Since 2004, UWM has offered the only Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Music programs in Guitar, for which a student may choose to specialize in finger-style guitar. The guitar program also offers B.F.A. and M.M. degrees in jazz, classical and flamenco guitar. Stropes and his fellow faculty members have been pioneers: pulling together a program of study for a highly personal discipline, based on one-on-one instruction, but also tapping into new technology and media.
Why Milwaukee? “Milwaukee has been a hotbed for interest in fretted instruments since the late 1800s,” says Stropes. “As the decades unfolded, the genre was influenced by the changes flowing out of the American experience.”
Over the course of two decades, Stropes helped bring focus to finger-style guitar through historical research, analysis, teaching and performances. Developing accurate transcriptions of the most significant finger-style guitar repertoire was a priority for him, and through his publishing company, Stropes Editions Ltd., he set a new standard for written music for the guitar and guitar education.
The UWM Department of Music established this unique guitar program in 2002 in the Peck School of the Arts. For Stropes, this academic degree program promised a new level of legitimacy for the genre of finger-style guitar.
“The finger-style guitar degree is truly relevant to and involved in an art form, not after that art form has peaked and/or seen its critical innovators die off, but rather in a time of vibrant evolution and with the exceptional involvement of both historic and emerging finger-style artists.”
—Billy McLaughlin, performing and recording artist. “As an educator and historian John brings to this program an unparalleled body of knowledge, resources and experience unavailable anywhere else in the world.” —Ben Kammin, graduate student.
top"Bean Time" by Leo Kottke
Andrew Lardner plays "Bean Time" by Leo Kottke. Transcription can be found in the book "Eight Songs" by John Stropes. The book can be found on stropes.com
Current Faculty
Dr. Beverly Belfer, guitar
Prof. Peter Baime, flamenco guitar
Prof. Peter Billmann, jazz guitar
Prof. Elina Chekan, classical guitar, Director of the Suzuki Guitar Institute
Prof. Donald Linke, jazz guitar
Prof. René Izquierdo, classical guitar, Director of Classical Guitar
Prof. John Stropes, finger-style guitar, Chair of the Guitar Area
BFA Curriculum
|
Freshman Year - Semester I |
Cr. |
|
|
MusPerf 3xx (MusPerf 346, 347, 348 or 349 - two styles must be taken for each sem of freshman and sophomore years) |
Guitar (2 cr/sem) |
2 |
|
MusPerf 001 or 1011 |
Piano |
1 |
|
Music 274 or 271 (6 sems at 1 cr/sem) |
Guitar Repertoire and Ensemble |
1 |
|
Music 123 |
Aural Theory I |
1 |
|
Music 125 |
Keyboard Harmony I |
1 |
|
Music 127 |
Materials of Theory I |
1 |
|
Music 1072 |
Convocation |
0 |
|
Music or General Electives |
2 |
|
|
Core Curriculum |
6 |
|
|
Total |
15 |
|
|
Freshman Year - Semester II |
Cr. |
|
|
MusPerf 3xx (MusPerf 346, 347, 348 or 349) |
Guitar |
2 |
|
MusPerf 001 or 101 |
Piano |
1 |
|
Music 274 or 271 |
Guitar Repertoire and Ensemble |
1 |
|
Music 124 |
Aural Theory II |
1 |
|
Music 126 |
Keyboard Harmony II |
1 |
|
Music 128 |
Materials of Theory II |
