Music, School of

Introduction
Learning Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

Requirements for Undergraduate Music Majors
Programs and Courses Offered

School Director

Katherine Powers

Assistant Directors

Kimo Furumoto
Bongshin Ko

School Office/Website

Clayes Performing Arts Center 220
657-278-3511
fullerton.edu/arts/music

Faculty

Ning An, Nicole Baker, Dustin Barr, Bill Cunliffe, Marc Dickey, Alison Edwards, Jean Ferrandis, James (Kimo) Furumoto, Mark Goodrich, Robert Istad, Bongshin Ko, John Koegel, Pamela Madsen, Sycil Mathai, Chris Peterson, Katherine Powers, Patricia Prunty, Katherine Reed, Håkan Rosengren, Ernest Salem, Dennis Siebenaler, Laurance Timm, Kenneth Walicki, Robert Watson, Gregory Whitmore

Introduction

The faculty and students in the School of Music share a deep passion for and common desire to achieve excellence in music. The school offers a wide spectrum of degree programs and options with an overall emphasis in musical performance. The curriculum provides basic preparation for careers in music, music education or further graduate study, and is designed to provide a balanced education in the many facets of musical experience. Artist-teachers offer instruction in all aspects of performance; practicing composers and theorists teach courses in theory and composition; active musicologists provide instruction in history and literature; and specialists in music education teach the courses in that field. It is the goal of the department to develop each student’s musical and intellectual potential to the highest level of individual capability. California State University, Fullerton has been fully and continuously accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music since 1966.

