- San Francisco Conservatory Of Music -

Fall Semester 2010
Course Listings

To register, complete and return the Registration Form (link at left).

» The World of Wagner’s Ring: A Composer’s View - starts September 25
» From Muzak to Mantra: Music in Daily Life, its Uses and Effects - starts October 19
» Singing Art Songs - starts September 14
» Performance Workshop for Singers - starts September 15
» Recreational Singing - starts September 13
» Music Appreciation: An Overview of Western Music History - starts September 19
» Alexander Technique - starts October 25
» Jazz Piano - starts September 21
» Beginning Musicianship - starts September 22
» Class Piano I and II - starts September 15
» Cello Ensemble - Intermediate starts September 18, Advanced starts September 21
» Italian Literature - starts September 15

THE WORLD OF WAGNER'S RING: A Composer's View
Conrad Susa
Saturdays, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Starting September 25 (note: no class on October 9)
Osher Salon
5 classes, $165
Part of the San Francisco Opera Ring Festival 2011 (A href="http://sfopera.com/ring" target="sfo">sfopera.com/ring)

Composer Conrad Susa (The Dangerous Liaisons, The Love of Don Perlimplín) will serve as guide in an examination of the power and scope of Wagner’s great Ring cycle. Those who are familiar with Susa’s charming style will relish his reverent—and irreverent—insights. Come explore these vast structures in a journey through sagas and mystery, a journey into your own soul.

Conrad Susa earned a B.F.A. from Carnegie Institute of Technology and received a M.S. from The Juilliard School, where he studied with William Bergsma, Vincent Persichetti and P.D.Q. Bach. He was resident composer for the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and served as dramaturge for the O’Neill Center in Connecticut. He also has written numerous scores for documentary films and PBS television productions, choral and instrumental works and operas (Transformations, Black River and The Love of Don Perlimplín) commissioned by the Minnesota Opera Company, San Francisco Opera and Pepsico. He has written a church opera (The Wise Women) for the American Guild of Organists and an opera (The Dangerous Liaisons) for San Francisco Opera. He has served as staff pianist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and as assistant editor of Musical America magazine. He has won numerous awards, including Ford Foundation fellowships, National Endowment for the Arts grants and a National Endowment Consortium grant.

FROM MUZAK TO MANTRA: Music in Daily Life, its Uses and Effects
Alden Jenks & Indre Viskontas
Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Starting October 19
Room 101
8 classes, $320

In the first part of this course, Prof. Jenks will examine the public uses (and abuses) of music: commercial, political and military. Dr. Viskontas will then take us into the realm of neuropsychology, to explore how music can have the effects and influences (for good or for ill) it has. Finally, we will discuss the role of music in psychological and spiritual healing. The activities in each class meeting will be based on assigned reading and listening (materials to be provided), supplemented by lectures, audio and video materials—and above all, discussion.

Indre Viskontas holds a B.A. in psychology from the University of Toronto, a Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from the University of California-Los Angeles and an M.M. in vocal performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Composer Alden Jenks holds degrees in music composition and theory from Yale University and the University of California-Berkeley. He is a professor of composition at the Conservatory and past chair of the department, and his music has been heard and performed around the world.

SINGING ART SONGS
Anja Strauss
Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Starting September 14
Room 207
Class recital on Saturday, December 4, 2:30 p.m.
8 classes, $350

Tuesday Class Dates:
September 14, 21, 28
October 5, 26
November 2, 16, 23

This class—taught by native German singer Anja Strauss—serves as a hands-on approach to the preparation of art songs in German, French and English. The class will meet weekly, and each participant will present selections of their choice. Repertoire may be suggested by the instructor upon student’s request. Students are expected to prepare assigned song selections on their own, and all songs will be performed and discussed in class. This class will conclude with a public recital on Saturday, December 4 at 2.30 p.m. in the Conservatory’s Recital Hall. Covered topics will include:

International Phonetic Alphabet
German, French and English Diction
Tools for translation/interpretation of foreign language poetry and texts
Musical interpretation and execution
The singer-pianist relationship
Breaking down the formal barrier between performer and audience

Prerequisites: Open to intermediate/advanced singers Number of students: 10 maximum

PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP FOR SINGERS
Anja Strauss
Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Starting September 15
Room 323
Class recital on Saturday, December 4, 2:30 p.m.
8 classes, $350

