Academic Catalog

Performing Arts

The College Transfer Office is set up to help Delaware County Community College students transfer to four-year colleges and universities. If you are planning to transfer, you are strongly encouraged to meet with a transfer advisor within your first two semesters (or before you reach 30 transferable college credits from all institutions attended).

Associate in Arts (AA) Degrees

Communication Arts - Theater Option (THEA)

The Communication Arts major at Delaware County Community College blends the theoretical with the practical by providing students with a foundation in the study of human communication that prepares them to continue academic study in the field. In particular, students select specialized programs and related electives by choosing one of three degree program options: Communication Studies, Journalism, or Theatre. When selecting a Communication Arts program option, including courses and electives, the student should consult four-year transfer institution requirements.

The Theatre option is designed for students who wish to continue academic study in theatre, acting (for stage or film), directing and/or technical theatre (lights, sound, set construction, etc.). Students who wish to continue to a four-year degree in theatre or performance art should choose this option.

DCCC production of A Midsummer Night's Dream

Certificates are short-term educational programs focused on specific work force skills and/or preparation for continued academic study. Delaware County Community College offers a Certificate of Competency and a Certificate of Proficiency.

Catalog Addendum - Spring 2024

Music Industry, Certificate of Competency (MIC)

The Music Industry Certificate enables students to develop skills in music production, music theory, composition, and music business.  Students will analyze current practices and trends in the Music Industry and learn from experiential projects that will develop their technical, entrepreneurial, and artistic skills. Students who complete the Music Industry Certificate will be prepared for entry level positions in music marketing, music publishing, recording studios and music production companies. Students may also transfer their studies to the varied Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree programs available in the music field.   

Theater Arts, Certificate of Competency (THEC)

The Certificate of Competency in Theatre Arts is designed for students who wish to have sufficient theatre training to be able to pursue a career in the theatre, or who wish to apply for certain graduate level theatre training programs which accept students without a B.A. All Theatre Arts courses are transferable for those students who wish to pursue a B.A. in Theatre or Communication Arts. In the Theatre Arts Certificate of Competency program, students are given a strong background in a broad range of theatre skills, including acting, set construction and design, lighting design, costume and make-up design and theatre history. Students may then choose from elective courses in Theatre Arts to complete the requirements for the Certificate of Competency.

View full A-Z Course List

DRA - Drama

DRA 100  Introduction to Theatre  

This course surveys the world's dramatic literature by concentrating on text analysis of a representative sample of plays of varying periods (ancient, classical, modern) and types (tragedy, comedy, drama). Emphasis is placed on the plays in performance. Field trips to theatrical productions may be scheduled. This is not an acting course.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify through the development of theatre the social, cultural, economic, religious and political forces that have shaped the student's world.
Identify positive values through attending plays that will broaden and enrich the student's life.
Develop and expand the student's sensory perception through the critical reading of play texts.
Write and present oral critiques of plays seen and studied, using standards of drama criticism that enlarge the student's appreciation of the art form.
Apply theatre attendance in life as a continuing educational experience that enhances career aspirations and broadens cultural perspective.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

DRA 105  Acting Shakespeare  

Acting Shakespeare is designed with the knowledge that the plays of Shakespeare were written to be spoken aloud, by actors on a stage. This course will investigate the plays of Shakespeare with that reality in mind, and introduce students to the myriad techniques Shakespeare used in his writing which assist the actor in the performance of his characters and the onstage telling of his stories. Acting and performance techniques from Shakespeare's day to the present will be explored through vocal and movement exercises. Students are required to read several Shakespearean plays and to analyze the texts with the goal of performing monologues and scenes from those plays. Plays in performance will be emphasized and students will watch filmed stage productions. Students will be required to see a live theatrical production of a Shakespearean play when possible.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate, through text analysis and performance, an understanding of the fundamentals of Shakespeare's verse and prose and how these relate to the acting of those texts.
Demonstrate a working knowledge of acting techniques which have been applied to the works of Shakespeare throughout history.
Bring to life one of Shakespeare's characters from the plays, both physically and psychologically, and be able to communicate that character's needs and intentions through performance.
Effectively use vocal techniques to bring Shakespeare's words, rhythms, and imagery to life.
Work within a group and show an awareness of ensemble dynamics and cooperation.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

DRA 110  Acting I  

This acting course is designed to provide students with the basic rudiments of acting. Emphasis is on movement, breathing, voice (diction, projection, emphasis, interpretation), and script and character analysis. Students are required to read several plays and to attend at least two performances at area theaters. The hour TBA is provided for rehearsals. Theatre majors are encouraged to take DRA 100 in conjunction with this course as it provides insight into script analysis and staging practices. NOTE: Prerequisites: DRA 110 or comparable experience.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Describe the procedure for bringing a written script to performance.
Demonstrate basic voice and movement techniques.
Evaluate acting techniques.
Recognize the various components of an artistic endeavor, including the roles of self-discipline, motivation, flexibility, cooperation and creativity.
Perform short monologues and dialogues.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

