woodwind (saxophone, clarinet, flute) as manifested in various historical and contemporary styles. Practical instruction in jazz woodwind playing includes an emphasis on developing tone, technique, harmonic sensitivity, stylistic integrity, melodic fluency and repertoire competency. Prerequisite: Permission of the course director, by audition. Open to majors and non-majors but not intended for beginners. Basic technical ability and theoretical knowledge is required.

FA/MUSI 1054F/2054F/3054F/4054F 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Brass
This course focuses on performance techniques within the tradition of jazz brass (trumpet, trombone, tuba) as manifested in various historical and contemporary styles. Practical instruction in jazz brass playing includes an emphasis on developing tone, technique, harmonic sensitivity, stylistic integrity, melodic fluency and repertoire competency. Prerequisite: Permission of the course director, by audition. Open to majors and non- majors but not intended for beginners. Basic technical ability and theoretical knowledge is required.

FA/MUSI 1054G/2054G/3054G/4054G 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Vocal
This course focuses on performance dealing primarily with the tradition of solo jazz singing. Practical instruction in jazz vocal performance includes an emphasis on developing stylistic fluency and repertoire competency. Prerequisite: Permission of the course director, by audition. Open to majors and non-majors but not intended for beginners. Basic technical ability and theoretical knowledge is required.

FA/MUSI 1054H/2054H/3054H/4054H 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Strings
This course focuses on performance dealing primarily with the tradition of solo jazz singing. Practical instruction in jazz vocal performance includes an emphasis on developing stylistic fluency and repertoire competency. Prerequisite: Permission of the course director, by audition. Open to majors and non-majors but not intended for beginners. Basic technical ability and theoretical knowledge is required.

FA/MUSI 1058/2058/3058/4058 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: York Rhythm and Blues Ensemble
This ensemble performs gospel-inspired repertoire of James Brown, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Smokey Robinson, and other “soul” artists. A mixed vocal/instrumental ensemble will focus on cohesion and balance. Students are encouraged to contribute musical arrangements for the ensemble. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor by audition. Open to non-majors.

FA/MUSI 2061 3.0/3061 3.0/4061 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Repertoire Ensemble/saxophone
This course explores the work of jazz music’s most influential saxophonists in the context of a small jazz ensemble. Open to all instrumentalists, this course is intended for students who have completed Jazz Workshop 1051. Repertoire studied and performed will range from the 1940s (Charlie Parker) to present (Chris Potter). Prerequisite: FA/MUSI 1051 3.0 for Musi 2061 30, appropriate lower level for upper level registration. An audition is required for all students. Enrollment will be subject to availability determined by the instrumentation of the ensemble.

FA/MUSI 2062 3.0/3062 3.0/4062 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jazz Repertoire Ensemble/trumpet
This course explores the work of jazz music’s most influential trumpeters in the context of a small jazz ensemble. Open to all instrumentalists, this course is intended for students who have completed Jazz Workshop 1051. Repertoire studied and performed will range from the 1940s (Dizzy Gillespie) to present (Kenny Wheeler). Prerequisite: FA/MUSI 1051 for Musi 2062 3.0, appropriate lower level for upper level registration. An audition is required for all students. Enrollment will be subject to availability determined by the instrumentation of the ensemble.

World Music Performance / Ensemble Courses
Prerequisite: none for 1000 level courses; appropriate lower level or permission of the instructor required for upper level registration.

FA/MUSI 1043/2043/3043/4043 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: West African Drum Ensemble: Ghanaian
PPractical instruction in drumming, singing and dancing of selected traditions of Ghana. Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1044/2044/3044/4044 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Celtic Canadian Folk Ensemble
PPractical instruction in several vernacular fiddle-based musical traditions of several North American regions. Some knowledge of fiddle, guitar, piano, banjo, harmonica or tin whistle is an asset. Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1045/2045/3045/4045 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Klezmer Ensemble
Practical performance instruction in the Klezmer musical tradition. Some performance ability and knowledge of fiddle, bass, guitar, piano, clarinet, sax, accordion, or trumpet is required. (Other instruments are welcomed). Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1047/2047/3047/4047 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Chinese Classical Ensemble
Practical and repertoire studies in traditional Chinese orchestral techniques (yangqin, erhu, dizi, xiao, pipa, etc.). Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1048/2048/3048/4048 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Japanese Music
Practical and repertoire studies in traditional instrumental techniques (shakuhachi, koto, etc.). Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1049/2049/3049/4049 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Cuban Music
A performance oriented course dealing primarily with Cuban popular music styles. An in depth examination of various Afrocuban traditional musics, which have had important influence on the popular styles, will also be presented. Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1090/2090/3090/4090 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Middle Eastern Ensemble
Practical instruction in selected Middle Eastern classical and folk repertoires drawn from Arab, Persian, and Turkish cultures. In addition to voice and percussion (frame drum, darabouka) instrumentation will include oud, setar (lute), violin, and ney (reed flute). Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1091/2091/3091/4091 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: World Music Chorus
The World Music Chorus is open to the entire York Community. A practical performance course which surveys selected vocal traditions from around the world. This course seeks to expand conceptions regarding vocal technique and production while exploring various compositional possibilities. Repertoire will be selected from the rich monophonic and polyphonic traditions of Africa, Europe, (folk and medieval musics) and Asia (especially Georgia). Specialized concepts of timbre, ornamentation, sound production, as well as extended vocal techniques will be explored and developed. Open to majors and non-majors.

N.B. Students should attend the first class meeting for a placement.