Wednesday Class Dates:
September 15, 22, 29
October 6, 27
November 3, 17, 24

This class will provide a safe environment for singers of all levels to enhance their performance skills. The class will meet weekly, and each participant will present selections of their choice. Students are encouraged to critique each other. We will then work on improving stage presence, such as introducing yourself and your repertoire, physical presentation and getting into character. This class will conclude with a public recital on Saturday, December 4 at 2.30 p.m. in the Conservatory’s Recital Hall. Covered topics will include:

Stage presence (introductions, bowing, etc.)
Body language and acting tools (how to get into character)
Musical interpretation and execution
Breaking down the formal barrier between performer and audience
Auditioning
Videotaped performance with viewing session and discussion

Prerequisites: Open to singers of all levels
Number of students: 10 maximum

Anja Strauss holds degrees from The Juilliard School and Musikhochschule Luebeck, Germany. She is active as an opera, concert and lied performer. Appearances include Carnegie’s Weill Hall and Lincoln Center, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Fremont Symphony, Mozart Society of California; festivals in San Antonio, Madison and the Olympic Music Festival; opera performances with Sacramento Opera, San Francisco Lyric Opera, Lamplighters Theater, Pacific Repertory Opera, Pocket Opera, Stockton Opera and German opera companies of Luebeck, Kiel, Potsdam and Detmold; and collaborations with conductors such as Kent Nagano. She has frequently worked as a German diction coach with the San Francisco Opera’s Merola program.

RECREATIONAL SINGING
Helen Dilworth
Mondays, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Starting September 13
Room 201
4 classes, $130

“Since singing is so good a thing, I’d like all men to learn to sing.” That’s ancient wisdom from Byrd. Singing is also fun and healthy for women, children and all. In this basic and primarily group singing class, special attention will be available for skill-building in pitch and rhythm.

Dr. Helen Dilworth is a distinguished teacher, administrator and soprano familiar with various styles of music. She delights in developing perceptive listeners and musicians to improve performance. Winner of Merola and Metropolitan Opera awards, Dr. Dilworth has taught at San Francisco State University, Jazz Camp, Gospel Workshops, professional conferences and community colleges. She is on the voice faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Preparatory and Adult Extension divisions.

MUSIC APPRECIATION: An Overview of Western Musical History
Richard Roper
Sundays, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Starting September 19
Room 207
8 classes, $315

Join us on a journey which covers the major periods of Western music history. From Pythagoras to Philip Glass, this course takes you by the hand through the landmark achievements of our musical culture. See how the ancient Greeks influenced Western musical thought in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Observe the emergence of opera and concert instrumental music during the baroque and classical eras. Empathize with the need for individual expression of the romantic artist. Appreciate the impact that world events have had on the history of music. This series of lectures will provide an overview of our Western musical heritage, inviting you to explore beyond the realm of your familiar musical territory.

Richard Roper holds degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Yale School of Music and the University of Maryland. Dr. Roper has served on faculty at the University of Maine and currently teaches at the Community School of Music and Arts in Mountain View, the Preparatory and Extension divisions at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and California State University-Stanislaus. As a Harriet Hale Woolley Scholar he spent a year studying trumpet in Paris, and he has also studied and performed at the Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Tanglewood Institute and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. In addition to teaching, Dr. Roper stays busy performing with many Northern California ensembles.

ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
Robert Britton
Mondays, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Starting October 25
Room 207
6 classes, $230

The Alexander Technique is helpful for musicians who wish to play with more coordination and freedom. Understanding the subtleties of how the head, torso, breath and limbs relate to each other enables us to make music at our full potential of power and expression. Unconscious habits of movement can lead to excess muscle tensions, which can cause pain and injury as well as dampen the free flow of communication with the audience. In this class, we will enjoyably explore how to use our muscles, joints and awareness to bring the entire body into an efficient relationship with instruments and the voice.

Robert Britton graduated as an Alexander Technique teacher in 1978. In addition to his private practice in San Francisco and Marin County, he has taught the Alexander Technique to musicians at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music since 1984. He served as chairman of the American Society for the Alexander Technique from 1997 to 1999. He has helped train Alexander Technique teachers since 1989, and teaches at the Alexander Educational Center in Berkeley. He regularly teaches in Berlin at the Ausbildungszentrum für F.M. Alexander-Technik Berlin, as well as contributing to the well-being of the international Alexander Technique Affiliated Societies and the Annual Members Meeting of the Affiliated Societies. He is also a faculty member of the Bay Area Summer Opera Training Institute.

