LMUS
2010

Contemporary Music: Theories

Eugene Lang College Lib Arts: The Arts

Liberal Arts
Undergraduate Course
Degree Students
Contemporary Music: Theories
Spring 2026
Taught By: Evan Rapport
Section: A

CRN: 6964

Credits: 4

This course explores the fundamental elements of musical sounds and works through practical, scientific, historical, and cross-cultural perspectives with the aim of inspiring students’ musical creativity. Topics range from the abstract or philosophical (such as interval ratios and “the music of the spheres”) to practical applications (such as tuning systems and the functions of dissonance in harmony). The first half of the course, “Basics and Beats,” focuses on dynamics and durations in music, including poetic and musical meters, rhythm, and syncopation. The second half of the course, “Tones and Modes,” explores pitch in terms of basic acoustics, melodic and harmonic structures (such as scales and chords, not limited to the major/minor keys), and notation. Students engage with these topics through readings, guided listenings, and short analysis papers. This course is required for Lang Contemporary Music majors/minors and is restricted to Lang students.

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites
Co-Requisites: No Co-requisites

College: Eugene Lang College Lib Arts (LC)

Department: The Arts (ART)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Seminar (R)

Modality: In-Person

Max Enrollment: 18

Repeat Limit: N/A

Add/Drop Deadline: February 3, 2026 (Tuesday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: April 14, 2026 (Tuesday)

Seats Available: Yes

Status: Open*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 2:08am EDT 10/9/2025

Meeting Info:
Days: Monday, Wednesday
Times: 2:00pm - 3:40pm
Building: Johnson/Kaplan 66 West 12th
Room: 002
Date Range: 1/21/2026 - 5/12/2026
Contemporary Music: Theories
Fall 2025
Taught By: Ivan Raykoff
Section: A

CRN: 1595

Credits: 4

This course explores the fundamental elements of musical sounds and works through practical, scientific, historical, and cross-cultural perspectives with the aim of inspiring students’ musical creativity. Topics range from the abstract or philosophical (such as interval ratios and “the music of the spheres”) to practical applications (such as tuning systems and the functions of dissonance in harmony). The first half of the course, “Basics and Beats,” focuses on dynamics and durations in music, including poetic and musical meters, rhythm, and syncopation. The second half of the course, “Tones and Modes,” explores pitch in terms of basic acoustics, melodic and harmonic structures (such as scales and chords, not limited to the major/minor keys), and notation. Students engage with these topics through readings, guided listenings, and short analysis papers. This course is required for Lang Contemporary Music majors/minors and is restricted to Lang students.

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites
Co-Requisites: No Co-requisites

College: Eugene Lang College Lib Arts (LC)

Department: The Arts (ART)

Campus: New York City (GV)

Course Format: Seminar (R)

Modality: In-Person

Max Enrollment: 20

Repeat Limit: N/A

Add/Drop Deadline: September 9, 2025 (Tuesday)

Online Withdrawal Deadline: November 17, 2025 (Monday)

Seats Available: Yes

Status: Closed*

* Status information is updated every few minutes. The status of this course may have changed since the last update. Open seats may have restrictions that will prevent some students from registering. Updated: 2:08am EDT 10/9/2025

Meeting Info:
Days: Tuesday, Thursday
Times: 12:00pm - 1:40pm
Building: Eugene Lang 65 W11th
Room: 050
Date Range: 8/27/2025 - 12/15/2025