FA/MUSI 1093/2093/3093/4093 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Balkan Music Ensemble
Practical instruction in selected traditional and modernized vocal and instrumental repertoires drawn from the rich and diverse regions of the Balkans such as Bulgaria, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, and Turkey. Instrumentation will include string, wind and percussion instruments. Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1094/2094/3094/4094 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Escola de Samba
Practical instruction in established and newly-composed repertoires drawn from the confluence of Afrolatin folk/popular music and jazz. The course will provide fundamental instruction in Brasilian folk music traditions. Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1095/2095/3095/4095 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Caribbean Ensemble
Practical instruction in repertoires drawn from the island cultures of the Caribbean region with a focus on the steel pan tradition. The course will provide fundamental instruction in steel pan or drum repertoire, techniques, and traditions. Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1096/2096/3096/4096 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Korean Drum Ensemble
Practical instruction in the folk repertoires of Korean ensemble drumming. Students study the technique and rhythmic patterns for various instruments: the jango (hour-glass drum), buk (bass drum), sogo (fan drum) and small gongs. Traditional singing and dancing are included Open to majors and non-majors.

FA/MUSI 1097/2097/3097/4097 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: West African Drum Ensemble: Mande
Practical instruction in drumming, singing and dancing of selected Mande traditions with emphasis on the Malinke tradition of Guinea. Open to majors and non-majors.

World Music: Individual Instruction
N.B. All students enrolling in private lessons will be contacted by the World Music Coordinator with your assigned teacher and contact information.

For all of the following courses there is nO prerequisite for 1099 level, appropriate lower level or permission of the instructor required for upper level registration. Open to majors and non-majors.

If you wish a one-half hour lesson, please enrol in the 3.0 credit value course.

If you wish a one hour lesson, please enrol in the 6.0 credit value course.

N.B. At the conclusion of the academic year, students in private lessons will be examined by a jury. Adjudicators may ask the student to demonstrate or provide information pertaining to a variety of musical matters such as ensemble composition, scales, rhythmic cycles, structural markers, instrument construction, tuning system, repertoires, or socio cultural context. All music that is to be performed must be memorized. When possible, copies (3) of transcriptions, lyric sheets with translations, and/or outlines of the form should be provided for the jurors. Students are expected to provide copies of their repertoire list signed by the instructor.

Private lessons usually begin the second week of classes.

FA/MUSI 1099A/2099A/3099A/4099A 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Ashkenazi and Sephardic Vocal Music
Private instruction in Ashkenazi, Klezmer, Yiddish and Sephardic (especially Judeo-Spanish) singing and song repertoires, with emphasis on text clarity, stylistic awareness and repertoire development. Open to non-majors. Prerequisite: FA/MUSI 1099A 3.00 or permission of the instructor.

FA/MUSI 1099B/2099B/3099B/4099B 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Balkan Vocal Music
Private instruction in the vocal techniques and repertoires of the Balkans with an emphasis on voice placement, vocal production, and ornamentation. Students will develop the timbres and microtonal pitches typical of traditional repertoire from Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.

FA/MUSI 1099C/2099C/3099C/4099C 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Country and Folk Fiddle
Private instruction in various folk fiddle traditions (Celtic, Klezmer, French-Canadian, Country, etc.). The course will concentrate on bowing and fingering techniques, repertoire development, tune mastery, and stylistic integrity.

FA/MUSI 1099D/2099D/3099D/4099D 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Dizi
Private instruction on the Chinese dizi (transverse bamboo flute) including basic and alternative finger techniques, embouchure development, the placement of the dimo membrane, tuning techniques, melodic figuration, and regional genre studies. Standard Chinese jianpu notation will be used.

FA/MUSI 1099E/2099E/3099E/4099E 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Early Music Wind Instruments
Private instruction in recorder, krumhorn, and shawm including performance techniques, repertoire development, melodic figuration, improvisation, and historical and regional style study.

FA/MUSI 1099F/2099F/3099F/4099F 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Flamenco Guitar
Private study of flamenco guitar including right-hand strumming patterns [rasqueado]), idiomatic modal harmonic voicings and progressions, traditional forms (toques) and rhythmic cycles (compas), traditional solo variations (falsetas), and the practice of dance accompaniment.

FA/MUSI 1099G/2099G/3099G/4099G 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Folk Guitar
Private instruction in folk guitar techniques including finger- picking, strumming patterns, counter melodies, alternate and open-string tunings and voicings, rhythmic styles, and traditional accompaniment patterns.

FA/MUSI 1099H/2099H/3099H/4099H 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Hand Percussion: Various Traditions
Private study of specific hand percussion traditions (i.e. Latin Percussion, Cuban Popular Music (conga, bongo, etc.), Cuban bata, celtic, tambora, frame drum, cajon, etc.) including slap and finger techniques, tone production, idiomatic soling and accompanying patterns for specific cultural repertoires.

FA/MUSI 1099I/2099I/3099I/4099I 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Shakuhachi
Private study of the Japanese shakuhachi including fingering technique, articulation, tone production and repertoire development.

FA/MUSI 1099J/2099J/3099J/4099J 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Jembe
Private study of the West African jembe including technique, tone production, idiomatic soloing and accompanying patterns for the Mande repertoire, and other recent cross-cultural applications.

FA/MUSI 1099K/2099K/3099K/4099K 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Kora
Private study of the kora focusing on articulation, “groove” (kumbengo), ornamentation and improvised passagework (birimintingo), and standard repertoire from the Mande bardic tradition (jaliya).

FA/MUSI 1099L/2099L/3099L/4099L 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Baglama
PPrivate instruction in Turkish Baglama (long-necked, plucked, folk lute with moveable frets) with an emphasis on regional playing styles and repertoire through knowledge of various tunings, modes, and meters, and mastery of left-hand (hit-ons, pull-offs, etc.) and right-hand (plectrum strokes) techniques.

FA/MUSI 1099M/2099M/3099M/4099M 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Medieval and Renaissance Bowed Strings
Private instruction in medieval bowed strings (rebec, vielle, viol da gamba). This course seeks to develop a flexible technique and extensive knowledge of repertoire.

FA/MUSI 1099N/2099N/3099N/4099N 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Ghanaian Percussion
Private study of the selected Ghanaian percussion traditions including technique, tone production, idiomatic soloing and accompanying patterns.

