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Term
Time & Day Offered
Level
Credits
Course Duration

Hearing Herbie — MPF4242.01

Fall 2013
Instructor: Bruce Williamson
Days & Time: TBA
Credits: 2
*** Time Change *** This will be a performance-oriented ensemble that will focus on the songs of jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock. We will select examples from the various styles he explored during his long and productive career: soul-jazz songs such as 'Watermelon Man' 'Cantaloupe Island', modal-jazz songs such as 'Maiden Voyage' (and others he wrote while playing with Miles
Music

Hearing Horace: The Music of Horace Silver — MPF4107.01

Fall 2015
Instructor: Bruce Williamson
Days & Time: TBA
Credits: 2
This will be a performance-oriented ensemble that will focus on the songs of jazz composer and pianist Horace Silver (1928-2014). As a young musician, Silver played with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and Art Blakey. He formed his own hard-bop group in the 1950s and from then on he was a mentor to talented up-and-coming jazz artists such as trumpeters Donald Byrd, Woody Shaw &
Music

Hip Hop Archaeology — MS2105.01

Fall 2018
Instructor: Brian Michael Murphy
Credits: 4
Hip hop music producers have long practiced “diggin’ in the crates”—a phrase that denotes searching through record collections to find material to sample. In this course, we will examine the material and technological history of hip hop culture, with particular attention to hip hop’s tendency to sample, remix, mash-up, and repurpose existing media artifacts to create new works
CAPA Society Culture and Thought Music

History of Jazz on Drum Set — MHI4105.01

Fall 2018
Instructor: Susie Ibarra
Credits: 2
This ensemble will study the history of jazz on the drum set. The class will examine and learn to play jazz styles and its influences from the 1900s to present day music, including American New Orleans second line, African and Cuban claves in jazz, blues, swing, bebop, hard bop, modern, free, electric and current trends of crossover styles.
Music

History of Music at Bennington College 1932-present — MHI2321.01

Fall 2021
Instructor: Allen Shawn
Credits: 4
Music was a central part of Bennington College from its beginnings. Not only was Bennington’s hands-on approach to teaching innovative and unapologetically progressive, so was its hiring policy: performing musicians were to be full-time faculty and the study of an instrument was considered an academic pursuit.  In this course we will study the history of Music teaching at
Music

History of the Book — HIS4109.01

Fall 2017
Instructor: Carol Pal
Credits: 4
The aim of this course is to think about books.  Not just books as objects, but books as the signifiers of a wealth of relationships – between reading and writing, between people and ideas, between people and people, between technologies and desires.  For centuries, our ideas have been shaped by the rhythms and hierarchies inherent in the nature of print.  But
Music

Imagination, Creativity: Aesthetics and Philosophy of Music — MHI2324.01

Spring 2022
Instructor: Michael Wimberly
Credits: 1
In this course students will establish an expanded definition of ‘Music’ as inspired by the Sufi Master Hazrat Inayat Khan who wrote the mysticism of sound. This book confirmed my reason and purpose for playing music. In discussing this book, we can open up to other possibilities of understanding while discovering the music inside of us. With the acceptance and realization that
Music

Impressionism —

Spring 2015
Instructor: Nicholas Brooke
Credits: 2
This seminar will look at works by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, as well as by Erik Satie, Les Six, Fauré, and diverse U.S. composers at the turn of the 20th century. We will start by looking at Debussy’s Preludes as a microcosm of his harmonic style, and then analyze major orchestral works including Jeux, L’Après Midi d’un Faune, and La Mer. Ravel’s Tombeau de Couperin,
Music

Impressionism — MTH4116.01

Spring 2016
Instructor: Nicholas Brooke
Credits: 2
This seminar will look at works by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, as well as by Erik Satie, Les Six, Fauré, and diverse U.S. composers at the turn of the 20th century. We will start by looking at Debussy’s Preludes as a microcosm of his harmonic style, and then analyze major orchestral works including Jeux, L’Après Midi d’un Faune, and La Mer. Ravel’s Tombeau de
Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Dancers and Musicians — DAN2417.02

Spring 2026
Instructor: Susan Sgorbati
Days & Time: WE 4:10pm-6:00pm
Credits: 1

This class is an extension of the Black Music Division at Bennington College that brought dancers and musicians together for live performance in the composition of Improvisation. It is co-taught by Susan Sgorbati and Michael Wimberly. 

