COMPOSING FOR DANCE

The course presents tools, techniques, methodologies, and concepts for composing original music for dance (both acoustic and electronic). Composers will develop a work for dance, culminating in a showing at the end of the semester (most likely digital for 2021). Weekly meetings will be used to discuss the unique challenges (both practical and aesthetic) that this type of interdisciplinary collaboration raises, and to troubleshoot potential solutions. Students will examine case studies of collaborative composer/choreographer pairs (especially from the last 75 years), as potential models for working via the study of artist statements, interviews, articles, videos, and classroom discussions with invited guests. No prior experience writing for dance is necessary. Basic familiarity with a digital audio workspace (such as Logic Pro) is preferable. Non-composer music graduate students may also register (pending permission from the instructor), with a written research project in lieu of creative collaboration as their final assignment.