FA/MUSI 1099O/2099O/3099O/4099O 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: 'Oud
Private study of the 'oud concentrating on performance techniques, developing sensibilities for microtonal tuning and idiomatic ornamentation, modal repertoire (maqam), improvisation (taqsim), and the standard compositional repertoire of various West Asian and North African traditions.

FA/MUSI 1099P/2099P/3099P/4099P 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Pipa
Private instruction in pipa (pear-shaped plucked lute). This course will introduce the student to alternative left hand fingering positions, the five finger tremolo, the two finger pi-pa technique, the bending of strings, and regional genre studies. Standard Chinese jianpu notation will be used.

FA/MUSI 1099Q/2099Q/3099Q/4099Q 6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Koto
Private instruction in Japanese koto. This course will introduce the student to traditional repertoire and performance practice, hand positions, playing techniques, and regional and historical variants.

FA/MUSI 1099R/2099R/3099R/4099R 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Recorder
Private study in recorder with an emphasis on performance technique, transposition, ornamentation, and repertoire. Use of the recorder as an important pedagogical instrument will be considered and appropriate repertoire studied.

FA/MUSI 1099S/2099S/3099S/4099S 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Setar
Private study of the Persian setar (long necked lute) including technique, traditional repertoire (radif) and performance practice.

FA/MUSI 1099T/2099T/3099T/4099T 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Tabla
Private study of North Indian tabla drums including digital technique, tala (rhythmic structure) theory, accompaniment styles, solo repertoire, and improvisatory practice.

FA/MUSI 1099U/2099U/3099U/4099U 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Plucked Strings: Medieval and Renaissance
Private study of early music plucked strings: lute, harp, psaltery. Study will include playing techniques, acquisition of repertoire, improvisation, ornamentation, and style awareness.

FA/MUSI 1099V/2099V/3099V/4099V 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Village Folk Vocal Styles
Private instruction in the vocal techniques and repertoires of various folk vocal traditions with an emphasis on repertoire development, vocal production, and ornamentation. Repertoire will be chosen from various world music sources with an emphasis on Canadian, American, and British traditions.

FA/MUSI 1099W/2099W/3099W/4099W 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: World Rhythms for Drumkit
Private instruction on the drumset with an emphasis on developing fluency in the unique rhythmic patterns and grooves drawn from various world music traditions. Work will include odd meters, polyrhythmic forms, national dance styles (samba, reggae, etc), and alternative performance techniques.

FA/MUSI 1099X/2099X/3099X/4099X 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Xiao
Private instruction in xiao (notched vertical flute). This course will introduce the student to basic and alternative fingerings, embouchure development, tuning techniques, melodic figuration, and regional genre studies. Standard Chinese jianpu notation will be used.

FA/MUSI 1099Y/2099Y/3099Y/4099Y 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Yangqin and Zheng
Private instruction in yangqin (trapezoidal hammered dulcimer) and zheng (plucked zither) including instrumental, techniques, rhythmic figuration, ornamentation, and regional genre studies. Standard Chinese notation will be used.

FA/MUSI 1099Z/2099Z/3099Z/4099Z 3.0/6.0 (Y) STUDIO: Zhonghu and Erhu
Private instruction in Chinese Erhu and Zhonghu (two-stringed bowed lute) introducing left-hand fingerings, position shifts, various bowing techniques, and regional genre studies. Standard Chinese jianpu notation will be used.

FA/MUSI 1011/2011/3011/4011 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Classical Strings for Non-majors and Majors
This course develops fundamental skills for violin, viola, cello or double bass performance. Topics include: developing a characteristic tone, correct bow hold, left hand techniques, simple ensemble repertoire, and effective practice techniques. Also open to majors wishing to learn a “secondary instrument”. Materials Fee: $20.

FA/MUSI 1012/2012/3012/4012 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Guitar for Non-majors and Majors
This course explores elementary guitar performance setting for non-majors. Topics include: correct posture and hand position, basic chording skills and right hand performance techniques, introductory theory, scales, repertoire development. Also open to majors wishing to learn a “secondary instrument”. Materials Fee: $20.

FA/MUSI 1013/2013/3013/4013 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Flute for Non-majors and Majors
This course explores classical flute performance setting for non- majors in a class environment. Topics include: breath control, co-ordination skill, performance technique, introductory theory, scales, articulation studies, phrasing, repertoire development. Also open to majors wishing to learn a “secondary instrument”. Materials Fee: $20.

FA/MUSI 1014/2014/3014/4014 3.0 (Y) STUDIO: Introduction for Classical Singing for Non Majors &
Majors (non-singers)
A vocal class for non-majors who wish to explore the world of classical vocal performance. Topics include: basic technique, breathing and posture, introductory repertoire development. Open to majors who are non-singers. Prerequisite: None. Some limited ability to play piano and read music is recommended. No choral corequisite. Open to non-majors. Materials Fee: $20.

FA/MUSI 1085/2085/3085/4085 3.0 (Y): Piano for Non-majors
A piano performance class for non-majors. Topics include basic technique, skill development, introductory theory, chording, and repertoire development. Open to the York community with permission of the instructor. Prerequisite: none. Course Credit Exclusion: FA/MUSI 1080/2080/3080/4080 3.00/6.00. Materials Fee: $20.

