Music, Theatre and Dance

This experiential workshop will provide an overview of the mechanics of music therapy and demonstrate how lives can be enhanced through music/brain connections. The many ways that music can be adapted for a variety of populations across the lifespan will be explored.

A course designed to develop a deeper understanding of music. This course explores two essential questions: what is music made of? And what does music do? No musical background required. Open to students whose only experience with music is as a listener.

Vocal class instruction is designed to introduce students with little or no experience to the fundamentals of voice or an instrument. Open to all students. No audition is required.

Instrumental and vocal class instruction is designed to introduce students with little or no experience to the fundamentals of voice or an instrument. Open to all students. No audition is required.

Instrumental and vocal class instruction is designed to introduce students with little or no experience to the fundamentals of voice or an instrument. Open to all students. No audition is required. Students must bring their own instruments. Instrument availability is limited. Rental information is available.

This course is designed to provide students studying for the teaching profession with the knowledge of rudiments and mechanics on families of instruments as well as voice. Observation and practice of pedagogical methods in K-12 schools are integral to the instrumental/vocal methods curriculum.

This course is designed to provide students studying for the teaching profession with the knowledge of rudiments and mechanics on families of instruments as well as voice. Observation and practice of pedagogical methods in K-12 schools are integral to the instrumental/vocal methods curriculum.

This course is designed to provide students studying for the teaching profession with the knowledge of rudiments and mechanics on families of instruments as well as voice. Observation and practice of pedagogical methods in K-12 schools are integral to the instrumental/vocal methods curriculum.

This course is designed to provide students studying for the teaching profession with the knowledge of rudiments and mechanics on families of instruments as well as voice. Observation and practice of pedagogical methods in K-12 schools are integral to the instrumental/vocal methods curriculum.

The purpose of this course will focus on developing proficiency in using the International Phonetic Alphabet. Students will learn the proper articulation of language sounds in English, Italian, French and German, be able to recognize these sounds aurally and transcribe them into IPA. Through the study of song texts, students will develop the capacity to choose the correct sounds based on an understanding of the standard rules of diction in each language. Listening skills will also be emphasized. Students will develop an awareness of stylistic nuance and interpretation by listening to examples of standard solo vocal literature from Renaissance through contemporary time periods.

A practical study of harmony, melody, rhythm, and meter. A course designed to improve a student's musicianship through ear-training, sight-singing and dictation. Work in composition.

A continuation of MSC 211 Musicianship I.

An overview of the major developments of music in the United States and the Americas. Topics may include American Musical Theater, Music and Politics, Black American Music.

Designed for music majors and non-majors with experience in reading music, this course is a study of Western European music from the earliest known examples to Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750); with consideration of the cultural and political background in which this music was written. The Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods are covered.

Designed for music majors and non-majors with experience in reading music, this course surveys classical, romantic, and modern music; with consideration of the cultural and political background in which this music was written. The history of musical styles from the last days of J. S. Bach to the rock phenomenon is covered.

The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the philosophies, practices and methods of teaching classroom music from preschool through the elementary grades. Students will gain practical experience through classroom participation, field observations and visits to local elementary schools. Research and class participation will provide students with a strong foundation in state and national standards, curriculum, curriculum design and classroom management skills.

The goal of this course is to develop student's knowledge of the philosophies, practices and methods of teaching instrumental playing in the elementary grades through grade 12. Students gain practical experience through classroom participation, field observation and visits to local elementary, middle and high schools. Research provides students with a strong foundation in state and national standards, curriculum design and in rehearsal/classroom management skills.

The goal of this course is to develop students. knowledge of the philosophies. practices and methods of teaching singing in the elementary grades through grade 12. Work in vocal pedagogy and group vocal technique across musical styles. Students gain practical experience through classroom participation, field observations and visits to local elementary, middle and high schools. Research provides students with a strong foundation in state and national standards, curriculum design, and in rehearsal/classroom management skills.

Advanced harmony, melodic and rhythmic training for the music major; chromaticism; work in composition with notation software and digital audio workstation.

A study of musical structures across genres, including symphonic forms, folkloric music and American musical styles including blues, jazz, and other popular song forms.

