Spring 2026 Course Search

Senior Projects — MCO4376.01

Instructor: Virginia Kelsey
Days & Time: MO,TH 7:00pm-8:50pm
Credits: 4

This spring semester course, taught each year by different members of the Music faculty, serves as a workshop and forum for seniors to develop, present, and receive feedback on their advanced work in Music. Senior projects may take many forms, reflecting the breadth of creative practice in Music; performances, installations, musical plays, recordings, research projects, publications, or interdisciplinary collaborations are all viable options.

French Comedy — FRE4811.01

Instructor: Stephen Shapiro
Days & Time: MO 3:40pm-5:30pm & WE 4:10pm-6:00pm
Credits: 4

This course will examine the comic in French theatre, literature, politics, and film in order to answer a deceptively simple question: What makes us laugh? In theoretical readings we will consider whether laughter is a universal, cross-cultural function. Additionally, we will look at special, sub-genres of the comic, such as satire and parody, in order to question the relationship between comic genres and the real world. Does comedy seek to change the world or does it merely want to point to its foibles? Is it a progressive or conservative mode?

The Songwriters Guitar — MIN4362.01

Instructor: Omeed Goodarzi
Days & Time: FR 4:10pm-6:00pm
Credits: 2

Self-taught guitar playing often begins with the recognition of simple patterns, evolving into complexity. These patterns, while helping us gain familiarity, can eventually become a constrictive box, requiring new material to refresh the old.  How do we make a song more effective through focusing on guitar, how can we make a song find its destination? This course develops each student’s guitar practice in tandem with songwriting, while challenging players to hear all notes, chords, rhythms, and breaks as viable.