FA/MUSI 1500 6.0: The Music of Bollywood Films
This course examines the music of Indian popular cinema (the Bollywood musical) through a detailed analysis of the genre. Prerequisite: none. This course is directed towards non-majors. Open to non-majors. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1510 6.0: The Musical Experience
This course teaches active, creative listening skills largely via an examination of the history of European “art” music from the medieval period to the present. In the process, students will learn to read music and a modicum of music theory will be introduced. In addition, the music of a number of non-European cultures will be briefly explored. Note: The course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. Although a formal background in music is not required, students will be expected to perform rhythmic and structural analyses. (May not be taken by a music major or minor). Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1520 6.0: Rhythm and Blues, Soul, Funk, and Rap
This course will explore in-depth the range of African-American popular musics that have come into existence since the end of World War II. All styles and genres will be studied from both a musicological and sociological perspective. The reading of the various texts (i.e., pieces of music) that will make up the core content of the course will be informed by such key issues as subculture, transculturation, political economy, the rise of the mass media (including music video), new technologies (including sampling), urbanization and gender. Particular attention will be paid to the interplay of both black and white and sacred and secular cultures that has so richly informed the development of much of this music. Note: This course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. No prior training in music is required. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1530 6.0: Rock and Popular Music
This course will explore in-depth the range of European- American popular musics as well as some styles of British popular music that have come into existence since the end of World War II. All styles and genres will be studied from both a musicological and sociological perspective. The reading of the various texts (i.e., pieces of music) that will make up the core content of the course will be informed by such key issues as subculture, transculturation, political economy, the rise of the mass media (including music video), new technologies (including sampling), urbanization and gender. Particular attention will be paid to the interplay of both black and white and sacred and secular cultures that has so richly informed the development of much of this music. Note: This course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. No prior training in music is required. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1540 6.0: Popular Music of the World
This course is a broad, comparative survey of the indigenous music of North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Oceania. Selected classical, folk, and popular genres from around the globe will be studied from the perspectives of varying social contexts, musical structures and performance practices. Prerequisite: None. This course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. No prior training is required. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1550 6.0: Latin and Caribbean Popular Music
This course explores the popular music styles found in Latin America (Central and South America including Brasil, Argentina, Venezuela, etc.) and the Caribbean (including Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad, etc.). Areas of musical style study will include salsa, samba, tango, bossa nova, reggae, zouk, calypso, merengue, etc. Prerequisite: None. This course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. No prior training is required. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1560 6.0: Introduction to Jazz
An introductory survey of the music and culture of jazz. Course topics will focus on repertoire recognition, historical styles and periods, and major artists. This course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. No previous musical training is required. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1570 6.0: Ska, Reggae, Dancehall
A study of the musical, historical, spiritual, cultural roots and traditions of the music of Jamaica. Topics will include: US R&B, Sound Systems, Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Roots, Toasting, Dub, Dancehall. Artists to include Owen Gray, The Maytalls, Justin Hines, Dobby Dobson, Jimmy Cliff, The Heptones, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Robbie Shakespeare, Culture, Bunny Lee, Yellowman, Supercat, Pinchers, Beenie Man, etc. This course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. No previous musical training is required. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1580 6.0: Women and Popular Music
Explores the music, lives and cultural legacy created by many of the greatest female popular music artists since the advent of recorded sound. Awareness of repertoire content, the development of thematic structures, and cultural traditions will also be examined. This course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. No previous musical training is required. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1590 6.0: Electronica, DJs and Dance-Floor Culture
Explores music and culture (from the 1980s to the present) associated with the various forms of electronic dance music that first emerged in Detroit, Chicago and New York and became the catalyst for the British rave scene. This course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. No previous musical training is required. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 1900 3.0: Music in the city
Explores the conception, production, distribution, performance, and reception of a wide variety of musical practices, including jazz, popular, western classical, and world musics. Through readings, listening examples, field trips, lectures and interviews, issues such as identity, community, diaspora, politics,industry, hybridity, technology and globalization will emerge. Theoretical work is grounded in case studies of particular performance practices, musicians, and venues in Toronto. Not open to music majors. Open to non-majors.

FA/MUSI 2520 6.0: Contemporary Black Urban Music
This course examines aspects of black urban music from circa 1985 to the present through an analysis of the musical style, culture, and social implications of a variety of genres such as rap, house, hip hop, jungle, gangsta rap, etc. Prerequisite: Musi 1520 6.0. No previous musical training is required. This course is designed for students not majoring or minoring in music. Materials Fee: $10.

FA/MUSI 2600 6.0 STUDIO: Introduction to Music Pedagogy (Primary/Junior Level)
This course serves as an introduction to prominent theories and practices of music education at the primary-junior level. Particular attention is given to the contributions of Kodaly, Orff, and Dalcroze but other relevant pedagogical strategies are also examined. Prerequisite: None. Open to majors and non- majors. No previous musical training is required.

FA/MUSI 3063 3.0 STUDIO: Jazz Vocal repertoire ensemble
Explores the work of jazz music’s most influential vocalists in the context of a small jazz ensemble. Open to all instrumentalists and vocalists, this course is intended for students who are interested in gaining experience in meeting the special requirements of a jazz vocal setting. Repertoire studied and performed will range from ‘standards’ (Gershwin, Cole Porter, et al) to more jazz-specific compositions. An audition is required for all students. Enrollment will be subject to availability determined by the instrumentation of the ensemble. Open to non-majors.

<< top of page

Theatre

Some of these classes are quite small and numbers will be limited by size of studio and pedegogical restraints.

THEA 1500 6.0: Aspects of Theatre
Designed for anyone who wants to understand the complex choices that theatre artists are faced with while creating stage productions. The course expects no prior theatre experience but students must be prepared to participate in theatre excursions, workshops and a scene study. Styles of theatre, performance basics, plus critical thinking and writing skills are central to the course. The course is aimed primarily at people who are or will become patrons of the theatre and wish to deepen their knowledge.

THEA 1520 3.0: Acting for Non-Majors
Introduces students to the following concepts: breath/ alignment/basic voice work, brief physical warm-up, group work, and improvisation; and the following technique concepts: trusting impulses, objectives, tactics, obstacles, analysis and exploration of monologues (how to prepare for a theatre audition), and journal writing. Note: Plus two rehearsal hours per week, time to be determined by individual groups.