Special Topics courses are offered to supplement the educational experience with unique courses that are not part of the normal course offerings.

A music major/minor senior year recital or thesis on major instrument. This course is required for music majors.

This course is a study in techniques for orchestra, symphonic band, jazz ensemble, chamber and choral ensembles. Instruction is included in idiomatic writing for instruments and score reading.

This course is a study in the various styles and techniques of musical composition, culminating in the final project which is an original student work. Departmental approval is required.

A study of ensemble leadership and rehearsal techniques for directing vocal and instrumental ensembles. lncludes experience in score reading, repertoire selection, conducting, error detection, and culturally responsive teaching. Departmental approval is required.

A seminar designed to guide students through the student teaching experience by assisting in the refinement of teaching practices at both the elementary and high school placement. Students will prepare a portfolio necessary for recommendation to the Rhode Island Department of Education for initial licensure. Senior academic standing in the Music Education Program.

This course provides a 60-hour practicum experience prior to student teaching. Experience in the classroom is critical to the professional development of teachers. The overall goal of this course is to help the teacher education candidate integrate formal course work, educational theory, and the professional Teaching Standards with real teaching experiences in his or her discipline. The practicum provides an opportunity for the teacher education candidate to become familiar with the cooperating teacher, the students, the classroom environment, and school policies prior to the student teaching experience. Students will apply teaching skills specifically to their content area and develop a unit of study to implement during the student teaching experience. The practicum seminar is a discipline-specific teaching course. This course will also address the candidates' concerns regarding school policies and procedures, lesson planning and classroom management.

This 15-week experience is a full-time assignment under the supervision of a cooperating teacher and a university supervisor. Opportunities are provided for considerable responsibility within the full range of teaching duties at both the elementary and secondary level. During this time, the experience component continues to be balanced by periods of analysis and evaluation of the teaching-learning process in a weekly seminar, as well as in individualized conferences with the cooperating teacher and university supervisor. Candidates will produce a licensure portfolio by the end of the semester and will be interviewed for recommendation for initial licensure. Acceptance to Student Teaching is required.

This course is an integration of the knowledge and skills that students have developed as music majors, along with what they have learned in other courses in the humanities, and that which they have experienced through study abroad and community service. Students will explore the role of music in western and non-western societies through research methodologies, class presentations and in writing.

Placement in a professional environment in music. Can include, but not limited to studio recording, radio, and music business. Placement is for one semester, and a journal and final paper are required.

Supervised study. Advanced work in music.

Individual lessons in voice.

Individual lessons on piano.

Individual lessons on guitar.

Individual lessons on flute.

Individual lessons on clarinet.

Individual lessons on oboe.

Individual lessons on bassoon.

Individual lessons on saxophone.

Individual lessons on violin.

Individual lessons on viola.

Individual lessons on 'cello.

Individual lessons on bass.

Individual lessons on trumpet.

Individual lessons on French horn.

Individual lessons on trombone.

Individual lessons on tuba.

Individual lessons on percussion and drums.

Individual lessons on organ.

A diverse group of singers, this course is open to all students at the University. Musical selections include traditional as well as lesser known works in a variety of styles ranging from classical to contemporary. No audition required.

This workshop presents a musical approach to help prepare students for work on the concert and musical theater stage. Emphasis is on practice techniques for effective interpretation of scenes involving constant or intermittent singing. Includes preparation of group scenes, research on selected scenes and discussion of audition and concert-style techniques. Final public performance of prepared scenes is required.

Provides performing experience with a percussion ensemble. Open to all students. Interview required.

Provides performing experience with a jazz combo. Open to all students. Interview required.

Provides performing experience in a full jazz ensemble. Open to all students. Interview required.

Exploration and performance of music of the rhythm and blues genre in an ensemble setting. Interview required.

Rehearsal and performance of symphonic band and wind ensemble repertoire. Open to all students. Interview required.

Exploration and performance of repertoire composed for multiple guitars in an ensemble setting. Interview required.

Chamber ensemble for woodwind instruments. Interview required.

Exploration and performance of repertoire composed for multiple flutes in an ensemble setting. Interview required.

Exploration and performance of repertoire composed for brass in an ensemble setting. Interview required.

