Music

Program Description

The Master of Music option in Performance offers the opportunity to study the art of classical instrumental and vocal performance at the graduate level. Students in instrumental and vocal performance continue their studies in Music History and Theory and take classes specific to their area such as Pedagogy, Literature, Chamber Music, Ensemble, Advanced Conducting, Opera Scenes, Performance Technique and Performance Practice as well as private lessons. Master classes with major artists are offered yearly. The culminating experience is the performance of a public recital and the preparation of an abstract.

Graduate students in instrumental performance are presented with a number of performance opportunities each semester including playing in major ensembles and also as soloists. Instrumental string players have the option of auditioning to play in an honors string quartet and all instrumental students can compete to play concerto literature with the CSUN Symphony through the Concerto Competition.

Graduate students in vocal arts are presented with a number of performance options each semester. Students can sing the leading roles in major operas in the original language, they can perform concert music with the CSUN Symphony Orchestra, and they can perform as soloists in oratorios. Vocal students from CSUN perform off campus regularly for arts organizations, such as the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Jubilee Singers and the Los Angeles Opera Chorus.

Program Requirements

A. Application Requirements for the Performance Option

1. Bachelor’s degree, including preparation equivalent to the undergraduate Music major.
2. Entrance audition required. See Department of Music—Audition and Placement for entrance requirements.
3. Taking the department graduate placement examinations in Theory and History prior to first enrollment. Students failing the placement exams may repeat them once or complete the appropriate review coursework—MUS 500 Music Theory Review and/or MUS 501 Music History Review—with a grade of “C” or better.
4. Students must demonstrate the equivalent of an undergraduate recital on their major instrument. Students lacking this prerequisite may be asked to perform an undergraduate-level recital during the first year of the graduate program.

B. Admission Requirements for Classified Status

All graduate students in music are accepted to the program as conditionally classified. To achieve classified status in the graduate program, the following are required:

1. Completion of University requirements for admission to classified graduate status.
2. Completion of any deficiencies that were determined by the Department of Music at the time of admission.

For more information about requirements for admission, graduate classification and requirements for graduation, please consult the Graduate Studies section of this Catalog.

C. Course Requirements

1. Required Courses (12 units)

One class from the following (3 units):

MUS 603A Seminar in Renaissance Music (3)
MUS 603B Seminar in Baroque Music (3)
MUS 603C Seminar in Classical Music (3)
MUS 603D Seminar in Romantic Music (3)
MUS 603E Seminar in 20th Century Music (3)
MUS 603J Seminar in Jazz History and Cultures (3) (required for Jazz Concentration)
MUS 692 A-Z Selected Topics in Music History (3)

2. Area of Concentration (Minimum of 18 units)

a. String Performance

MUS 605 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
MUS 6XXB Individual Performance Lessons (2,2,2,2)
MUS 682 Graduate Symphonic Orchestra (1,1,1,1)

Electives (3 units)

Electives to be chosen as approved by area coordinator and Music department graduate advisor.

Note: Graduate Symphonic Orchestra is to be taken concurrently with individual lessons.

b. Woodwind and Brass Performance

Two additional units selected from Wind Ensemble or Symphonic Orchestra (2 units):

MUS 679 Graduate Wind Ensemble (1,1)
MUS 682 Graduate Symphonic Orchestra (1,1,1,1)

Electives (3 units)

Electives to be chosen as approved by area coordinator and Music department graduate advisor.

Note: Graduate Wind Ensemble or Graduate Symphonic Orchestra is to be taken concurrently with individual lessons.

c. Percussion Performance

MUS 605 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
MUS 649B Individual Performance Lessons (2,2,2,2)
MUS 679 Graduate Wind Ensemble (1,1)

Electives (3 units)

Electives to be chosen as approved by area coordinator and Music department graduate advisor.

Note: Graduate Wind Ensemble or Graduate Symphonic Orchestra is to be taken concurrently with individual lessons.

d. Guitar Performance

MUS 565 Seminar in Advanced Conducting (2)
MUS 605 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
MUS 659B Individual Performance Lessons (2,2,2,2)

Electives (5 units)

Electives to be chosen as approved by area coordinator and Music department graduate advisor.

e. Vocal Performance

MUS 605 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
MUS 654B Individual Performance Lessons (2,2,2,2)

Electives (7 units)

Electives to be chosen as approved by area coordinator and Music department graduate advisor.

f. Piano Performance

MUS 632/L Graduate Piano Master Class (1/1)
MUS 650B Individual Performance Lessons (2,2,2,2)
MUS 678A Graduate Piano Pedagogy Resources and Practicum (1/1)
MUS 678B Graduate Directed Teaching in Piano Pedagogy (1/1)

Electives (4 units)

Electives to be chosen as approved by area coordinator and Music department graduate advisor.

g. Organ Performance

MUS 411 History of Performance Practices (2)
MUS 605 Teaching Music in Higher Education (3)
MUS 651B Lessons (2,2,2,2)

Electives (3 units)

Electives to be chosen as approved by area coordinator and Music department graduate advisor.

h. Jazz Studies

MUS 606 Seminar in Jazz Pedagogy (3)
MUS 607 Seminar in Jazz Performance and Careers (3)
MUS 6XXB Individual Performance Lessons (2,2,2,2)

Select 4 units from:

MUS 681B Graduate Jazz Ensemble (1,1,1,1)
MUS 689 Graduate Jazz Combo (1,1,1,1)

3. Culminating Experience

MUS 698 (listed in the core requirements above) includes an oral comprehensive review:

Each graduate student in the Department of Music is required to pass an oral comprehensive review that allows the committee to evaluate their artistic abilities and research skills. The graduate project committee, consisting of the student’s major professor and at least one additional faculty member, will administer the oral comprehensive review. The oral review will be created and scheduled by the student’s major professor in consultation with the area coordinator, and it will cover the student’s major field of study.

If the oral comprehensive review is not attempted or passed, the student will receive an RP (report in progress) in MUS 698, and may attempt the oral review again during any of the subsequent three semesters.

Students may not take the oral review more than twice. Failure of the second attempt of the oral review will result in the student’s disqualification from the graduate program.

D. Additional Degree Requirements

Students will demonstrate their progress in the area of specialization before a faculty jury at the end of each semester of enrollment in individual study.

Total Units Required for the M.M. Degree: 30