THEA 1521 3.0: Acting for Non-Majors II
Builds on the prerequisite course THEA 1520 3.0 Acting for Non-Majors, exploring acting concepts at the intermediate level. Additionally, students will begin work on realistic scene study which will involve research, text analysis, the building of a character, as well as other process methods of rehearsal.
Pre-requisite: THEA1520 3.0

THEA 1900 3.0 Intercultural Theatre and Performance in Toronto
Introduces students to theatre practices and performance styles that reflect the diversity of Toronto’s multi-ethnic population. Students attend a variety of productions and performances outside the existing majority entertainment world, highlighting the contributions of First Nations, African-Canadian, Latino/a, South Asian and Asian-Canadian artists.

THEA 2060 3.0: Voice & Speech I
Provides an introductory course in voice and speech for effective communication. Exercises and practical applications in a variety of speaking contexts focus on vocal function, breath, resonance, articulation and coping with performance stress.

THEA 2061 3.0: Voice & Speech II
Provides the student a chance to further develop the skills introduced in THEA 2060 3.0. Prerequisite: THEA 2060 3.0.

THEA 2064 3.0: Acting Shakespeare
This is a studio course in acting for students who are not in the Department of Theatre’s BFA acting program. The purpose of the course is to help the students develop practical skills in acting Shakespeare’s language. It is recommended but not required that students have already taken THEA 1520 3.0 and/or THEA 2060 3.0.

THEA 2120 3.0: An Introduction to Costuming
Offers an introduction to costume drafting, construction and maintenance. Emphasis will be placed on the proper use of equipment and employment of techniques of costuming.

THEA 2121 3.0: Basic Costuming
Continues the work begun in THEA 2120 3.0, providing further exploration of the costuming process. It examines techniques from conception to final costume fabrication and how it can be an integral element in a theatrical production. Lectures, demonstrations, and projects will help the student develop skills in working with any aspect of theatrical costuming. Prerequisite: THEA 2120 3.0.

THEA 2141 3.0: Introduction to Design for Theatre
Introduces the basic principles of theatrical design dealing with aesthetics and the design process explored through lectures and exercises. The history of scenography and contemporary aspects of stage design is also studied.

THEA 2200 6.0: Theatrical Worlds in Transition
Building on the foundation established in Origins of Theatre (THEA 1200 6.0), this course continues to trace the evolution of theatrical style and dramatic form from a historical perspective, from the 17th to the 20th century.

THEA 2210 3.0: Ideas of Theatre
Provides a basis for continuing work in theatre studies. This course examines questions about the nature of theatre and its role in society.

THEA 2410 6.0: History of Visual Sources for Theatrical Design
Offers a survey course relating the architecture, art, clothing, interior design, and furnishings of Western civilization to the theatre. The course will also touch on the visual aspects of the theatrical styles of various periods.

THEA 2060 6.0: Putting on the Play (Summer Only)
Examines each step in putting on the play, in community/ educational settings, beginning with play selection. Pre-rehearsal interpretation, design and casting will lead to an actual production experience involving students as actors, directors, designers, and production staff.

THEA 3060 3.0 Public Speaking: Practice Makes Perfect
Examines how to prepare and practice for presentations in seminars, office, public events. Develops physical, vocal and rhetorical skills needed for public presentations.

THEA 3120 3.0: Basic Costuming II
Provides intensive application and further development of work begun in THEA 2120 3.0. The course focuses on costume drafting and construction, and proper use of equipment and materials.
Pre-requisite: 2120 3.0

THEA 3130 6.0: Lighting Design I
Introduces the theory and practical application of theatrical lighting design.

THEA 3180 3.0: Stage Management
A practicum in the art of stage management, consisting of lectures and seminars on theory, methodology and organization, focused through practical application of developed skills.

THEA 3200 3.0: Modern Theatre & Society
Examines developments in modern drama and theatre from the end of the 19th century to approximately 1980, with a concentration in second term on the emergence of theatre in Canada.

THEA 3260E 3.0: Highbrow/Lowbrow: Cultural Hierarchy & Popular Performance
Investigates the history, structure and style of popular 19th century performance genres, including but not limited to vaudeville, burlesque, circuses and freak shows, as well as more recent “genres”, including but not limited to bodybuilding, hip hop dancing and fashion shows.

THEA 3260h 3.0 Black Theatre and Performance
Explores black theatre and black performance created in the African Diaspora of North America, the Caribbean and Europe in the 20th and 21st centuries, through the examination of the influences of key artists and theorists.

THEA 3450 3.0 Theatre for Young Audiences
Offers an introductory studio course in the theory and technique of theatre for young audiences.

THEA 4200 3.0/6.0: Perspectives in Contemporary Theatre
Explores some of the innovative and challenging developments in dramatic writing and theatrical performance in the last twenty-five years, in Canada and internationally.

THEA 4270l 3.0 Shakespeare: The Authorship Question
Examines the still debated issue of Shakespearean authorship including its history, value to scholarship and a close look at the major candidates including the life of the man from Stratford himself, Will Shakespeare.

THEA 4334 6.0 Theatre of the Holocaust
Studying a range of Holocaust scripts, from adult to theatre for young audiences, we will examine contemporary issues of representation in the Fine Arts. There will be a strong educational perspective to this course, as it considers how to engage the Fine Arts in the teaching of the Holocaust, as a form for shaping memory and memorial.

THEA 4360 3.0: The Musical Theatre
Examines the evolution of America’s most enduringly popular and democratically accessible theatrical form in its historical and cultural context, together with analysis and criticism of some of its epoch- making manifestations. Prerequisite: third or fourth-year standing.

THEA 4440 6.0: Drama and Education
This course explores drama/theatre in an educational context. In addition to examining the major literature in drama in education over the past four decades, the class provides hands-on work in exploring the practical uses of drama in the classroom or in other educational environments e.g., community based.

THEA 4460 6.0: Improvisation and Playmaking
Examines the principles and techniques of making your own play through improvisation and group work (collective creation), including the adaptation of non-dramatic material for the stage. Prerequisite: third or fourth-year standing.

