аIJʿª½±

Music

Overview

Students majoring in Music must choose, at the time of declaring the major, one of the following focuses to pursue: foundations of music creation, instrumental performance, vocal performance, or music studies. Students with no prior music theory experience must take MUSC 101, offered in the fall semester. Students with substantial experience in music theory should take the Music Theory Placement Exam to see if they can pass directly into MUSC 151, offered in the spring semester.

In addition, students who are pursuing the foundations of music creation focus may choose to concentrate in composition or production. The composition or production concentration must be declared by October of the junior year in order to prepare for the practice-based component of the Senior Comprehensive project.

To declare the Music major with any focus, students must have completed MUSC 151 with a grade of C or higher. In addition, to declare the music production concentration, students must have also completed MUSC 148 with a grade of C or higher. Moreover, for production students, both MUSC 151 and MUSC 148 must be completed by the end of the sophomore year.

Students intending to study abroad in their junior year must begin the music theory sequence in their first year and should only consider study abroad programs that can advance their progress in the Music major. Students who study abroad in their junior years and are pursuing a vocal or instrumental performance focus will be accommodated with online MUSA lessons.

Requirements

Major

All students pursuing a Music major must complete the following courses:

Required Courses:

MUSC 151	Music Theory II	4 units
MUSC 231	Keyboard Musicianship I	1 unit
MUSC 232	Keyboard Musicianship II	1 unit
MUSC 251	Music Theory III	4 units
MUSC 263	Western Music and Culture: 1830 to the Present	4 units
MUSC 285	Topics in the Critical Study of Popular and Non-Western Music	4 units
MUSC 351	Music Theory IV	4 units
MUSC 490	Senior Seminar	4 units

In addition to these 26-units required of all Music majors, students majoring in Music must pursue one of the following focuses:

The Foundations of Music Creation Focus

Students who plan to concentrate in composition or production should pursue a focus in the foundations of music creation:

Foundational Courses

All students must take the following two courses (8-units):

MUSC 113	Learning to Compose	4 units
MUSC 148	Introduction to Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)	4 units

Music Industry or Advanced Production

Students wishing to concentrate in music composition must take "Introduction to Music Industry" while those who plan to concentrate in music production may choose between "Introduction to Music Industry" and "Advanced Production" (4-units):

MUSC 245	Introduction to the Music Industry	4 units
MUSC 248	Advanced Production: Sampling and Synthesis	4 units

Electives

Students wishing to concentrate in music composition must take "Composition Seminar" while those who plan to concentrate in music production may choose one of the following electives (4-units):

MUSC 201	The Ethics and Aesthetics of Sampling	4 units
MUSC 242/COMP 242	Music and Artificial Intelligence	4 units
MUSC 245	Introduction to the Music Industry	4 units
MUSC 246	Live Sound Engineering	4 units
MUSC 248	Advanced Production: Sampling and Synthesis	4 units
MUSC 252	Introduction to Songwriting	4 units
MUSC 257	Composition Seminar	4 units
MUSC 258	Introduction to Film Scoring	4 units
MUSC 261	Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829	4 units

Ensemble

Students must participate in two semesters of ensemble, selected from the courses below (2-units):

MUSC 120	College Chorus	0 or 1 unit
MUSC 121	Glee Club (Sopranos/Altos)	0 or 2 units
MUSC 122	Glee Club (Tenors/Basses)	0 or 2 units
MUSC 123	Afro-Cuban Drumming	1 unit
MUSC 124	Son Jarocho Ensemble	1 unit
MUSC 127	Jazz Ensemble	0 or 1 unit
MUSC 129	Chamber Music	0 or 1 unit
MUSC 130	Symphony Orchestra	0 or 1 unit

Instrumental Performance Focus

Students pursuing the instrumental performance focus are highly encouraged to participate in lessons and an ensemble starting their Freshman year.