DRA 111  Acting II  

Acting II is a continuation of Acting I. In this course, students refine skills they developed in Acting I and continue to explore the acting process through readings, theatre attendance and performance work. Emphasis is on character development through improvisation, script analysis, movement and scene projects. Students also examine the role of imagination, perception and creativity in acting.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify period acting styles.
Demonstrate physical and aesthetic awareness of acting techniques.
Demonstrate an understanding of character interpretation through movement and voice control.
Work effectively with others on acting projects.
Demonstrate imaginative and creative talents through the actualization of theoretical concepts of acting.

Prerequisites: DRA 110.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

DRA 114  Theatre Arts Practicum  

This course is designed to give students practical experience in theatrical production of a play. Students can choose to work as actors, production crew members, or costume and wardrobe crew members in producing a play at Delaware County Community College. The play will be performed for paying audiences. This course gives students hands on experience in preparation for entering a career in Theatre and allows students to realize the intense collaborative nature of the Theatre.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Work within a group and demonstrate an awareness of ensemble dynamics and cooperation.
Demonstrate knowledge of the various production elements needed to produce Theatre.
Safely operate tools and equipment used in the construction of sets, costumes and lighting design.
Demonstrate a responsible work ethic and an understanding of working within a highly diverse group of artists.

1 Credit

DRA 116  Stagecraft  

This is a workshop course; you will learn by doing. Students have the opportunity to learn how to paint scenic efforts, design stage lighting and sound, and construct basic set pieces and architectural details. Students will also learn the basics of costume and makeup design and apply those basic concepts, creating costumes and applying makeup designs such as corrective makeup and old-age. Students must attend all rehearsals and performances where they will serve as members of the stage crew or the lighting and sound crew. Students can expect to work a considerable number of hours outside the normal classroom meeting time.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Design a simple stage set.
Design basic stage lighting.
Use basic carpenter's tools safely and with precision.
Paint simple scenic efforts, such as rocks, wood, texture, etc.
Orchestrate the movements of a stage crew to efficiently remove and erect stage sets before during and after performances.
Operate a basic lighting control board and sound equipment on cue.
Apply basic and old-age makeup.
Apply scars and bruises using makeup techniques learned in class.
Demonstrate knowledge of period makeup, hair, and costumes.
Design costumes for a specific play from concept to final design.
Create makeup and hair design for specific play.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

DRA 130  Voice and Movement  

Voice and Movement is designed to introduce students to major vocal and movement techniques and practices used by professionals such as actors to maximize their effectiveness as public speakers and to create vibrant, multi-faceted characters for stage and film. This course teaches the inner workings of the human voice and the processes of articulation used to speak and pronounce sounds, and will emphasize the effective use of such techniques as proper breathing, stress, inflection, vocal quality, focus, rate of speech and pace, and others. Students will also learn various movement techniques such as gesture, mime, Alexander technique, Viewpoints, and the Suzuki method. The class will investigate the body/voice connection, and how these techniques work together in public speaking and in the creation of a stage or film character.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Describe the physical actions and anatomical parts of the body used to produce sound and speech.
Demonstrate in performance a knowledge of the different styles and methods of physical movement used in the art of speaking and acting.
Apply tools and concepts learned to create an effective public speaking voice.
Analyze a script or speech to identify rhetorical devices and rhythms of speech.
Create a physical and vocal description of a theatrical character based on analysis of a script.
Apply methods and techniques learned to manipulate the voice and physicality of the body in the creation and performance of a theatrical character.
Work within a group and demonstrate an awareness of ensemble dynamics and cooperation.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

ENG - English

ENG 222  Introduction to Shakespeare  

This course is a study of representative Shakespearean plays set against the literary, political and social setting that spawned them. Attention is paid to Shakespeare's influence not only in the development of the drama, but also in the literary tradition of the English-speaking world.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify the particular types of plays and poetic verse of Shakespeare.
Reconstruct the text of Shakespeare's plays in order to view them as dramatic productions.
Examine how literary elements function within Shakespeare's work.
Read and comprehend Shakespeare's language.
Analyze Shakespeare's writings as products of the Renaissance cultural climate.
Recognize the correlations between historical context and literary sources in Shakespeare's work.

Prerequisites: ENG 112.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS - Music

MUS 101  Fundamentals of Music  

This course is designed for the beginning musician, non-music readers and individuals lacking a fundamental understanding of rhythm, notation, clefs, time signatures, key signatures and practical musicianship skills necessary for the study of both instrumental performance and the study of music theory and composition.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify and read pitch in G and F clefs.
Discriminate among various rhythmic patterns and notations.
Perform ear training and rhythmic exercises.
Demonstrate basic sight singing skills.
Identify all intervals from seconds to octaves by ear (Major, Minor, Perfect and Tritone).