<< top of page

Visual Arts

FA/VISA 1000 3.0: Critical Issues In the Studio: Contemporary Art and Artists
Introduces students to visual, conceptual and theoretical language as it relates to studio practice. Ideas are examined through various disciplines such as painting, photography, sculpture and digital art. Lectures on contemporary art are supplemented by visiting artists who discuss their art work. Open to non-majors.

FA/VISA 1005 3.0: Understanding Digital Art
Offers a basic introduction to digital practices in contemporary art for non-majors. The course is offered online and combines exhibition and event visits with Web-based materials, assignments, creative projects and monitored chat discussions (at specific times). Topics include digital photography, digital Video/audio, art on the Web, etc. Not open to VISA majors or minors. Course credit exclusions: FA/VISA 1005 6.00; FA/FACS 1005 6.00.

FA/VISA 1006 3.0: The Photographic Experience
Offers an introduction to photography practices for non-majors. Basic skills are developed through lectures, tutorials, discussions and group critiques. Aspects of history and theory are explored. Camera required. Students are responsible for all costs associated with image creation and production. Course credit exclusions: FA/VISA 1006 6.00; FA/VISA 2060 6.00 (formerly FA/VISA 1060 6.00. Not open to VISA majors.

FA/VISA 1120 6.0: Introduction to Visual Culture
Explores the ways that visual images work. What do images mean? Why do they matter? Visual culture is a complex cultural phenomenon affecting how meaning is visually produced, coded and consumed in public art, media, museums, advertising, etc. The course provides an overview of recent and historical approaches to visual culture. It considers various media, contexts and periods. The course introduces students to the study of visual culture in such arenas as film and video, photography, painting and sculpture, the built environment, advertising and fashion, or contemporary arenas such as video games and the Internet. Visual Culture involves the development of a critical framework for the understanding and discussion of those aspects of culture and society which involve any type of visual media. The student will learn how to analyze visual media, interpret meanings, and gain experience in applying critical concepts to these understandings. Open to non-majors.

FA VISA 1900 3.0: Art and the City
A primarily web-based introduction to art issues, practices and research for non-visual arts majors. The focus is on urban art practices. The course considers Toronto as a microcosm of the art world through careful study of local art exhibitions, public installations, historical sites and art events. Themes include the role of artist-run centres, museums, public art projects, architecture, arts festivals and guerrilla art practices in the complex and multicultural urban art scene. Students are introduced to contemporary art practices and research methods through weekly readings, webcast lectures, online films and podcast walking tours. Learning is supported online through discussion forums lead by TAs and through short writing assignments and quizzes. Weekly topics and assignments approach learning as a cumulative act, beginning with focusing on a purely analytical approach to understanding contemporary art and expanding into an examination of how meaning is derived from institutional context, and finally on how artists, curators and writers seek to challenge the structure of traditional exhibitions. Note: Visiting art events, institutions and architecture in Toronto is essential to this course; it cannot be completed successfully without regular access to the city throughout the term.

FA/VISA 2350 6.0 Islamic Art and Architecture
Surveys Islamic art and architecture from the advent of Islam in the seventh century to the rise of Colonialism. Architecture, painting, the arts of the book, and luxury objects are considered through spiritual and intellectual values as well as socio-economic factors. Open to non-majors.

FA/VISA 2540 6.0 Medieval Art
Offers a chronological and thematic examination of architecture, painting, sculpture, stained glass and the art of church treasures, in Europe, circa 300 to 1400. Periods studied include Early Christian/ Byzantine, Early Medieval, Romanesque, and Gothic. Works are examined in their appropriate historical context with the view to understanding their meaning for contemporaries. The roles of patron and artist in the creative process are explored, and technical aspects are investigated.

FA/VISA 2620 6.0: Modern Art: 1750 to the Present
Provides a survey of modern art and Western visual culture from the mid-18th century to the present, with emphasis on European and North American developments in art and architecture.

FA/VISA 2750 6.0: Art of North America
Surveys North American art from earliest creative activity until the late 19th Century, beginning with Indigenous cultures and moving to issues arising in colonial contexts of conquest, colonization and the construction of national identities in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Open to Non-Majors.

FA/VISA 3310 3.0: Art Criticism
Introduces the principles of art criticism: the range of questions it asks, the procedures used to answer them, and the assumptions underlying critical practice. Students read theory, examples of critical writings, and write their own criticism. Prerequisite: One of FA/VISA 1110 6.00, FA/VISA 2340 6.00 or FA/VISA 2620 6.00 or permission of the course director.

FA/VISA 3345 3.0: Visual Culture of Modern Asia
Examines visual culture throughout modern Asia, building a framework for understanding artistic and cultural activities in the 20th century in their historical and social context. Explores visual and built environments including art works, exhibitions, literature, popular culture and events. Open to non-majors.

FA/VISA 3350c 3.0 History of Indigenous North American Art
Surveys the Indigenous art of North America from the earliest known forms of visual expression to the present. Art works are considered within larger cultural and political contexts, including the impact of (and resistance to) colonialism. Problems of historical knowledge are also introduced, raising questions about representation in contexts such as the museum, historical texts and Indigenous oral traditions. Prerequisite: a 2000 level survey course in Art History. Course credit exclusion: FA/VISA 3350C 3.00 prior to 2006.

FA/VISA 3540D 3.0 Contemporary Aboriginal Art
Offers a survey on the artistic traditions of the woodlands and eastern Canada enhances an understanding of the artistic expression of this region and provides a foundation for an appreciation of contemporary issues such as appropriation, personal and cultural identity. The economic, social and political influences and the environment in which contemporary North American native art is created, disseminated and exhibited is explored. Historical regional and contemporary styles as well as the work of individual artists are also examined. Prerequisite: A 2000-level survey course in art history. Course credit exclusion: FA/VISA 3350D 3.00 prior to 2006.

