Courses for Non-Music Majors

Winter 2026 (CRN 61208) - 3 credits

Tuesday/Thursday 2:30-3:45 PM

Instructor: TBA

This course introduces and explores selected western musical phenomena from aesthetic, social, and historical perspectives. Topics will include art and vernacular musics; style and genre; social function and context; the nature and varieties of musical experience. May not be held with MUSC 1050. This course may not be used for credit towards the Bachelor of Music or the Bachelor of Jazz Studies degree.

Open to all U of M students

Winter 2025 (CRN 61961) - 3 credits

Tuesday/Thursday 11:30 AM-12:45 PM

Instructor: Dr. Andrew Deruchie

This course begins with a brief examination of the origins of the popular music industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries through the development of rock' n 'roll in the 1950s and then surveys the subsequent proliferation of different types of popular music into the 21st century. The course will address representative genres, artists, and record labels in their cultural, political, historical, and technological contexts.

Open to all U of M students – no restrictions.

Fall 2025 (CRN 21561) - 3 credits

Monday/Wednesday/Friday 10:30-11:20 AM

Instructor: Donna Fletcher

A broad survey of the development and history of musical theatre from the early days of Vaudeville and Burlesque through its evolution to the grand scale Broadway productions of today. This course is designed to reveal the origins and development of modern musical theatre through the study of influential artists, movements and major figures. This course will include a field trip component.

Open to all U of M students - no restrictions

Fall 2025 (CRN 25005) - 3 credits

Tuesday/Thursday 1:00-2:15 PM

Instuctor: Jonathan Challoner

This course is a comprehensive guide for listening to and understanding the genre of jazz. Students will examine how the musical elements of jazz such as improvisation and swing rhythm have evolved and developed from the 1800s to today. This course will also profile some of the genre’s most impactful artists and examine various approaches to jazz journalism and criticism.

Open to all U of M students - no restrictions. 

Fall 2025 (CRN 20084) - 3 credits

Tuesday/Thursday 8:30 - 9:45 AM

Instructor: TBA

An introduction to fundamental aspects of music such as sound generation, notation, melodic and harmonic construction, with emphasis on an aural approach.  This course may be used for credit as a Music elective by B. Mus or B. Jazz Studies students if taken before MUSC 1110 – Theory 1. Not available for credit for B. Mus or B. Jazz Studies students taking MUSC 1930 concurrently with MUSC 1110 or already holding a grade of “C” or better in MUSC 1110.

Open to all U of M students.

Fall 2025 (CRN 25007) - 3 credits

Tuesday/Thursday 10:00-11:15 AM

Instructor: Melody McKiver

The goal of this course is to provide a functional understanding of how Indigenous communities create music while being impacted by settler colonialism. Students will learn to situate themselves within the land they reside upon and will discuss Indigenous histories of what is presently called the Winnipeg region. Students will survey the major Indigenous groups in Canada and will be introduced to Anishinaabeg worldviews and philosophies. Students will learn about different genres of music practiced by Indigenous artists and interrogate notions of appropriation and collaboration. May not be held with MUSC 3820 when titled Perspectives on Indigenous Music.

Open to all U of M students - no restrictions.

Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 terms spanned - 2 credits

Wednesday 5:30 - 7:00 PM

Instructors: Jonathan Challoner and Richard Gillis

The Wednesday Night Jazz Big Band, led by Richard Gillis and Jonathan Challoner, is a jazz big band open to all UofM students. This group will cover a variety of composers and musical styles and focus on the fundamentals of playing in a large jazz ensemble. The Wednesday Night Jazz Big Band will rehearse once per week and will be featured in at least one public performance per semester. 

 To provide the best experience possible in this ensemble, we are asking that students send a brief statement of intent (150 words or less) to Jon Challoner or Richard Gillis (Jonathan.Challoner@umanitoba.ca OR Richard.Gillis@umanitoba.ca) before registering. Applicants should have at least two years of experience on their instrument and be able to read music notation.

