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Syllabus for Writing Workshop

MUSIC/THEATRE 3900

Musical Theatre Writing Workshop

Fall 2006

William F. Grimes, Instructor

Charles Eliot Mehler, Assistant to the Instructor

Lecture: Monday, 5-8 PM

Lab: Monday 3-5 PM, as arranged

CONTACT INFORMATION

In the event of any difficulty, please contact Mr. Mehler. If Dr. Grimes needs to be consulted, Mr. Mehler will take care of that.

E-mail:

Home telephone:

If the student is having trouble meeting deadlines, it is the student’s responsibility to get in touch with Mr. Mehler.

OBJECTIVES

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

a) discuss the role of book writing in the musical theatre b) apply various book writing techniques, such as linear vs. non-linear, real vs. fantasy, and adapted vs. original c) discuss the various styles of lyric writers, from Lorenz Hart in the 1930s to, more recently, , , David Zippel, and d) develop a unique lyric writing style for theatrical song- writing e) write and compose ballads, charm songs, and comedy songs (see LAB below) f) create piano/vocal or small ensemble accompaniments using Finale software (see LAB below) g) in collaboration with two other fellow students, write and compose a short (maximum ten pages) musical scene based on an event from history. This scene may contain at most two different songs. [For the purposes of this academic exercise, the student may write parody lyrics to a melody written before 1900. The student might consider Bach or Beethoven or Stephen Collins Foster or the like. The student should only exercise the parody option if we do not have enough composers.] h) produce this scene as part of a final recital

In addition, the student is expected to help read parts for other students’ musical scenes.

TEXT AND MATERIALS

Sweet, Jeffrey: The Dramatist’s Toolkit Hischak, Thomas, Boy Loses Girl

Lees, Gene, The Modern Rhyming Dictionary

Lerner, Alan Jay, Musical Theatre: A Celebration

In addition, the student needs access to Finale musical composition software. Regardless of student’s field of expertise (book writing, lyric writing, or composing), the student will be expected to write piano/vocal arrangements.

Furthermore, time permitting, the instructor may show the PBS multi-part special program on musical theatre.

LAB

Students will enter this class at various levels of composing ability and software expertise. In order to accommodate this variety of experience, during the third session, there will be a short exam on basic composing skills and Finale software.

The student is expected to have the following skills:

Composing ability:

a) The diatonic scale and clefs b) Note duration c) Key Signature d) Major/Minor Keys e) Time Signature f) Basic diatonic harmony (chords) g) Melody, harmony, rhythm h) Simple piano accompaniment, with chords and bass line

Finale ability:

a) Set-up Wizard b) FILE/EDIT/VIEW options c) Tools

i. Staff

ii. Key Signature

iii. Time Signature

iv. Clef

v. Measure

vi. Simple Entry

vii. Tuplet

viii. Smart Shape

ix. Articulation

x. Expression

xi. Repeat

xii. Chord

xiii. Lyrics xiv. Text

xv. Mass Edit

xvi. Resize

xvii. Page Layout

In the event that the student is unable to pass the aforementioned short exam, the student will be expected at attend labs as scheduled above to make up for any deficiency. The instructor expects that it would take six two-hour lab sessions to cover the material mentioned above. At the end of these six sessions, another lab session will be scheduled for a make-up exam, which may be taken by any student wanting to improve her/his grade on the composing/Finale short exam. Any student taking the make-up exam may bring her/his grade up to 45 out of 50 points.

EVALUATION

COMPOSING/FINALE SHORT EXAM (50 points): As described above.

BOOK REPORTS (20 points each, four in all for 80 points): Four “book reports” based the student’s choice of musicals. One of these will be a musical in development that the instructor will assign. If the student has taken Music/Theatre 3020, the student must choose new musicals for this project.

UNIT QUESTIONS (20 points each, eight in all for 160 points): Unit questions for the Sweet, Kischak, Lees, and Lerner texts, eight assignments in all.

PIANO-VOCAL SCORES (50 points each, three in all for 150 points): Each student will compose music and write lyrics for a ballad, a charm song, and a comedy song.

CRITICAL EVALUATION (100 points): An eight-to-ten page critical evaluation of the musical of the student’s choice. Please do NOT choose one of the “mega-musicals” of the 1980s, like or Phantom. The instructor is looking for a musical in which the writing is more important than the stage technique. This paper needs to be written in scholarly style. Points will be taken off for “chatty,” or less than scholarly, language. Due at the time of the Final Recital.

FINAL PROJECT (100 points): The student and two other students will collaborate to write a musical scene based on an historical event. This musical scene will be presented as part of a Final Recital. For the Final Recital, the student will provide scripts for the students’ actors, and we will read the students’ scenes around the table. Students will provide Finale .MP3 files for musical accompaniment, a typewritten script, and professional-standard sheet music. Students may use songs they have already composed as part of PIANO-VOCAL SCORES.

GRADING SCALE

94 = A

84 = B

74 = C

64 = D

Below 64 = F

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Because you will be working closely in groups, sexual harassment becomes an important issue. Please see University policy on sexual harassment at

http://appl003.lsu.edu/ups.nsf/d18275cbffaad4b10625635a006e196c/ FD340B851C009A9D86256C250062AE7B/$File/ps95Rev00.pdf

Any accusation of sexual harassment will be taken very seriously.

DISABILITIES POLICY

The Office of Disabilities Services (225 578 5919 (voice), 2600 (TDD)) assists students in identifying and developing accommodations and services to help overcome barriers to the achievement of personal and academic goals. Services are provided for students with temporary or permanent disabilities. Accommodations and services are based on the individual student’s disability-based need. Students must provide current documentation of their disabilities at the time services are requested. Students should contact the office early so that necessary accommodations can be made. (LSU Bulletin)

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

The primary purpose of Louisiana State University is to be a community of learning and free inquiry. Because the University seeks to create an environment that encourages the development of moral and ethical values, academic integrity is valued quite highly. Any act of dishonesty is considered a serious offense as it violates the bonds of intellectual and moral principles, which are the basis of all knowledge. Academic integrity, therefore, must be the responsibility of all members of the University community: students, faculty, staff and administrators. At Louisiana State University, violations of academic integrity consist of the following acts: cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, and plagiarism. (LSU Bulletin)