FA/VISA 3611 3.0: Curatorial Studies
Examines the medium of exhibition, particularly how the placement of artifacts creates specific aesthetic, semiotic and ideological contexts. Topics explore the display practices of curators, artists, interpreters, designers, collectors, and dealers. Consideration is given to how the arrangement of exhibitions determines the conceptual and ontological experience of art. Analysis includes a wide range of display forms including museums, galleries, artist- run centres, virtual exhibitions, as well as site specific installations by artists and curators. Readings drawn from the burgeoning interdisciplinary literature centred on exhibitions. Participants are invited to undertake research on particular exhibition sites and present their findings to the class. The objectives of this course is to give a comprehensive overview of how exhibitions are formulated and presented, to develop a critical understanding of the specificities of exhibition discourse, and to introduce a range of methodologies used in developing exhibitions. Open to non-majors.

FA/VISA 3620A 3.0: Realism and Impressionism
Offers a study of Realism and Impressionism in Europe between the 1830s and the 1880s. Realism is examined as a series of linked but differing concepts of art involving artists throughout Europe including Scandinavia and the Russian Empire. Emphasis is placed on the importance of prints and illustrated magazines in the formation of Realism. The study of Impressionism focuses on the French movement. There is also a concluding analysis of the contribution of Impressionism to Post-Impressionism. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 2620 6.00 or permission of the department.

FA/VISA 3620B 3.0: Romantic Art
Explores the relationship between Romantic art and the modern condition of revolution, industrialization, urbanization, and colonial expansion in Europe from the late-18th through the mid- 19th centuries. Students develop an understanding of the place of Romanticism in Western art history. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 2620 6.00 or permission of the course director.

FA/VISA 3620c 3.0 Middle East and Modern Art
Examines modern art from several countries of the Middle East, including Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq. Topics include Muslim/Judaic iconoclasms, decoration, art markets, traditional formats, gender, art as socio-political instrument.

A range of media, including video, film and performance arts. Prerequisite: 3rd or 4th year standing. Open to non-majors.

FA/VISA 3622 3.0 German Art and Visual Culture in the 20th Century
Examines art and visual culture in Germany, first dealing with the historical development of avant-garde movements and then a range of significant postwar artistic tendencies before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Subjects considered may include German Expressionist art and film (Die Brücke, Der Blaue Reiter, Fritz Lang), the Bauhaus, Nazi censorship and the “Degenerate Art” exhibition, the films of Leni Riefenstahl, the Dusseldorf School of photography (Bernd and Hilla Becher, Thomas Ruff, Andreas Gursky, etc.), feminist art, the paintings of Gerhard Richter and Martin Kippenberger, among others. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 2620 6.0.

FA/VISA 3680C 3.0 Abstract Expressionists and European Contemporaries
The first half, or more, of the course covers the so called Abstract Expressionist painters and sculptors who brought the New York School to world prominence in the 1940s and 1950s. It considers not only their work, but also their spiritual ambitions, the artistic theories they developed, the schools they operated, their relationship with their dealers and the art audience, and their political concerns during the Second World War. The latter portion deals with European artists contemporaneous with the New York School, especially the “Cobra” group, artists using new materials in Italy and Spain, and a new generation in Paris. Throughout there will be considerable emphasis on the studio practices of the various artists: how they chose their subjects, their painting techniques, their efforts to redefine artistic traditions etc. Prerequisite: FA/ VISA2620 6.00.

FA/VISA 3680D 3.0: Canadian Art Outside Quebec: 1940-1980
Offers a consideration of such major movements in Canada as Painters Eleven (Jack Bush, Jock Macdonald), the Artists’‘ Jazz Band (Michael Snow, Graham Coughtry), first-generation feminism (Joyce Wieland), London nationalism (Jack Chambers, John Boyle), Atlantic regionalism (Alex Colville, Christopher Pratt), the Regina Five and the revival of Native Peoples’ art. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 2620 6.00.

FA/VISA 3680N 3.0: Art, Politics and Society
Clarifies the functions of art within society at key moments in the twentieth century which marked the relationship of art and ideology in both the western and Asian worlds. The course may focus on Western or Asian topics. Pre-requisite: FA/VISA 2620 6.0.

FA/VISA 3680P 3.0: Rothko and Company: Modern Jewish Art
Explores Jewish visual culture after the 18th century on, with emphasis on modern and contemporary work. Among issues discussed: the Second Commandment and iconoclasm, Jewish art in Diaspora, Buber and national Jewish art, picturing the New Jew, Holocaust imagery, art in Israel. Prerequisite: 3rd and 4th year standing.

FA/VISA 3690 3.0: Theoretical Issues in Contemporary Art
Offers an introduction to major theoretical issues surrounding the practice and criticism of contemporary art include feminism, psychoanalysis, simulation theory, institutional critique, post- colonial theories of ethnicity, elite and popular cultures, and issues of site-specific, public, political and digital art. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 2680 3.00 or permission of instructor. Course credit exclusion: FA/ VISA 3800C 3.00.

FA/VISA 3710 6.0: Memory and Place
How do places contribute to shaping memory? What is it about objects, art and architecture, for example, that seem to “capture” memory? Why are certain places meaningful and others less so? This course explores objects and ideas all the while embedded in history to better formulate a notion of the power of place and its relationship to memory.

FA/VISA 3740 3.0: 20th Century Canadian Art
Investigates 20th century Canadian arts in the social and political contexts of race and ethnicity, gender, national identity. The course considers the social position of the artist, genres (fine art/ craft/folk art), art markets and patrons and the development of arts institutions. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 1110 6.00 or FA/VISA 2620 6.00 or FA/VISA 2740 3.00. Course credit exclusion: FA/VISA 3720 6.00.

FA/VISA 4581 3.0: Artisan to Artist: Italian Renaissance
Explores how the Italian Renaissance and Baroque artist changed from artisan to practitioner of the fine arts. Considers the processes of ideation, preparation and execution of works and the means developed to solve complex artistic and iconographic problems. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 2560 6.00. Open to non-majors.

