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Dr. Nakra teaches the following courses at TCNJ:

Musicianship 1 (MUS 261) 1 course unit (runs every semester)

Prerequisites: music major, music minor, or permission of instructor

This course serves as an introduction to fundamentals of music theory, including 2-part species counterpoint, four-part harmony, tonal analysis, tonic and dominant relationships, basic analysis of early Western and non-Western music, sight singing (using the movable Do system), and melodic, rhythmic and harmonic dictation skills in the Major key.

Music Technology (MUS 335) 1/2 course unit (runs every semester)

Prerequisites: music major

This course introduces music majors to fundamental concepts in Music Technology. Students will learn the essential aspects of software usage on a Macintosh computer and apply that knowledge through specific tasks in scoring, orchestrating, and composing. We will use the following software packages in the Computer Music Lab:  Pro Tools, Finale, and educational software packages such as Making Music, Band-in-a-Box, and Explore the Orchestra.

Electronic Music Skills and Literature (MUS 345/ADA 345/IMM 345) 1 course unit (runs every semester), counts toward Liberal Learning requirement

Prerequisites: none

This course introduces students to the many fascinating aspects of electronic music by 1) learning the history and listening to important works by 20th- and 21st-century composers, and 2) composing their own works in MIDI and digital audio. Staged assignments introduce students to the techniques step-by-step, and a 4-minute final project is presented during a final class concert. Students use the Pro Tools software package in the Computer Music Lab.

Game Design and Architecture (IMM 370/ CSC 470) 1 course unit (runs every semester)

Prerequisites: permission of instructor

This course provides a multi-disciplinary introduction to video game design and implementation.  Students will customize a broad set of learning goals to their own needs, ranging from the purely artistic to the purely technical.  Lecture and workshops will provide a full range of exposure to game development including game engine design, story telling, interactivity, networking for MUDDS, 3-D pipeline for games, sound, music and dialog.  Students will also address issues of gender and racial equity in the games industry as well as social, ethical and health concerns.