Music Major

Major Requirements

A major will consist of 40 semester hours in classroom courses, plus studio instruction, ensemble participation and piano for proficiency, and completion of a senior capstone.

Music majors whose primary advisor is not a music faculty member should establish an informal advisor in music; the complexity of major requirements necessitates regular review of one’s progress toward the major.

A MAJOR IN MUSIC MUST INCLUDE:

•  MUSI 113 , MUSI 114 , MUSI 213 , and MUSI 314 . Both MUSI 113  and MUSI 114  should be taken during the first year if possible, and no later than the second year, since these courses are prerequisites for most of the other required music courses. (Students who place out of MUSI 113  may take another approved Music course in its place.)
•  MUSI 342  and MUSI 343   (Note: these courses are most appropriately taken after completion of MUSI 113  and MUSI 114 )
• One approved course in the historical and/or theoretical study of music that lies outside of the Western art music and Jazz traditions. Examples include Chinese Music, African Music, World Music Theory and Analysis, and Ethnomusicology
• Approved electives for at least 12 additional credits (up to 4 credits may be the senior capstone).
• All music courses count towards the Music major/minor with the following exceptions:
  1.
  MUSI 110
    (Music Appreciation) and
  MUSI 112
    (Basic Musicianship) DO NOT count towards the Music major or minor
  2.
  MUSI 111
    (World Music), while not considered the most appropriate course for Music majors/minors, may count towards the major/minor with approval of the Department Chair.
• Studio instruction on the primary instrument or in voice during each semester of residence as a major
• Ensemble performance during each semester of residence as a major, with at least 4 semesters in a “large” ensemble (see Music Ensembles)
• A senior capstone project in music
• Fulfillment of the Piano for Proficiency requirement

SENIOR CAPSTONE REQUIREMENT (THE SENIOR RECITAL)

The standard senior capstone project in the Music Department is a senior recital, typically 50-70 minutes in length. The department encourages all majors to include performance as a soloist as part of the presentation of this project. A student may register for MUSI 488  (Senior Project) to receive credit for preparation, although it is not necessary to receive course credit for the senior capstone. The student will plan the recital in consultation with the studio instructor; students additionally will be paired with one of the six tenure-track faculty members who will act as a general recital adviser. This adviser must approve the final program in advance of the recital. 

A small number of students elect not to do a recital to complete their capstone; in this case, students may give a public lecture-recital or a public lecture on an appropriate topic, in consultation with their assigned faculty adviser. Topics for such projects must be developed by the end of the junior year. Research and writing will take place during the fall and winter of the senior year, with revisions and public presentation taking place in the spring. Individual faculty advisers will establish specific timelines, expectations, and evaluative criteria for non-recital capstones on a case-by-case basis.

Following the completion of the senior project, the student will meet again with the recital capstone adviser for an exit review, which will include discussion of their project presentation, their achievements within the department, and their future directions.