Foundational Courses

Students must take all of the following courses (10-units):

MUSC 113	Learning to Compose	4 units
MUSC 261	Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829	4 units
MUSC 272	Conducting	2 units

Principal Instrument Private Study

Students must complete six semesters of private study () on their principal instrument during the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Years (6-units):

Ensembles

Students must take six semesters of ensemble, including:

Ensemble A:

Students must take four semesters of ensemble to be chosen from the following courses (4-units):

MUSC 127	Jazz Ensemble	0 or 1 unit
MUSC 130	Symphony Orchestra	0 or 1 unit

Ensemble B:

Students must take one semester of ensemble to be chosen from the following courses (1-unit):

MUSC 128	Chamber Jazz	0 or 1 unit
MUSC 129	Chamber Music	0 or 1 unit

Ensemble C:

Students must take one semester of improvisation (1-unit):

MUSC 131

Improvisation

1 unit

Vocal Performance Focus

Students pursuing this focus are highly encouraged to participate in lessons and an ensemble starting their Freshman year and to take at least four semesters of Glee Club.

Foundational Courses

Students are required to take all of the following courses (12-units):

MUSC 115	Topics in Vocal Music	4 units
MUSC 261	Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829	4 units
MUSC 271	Instrumental and Vocal Arranging	2
MUSC 473	Senior Performance and Composition Comprehensives Preparation	2-Units

Private Voice Study

Students must complete six semesters of private voice study during their Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Years (6-units):

MUSA 211	Voice (Half Hour)	0 or 1 unit
MUSA 212	Voice (One Hour)	0 or 1 unit
MUSA 213	Jazz and Commercial Voice (Half Hour)	0 or 1 unit
MUSA 214	Jazz and Commercial Voice (One Hour)	0 or 1 unit

Ensemble

Students must participate in six semesters of ensemble, to be chosen from the following courses:

MUSC 120	College Chorus	0 or 1 unit
MUSC 121	Glee Club (Sopranos/Altos)	0 or 2 units
MUSC 122	Glee Club (Tenors/Basses)	0 or 2 units

Music Studies Focus

Foundational Courses

All students in this focus must take the following (8-units):

MUSC 113	Learning to Compose	4 units
MUSC 261	Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829	4 units

Advanced Research

Students must choose one of the following (2- to 4-units):

MUSC 350	Topics in Musical Style	2 units
MUSC 393	Directed Research	2 or 4 units

Elective A (100-level)

Students must complete a 100- level course, chosen from the following (4-units):

MUSC 102/LLAS 102	Music of Latin America	4 units
MUSC 103	Music of Asia and the Pacific Islands	4 units
MUSC 104	Music of Africa and the Middle East	4 units
MUSC 105	Topics in American Music	4 units
MUSC 111	Topics in Jazz History	4 units
MUSC 115	Topics in Vocal Music	4 units
MUSC 116	African American Music: From Slavery to the Present	4 units
MUSC 117	Copyright, Originality, and Theft in American Popular Music	4 units

Elective B (200-level)

Students must complete a 200-level course, chosen from the following (4-units):

MUSC 200	Music and Disease	4 units
MUSC 201	The Ethics and Aesthetics of Sampling	4 units
MUSC 264	The Total Artwork	4 units
MUSC 266	French Culture 1589-1848	4 units
MUSC 283	Music of Los Angeles	4 units
MUSC 285	Topics in the Critical Study of Popular and Non-Western Music	4 units
MUSC 286	Music and Politics of the United States-Mexico Border	4 units
MUSC 287	Music and Social Protest	4 units
MUSC 295	Topics in Music: Composers	4 units

Private Lessons

Students pursuing this focus must complete two semesters of private lessons (200-level MUSA courses) (2-units):

Ensemble

Students must participate in two semesters of ensemble, selected from the courses below.

MUSC 120	College Chorus	0 or 1 unit
MUSC 121	Glee Club (Sopranos/Altos)	0 or 2 units
MUSC 122	Glee Club (Tenors/Basses)	0 or 2 units
MUSC 123	Afro-Cuban Drumming	1 unit
MUSC 124	Son Jarocho Ensemble	1 unit
MUSC 127	Jazz Ensemble	0 or 1 unit
MUSC 129	Chamber Music	0 or 1 unit
MUSC 130	Symphony Orchestra	0 or 1 unit

Minor

Students must complete a total of 24 units, in music theory, music history and culture, and in courses of one's choosing per the guidelines below. NB: MUSC 101 Music Theory I does not count towards this 24-unit requirement.

