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In this course we will be taking a hands on approach to understanding the lever harp both historically and compositionally. We will be building and stringing small 19 string harps which will be used as the basis for our compositional work where students will be creating new works of varying length for the lever harp to be presented at the end of the semester. We’ll look at what techniques are and are not achievable, what makes this instrument unique to other harps, and how to include it in larger compositional contexts.

In this course we will be looking at the harmonic and melodic structures of traditional Gaelic (Highlands and Islands of Scotland) melodies as well as the contemporary music of the Scottish folk music revival to draw on and create new compositions. Students will compose four melodies (or one larger work) in a variety of traditional styles utilizing the different tune forms we will be discussing and analyzing. Analysis of modern composers use of traditional Celtic/folk melodies will also be covered. Students will be asked to compile their own playlist for inspiration and analysis.