Exploration and performance of chamber repertoire composed for mixed instruments in an ensemble setting. Interview required.

Rehearsal and performance of repertoire for orchestral ensemble. Open to all students. Interview required.

A small group of experienced singers who perform literature of the 15th and 16th centuries, as well as contemporary works, jazz and popular arrangements. Interview required.

A small group of singers exploring, through performance, the uniquely American art form of jazz and popular music, including its stylistic differences and modern harmonies. Audition required.

Students will read contemporary Broadway and Off-Broadway scripts. Productions will be discussed through videos, visiting lectures and field trips.

In this class students will learn the foundational tenets of the acting profession, including physical movement, monologue performance, audition preparation, scene study, and improvisation. Through the embodied practices of training the actor's instrument, empathetically stepping into a dramatic role, and watching the classwork of peers, students will gain a perspective of the human experience not only vital to the world of theatre and performance, but to their own personal lived reality as well.

A survey of dramatic literature, theatrical history, and performance styles from Asia, Africa, Latin and South America as a reflection of cultural and societal issues of politics, ethnicity, gender, religion, and identity. Beginning with the classical theatres of India, Japan, and China, the course examines trends and developments progressing up to the present day and analyzes cross-cultural influences affecting contemporary African American, Asian American, and Hispanic American playwrights. Students learn how culture influences creativity and how social dramas are lived in their own cultures every day.

This important class breaks down the art of auditioning for traditional theatre, musical theatre, and film. Students will learn how to prepare their best audition, create a repertoire of monologues and songs, stand out at cold readings, and memorize for a film audition. Students will also learn what the director's role is during an audition and how to cast the strongest person for the role.

This is a practical foundation course in stage technology, lighting sound and scenery. The course is designed as a studio course in which students work on individual projects and as crew for the semester's scheduled productions.

In this practicum, students will learn how to build different types of masks for actors' usage on stage. The course will take students through the use of masks, the art of character inspiration, mold, design, construction, and painting.

This course introduces students to Laban movement analysis and the fundamentals of movement and Linklater voice training for dance and theatre. Students gain skills to improve their physical awareness, body alignment, and movement and vocal range. By participating in studio explorations and solo performances, students are introduced to principles of physical performance, character transformation, and ensemble kinetic relationships.

Learning to be fully in the body while acting is essential and this class trains students to tell a story through physicality. Methods in this class will be rooted in clowning, Japanese Noh and Kabuki, African dance ritual, mask work, and Viewpoints. Students will present scenes and performances developed through these practices.

Students will learn the craft of theatrical stage management including Actor's Equity standards. Crew work on department productions is required.

The class offers students an introduction to the history of African American theatre, from the nineteenth century to the modern day, with a focus on how playwrights have evolved the dramatic form and claimed control of their identities to speak to Black lives, cultures, and histories. Performance is a form of self expression and it is also a means by which African Americans have generated and transmitted political analysis, shared knowledge and wisdom, organized communities, and galvanized resistance. Students will engage with a wide range of performance styles, from dramatic texts and films to manifestos, live theatre, music, dance, and spoken word, in an effort to promote a deeper understanding of what it means to be Black in America.

How do people perform gender? How has sexuality and expression found their homes in art forms like theatre? How have art forms like theatre and film addressed constraints and celebrations of gender and sexuality? What is theatre's role in facilitating dialogue about important topics like gender and sexuality? This course will seek to create conversations from these questions as prompts. Students will watch key films and read plays about important historical moments within larger political spheres about LGTBQ+ rights, feminism, and intersectionality. This class is meant to be a mode into conversation about these topics via theatre and performance and offers a way of viewing gender and sexuality through the lens of performance studies.

This course introduces the student to the basic concepts of makeup as an illusionary technique in the performing arts. A combination of character study, painting, lighting, and three-dimensional form as it applies to facial anatomy will be emphasized. An historical perspective of makeup styles and fashions will also be studied. Students will be required to work as makeup crew on the semester's scheduled productions. Enrollment limited to 12 students. Lab hours required.

Students create weekly 10-minute plays through in-class exercises. Work is read aloud and developed in longer scripts over the semester. The course culminates in an open reading of student plays.

