Skagit Valley College

Catalog Course Search Details

 Course Title:   Composition

 Title Abbreviation:   COMPOSITION

 Department:    MUSC

 Course #:    144

 Credits:    2

 Variable:     Yes

 IUs:    2

 CIP:    500903

 EPC:    n/a

 REV:    2018


 Course Description  

Students will learn the basics of composing original musical pieces, perform them in class and possibly a concert venue, and submit a final work to a national composition contest.

 Prerequisite  

Prerequisite: Must have taken or be currently enrolled in Music Theory or permission of the instructor.

Additional Course Details

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 22

Lab: 0

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0


Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Academic Elective  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Other Institution Equivalencies Table
Institution Course # Remarks
EWU 408
WSU 256

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

  1. Compose original music, including a melody, a theme and variations, a canon, and a two-voice piece for available instrumentation;
  2. Work confidently with MIDI software to produce finished copies of compositions;
  3. Perform original music in class and possibly in a concert venue;
  4. Submit original work to a national contest/competition.

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

1. Information Literacy

Definition: Recognizing when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
1.5 Effectively integrate and use information ethically and legally to accomplish a specific purpose.

2. Critical Thinking

Definition: The ability to think critically about the nature of knowledge within a discipline and about the ways in which that knowledge is constructed and validated and to be sensitive to the ways these processes often vary among disciplines.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
2.1 Identify and express concepts, terms, and facts related to a specific discipline.
2.3 Identify, interpret, and evaluate pertinent data and previous experience to reach conclusions.
2.4 Evaluate decisions by analyzing outcomes and the impact of actions.
2.9 Apply and/or create problem-solving strategies to successfully adapt to unpredictable and/or changing environments.

3. Communication

Definition: Understanding and producing effective written, spoken, visual, and non-verbal communication.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
3.3 Demonstrate effective listening skills.
3.5 Recognize, comprehend, and use non-verbal behaviors appropriate to a given context.
3.6 Recognize, comprehend, and use visual communication appropriate to a given context.

6. Individual Awareness & Responsibility

Definition: Understanding, managing, and taking responsibility for one’s learning and behavior in varied and changing environments.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
6.3 Apply successful organizational strategies of planning, goal setting, prioritizing, resolving conflict, and managing time to specific goals and/or projects.
6.5 Develop self-monitoring and self-advocacy skills to effect positive life changes.

7. Aesthetics & Creativity

Definition: Interpreting human experience through engagement with creative processes and aesthetic principles.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
7.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the creative process.
7.2 Demonstrate knowledge of aesthetic principles.
7.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the role of arts and creative expression in societies.

10. Technology

Definition: Understanding the role of technology in society and using technology appropriately and effectively.

Outcomes: Students will be able to . . .
10.3 Use technology appropriate to the context and task to effectively retrieve and manage information, solve problems, and facilitate communication.
10.4 Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of technology in one’s personal and professional life.

Course Contents

  1. Notation: clear communication of original musical ideas;
  2. Form: structure of music compositions.