Music
Music
The Oxnard College Music Program is an excellent place to explore the language and history of music. Music provides a unique perspective for viewing humanity’s cultural activities and artistic expressions. Oxnard College’s music faculty are passionate and dedicated teachers and are active music professionals in both the performing and recording industry.
Students taking courses in music can earn credits towards their Arts and Humanities emphasis for their A.A. in General Studies degree, and for transfer to the CSU and UC systems. Some music courses also fulfill general education requirements for Oxnard College general education, CSU GE-Breadth, and IGETC.
Oxnard College’s Music Department provides students with a variety of courses to choose from. Students with varied levels of experience have the opportunity to acquire important listening skills, to gain historical and cultural knowledge, and to learn to play, record, produce, and perform in various musical styles. Students can study music in a variety of historical and cultural contexts in courses like Music Appreciation, History of Rock, and Music of Latin America. Students looking for a greater understanding of the theory and notation of music can begin their journey with Music Fundamentals, which serves as an excellent first step towards more advanced music theory and ear training. Students looking for practical experience in music can join an ensemble like Mariachi or Choir, take beginning to advanced courses in guitar and piano, and for those interested music technology, Introduction to Music Technology trains students to use cutting-edge software to create, edit, and mix.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate facility with current music technology to aid them in their creative and expressive goals.
- Gain an increased appreciation and understanding of the universal language of music.
- Perform with appropriate tone, technique, and musicality in their primary performance medium.
- Demonstrate their understanding of musical notation.
- Differentiate between music's various cultural and historical contexts.
Credit Courses
This course is designed for students with little to no prior experience in music. It provides an introduction to reading, composing, and notating music. Students will study the fundamental elements of the language of music, including scales, intervals, chords, key signatures, time signatures, notation software, and the piano keyboard.
This course is designed to acquaint students with the primary elements of music and the historical stylistic periods of Western music from the medieval to the present. In addition, world music, jazz, rock, and other styles will be examined as a means of comparison. The course places an emphasis on active and analytical listening skills.
This course is for the study, rehearsal, and public performance of choral literature from a variety of stylistic periods, with an emphasis on the development of the skills needed to perform within an ensemble. The course culminates with a public performance. Students will explore the physiology of singing and basic vocal technique, will read choral music notation, and will learn to analyze the historical context and structure of a stylistically varied repertoire.
This course provides piano instruction for students with little or no prior experience. The course covers the basic elements of piano playing: music reading, technique, improvisation, scales, chords, and introductory repertoire.
This course reinforces the fundamentals of piano playing, including reading music notation, improvisation, scales, chords, and simple piano literature. Emphasis is placed on the further development of left and right hand independence. Students are required to enter with some basic music reading ability and technical skill at the piano keyboard.
This course provides further development of greater independence of hands and reinforces the fundamentals of expressive piano playing at the early intermediate level. Didactic works of the most important composers will be studied with an emphasis on historically accurate interpretation.
This course includes continued study of more advanced piano literature, technique, improvisation, harmonization and sight-reading. It includes the study of repertoire by major composers with an emphasis on historically accurate interpretation.
This course is a survey of the diverse and rich musical traditions of Latin America from pre-colonialism to the present day. The course will focus on the origins, influences, and styles within specific countries and regions such as Mexico, Brazil, the Andes, the Caribbean, the United States, and others. The course will highlight consistencies throughout Latin American musical culture, as well as the aesthetic and stylistic differences that make these varied musical traditions unique.
This course explores American popular music within the context of American culture and society. This course involves a detailed study of changing musical styles with an emphasis on analytical listening. The bulk of the course will focus on five decades of American Rock music, from 1950-2000, with an introductory exploration of pre-1950s American music, as well as the relationship between this musical past and the current state of music in the digital age.
This course introduces the fundamentals of guitar playing, such as music reading, improvisation, technique, and fretboard logic. Students will learn the various written systems applicable to the guitar, including standard notation, chord symbols, and tablature.
This course reinforces the fundamentals of guitar playing, such as music reading, improvisation, technique, and fretboard logic. Students will continue to develop their understanding of guitar notation systems, including standard notation beyond the first position, chord symbols, and tablature.
This course introduces intermediate level repertoire, technique, improvisation, and theory. It requires familiarity and the ability to read all common guitar-related notation systems.
This course introduces intermediate to advanced level repertoire, technique, improvisation, and theory. It requires familiarity and the ability to read all common guitar-related notation systems.
This course involves the study, rehearsal, and performance of Mariachi and other Mexican regional music with a focus on the medium-sized ensemble setting (10-15). Students will explore the stylistic qualities of this music in sectional and full ensemble settings, with the intention of public performance.
This course is designed to prepare the elementary educator to analyze, understand, and identify the foundational elements of music and dance. The course will present materials from various historical and cultural perspectives to help illustrate global congruencies in music and movement.
This course is an introduction to audio recording, mixing, and computer music creation. It covers fundamental concepts and techniques used in music production, such as MIDI and sampling, signal processing, mixing, recording console functions, and multi-track recording procedures. Emphasis will be placed on hands-on experience through various recording and mixing projects.
This course offers students the opportunity to further their knowledge of music on an independent-study basis. The student and instructor will work together to design course content and/or research. Meeting times and requirements will be determined by the instructor.
Noncredit Courses
Pro Tools is the industry standard software for audio recording, mixing, and editing. This course is the first of a 2-part non-credit series that will award an industry recognized credential for both academic users and industry professionals, the Avid Certified User: Pro Tools. This course introduces fundamental Pro Tools concepts and principles, covering everything an individual needs to know to complete a basic Pro Tools project, from initial setup to final mixdown.
Pro Tools is the industry standard software for audio recording, mixing, and editing. This course is the second of a 2-part non-credit sequence that will award an industry recognized credential for both academic users and industry professionals, the Avid Certified User: Pro Tools. This course expands upon the basic principles taught in the Pro Tools Fundamentals I (MUS R801) course and introduces the core concepts and techniques students need to competently operate a Pro Tools system running mid-sized sessions. Students will learn to build sessions designed for commercial purposes and improve the results of their recording, editing, and mixing efforts.