Porter College
Lower-Division Courses
*12. The ArtsBridge
Experience (2 credits).
Weekly meetings on pedagogy in the arts, lesson planning for arts teaching
in schools, and submission of teaching portfolio core of this class. Prerequisite(s):
permission of instructor: student must be an ArtsBridge scholar. May be
repeated for credit. M. Foley
*14. Jazz Vocal Ensemble (2 credits).
Study of vocal techniques in the context of ensemble rehearsals, often
culminating in public performance. Familiarity with musical notation recommended.
Prerequisite(s): permission of instructor: admission by audition. May
be repeated for credit. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
20. Dance/Theater Practicum.
The practice of dance/theater in a particular world area (i.e., Philippines,
Mexico, U.S.). Students learn the dance or theater art of one world area
and study the associated cultural background.
A. Filipino Dance Practicum (2 credits). W
Students are introduced to the different folk dances of the Philippine Islands. Folk dances of the tribal mountain region, of the Spanish Era in the Philippines (Maria Clara Era), and dances of the regional and rural countryside are emphasized. Enrollment limited to 25. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code: A.) W. Manuntag
*C. Korean Dance Practicum (2 credits).
Students are introduced to the different dances of Korea related to folk tradition. Movement concepts of music and the relation to culture are explored through demonstration, practice, and performance. Enrollment limited to 15. Offered in alternate academic years. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
*D. Dance Improvisation (2 credits).21. Music Practicum.
Dance practicum emphasizing spontaneous movement in response to diverse media including visual art and music. Special emphasis given to the conceptual approaches taken by American artists such as Merce Cunningham, John Cage, and Robert Rauschenberg. Enrollment limited to 25. (General Education Code: A.) M. Wong
*A. Korean Music and Culture (2 credits).22. Art Practicum.
Introduction to the farmers band tradition. Theory and practice of drumming are emphasized, resulting in a group performance. Enrollment limited to 20. Offered in alternate academic years. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
The practice of art in a particular world area (i.e., Japan, Pacific Islands, U.S.). Explores the art and craft of one world area and studies the associated cultural background.
A. Day of the Dead (2 credits). F
Day of the Dead: Creating an Exhibition—an exploration of art created to celebrate death in Mexican, Chicano, and American culture. Culminates in the creation of a Day of the Dead ceremony and community altar including students' individual art pieces. Enrollment limited to 20. (General Education Code: A.) R. Apodaca
*F. Vietnamese Festivals (2 credits).23. Film/Theater Practicum.
Vietnamese festivals and the arts they generate, from carving to water puppetry, will be explored for cultural, aesthetic, and iconographic principles, through viewing, discussion and a creative project. Enrollment limited to 20. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
The practice of film/theater from the perspective of a particular culture, genre, or technical approach.
*A. Film Practicum: Talking in Pictures (2 credits).
Introductory survey of the language of film and television. Considers the roles these media play in the shaping of cultural identity. Creative projects in the conceptual preparation for the making of films and videos. Enrollment limited to 25. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
*B. Personal Narratives in Theater and Film (2 credits).
Focuses on filmmakers and monologue performers (e.g. Spalding Gray, Brenda Wong Aoki, Russ McElwee) as they come to terms with their identity in autobiographical works. Students write critical responses to texts and create their own brief personal narratives. Enrollment limited to 30. (General Education Code: A.) B. Giges
C. Documentary/Mockumentary Films (2 credits). W*25. Introduction to the Theory and Practice of Musical Criticism (2 credits).
The mockumentary grows out of the documentary tradition, but instead of pretending to truthfully capture reality, it blatantly distorts, revealing the subjectivity inherent in cinematic representation. Includes ethnographic music, political and Hollywood mockumentaries, and critical readings on documentary film. Enrollment limited to 25. (General Education Code: A.) B. Giges
Introduces students to the theory and practice of musical criticism through the attendance at performances, analysis of composition, and staging and writing of critiques. Enrollment limited to 17. C. Heusch
28. Sound Art (2 credits). S
Several composers and performers of contemporary "art music" discuss the processes by which works are conceived in imagination, transcribed in notation, and realized in sound. After a brief introduction to contemporary music aesthetics, students attend a series of related presentations, seminars, and concerts. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
*30. A Traveling Feast: Arts and Artists of the Bay Area (3 credits).
Combines critical readings with studio visits, gallery shows, or attendance at performances in the Bay Area. Critical and historical study of issues arising from artists' work are discussed followed by studio and gallery visits or attendance at performances. Enrollment limited to 25. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
*33. Seminar in Arts (2 credits).
Theoretical and historical aspects of the arts from one culture or world area are explored through seminar discussion, library research, and film/video presentations. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
*33A. African Global Art and Music (2 credits).
The theme of "Changing the Global Community Through the Arts" explored in African global art and music through readings, listening sessions, and interactions with academics and performers. Culmination will be the African Global Festival and Symposium April 18–20. Enrollment limited to 25. (General Education Code: A.) E. Cameron
*34B. Fractals, Chaos Theory, and the Arts (2 credits).