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 110  Music for Children  

Music for Children offers all students an opportunity to explore and experiment with music rudiments, psychology, philosophy, performance and pedagogy. This is a course for students who wish to share their own music experiences with others.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Recognize the role music plays in our culture and in the child's educational development.
Identify and relate educational significance to various music activities.
Apply music rudiments to facilitate educational music activities.
Play an autoharp accompaniment while singing.
Select appropriate materials and models of instruction to support educational plans and objectives.
Coordinate several of the above competencies in a single instructional presentation.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 111  Music Theory I  

This course explores the fundamental concepts of music theory including scales, intervals, chords, melody and harmony. Classes will include lectures, exercises and ear-training to provide students the skills to understand and analyze musical structures in a variety of genres. Students will have opportunities to apply these concepts to practical applications including composition, arranging and improvisation. NOTE: Prerequisites: MUS 101 or appropriate placement test score may be accepted.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify and construct major, minor, chromatic and pentatonic scales.
Identify and construct major, minor, diminished and augmented intervals and triads.
Identify and construct major, minor, dominant and diminished seventh chords.
Compose harmonic progressions that include the use of cadences.
Utilize basic music theory concepts to analyze music compositions in a variety of genres.
Perform fundamental ear-training skills with exercises in interval identification, chord identification and melodic dictation.
Implement theoretical concepts to create original compositions, arrangements and improvisations.

Prerequisites: MUS 101. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 115  Introduction to World Music  

As a selective survey of music, this course is designed to teach students about both traditional and contemporary music from various parts of the world, including Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, central Asia, and the Far East.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate active listening to various styles of non-western music.
Define the characteristics that are unique to each type of music, including instrumentation.
Appreciate the diversity of musical expression in world cultures and how music is experienced within individual cultures.
Understand music making and music appreciation as part of the human experience.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 120  Introduction to Music  

This course is for humanities electives credits. Emphasis is placed on listening, music techniques and design, historic and geographic relationships, and noted personalities.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Characterize general style and techniques expressed through the various stages and periods from 600 AD to the present.
Relate music phases to the attributing aspects of other periods and to the cultural-social attitude and practice of each particular era.
Identify the evolutionary influence of the format and latter 20th-century music styles and techniques found in the American and European cultures.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 121  American Music  

A survey of the evolution of music in the United States from the period of colonization to the present. Themes include European classical influences on the cultural melting pot, and the genre, form and style of concert, folk, pop, jazz and commercial music.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify the evolutionary phases of American music as influenced by other cultures and as developed from the 17th century to the present.
Relate the various techniques and styles of American music to the multifaceted characteristics of the social, religious, political, scientific and cultural aspirations of a particular time and a specific American population.
Discriminate among five main evolutionary stages, and identify contributors of each stage.
Recognize the difference among genre, form and style and use each music characteristic in identifying 10 major composers.
Interrelate all past considerations in the evolution and forecasting of current trends of American music and interpret their relationships to the contemporary cultural/social environment.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 122  Reading and Writing Music  

This course is designed for the non-music reader and individuals lacking a comprehensive understanding of rhythm, notation, clefs, time signatures and key signatures.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify and write in G and F clefs.
Discriminate among various rhythmic patterns and notations.
Develop melodic patterns.
Analyze major and minor modes.
Synthesize and analyze basic triad structures.
Perform in music dictation and ear training.

Prerequisites: MAT 050 or MAT 060. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 123  Jazz: From Blues to ...  

A survey course with emphasis on the various phases and styles of American jazz. Discussions and listenings will include cultural, socio-economic relationships and the evolution of technique and instrumentation.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Discriminate among seven specific styles of jazz.
Identify the technical variations of jazz artists and styles.
Describe the contributions of at least 10 noted jazz performers.
Recognize the influences upon and of jazz.
Compare the evolution and role of jazz to other styles of music, both American and worldwide.
Recognize the styles and techniques as they may relate to the cultural aspirations of a people and to the American culture as a whole.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 125  Piano Class I  

Piano Class I is an introductory course in piano-playing techniques. The course is applied and provides facilities for class participation and out-of-class practice. Scales, music reading and the playing of simple folk songs and piano works will be included.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Identify all keys on the piano and all symbols applicable to basic piano music.
Control various hand positions with left- and right-hand independence.
Perform simple rhythmic designs using upper- and lower-arm coordination and independent finger dexterity.
Demonstrate major and minor scales with appropriate fingering, both hands and parallel motion.
Apply basic harmony as an accompaniment to simple melodies.
Play solo songs and simple piano works.
Sight read simple polyphonic, two-hand piano music.
Perform in an in-class recital.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 126  Piano Class II  

A continuation of Piano Class I. Emphasis is placed on solo and duo playing with appropriately advanced materials and techniques. NOTE: Prerequisites: MUS 125 or permission of instructor.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Apply advanced independent control of both hands including alberti bass, broken chords and arpeggiated chords.
Control a wider range of keyboard use with rapid changes of hand positions.
Play music with chromatic modifications.
Perform complex rhythmic patterns with symmetric and asymmetric accents.
Sight read music applicable to individual skills.
Play solo and duo piano works, including some standard repertoire of Bach, Mozart and others.
Perform in an in-class recital.