Students will learn how to evaluate a script as preparation for production as actors, directors and designers. Selected plays from classical to contemporary will be studied as well as new work.

This course studies academic and applied concepts of art with respect to the basic principles of art as they apply to design. Emphasis on the application of the fundamental principles of artistic design including form, line, contrast and color in a two dimensional medium.

Theatre and Community Engagement Students will explore theatre community engagement practices and products such as those developed by Robbie McCauley, Anna Deavere Smith, Augusto Boal, True Story Theatre and Tectonic Theatre Company; students will put this work into action with a community partner. Using additional ethnographic practices such as interviews, research, and field notes, students will gain critical skills of community engagement through hands-on application of important techniques. Applying Salve's mission of mercy to the work, students will learn how theatre can be of service to a community by asking what the community needs most and then applying their engagement skills to meet those needs. The semester ends with a public presentation of the work for the Salve and partnering communities. This course is for Theater and Dance majors and minors only.

Using the connection between writing and speaking, this course provides an introduction to informative and persuasive speech. Basic vocal training is covered. Students research, create and organize presentations using multi-media. This is a course for non-majors.

This course will cover the fundamental techniques of stage combat including hand-to-hand, single blade, rapier-dagger, broadsword and found-object weapons. Historical context and the history of personal combat will be covered. In addition, slapstick comedy, basic tumbling and elementary juggling will be introduced. Special attention will be paid to the unique acting and directing problems presented by stage combat.

This course introduces the student to the techniques used by stage designers during the design process. Emphasis on drafting, drawing and rendering techniques as they apply to the design process.

In this class, students will focus their acting skills on the playwrights and theorists who worked within the realism genre as they symbiotically developed realistic acting methods. Students will study the theories and practices of Stanislavsky while working on scenes from Anton Chekhov and Henrik Ibsen; Strasberg and Hagen while working on scenes by Lillian Heitman, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller; and explore contemporary plays while applying Meisner and Chaikin.

Students will learn the foundational techniques for both areas of costume and props design including for costumes: color palettes, construction materials, silhouette, sewing, and fit; for props: designing a list, creating the acquisition plan, construction materials, and fit for concept. Students will work on the current production alongside the class.

Students in this course will create a theatre piece and perform it for young audiences. The history and theory of children's theatre will also be studied. Videos, visiting lectures and field trips. Enrollment limited to 16 students.

In this class, students experience directing scripted scenes and short plays. Students will act as director for a full production team by creating and articulating a concept, holding auditions, developing a rehearsal schedule and finally, mounting a full production of an excerpt of a play. Students create a director's notebook and present their final project to an audience. Extensive time outside of class is required for rehearsals, tech and performance. Enrollment limited to 8 students.

All theatre arts majors are encouraged to participate in theatre productions on a regular basis. Those concentrating in tech are required to apply their classroom skills to at least one production in a leadership role. This may be in overseeing props, acting as stage manager or assistant stage manager, or in designing one of the major technical elements (lighting, set, costumes, hair and makeup). Students taking this course as an acting concentration major should be prepared to keep an ongoing journal (turned in a designated times) of the experience. Students may take this course more than once.

Development of fundamental acting skills using the work of Spolin, Johnstone, Del Close and others will be used as a springboard to practice improvisational comedy technique in both short and long form. Students will have performance opportunities during the semester. Extensive rehearsal time outside of class is required.

This course uses major writings in dramatic criticism to address how a production's concept reflects the historical, social and aesthetic background of the play. Theories of dramatic art and performance will also be studied. Videos, visiting lectures and field trips.

Topics range from innovative ways of studying and viewing theatre like Theatre and Ecology, Women Playwrights, Performance Studies to special training skills in theatre like Scriptwriting, Theatre for Youth and Children, and Dramaturgy. This course is meant to respond to students' needs and the current climate.

The performance skills of acting, voice and dance will be integrated and displayed by the student in the departmental musical production. Extensive time outside of class is required for rehearsals, tech and performances. By audition or permission of instructor is required.

