Music

The Bachelor of Music option in Percussion (entrance audition required) is designed for those who want to be professional performers or university-level teachers (following the appropriate graduate degree). Capstone experience: one-hour recital. This option is focused in the area of classical music but usually includes study in other areas (jazz vibes, hand percussion, etc.). Students interested in pursuing a career in the jazz/popular music idioms should audition for entrance into the Jazz Studies option instead.

A. Admission to the Major

Admission to the major in Music for all undergraduate degrees is determined by audition. Those auditioning for the Performance options must exhibit a high-performance competence in the audition. Audition procedures and standards are listed on the Department of Music—Audition and Placement website.

To enter the B.M. option in Percussion, one must pass an entry audition. Expectations are that the applicant will perform at an exceptional level on two of the “major” instruments (a mallet instrument, snare drum, timpani, etc.). Note: It is extremely unusual for a self-taught percussionist to pass the B.M. percussion audition.

Typical materials used by students for this audition include: (a) a major solo piece or (b) a demanding exercise/étude taken from a method book. It is strongly suggested that one’s audition materials be selected in consultation with a professional teacher if at all possible.

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.

B. Lesson and Ensemble Requirements

To qualify for individual lessons in any semester, undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 units, including lesson units and the correct number of ensemble units required by their option.

Enrollment in the designated ensemble(s) for the student’s instrument is a corequisite of enrollment in private lessons each semester of enrollment. Students who do not meet this requirement by the third week of the semester will not be eligible for lessons that semester. 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 throughout the year.

All students enrolled in individual lessons must demonstrate their progress in the major before a faculty jury at the end of each semester of study. Students receiving lower than a grade of “C-” in that 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.

C. Course Requirements

1. Lower Division Required Courses (37 units)

MUS 110A Keyboard Musicianship I (1)
MUS 110B Keyboard Musicianship II (1)
MUS 112/L Musicianship II and Lab (1/1)
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 210A Keyboard Musicianship III (1)
MUS 210B Keyboard Musicianship IV (1)
MUS 211/L Musicianship III and Lab (1/1)
MUS 212/L Musicianship IV and Lab (1/1)
MUS 213 Harmony I (3)
MUS 214 Harmony II (3)
MUS 311/L Musicianship V and Lab (1/1)
MUS 312/L Musicianship VI and Lab (1/1)
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. Percussion Option Requirements (34 units)

MUS 187 Percussion Ensemble (1,1)
MUS 387 Percussion Ensemble (1,1)
MUS 410 Percussion Literature (2)
MUS 437/L Master Class: Percussion and Lab (1/1)
MUS 467 Percussion Pedagogy (2)
Individual Lessons (12)
Ensembles (12)

4. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.

9 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: MUS 202 satisfies C1 Arts; MUS 191/L satisfies E Lifelong Learning; and MUS 307 satisfies 3 units of upper division F Comparative Cultural Studies.

If taken, MUS 397R/L satisfies B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning.

Total Units in the Major/Option: 80

General Education Units: 39

Additional Units: 1

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

For more information about this program, please contact aaron.smith@csun.edu.