Foundational Courses

Students must complete both of the following (8-units):

MUSC 151	Music Theory II	4 units
MUSC 285	Topics in the Critical Study of Popular and Non-Western Music	4 units

Elective A

One course selected from the following (4-units):

MUSC 200	Music and Disease	4 units
MUSC 201	The Ethics and Aesthetics of Sampling	4 units
MUSC 261	Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829	4 units
MUSC 263	Western Music and Culture: 1830 to the Present	4 units
MUSC 264	The Total Artwork	4 units
MUSC 266	French Culture 1589-1848	4 units
MUSC 283	Music of Los Angeles	4 units
MUSC 285	Topics in the Critical Study of Popular and Non-Western Music	4 units
MUSC 286	Music and Politics of the United States-Mexico Border	4 units

Elective B

One 4-unit MUSC course numbered at the 200-level or 300-level in your area of interest (4-units):

Elective C

Students must complete an additional eight units of electives filled by any combination of 1-, 2-, or 4-unit MUSA and/or MUSC courses (8-units):

Production Concentration

Required Courses

MUSC 247	Pro Tools Fundamentals	4 units
MUSC 249	Recording Techniques	4 units
MUSC 348	Mixing and Mastering	4 units

Senior Comprensive Project

Students must complete two semesters of MUSC 474 during their senior year and complete a senior comps project in production:

MUSC 474

Senior Production Comprehensives Preparation

2 units

Composition Concentration

Composition Seminar

Students must complete an additional three semesters (12-units) of "Composition Seminar" (MUSC 257).

MUSC 257

Composition Seminar

4 units

Conducting

Students must complete the 2-unit course, "Conducting" (MUSC 272):

MUSC 272

Conducting

2 units

Comprehensive Project Requirement

Students must take "Composition Seminar" both semesters of their senior year and complete a senior comprehensive project in composition.

Second-Stage Writing

Students majoring in Music will satisfy the second-stage component of аIJʿª½±'s college-wide writing requirement by successfully completing MUSC 201, MUSC 261, or MUSC 263in the sophomore or junior year with a grade of B- or higher.  Students receiving a C+ or lower will have to take another Music course that satisfies this requirement. Music majors who do not complete the Second-Stage Writing Requirement through the standard course-based mechanism will need to submit a satisfactory writing portfolio (consisting of 4000 to 5000 words) from 200-level Music courses to the Department Chair prior to the end of their Senior Fall semester.

Comprehensive Requirement

Senior music majors complete a senior project related to the student's area of interest. All senior projects involve both a written and an oral component. The written component (thesis draft; or final draft of argument-driven analytic paper plus recital program notes) must be completed by the end of MUSC 490, which is offered in the fall semester. Each component is graded High Pass (HP), Pass (P), or Fail (F). A final grade of Pass with Distinction (PD) on the senior comprehensive will be awarded if all components (written, oral, and performance, if applicable) are graded High Pass.

In the Fall semester of their junior year, students submit a proposal for their senior project to the Music Department faculty for approval. Music's "Senior Comprehensive Project" page provides details about the project proposal and the requirements of individual concentrations.

All seniors will present their work in a public forum during the spring semester. If the Music faculty determines that the senior has not sufficiently prepared to complete the project in time, the senior must take a written examination in lieu of the recital or thesis submission/presentation in order to fulfill the senior comprehensive requirement. The faculty will supply questions drawn from the material of that senior’s course of music study at аIJʿª½±.

Awards

The Elinor Remick Warren Award is presented each spring to the student who has written the most outstanding piece of music, in a Music course, that academic year.

The Peters Prize is awarded to the "Music major who, in the opinion of the faculty, had done the most during the year to advance the ideals and the prestige of music on the campus."

Transfer Credit Policies

Transfer courses may be used to fulfill major requirements if they are a very close match to a course that is offered by the аIJʿª½± Music department. Permission should be sought from the Music Department Chair before the course is taken and will require a description and syllabus of the potential course to be transferred. Online courses cannot be used to fulfill major requirements. Music courses taken at other institutions may be used to fulfill general education requirements but also require the permission of the Music Department Chair before the course is taken.