The art of acting in front of a camera is very different than acting on stage. Students will learn techniques that include navigating the camera, speaking with no lines, handling props for a screen, acting with no scene partner all while they perform in commercials, short television screens, and films. In addition, students will study the business side of film and television, from working with an agent to auditions and casting to creating a film reel and resume.

Students focus on how to be themselves alone on stage and entertain an audience with stories about their lives. Stand-up comedy has been described as therapy for the comedian as it allows the artist to share with strangers what they're going through and how they've coped. Storytelling is inherent in stand-up and as a solo performance act is fast becoming recognized as its own legitimate art form. Both will be explored in this course.

This class is geared heavily toward juniors and seniors who are getting ready to enter the workforce. The career of a professional theatre artist is discussed including auditioning, portfolios, interviews and resumes. Students prepare an audition book or portfolio for a career position, develop an online presence, and interview for a relevant job.

Students will delve deeper into scenic design by creating a draft and model of a set and will be introduced to theatre lighting concepts such as color palette, instruments, hang and focus, programming and design.

Students will spend the semester researching, planning, and preparing for their capstone project.

Senior theatre students will produce a public final creative project that shows their skills as a theatre artist in the way they wish to be seen by the professional world. This could include directing a short play, writing a play and presenting a reading, working on a community engagement project, acting a desired role, and much more.

At least 100 hours are spent with a company or theatre in the United States where students attend rehearsals, observe professionals at work and work in the area of their focus. The course requires submission of a detailed journal and a major paper. Residencies must be approved by the head of the Theatre Arts program. Completion of five courses in theatre, recommendation of the supervising faculty member, permission of the participating organization.

Course work arranged for majors to pursue avenues of learning outside the existing offerings of the department.

This workshop is designed for students to study at an advanced level with an artist who will teach a specific style of technique and choreography.

Introduction to the varied roles dance, dancers, and audiences play in society. While considering a broad range of concert and social dance practices, students will examine aesthetic ideologies in their historical and cultural contexts. Through watching, reading, and discussion, students will investigate how dance functions in relationship to and with gender, class, age, ability, and sexuality. This is a lecture class and requires attendance at an on-campus performance.

The emphasis of this class will be directed toward learning and developing both technical skills and aesthetic sensibilities at a foundational level. The fundamentals of modern and/or contemporary dance technique will be stressed along with rhythmic proficiency, breath, performance, and artistry. Movement quality, energy and rhythm will be explored while working toward increased strength and flexibility.

Students will develop a foundation in ballet technique and knowledge of classical movement vocabulary. Each class will emphasize anatomically sound technique in relationship to each individual's physical facility. Dancers in this class will practice the fundamental exercises that comprise ballet barre and center floor combinations with attention to musicality, expressive phrasing and movement efficiency.

Tap dance is simultaneously music and movement. This technique course draws on a diversity of approaches to integrate these two elements. The emphasis will be on establishing a strong technical foundation of vocabulary, execution, clarity, and musicality in order to work creatively and freely within the form. Consequently, we will work to create tools to improve ourselves as capable, versatile, complete dancers and people. Individual expression amidst an environment of collective participation is the heart and history of tap dance. This course aims to foster development as strong, well-rounded, creative, and thoughtful tap dancers by dancing in relationship to others. Tap shoes are required.

This course is designed to introduce the student to a variety of musical theatre styles and techniques, from classic to contemporary. The foundation of the class will be jazz dance technique with an emphasis on style and expression. Workshops on auditioning and basic tap technique will be taught.

Introduction to the history and practice of hip hop, street dance, and other related social dance styles while examining the historical and cultural contexts of the form.

This course offers holistic approaches for physical health through the use of somatic methods that relate to dance technique and dancers' bodies. Strength, flexibility, and endurance will be emphasized while practicing physical conditioning. Principals of alignment, nutrition and cross training will be integrated into each class. Dance experience is not a requirement for this class.

Introduces a variety of social and vernacular dance steps in their cultural contexts. Incorporates lead and follow skills, musicality, basic patterns and variations on timing, technique and style. Beginners welcome. No partner necessary.