JAZZ PIANO
Tim Price
Tuesdays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Starting September 21
Keyboard Lab
8 classes, $305

Are you tired of just reading the notes someone else put down on paper? Are you ready to try something a little more musically challenging than shuffling the order of songs on your iPod? If you love jazz, can play the piano, read the treble clef, know something about scales and key signatures and are interested in learning how to play your own notes, it’s time for you to begin the rewarding journey into jazz improvisation! You will encounter some of the many wonderful songs played in jazz, listen to recordings of the great jazz pianists and develop your own versions of songs using the easy-to-understand tools that Tim provides. A play-along CD is provided to give you the opportunity to learn tunes at home while playing with a drummer and bass player anytime! Lessons are shaped to match YOUR level of ability.

Tim Price is a freelance woodwind and keyboard performer and has taught music at San Francisco University High School for 23 years. He has performed with many artists including James Moody, Gary Foster, Bill Yeager, Kim Richmond, Eddie Marshall, Dmitri Metheny and John Tchichai. His group, The Tim Price Jazz Orchestra, performs his original compositions and arrangements throughout the Bay Area.

BEGINNING MUSICIANSHIP
June Bonacich
Wednesdays, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Starting September 22
Room 201
10 classes, $330

Curious about the architecture of your favorite music? This course introduces music notation and elementary theory to those students with little or no previous experience. It will cover the following fundamental elements of musicianship:

Notation of pitch and rhythm
Basic music theory
Aural and visual recognition of scales, keys, triads and simple intervals within the context of major and minor tonality
Sight-singing drills, a dictation of simple diatonic melodies and elementary rhythmic patterns and meter.

June Bonacich holds a B.A. from Sonoma State University and an M.M. from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she received the Kris Getz Award for Composition. She teaches musicianship and composition in the Conservatory’s Preparatory Division and was formerly on the San Francisco Boys’ Chorus faculty.

CLASS PIANO I and II
Jacqueline Chew
Wednesdays, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Piano II
Wednesdays, 7:30-9:00 p.m. Piano I
Starting September 15
Room C01
13 classes, $390

These classes approach playing the piano through an understanding of music theory, with emphasis on sight-reading, transposition and rhythm. Piano I begins with music notation (rhythm and intervals). In conjunction with playing simple classical pieces, students learn major scales, relative and parallel minor scales and chords (tonic, dominant, subdominant). Piano II explores these same subjects in greater depth while adding seventh chords, practice techniques, ensemble and analysis of students’ repertoire.

Jacqueline Chew received degrees from the State University of New York-Binghamton and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and pursued private studies with Leonard Shure in Boston. Known for her performances of Olivier Messiaen’s music, she has released a double-CD entitled Messiaen: Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant Jesus. In preparation for this work, she coached with French pianist Roger Muraro as well as Yvonne Loriod-Messiaen, for whom the piece was written. MSR Classics recently released her Sweet Irrational Worship: The Niles-Merton Songs, recorded with baritone Chad Runyon. In addition to solo and chamber music concerts, Ms. Chew performed, toured and recorded as pianist with the Women’s Philharmonic from 1990 to 2004. Ms. Chew also teaches at the University of California-Berkeley.

CELLO ENSEMBLE
Barbara Wirth
Intermediate
Saturdays, every other week, 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Starting September 18
Room 207
9 classes, $280
Advanced
Tuesdays, every other week, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Starting September 21
Room 104
9 classes, $280

Student ensembles will perform works recorded by notable groups including the Berlin Philharmonic Cellos, the Yale Cellos and the London Cello Sound. Students should have good intonation and rhythm and be comfortable with thumb position as well as bass, tenor and treble clefs.

Barbara Wirth received a B.M. from Northwestern University and an M.M. from Indiana University, studying with Janos Starker and Pierre Fournier. She has been a member of the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and has played for the San Francisco Symphony, Ballet and Theater orchestras. Ms. Wirth has taught cello for the Northwestern University Preparatory Department, Eastern Kentucky University, Louisville Academy of Music, Dominican College, San Francisco State University, University of San Francisco and is currently on faculty with the Preparatory and Adult Extension divisions of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

ITALIAN LITERATURE
Brian Neilson
Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Starting September 15
Room 207
15 classes, $430

In this course, conducted entirely in Italian, we will read and discuss Giorgio Bassani’s moving and tragic novel of a Jewish family in Fascist Italy, Il giardino dei Finzi-Contini.

Brian Neilson has taught at the Istituto Americano in Florence, the University of California and, for more than 20 years, in the Collegiate Division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He received the Conservatory’s George Sarlo Award for Excellence in Teaching for the 2005-2006 academic year.