2 |
|
Music 107 |
Convocation |
0 |
|
Music or General Electives |
2 |
|
|
Core Curriculum |
6 |
|
|
Total |
16 |
|
|
Sophomore Year - Semester I |
Cr. |
|
|
MusPerf 3xx (MusPerf 346, 347, 348 or 349) |
Guitar |
2 |
|
MusPerf 1xx (Mus Perf 146, 147, 148, 149) |
2nd Style Guitar |
1 |
|
Music 274 or 271 |
Guitar Repertoire and Ensemble |
1 |
|
Music 225 |
Materials of Theory III |
2 |
|
Music 226 |
Aural Theory III |
1 |
|
Music 227 |
Keyboard Harmony III |
1 |
|
Music 211 |
General History of Western Music I |
3 |
|
Music 107 |
Convocation |
0 |
|
Core Curriculum |
3 |
|
|
Foreign Language3 (4 cr/sem) |
4 |
|
|
Total |
18 |
|
|
Sophomore Year - Semester II |
Cr. |
|
|
MusPerf 3xx (MusPerf 346, 347, 348 or 349) |
Guitar |
2 |
|
MusPerf 1xx (MusPerf 146, 147, 148 or 149) |
2nd Style Guitar |
1 |
|
Music 274 or 271 |
Guitar Repertoire and Ensemble |
1 |
|
Music 230 |
Form Analysis |
3 |
|
Music 212 |
History of Music I |
3 |
|
Music 107 |
Convocation |
0 |
|
Core Curriculum |
3 |
|
|
Foreign Language3 (4 cr/sem) |
4 |
|
|
Total |
17 |
|
|
Junior Year - Semester I |
Cr. |
|
|
MusPerf 4xx (MusPerf 446, 447, 448, or 449 - two styles for each sem of jr and sr yr; 1 cr) |
Guitar |
2 |
|
MusPerf 1xx (MusPerf 146, 147, 148 or 149) |
2nd Style Guitar |
1 |
|
Music 274 or 271 |
Guitar Repertoire and Ensemble |
1 |
|
Music 307 |
General History of Western Music III |
3 |
|
Mus Ed 385 |
Guitar Pedagogy |
1 |
|
Music 107 |
Convocation |
0 |
|
Core Curriculum |
5 |
|
|
Foreign Language3 (3 cr/sem) |
3 |
|
|
Total |
16 |
|
|
Junior Year - Semester II |
Cr. |
|
|
MusPerf 4xx (MusPerf 446, 447, 448, or 449) |
Guitar |
2 |
|
MusPerf 1xx (MusPerf 146, 147, 148, or 149) |
2nd Style Guitar |
1 |
|
Music 274 or 271 |
Guitar Repertoire and Ensemble |
1 |
|
Music 421 |
Materials of Contemporary Music |
3 |
|
Music 659 |
Junior Recital (half) |
0 |
|
Music 385 |
Guitar Pedagogy |
1 |
|
Choose one history elective |
3 |
|
|
Music 308 |
Selected Topics in History and Lit |
|
|
Music 311 |
Music of the Baroque Era |
|
|
Music 312 |
Music of the Classic Era |
|
|
Music 313 |
Music of the Romantic Era |
|
|
Music 314 |
Music of the 20th Century |
|
|
Music 309 |
American Folk and Pop Music (2 cr.) |
|
|
Music 611 |
Survey of Medieval Music |
|
|
Music 612 |
Survey of Renaissance Music |
|
|
Music 107 |
Convocation |
0 |
|
Core Curriculum |
3 |
|
|
Foreign Language3 (3 cr/sem) |
3 |
|
|
Total |
17 |
|
|
Senior Year - Semester I |
Cr. |
|
|
MusPerf 4xx (MusPerf 446, 447, 448, or 449) |
Guitar |
2 |
|
Music xxx |
Ensemble |
1-2 |
|
Music 353 |
Conducting |
2 |
|
Choose one theory elective |
3 |
|
|
Music 321 |
Counterpoint |
|
|
Music 323 |
Instrumentation |
|
|
Music 220 |
Introduction to Computers and Music |
|
|
Music 327 |
Analog and Digital Synthesis I |
|
|
Music 328 |
Digital Synthesis and Systems II |
|
|
Music 680 |
Special Studies in Music Theory |
|
|
Core Curriculum and Electives |
7 |
|
|
Total |
15-16 |
|
|
Senior Year - Semester II |
Cr. |
|
|
MusPerf 4xx (MusPerf 446, 447, 448, or 449) |
Guitar |
2 |
|
Music xxx |
Ensemble |
1-2 |
|
Music 660 |
Senior Recital (full) |
2 |
|
Music or General Electives |
7 |
|
|
Core Curriculum |
3 |
|
|
Total |
15-16 |
|
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