Prerequisites: MUS 125.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 127  Survey of American Musical  

In this humanities elective, students study the evolution of musical theater through opera, operetta, minstrel shows and follies to the present. Emphasis is on the interrelationship of both theater and music techniques and styles.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Discriminate among several specific phases of musical drama.
Identify the differences between opera and American musicals.
Describe the contributions of at least 10 noted composers and 10 librettists.
Compare the evolutionary stages and roles of the various phases of music drama with the culture, society, economics and politics of each period.
Acknowledge the contributions of noted performers of American musical theater.
Interrelate all past considerations in the evolution of the musical as they may relate to current and future trends in the genre.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 128  Guitar I  

This course teaches the basic skills of guitar playing, including music theory, technique exercises, chord forms and rhythms. Level 1 reading etudes and songs will be assigned for classroom performance. This class is intended for students with little or no previous guitar background.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Apply the fundamentals of guitar technique to the electric or acoustic guitar.
Read music appropriate for the guitar.
Perform technical exercises for left and right hand development.
Apply the concepts of music notation and theory, including chromatic scale, triad and seventh chord formulas, major scale formulas, and triad and seventh chord spellings.
Chart the parameters of musical form as applied to songs.
Play rhythmic accompaniments of traditional and popular songs in diverse styles.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 131  History of Rock and Roll  

This course will survey the different genres of popular music in the United States through the Twentieth Century using an historical approach. Lectures will include listening to and analyzing music examples in relation to the social, technical and historical trends. NOTE: Recommended (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge of the chronological development of Rock and Roll, its styles, and cultural significance.
Critique musical performances and recordings in various rock styles.
Identify and discuss the role of rock music within its aesthetic, historical and cultural contexts.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 141  Introduction to Music Technology  

Introduction to Music Technology is an introductory course exploring the basic concepts for music creation and production in a digital platform. While the market is filled with a multitude of computer programs and equipment, it is all built on the same basic concepts and functions which will be covered in this course. Students will learn the historical context and technical basics for Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI), Waveform editing, Virtual Instruments (VSTs) and Plug-ins, Song Structure, and creative workflow within a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). The course will culminate in the creation of an original piece of electronic music utilizing the skills gained over the course of the semester.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate competency in the use and function of a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
Create, edit, and arrange waveform audio data for use in music projects.
Evaluate the aesthetics of song structure from various approaches.
Communicate an artistic statement by composing an original composition.
Analyze the historical context and evolution of the use of computer technology in music.

Prerequisites: ((ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099 or REA 075) and (MAT 060 or MAT 050). Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 151  Introduction to Music Business  

Introduction to Music Business will survey the current music industry focusing on the areas where music and business overlap. The course will focus on developing an understanding of the structure of the music industry and gaining the understanding of how to successfully maneuver within the business. Lecture topics will include marketing, publicity, advertising, promotion, distribution, touring, and licensing.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Define the terminology and language of modern music business.
Describe key stakeholders in music business and their roles in the music industry.
Explain the fundamental principles of copyright and licensing and intellectual property rights.
Describe the role of A&R in scouting, developing artists and supporting career success.
Recognize the the role of music publishing and the fundamentals of negotiating publishing deals and royalty rates.
Explain the role of marketing, social media, press releases and promotional strategies in the success of established music artists.

Prerequisites: (ENG 050 and REA 050) or ENG 099* or REA 075. Appropriate placement test scores may be accepted. *Courses marked with a star may be taken concurrently.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours

MUS 242  Advanced Music Technology  

This course is designed to move students into the next stage of utilizing music technology after successfully completing MUS 141 (Introduction to Music Technology). In this course students will learn studio production, advanced mixing techniques, signal processing, studio workflow and the fundamentals of mastering. NOTE: Prerequisite: MUS 141 with grade of C or better.

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Select and position microphones in accordance with the sonic characteristics of a specific sound source at both close and distant configurations.
Describe the technical requirements needed to prepare recording tracks for mixing.
Apply editing tools needed to improve recorded musical performances.
Describe and use digital processors necessary to the mixing process.
Analyze and evaluate their own mixes and others.
Evaluate and apply mastering techniques for commercial release.

Prerequisites: MUS 141.

3 Credits3 Weekly Lecture Hours