This course is designed for students to explore theatrical jazz dance styles. Specific attention will be given to the embodiment of Africanist aesthetics including individuality, improvisation, polyrhythms, groundedness and syncopation while recognizing the codified shapes and lines that are distinctive to classical jazz styles. Jazz energy will be explored through improvisation and choreography in relationship with music. Readings and self-reflection are required in addition to full participation in the studio.

Jazz dance, rooted in African American people, community, and culture, has evolved as a reflection of American society and popular culture. Through movement, video viewing readings, and discussion, students will trace the vernacular jazz continuum from its roots in West Africa to today while identifying the impacts of White privilege and power on a Black American form. By prioritizing rhythm, groove, and community as core to the jazz aesthetic, students will develop a heightened sense of rhythm, musicality, and individuality within the community. Historical, social, and cultural contexts will provide the foundation for understanding the ways Africanist aesthetics and African American culture shape American culture, including jazz, but are often invisible.

The emphasis of this class will be directed toward learning and developing both technical skills and aesthetic sensibilities at a moderately sophisticated level. The fundamentals of contemporary dance technique will be stressed along with rhythmic proficiency, performance, and artistry. Movement quality, energy and rhythm will be explored while working toward increased strength and flexibility.

This course is designed for students to learn and develop both ballet technique and aesthetic sensibilities at an intermediate level. Each class will emphasize anatomically sound technique in relationship to each individual's physical facility. Dancers in this class will practice barre work and center work with an emphasis on musicality, expressive phrasing and movement efficiency.

Explore contemporary and traditional styles, rhythms and techniques from West African cultures and the African diaspora. Introduces students to the fundamental movements and aesthetics in relation to their specific cultural context. Readings and video viewing will supplement studio exploration.

Investigates jazz styles that begin with a grounded body and generate movement and rhythm from the inside-out. Students will develop an understanding of the social and kinetic elements of West African dance, African-American vernacular dance and jazz dance. Complex rhythmic work, energy, groove and personal style will be emphasized in relationship to jazz and jazz-influenced music. Studio work will be supplemented with readings, video viewing and discussion.

Students will study dancers, dance works and dance literature to uncover the histories of a variety of dance styles: dances of the African diaspora, jazz, modern, ballet and social dance. Content decentralizes dominant Eurocentric perspectives to take a nuanced look at the multiple histories present in the American narrative, and the confluence of styles emergent in American dancing bodies.

This course is designed to create innovative opportunities through dance and other artistic modalities for community, civic, and social engagement. Students will sharpen their artistic voice for social change alongside the long-term goal of incubating the next generation of socially engaged dance artists. Each cohort will look at taking dance beyond the concert dance stage to foster community dialogue, bring awareness to issues of global significance, and demand visibility for communities who have historically been overlooked.

This course is designed for students to explore contemporary jazz styles that blend elements across genres and cultures while rooted in Africanist aesthetics. Styles will be taught in relationship to a variety of music styles. Jazz energy will be emphasized along with individuality within the community, personal style, groundedness and polyrhythms. Readings and self-reflection are required in addition to full participation in the studio.

Students in Extensions Dance Company enroll in this course to supplement their training with an advanced level technique class. The style is to be determined by the instructor. By audition only.

This course will focus on a specific style or topic not already included in the course catalog.

Students will examine and practice creative approaches for communicating through dance as a language. Readings, journaling and movement explorations will encourage students to identify sources of inspiration and to develop and revise original choreographic phrases by exploring elements of time, space and energy. Peer feedback will be central to the class experience, allowing students to engage in and interpret the work of their classmates while simultaneously developing the tools to more effectively communicate through dance. Permission of instructor is required.

This course is designed for students who have completed DNC-400 to further investigate their choreographic voice and continue on their artistic journey. Students enrolled in this course will create an original concert dance piece for the Student Choreography Showcase. You will have the creative freedom to choreograph in any style through a process of regular rehearsals with a chosen cast of dancers, collaboration with peer choreographers, and mentorship from a faculty member, culminating in a shared concert on campus. Permission of instructor is required.

Senior dance majors work independently and within their cohort to develop a culminating project that balances artistic and written scholarship. Students will position jazz dance performance, choreography, and/or pedagogy in historical, social and aesthetic contexts with an original point of view that demonstrates a nuanced understanding of jazz in relationship to one's own identity and culture.