Special Topics is designed to provide a window into European art music ("classical music") for musicians who want to expand their understanding and knowledge of the music of the giants of this repertoire. Each semester, the course is shaped to suit the interests and background of the students in the class. Emphasis on developing a more intimate understanding of the string section and how to mesh the language of orchestral music with the vocabulary of jazz and other genres of non-classical music. Bach, Wagner, Debussy, Stravinsky and Schoenberg are central to the class; Mahler, Bartok and Ravel are also important.