The Science of Songwriting

     popular music theory, analysis, and criticism

Eastman Fa ‘07

I first matriculated at the Eastman School of Music in September of 2006. Below is a history of my work while at Eastman during the Fall 2007 semester.

TH451 – Intermediate Keyboard Skills (Prof. Marie Rolf):

 
TH511 – Theory & Analysis of Tonal Music (Prof. William Marvin):

  • Week 2: Schenkerian Graph of Christian Pezold’s “Minuet” in G major from the Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach (BWV 114)
  • Week 3: Schenkerian Graph of Franz Schubert’s “Das Wandern”
  • Week 4: Schenkerian Graph of Joseph Haydn’s Theme from “Variations on the St. Anthony Chorale”
  • Week 5: Schenkerian Graph of the theme from Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata op. 26, mvmt. 1 (mm. 1-34)
  • Week 6: Schenkerian Graph of J. S. Bach’s “Little Prelude in F” (BWV 927)
  • Week 8: Schenkerian Graph with Commentary for the Tenor Aria #3 (“Dies Bildniss ist bezaubernd schön”) from Mozart’s Magic Flute
  • Week 9: Schenkerian Graph of the “Minuet” from J. S. Bach’s French Suite #2 in C Minor
  • Week 10: Schenkerian Graph of Chopin’s Nocture op. 32, no. 1
  • Week 11: Schenkerian Graph of Beethoven Piano Sonata op. 27, no. 2, mvmt. 1 (Adagio)
  • Week 12: Schenkerian Graph of the “Air” from J. S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite #3 in D major
  • Week 15: Schenkerian Graph of the “Allemande” from J. S. Bach’s Partita #2 in D Minor

 
TH523 – What is Theory? (Prof. Darius Terefenko):

  • Week 6: Handout and Script from presentation on Anton Reicha’s Treatise on Melody
  • Week 13: Handout and Script from presentation on the History of Theories of Sonata Form
  • Week 15: Abstract and Proposal entitled “Prolonged Anticipations: Towards A Theory of Counterline”

 
TH583 – Independent Study in Songwriting, Form, and Notation (Prof. John Covach):