Overview

Research increasingly confirms and reveals the power and potential of music in human development. The study of music, requiring a variety of learning modalities, develops essential skills that carry over into the study of other fields. The performance components allow for deep cultivation of its expressive potential. The student also has opportunity to develop maturity and poise in public settings, leading to growth in self-confidence and flexibility. In group music making, the student becomes part of an artistic community, reaping the satisfaction of working with others toward common goals and the sense of accomplishment resulting from fine performance.

Program Requirements

Admission to the Major

Students wanting to select Music as a major are expected to have had a variety of pre-college cognitive and affective experiences. These could include high school performance, high school theory programs, individual private instruction with music professionals, and music professional and vocational experiences. Admission to the Major in Music for all undergraduate degrees is determined by audition. Students must complete this audition and be accepted to the Department prior to being accepted in the major. Those auditioning for the Bachelor of Music Degree must exhibit a high performance competence in the audition.

Transfer students seeking admission to Performance Options must audition at the appropriate entrance level determined by the number of transferable units accepted by the University. (Example: At the time of the audition, students with more than 60 transferable units must demonstrate musical proficiency at the junior level for admission to a Performance Option.) Exceptions to this policy are rare and are at the discretion of the Music Department.

Students admitted on a probationary basis to the Bachelor of Music Degree Program will receive 1 semester of B.M. lessons (2 units). If probationary status continues beyond 1 semester, students will receive B.A. lessons (1 unit).

Special Requirements of the Music Major

1. Music majors are required to declare, with the approval of the Department, a performance specialization (voice, piano or other principal instrument). They are expected to develop this ability and to appear regularly in performance.
2. Repertoire standards have been established for each of the Degree Programs. Students in the B.A. Degree Options requiring an audition must enter the program at B.A. Level I and must attain the appropriate level for graduation. Students in B.M. Degree Options in Performance must meet B.M. Level I standards as freshmen and attain B.M. Level VIII for graduation.
3. As part of the graduation requirement, all Music Majors must fulfill an Ensemble Requirement. This may differ for each B.A. Degree and B.M. Degree Option. The specific requirements for each Option, and the ensembles that may be used to meet these requirements, are published on the Department website.
4. Students enrolled in music ensembles in the Fall semester normally are expected to re-enroll in the same ensemble for the Spring semester. The nature of these classes makes it essential that consistent personnel be maintained through the year.
5. A concert attendance requirement is attached to successful completion of each Musicianship level (see Core Courses, B.A. Degree and B.M. Degree above).
6. A change from a B.M. Degree Option to a B.A. Degree Option, after more than 2 semesters in the B.M. Program, requires written approval from the Department Chair.
7. All Music Majors are required to meet with the designated faculty in each Option during the last 3 weeks of each semester for mandatory academic advisement. Students who fail to meet with their advisor will not be allowed to enroll through System Registration, which could result in missing their Priority Registration time.
8. Students receiving lower than a “C-” in a semester of lessons will need to take additional study at their own expense to achieve their required level of performance before resuming Department-paid lessons.

Course Requirements

1. Lower Division Required Courses (37 Units)

Capstone experience for all Options: one-hour recital (Performance), 45-minute recital (Composition/Commercial and Media Writing)

MUS 112/L Musicianship II and Lab (1/1)
MUS 211/L Musicianship III and Lab (1/1)
MUS 212/L Musicianship IV and Lab (1/1)
MUS 311/L Musicianship V and Lab (1/1)
MUS 312/L Musicianship VI and Lab (1/1)
MUS 110A Keyboard Musicianship I (1)
MUS 110B Keyboard Musicianship II (1)
MUS 210A Keyboard Musicianship III (1)
MUS 210B Keyboard Musicianship IV (1)
MUS 191/L Fundamentals of Music Technology and Lab (2/1)
MUS 201 Style/Literature of Western Music I (3)
MUS 202 Style/Literature of Western Music II (3)
MUS 213 Harmony I (3)
MUS 214 Harmony II (3)
Individual Lessons (2-2)
Ensembles (4)

2. Upper Division Required Courses (9 units)

MUS 307 Music from a Global Perspective (3)
MUS 316 Musical Analysis (3)
MUS 483ME/L Music Entrepreneurship and Lab (1/1)
MUS 495 Recital/Senior Project (1)

3. Keyboard Option Requirements (34 units)

Note: MUS 110AB, 210AB (4 units) from the Core are not required (or allowed) for B.M. Keyboard Majors.

MUS 132A Keyboard Sight Reading (1)
MUS 132B Functional Keyboard Skills (1)
MUS 232B Alternative Keyboards (1)
MUS 232C Advanced Keyboard Skills (1)

a. Piano Performance

MUS 407A Keyboard Literature I (2)
MUS 407B Keyboard Literature (2)
MUS 432/L Master Class: Piano and Lab (1/1 units; taken twice) (4)
MUS 461A/L Beginning Piano Pedagogy and Lab (1/1)
MUS 461B/L Intermediate Piano Pedagogy and Lab (1/1)
MUS 314 Tonal Counterpoint (3)
Individual Lessons (12)

Ensembles:

Note: Piano Performance majors take 2 semesters of choir and 2 semesters of piano ensemble (MUS 484) as their 4 units of ensembles in the core

MUS 476 Keyboard Accompaniment Practicum (1 unit; taken four times) (4)
MUS 487 Chamber Music (1 unit; taken three times) (3)

b. Piano Pedagogy

MUS 407A Keyboard Literature (2)
MUS 407B Keyboard Literature II (2)
MUS 432/L Master Class: Piano and Lab (1/1 units; taken twice) (4)
MUS 461A/L Beginning Piano Pedagogy and Lab (1/1)
MUS 461B/L Intermediate Piano Pedagogy and Lab (1/1)
MUS 478A/L Piano Pedagogy Resources and Practicum (1/1)
MUS 478B/L Directed Teaching in Piano Pedagogy (1/1)
Individual Lessons (12)

Ensembles:

Note: Piano Pedagogy majors take 2 semesters of choir and 2 semesters of piano ensemble (MUS 484) as their 4 units of ensembles in the core

MUS 476 Keyboard Accompaniment Practicum (1 unit; taken four times) (4)
MUS 487 Chamber Music (1 unit; taken two times) (2)
Students in Piano Pedagogy emphasis are strongly encouraged to take PSY 150 (3 units)

(Taken as part of G.E. requirement—meets 3 units of the G.E. requirement in Social Sciences)

c. Organ:

Individual Lessons (12)

Ensembles:

MUS 276 or 476 (1 unit, taken four times) (4)
Elective Ensembles (chosen in consultation with advisor) (8)

Select 10 additional units from the following, in consultation with advisor:

MUS 314 Tonal Counterpoint (3)
MUS 315 Orchestration I (2)
MUS 363/L Choral Conducting and Arranging and Lab (3)
MUS 407A Keyboard Literature (2)
MUS 407B Keyboard Literature (2)
MUS 411 History of Performance Practices (2)
MUS 412 Choral Literature (2)
MUS 438 Master Class: Church Music (2)

General Education

The following 9 units of Music courses count for GE: MUS 191/L, 202, 307

Total Units in the B.M. Program (Keyboard Option): 80

General Education Units: 39 (Does not include MUS 191/L, MUS 202 or MUS 307)

Additional Units (Keyboard Option): 1

Total Units Required for the B.M. Degree: 120