The Avant-Garde Today
DBM 208
Scott Huston looks at the work of the “anti-music” composers and at musical composition, past and future.
Chance and Randomness in the Arts
DBM 305
Composer Murray Schafer describes the process by which aleatoric or chance music is “composed.”
Found in My Piano Bench
DBM 1005
Selections of turn-of-the-century music are played on the piano. Some of the represented composers are Edward MacDowell, Scott Joplin, and Arthur Farwell.
Melody and Harmony
DBM 53
Under the direction of Vladimir Bakaleinikov, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra plays music with contrasting melodies and harmonies.
Musical Theater Workshop
DBM 1505
Lehman Engel discusses the challenges of composing music for the theatre, including comedy song writing, musical scene writing, and how to expand a serious work into a musical.
Understanding the Formula of Music Makes It So Easy
DBM 1717
Dan Huckabee explains how to play by ear. Lessons include ear training, perfect pitch, voicing, and how to figure out chords for any song—emphasizing popular music.
Understanding the Language of Music
DBM 1304
Using examples from classical and popular music, Daniel Abrams discusses modes, scales, chords, and the instruments of the orchestra. For the person who would like to acquire a rudimentary knowledge of music history and theory.