MCC Instructor’s Music Courses Focus on Appreciation and Theory
Manchester Community College Instructor Andrew Pergiovanni, M.A. in music composition from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, is currently engrossed in two commissioned pieces: one commissioned by the famed baritone Marques Ruff for baritone voice, cello, and piano; and another commissioned by the virtuosic Canadian duo “Duo46” for guitar and violin.
Adding to his experience in composition, he brings his background as founder and director of the Hartt Composer’s Ensemble Chorus, as well as his experiences as a professional vocalist and frequent lecturer to MCC. He teaches several music appreciation courses offered by the MCC Continuing Education Division’s Credit-Free Programs. A number of his courses are being offered during the Summer 2013 term, including “Beyond the Cage: Composer and Musical Trends (1950-2000), which begins this Thursday, July 25, and runs five successive Thursdays through August 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the college (refer to CRN 20813). The course fee is $99.
The award-winning composer, a resident of Avon, Conn., says his goal in teaching is for students to explore and spark their own musical interests. “Even if they come to the class with a rudimentary knowledge and have no plans to go on with a formal study of music, I want them to leave the course making cultural, historical and musical connections from their own lives to the material they learn in class,” he said.
For students who are interested in continuing in music, Pergiovanni wants to stimulate a curiosity in music theory and how it can be applied to any form of music. “You may have to analyze the music through a different lens in each genre, but it’s still the same theory, the same matrix — and it connects absolutely everything,” he said.
Above all, he wants his students, no matter what their level of ability, to see that music is an exciting part of life. “There is one rule to remember: ‘Music is the rise and fall of tension,’ and that simple premise governs every form of musical expression from antiquity to today.”
Pergiovanni will also be teaching five courses at MCC this fall, including “Art and Experimental Music: 1900-1950”; “Bach in Time”; and “Unlocking Your Natural Voice: The Foundation of All Singing.” Watch for the Fall 2013 catalog, which will be available soon.
For more information about registering for Pergiovanni’s music appreciation courses, call 860-512-2800 or visit Credit-Free Catalog Now Available.