 Please provide a bit of information about what instrument you play and your background learning/performing music. Do you have experience improvising and/or learning music by ear? Please include your full name, student number, and home faculty with your statement of intent.

Winter 2026 (CRN 65865) - 3 credits

Tuesday/Thursday 8:30 - 9:45 AM

Instructor: Dr. Anna Nekola

Gospel music is the music of community, an embodied expression of hope and resilience in the face of injustice and oppression. Although gospel music continues to be tied to faith practices, the sounds of Black gospel are also deeply embedded in the sounds of secular popular music, from Ray Charles and Mahalia Jackson, to Beyonce, Stormzy, and Canadian artist William Prince. The course investigates how musicians make and think about gospel music, and how critics and audiences listen to and think about it, investigating the historical, religious, political, cultural, and social contexts of this music around the world. 

Open to Music Students OR with instructor approval for students in other Faculties.

Winter 2026 (CRN 65880) - 3 credit hours

Tuesday/Thursday 1:00-2:15 PM

Instructor: Melody McKiver

This lecture course is an introduction to the academic area of Hip Hop studies as an African diasporic and global phenomenon, with an emphasis on MCing and DJing as the musical elements of HipHop culture. Themes will range from history and origins of Hip Hop culture, uses of sampling, Black feminist scholarship and Hip Hop feminists, and the widespread global adoption of Hip Hop as a cultural movement with a special resonance to dispossessed and disenfranchised peoples from occupied Turtle Island to Palestine.

Open to all U of M students – no restrictions.

Winter 2026 (CRN 62804) - 3 credit hours

Tuesday/Thursday 10:00-11:15 AM

Instructor: Melody McKiver

Students will study form and compositional approaches to a variety of musical styles, which may include pop, rock, Hip Hop, and EDM. The course will provide an introduction to the creative use of music technology, including DAW usage and home recording. Assignments will include the development of a musical portfolio, and written reflections and analysis. Students of diverse musical experiences are encouraged to enroll.  

Instructor approval required.

Winter 2026 (CRN 65881) - 3 credit hours

Tuesday/Thursday 10:00-11:15 AM

Instructor: Fabio Ragnelli and Victoria Sparks

This introductory course explores the rich diversity of global drumming traditions through hands-on experience. Designed to be taught without using traditional western music notation, the course focuses on fundamental rhythm concepts, basic drumming techniques, and group performance practices using percussion instruments from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. Students will develop listening skills and rhythmic coordination. The course will help students to develop an understanding of the social and cultural roles of drumming in various world traditions. No previous music experience is necessary.

 Open to all U of M students – no restrictions.

Fall 2025 (CRN 26355) - 3 credits

Tuesday/Thursday 1:00-2:15 PM

Instructor: Melody McKiver

Students will learn the use of Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) and sample libraries suitable for composition for digital media. Software includes Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and Spitfire LABS. Compositional tools will include MIDI orchestration, sound design, and audio recording. Students will study film history and the use of music as a compliment to storytelling within film, television, and video games. Other topics will include delivery standards and professional practices. 

Instructor approval required.

Fall 2025 (CRN 26476) - 3 credits

Thursday 5:30 – 8:30 PM

Instructors: TBA

Discover the business side of music. This course will provide a survey of music business topics including artist management, music marketing, rights and royalties, concert promotion, contracts, grants and funding, and financial planning. Students will learn from industry professionals and gain insight into industry roles and the skills required to succeed in the music business. Prepare for a professional future in music with tools to navigate the sector as a songwriter/composer, performer, arts worker, or industry professional.

Open to all U of M students - no restrictions.

Winter 2026 - 3 credit hours

Thursday 5:30-8:30 PM

Instructor: TBA

This course introduces students to the foundational principles and practical techniques of game audio design and programming. Emphasis is placed on interactive audio systems using FMOD Studio, a leading middleware audio engine, integrated with Unity or Unreal Engine. Students will explore sound design, audio programming, music systems, and the technical and creative aspects of game audio integration.

Open to all U of M students – no restrictions.