Musicians and Dancers will study and practice together a Solo Practice and an Ensemble Practice, building compositional

Dance Music

Improvisation - Building Community Through Improvisation — MIN4359.01

Fall 2024
Instructor: Jen Allen
Credits: 2
This class will focus on weekly instruction in improvisation through differing styles and feels. We will specifically focus on how group improvisation can help build community and communication.  Explore and develop skills in chord analysis, rhythm and expression through your instrument. We will also touch on the deep history of improvisation. Weekly assignments will
Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Dancers and Musicians — MPF4357.02

Spring 2023
Instructor: Michael Wimberly
Credits: 2
This course is for dancers and musicians interested in working on the performance of improvisation. For musicians, specific attention is given to creating rhythms and sonorities which can then be manipulated and developed while interacting with dancers in the moment. Once a week dancers will have a class with musicians in collaboration on improvisational structures. Musicians
Dance Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Dancers and Musicians — MPF4357.02

Spring 2021
Instructor: Michael Wimberly
Credits: 2
This course is for dancers and musicians interested in working on the performance of improvisation. For musicians specific attention is given to creating rhythms and sonorities which can then be manipulated and developed while interacting with dancers in the moment. Once a week dancers will have a class with musicians in collaboration on improvisational structures. Musicians
Music Dance

Improvisation Ensemble for Dancers and Musicians — DAN4357.02

Spring 2021
Instructor: Susan Sgorbati
Credits: 2
This course is for dancers and musicians to work on the performance of improvisation. This section is for advanced dancers who will focus on developing an original movement vocabulary, understand pattern recognition and learn a solo and ensemble practice in emergent forms. Once a week, the dancers will have a class with musicians and will collaborate on improvisational
Dance Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Musicians — MPF4357.02

Spring 2024
Instructor: Michael Wimberly
Credits: 2
This course will actively explore sound creation concepts and practices with special attention given to the investigation of sonorities and rhythms, which can then be manipulated and developed into open form composition. Students will explore and develop sound using graphic notation, text, and non-traditional notation approaches while exploring basic conduction techniques
Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Musicians Dancers — MPF4233.01

Fall 2013
Instructor: Bruce Williamson; Susan Sgorbati
Days & Time: TBA
Credits: 4
***Time Change*** This advanced-level course focuses on work in the performance of improvisation. For dancers, special attention is given to the development of individual movement vocabularies, physical contact and interaction, and the exploration of forms and structures. For musicians, special attention is given to creating rhythms and sonorities which can then be
Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Musicians Dancers — MPF4233.01

Fall 2016
Instructor: Bruce Williamson
Credits: 4
This advanced-level course focuses on work in the performance of improvisation. For musicians, special attention is given to creating rhythms and sonorities which can then be manipulated and developed while interacting with dancers in the moment. Musicians should have basic skills on their instrument and be able create and convey a sense of form to other musicians in
Dance Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Musicians Dancers — MPF4233.01

Fall 2014
Instructor: michael wimberly, susan sgorbati
Days & Time: TBA
Credits: 4
This advanced course focuses on the performance of improvisation. For musicians, special attention is given to creating rhythms and sonorities which can then be manipulated and developed while interacting with dancers in the moment. Musicians should have basic skills on their instrument and be able to create and convey a sense of form to other musicians in an efficient way.
Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Musicians and Dancers — DAN4357.01

Spring 2020
Instructor: Elena Demyanenko
Credits: 4
This advanced course focuses on work in the performance of improvisation. For dancers, special attention is given to the development of individual movement vocabularies, physical contact and interaction, and the exploration of forms and structures. For musicians, special attention is given to creating rhythms and sonorities which can then be manipulated and developed while
Dance Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Musicians and Dancers — MPF4233.01

Spring 2020
Instructor: Elena Demyanenko
Credits: 4
This advanced course focuses on work in the performance of improvisation. For dancers, special attention is given to the development of individual movement vocabularies, physical contact and interaction, and the exploration of forms and structures. For musicians, special attention is given to creating rhythms and sonorities which can then be manipulated and developed while
Dance Music

Improvisation Ensemble for Musicians and Dancers — MPF4233.01

Fall 2017
Instructor: Bruce Williamson
Credits: 4
This advanced-level course focuses on work in the performance of improvisation. For musicians, special attention is given to creating rhythms and sonorities which can then be manipulated and developed while interacting with dancers in the moment. Musicians should have basic skills on their instrument and be able create and convey a sense of form to other musicians in
Music

Improvisation Ensemble with Focus on Electronics — MCO2001.01

Spring 2022
Instructor: Carly Rudzinski
Credits: 2
This class will be a hands-on improvisation workshop. Students will be asked to bring in both acoustic and electronic instruments, and we will develop strategies and techniques to integrate and combine them. We will play improvisation exercises in solos, duos, and trios as well as interpret text and graphic scores. We will listen and look at examples of compositions and music
Music

Improvisation Lessons — MIN2243.01

Spring 2023
Instructor: Carly Rudzinski
Credits: 1
This class will focus on weekly instruction in improvisation through differing styles and feels. Explore and develop skills in chord analysis, rhythm and expression through your instrument. We will also touch on the deep history of improvisation. Weekly assignments will focus on growing improvisation skills and expanding ones knowledge of what improvisation can be. Individual
Music

Improvisation, Indeterminacy and Art Intervention — APA2141.01

Fall 2016
Instructor: Susie Ibarra
Credits: 4
This course explores art intervention in cities and rural environments that utilize methods of improvisation and indeterminacy to address social and environmental issues.  The class will examine the relationships and dialogue between traditional and contemporary practices of problem solving in communities. The class will work on collaborating on the design and
CAPA Music