FA/VISA 4610 3.0: Senses in Art
Examines the senses in the experience and production of art, with an emphasis on the senses beyond vision—taste, touch, smell, and hearing—in art and aesthetic experience. Explores how the senses are a prominent factor in contemporary artworks that involve spectators physically, focus on the body, and use new technologies to create distinct perceptual experiences. Considers the regime of visuality and the hierarchy of the senses, the allegorical representation of the senses in art history, and the emergent activation of the non-visual senses in contemporary art practice. Topics will focus on the cultural politics of the senses in art, with focused case studies on art and taste, art and touch, art and smell, audio art and synaesthetic art. The objectives of this course are 1) to introduce students to the impact of the senses. in art practice with reference to specific works of art ; 2) to study the cultural politics of sensorial mediation; 3) to develop a critical understanding of non-visual aesthetics. Open to non-majors.

FA/VISA 4620A 3.0: European Art Between Two World Wars
Examines a number of themes which dominate this period: the political—Nazi and Soviet dictatorships with their government- imposed art programs and their destruction of modern art; the social—attempts to build a better world through a better environment (Constructivists, Bauhaus, de Stijl etc.) as well as attempts to create a better society by changing the people; Surrealism Sculpture—the flowering of modern sculpture. There are other themes as well, also photography, and photographs and films by artists. Prerequisite: FA/ VISA 2620 6.00 or permission of the course director.

FA/VISA 4630 3.0: Art Crimes
Examines a range of modern era art crimes to understand how and why art is invested with material and cultural significance. Topics include museum thefts, vandalism, looting, smuggling, fraud and forgeries. Analyzes the negotiations through which some activities in the art world are criminalized while others are deemed unethical but legal and how and why these distinctions change with historical circumstance. Considers the representation of art crimes in popular culture. Studies specific case studies (such as Nazi looting or smuggling through the Getty Museum) from a contextual perspective to consider both the motives that brought them about and the ramifications they leave behind. Examines the methodologies used to research and sometimes solve these crimes. Open to non-majors.

FA/VISA 4640B 3.0: Contemporary Sculpture
Examines the development in contemporary sculpture from 1980 to the present, within both a theoretical and historical context. Initial seminars successively examine questions concerning the traditional public monument, modernist sculpture and problems of theoretical definition. The principle focus, however, is on sculpture in the past fifteen years. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 2620 6.00 or permission of the course director.

FA/VISA 4640C 3.0: Contemporary Art and Surrealism
Focuses on the art of the 1990s. In exploring this period, major emphasis is placed on the resurgence of Surrealist strategies in recent practice. A central theme involves the complex interplay between theory and practice within contemporary art of the last 10 years. In this vein, theories such as Kristeva’‘s concept of the abject, Bataille’‘s notion of the formless, Freud’‘s categories of the uncanny and the death drive, and Lacan’‘s problematic of the real receive close attention. Revisionist interpretations of Surrealism itself by contemporary critics such as Yve-Alain Bois, Whitney Chadwick, Hal Foster, Rosalind Krauss and others are extensively discussed. Rachel Whiteread, Jimmie Durham, Mona Hatoum, Gary Hill and Sarah Luca are among the contemporary artists whose work is considered. Prerequisites: FA/VISA 2620 6.00 and preferably a second course in 19th- or 20th-century art, or permission of the course director.

FA/VISA 4660 3.0: Dada and Neo Dada
Focuses on the art of the 1990s. In exploring this period, major emphasis is placed on the resurgence of Surrealist strategies in recent practice. A central theme involves the complex interplay between theory and practice within contemporary art of the last 10 years. In this vein, theories such as Kristeva’‘s concept of the abject, Bataille’‘s notion of the formless, Freud’‘s categories of the uncanny and the death drive, and Lacan’‘s problematic of the real receive close attention. Revisionist interpretations of Surrealism itself by contemporary critics such as Yve-Alain Bois, Whitney Chadwick, Hal Foster, Rosalind Krauss and others are extensively discussed. Rachel Whiteread, Jimmie Durham, Mona Hatoum, Gary Hill and Sarah Luca are among the contemporary artists whose work is considered. Prerequisites: FA/VISA 2620 6.00 and preferably a second course in 19th- or 20th-century art, or permission of the course director.

FA/VISA 4720H 3.0: Canadian Architecture 1870–1900
An examination of the theory, structure, form, function, iconography and development of architecture in Canada circa 1870–1900. Chronological and thematic approaches are used. Emphasis is placed on architectural-historical methodologies and on skills necessary for original research into specific buildings and/ or architects. Student projects are designed to hone these research skills. Walking tours of Toronto and a visit to Guelph, Galt and Paris are an integral part of the course. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 1110 6.00 or FA/VISA 2110 6.00 or FA/VISA 2620 6.00, or permission of the course director. Course credit exclusion: FA/VISA 4720E 3.00.

FA/VISA 4720J 3.0: Stained Glass in Canadian Architecture
Explores architectural stained glass, both imported and Canadian- produced, for sites in Canada from ca. 1860 to the present, from the viewpoint of context, material, technique, iconography, and style. Covers the output of commercial studios and independent artists. FA/VISA 1110 6.00, 4th year standing.

FA/VISA 4800J 3.0: Photography in Contemporary Art
In any given year, one or more courses directly related to the study of art history or theory may be offered. Prerequisite: FA/VISA 3690 3.00 (formerly FA/VISA 3800C 3.00) or permission of the course director.

FA/VISA 4950 3.0: History of Houses in Western Architecture
Examines the history of houses from Greek times to the present at all social levels and domestic arrangements, including principles of interior decoration and domestic landscaping. Special emphasis is placed on class, gender and environment in the evolution and standardization of domestic design. Prerequisite: 1000- or 2000-level course in FA/VISA, FA/FACS or AP/HUMA.