A consideration of chaos theory and fractal geometry as applied by twentieth-century artists in all media. All necessary math and computer skills are covered. Students complete essays or art projects. Enrollment limited to 25. (General Education Code: A.) R. Abraham
*35. Experiencing Live Theater (2 credits).
Attendance at live regional theater events includes artists' talks, class lecturers, and readings. Students participate in informal theater workshops and write short critical essays. Enrollment limited to 30. (Formerly Viewing Performance in the Bay Area.) May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
38. Working in . . . Series.
Writers, directors, technical workers, visual artists, and professionals in a diverse range of media discuss current work, paths that led to their creative endeavors, and constraints to working in the industry.
B. Working in TV and Film (2 credits). W
Writers, directors, and technical workers in areas of TV and film discuss current work, paths that led to their creative endeavors, and constraints of working in the industry. Students research aspects of film and TV professional work. (General Education Code: A.) L. Steck
*39. Jewish Personal Narratives on Film
(2 credits).
Examines documentaries made by Jewish filmmakers who integrate themselves
as characters into their films. Students investigate this unique documentary
form, while studying the cultural themes that surface in each narrative.
Enrollment limited to 30. (General Education Code: A.) B. Giges
80. Arts in a Multicultural Society (Porter Core Course). F
Investigates how cultural heritage impacts individual creativity of writers
and artists in the multicultural society of California and the Pacific
Rim region. Students meet with faculty member in small group tutorials
and in section meetings, attend regular lecture/performances, and work
with writing tutors. Emphasizes critical reading of contemporary literature,
writing, and close intellectual contact with faculty and other students.
Readings may vary from section to section. (Formerly Heritage of Arts
in a Multicultural Society.) (General Education Codes: T4-Humanities
and Arts, E.) The Staff
80B. Ways of Knowing. W
Creativity in different disciplines is developed via different ways of
knowing. Musical, visual, scientific, and spatial literacy demand understanding
which is not primarily logocentric. Explores how practitioners of arts
and science develop their work and conceptualize its execution. (General
Education Code: T6-Natural Sciences or Humanities and Arts.)
J. Todd
*80G. Making Poetry: Readings/Writing (2 credits).
Guest poets read work and discuss their approaches to writing. Students
develop their own poems and the class culminates in a poetry reading of
student work. Enrollment limited to 25. (General Education Code: A.)
The Staff
99F. Tutorial (2 credits).
Various topics to be arranged. Prerequisite(s): petition on file with
sponsoring agency. The Staff
Upper-Division Courses
*120. Advanced Dance/Theater Practicum (2 credits).The practice of dance/theater in a particular world area or culture. Students learn the art of one world area or era and the associated cultural background. Prerequisite(s): audition; prior training in the discipline is required. Enrollment limited to 15. May be repeated for credit. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
121. Advanced Music Practicum .
The practice of music in a particular area of the world at an advanced level. Students learn the music of one world area or culture over the quarter and study the associated cultural background. Enrollment limited. Prerequisite(s): audition required; students should have prior training in the discipline. May be repeated for credit.
C. Opera Workshop/Music Practicum (2 credits). W
Rehearsal of the principal vocal parts of an opera in preparation for a full production. Consideration of the dramatic aspects of each role and the interrelationships of the characters. Prerequisite(s): by audition; enrollment limited to the cast of the opera being presented. (General Education Code: A.) The Staff
D. Sundanese Gamelan and Dance Theater (2 credits). S
Practical study of the musical traditions of the Sundanese people of Indonesia with attention to technique and cultural features leading to the performance of a dance theater performance. Prerequisite(s): by audition. Enrollment limited to 15. (General Education Code: A.) U. Sumarna
*126. South Asia Seminar (2 credits).
South Asian issues in arts, technology, culture, and history will be presented
in weekly seminar. Students will attend lectures, read supplementary articles,
and write a short paper on a South Asian topic. Enrollment limited to
15. M. Foley
141. New Works Research Laboratory. S
Artists from different disciplines (i.e., art and music, design and creative
writing, performance art and dance, etc.) collaborate with students to
research and create new pieces. Students are involved in phases of the
development from the conception to presentation of the work. Enrollment
limited to 20. May be repeated for credit. The Staff
180. Arts in a Multicultural Society: Pedagogical Practicum. F
Upper-division students participate in Porter core course, joining in
seminars and leading small group sections exploring issues of creativity,
multiculturalism, and heritage. Participate in weekly seminar dealing
with pedagogical practice preparing students to raise issues related to
texts, critical thinking, writing, and the artistic process. Prerequisite(s):
see the enrollment conditions section of the quarterly Schedule of
Classes. Enrollment limited to 16. The Staff
194. Group Tutorial. F,W,S
A program of independent study arranged between a group of students and
a faculty instructor. The Staff
199F. Tutorial (2 credits). F,W,S
Individual projects carried out under the supervision of a Porter faculty
member. Prerequisite(s): petition on file with sponsoring agency. May
be repeated for credit. The Staff
*Not offered in 2003-04