Harmony University 2024

A popular song or musical theater number can rely upon things like rote repetition and differing instrumentation in order to maintain interest throughout a song. In a barbershop arrangement of said song, however, the arranger must invent ways to maintain interest without those tools: in our terms, "develop the arrangement." In this seminar, student arrangers will explore the process of development once a basic harmonization and texture for a song is achieved. Students will arrange a song throughout the course of the week (expect light homework!), sharing their work with the class and getting feedback from the instructor and other students. Strong prior knowledge in barbershop music theory is advised, and some arranging experience is preferred.