Learning Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

Requirements for Undergraduate Music Majors

Music majors are generally enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts degree program at the time of admission. Students may request a change in their degree objective to the Bachelor of Music upon completion of at least one semester of coursework at the university, successful completion of a jury examination and recommendation of the faculty in the appropriate area of concentration. Exceptional transfer students may be permitted to enter the B.M. program at the beginning of their first semester. Enrollment in the B.M. program is limited.
Upon entering the university as a new music major, or upon officially changing to a major in music, each student will present an audition in the appropriate principal performance area (instrument or voice) and a placement audition for class piano, unless the student’s principal instrument is piano or organ.
All students must pass proficiency examinations in traditional harmony (sight-singing, dictation, keyboard and paperwork) and piano before being approved for graduation. Transfer students will fulfill the theory requirement by passing the entrance examination in theory; first-time students and transfers with insufficient preparation at entrance will normally take the examinations in MUS 211 and MUS 221 . The piano-proficiency requirement may be met by completing MUS 282B with a “C” (2.0) or better. Students planning to enter the teaching credential program in music are required to earn a “B” (3.0) or better in MUS 282B . Students whose principal performance area is piano or organ may satisfy the piano-proficiency requirement by completing MUS 285 with a “C” (2.0) or better; this requirement must be completed prior to a student’s promotion to 300 level.
Each music major must declare a single principal performance area, which must be approved by the faculty of that area upon completion of the entrance audition. A successful audition is required for the student to receive state-funded applied-music instruction at the 100 (freshman) level. Instruction must commence in the student’s first semester as a music major. The major of students whose auditions do not qualify them to receive instruction at the 100 level will be changed administratively from music to “undeclared.” A new student must meet all university admission requirements and be fully matriculated into the university no later than one week before the beginning of classes in order to receive state-funded applied music. In order to be approved for graduation, each student must achieve at least the 300 level of proficiency in the principal performance area. B.A. Liberal Arts-option students who elect project alternative 2 (MUS 497 ) need reach only the 200 level.
In order to remain undergraduate music majors in good standing, students must take a minimum of 6 units of music each semester, to include applied lessons, major performance ensemble and a minimum of two units of academic music coursework.
Each music major is required to present one or more recitals or a project appropriate to the degree program before being approved for graduation. The project option is available only in the Liberal Arts and Music History and Theory options of the B.A. degree. Recitals at the 300 level of performance are designated MUS 398 ; recitals at the 400 level of performance are designated MUS 498 . See the sections on the Music, Liberal Arts Concentration, B.A. and Music, Music History and Theory Concentration, B.A. options for recital/project information applicable to those degrees.
Undergraduate music majors are required to participate in a major performance ensemble (MUS 406) and complete it with a “C” (2.0) or better each semester of residence as follows:
1. Students who declare a wind instrument or percussion as the principal performance area must register for band; students who declare a string instrument as the principal performance area must register for orchestra; students who declare voice as the principal performance area must register for choir.
2. Students accepted into the Music, Jazz and Commercial Music Concentration, B.M. will register for Jazz Ensemble as their major performance ensemble after they have completed four major ensemble units. Students who declare jazz keyboard, electric guitar or electric bass as their principal instrument must complete two units of major performance ensemble, after which they may enroll for MUS 408J as a substitute for the next two units of the major performance ensemble requirement. After this, these students must enroll for Jazz Ensemble (MUS 406L or MUS 406S ) for the major ensemble requirement, according to the student’s qualifications and subject to audition. Music Majors admitted into the B.M. program in jazz and commercial music studies and have participated in a major performance ensemble at CSUF for at least four semesters will thereafter enroll in Jazz Ensemble (MUS 406L or MUS 406S ) to satisfy the departmental major performance requirement.
3. A student whose principal performance area is classical guitar must register for one of the above major performance ensembles, according to the student’s qualifications and subject to audition.
4. A music major who has been admitted into the B.M.program in composition or classical guitar, and who has participated in a major performance ensemble for at least five semesters (a minimum of two semesters at CSUF), may thereafter substitute chamber music and/or small performance ensembles (MUS 386 , MUS 407, MUS 408) to satisfy the departmental major performance ensemble (MUS 406) requirement.
5. Students enrolled in the Music, Keyboard Concentration, B.M. , Music, Accompanying Concentration, B.M. , or Music, Music Education Concentration, Piano Pedagogy Emphasis, B.A. who have completed MUS 386 with a “B” or higher, and had continuous enrollment for at least four semesters in Major Performance Ensembles, may substitute for the Major Performance Ensemble requirement any Chamber Music class they are accepted into by the instructor, including MUS 408K when used as an accompanist for solo vocalists or instrumentalists. Students in the B.A. degree whose major instrument is piano and who have completed the Keyboard Proficiency requirement for Keyboard Majors (MUS 285 or passing proficiency exam), and passed MUS 386 with a “B” or higher, and have been continuously enrolled for at least six semesters in Major Performance Ensemble, may substitute for the Major Performance Ensemble any Chamber Music class they are accepted into by the instructor, including MUS 408K when used as an accompanist for solo vocalists or instrumentalists. Transfer students in all keyboard degree programs must have two semesters of Major Performance Ensemble in residence at CSUF before substitution with Chamber/ Collaborative keyboard for Major Performance Ensemble is permitted, if other prerequisites are met (i.e., four semesters continuous enrollment).
6. The educational purpose of the requirement that all music majors participate in an appropriate major performance ensemble during each semester of residence is to permit each student to experience the highest level of ensemble music making commensurate with the student’s skill. To this end, the CSUF choir, wind, band and orchestra programs are of the traditional graded structure. University Singers (MUS 406E ) and Wind Symphony (MUS 406F ) are for the more advanced students; Men’s Chorus (MUS 406M ), Symphonic Winds (MUS 406C ) and Women’s Choir (MUS 406W ) are for students of less skill or experience. Placement in bands, orchestra, and choirs will be based on student abilities, determined by the directors of those ensembles. Music majors will be assigned to the ensemble for which they are best qualified. A student does not have the option of satisfying the requirements for participation in a major performance ensemble by enrolling in an ensemble intended for those of less ability or experience.
7. A student who has completed state-funded lessons, who is not taking lessons at all, or who is taking fewer than six units of music must still be in an appropriate major performance ensemble.
Applied-music study in the principal performance area is required as stipulated under the requirements for each degree program. The following conditions apply:
1. If a student pursuing the B.A. degree or the B.M. degree reaches the 300 level in the principal performance area before the required units in applied music are completed, Music Department electives may be substituted for the remaining applied-music units.
2. In addition to the six units of applied music required in the principal performance area, Music, Composition Concentration, B.M. students must complete six units of applied composition (including the MUS 498 recital) after taking MUS 422 . The MUS 498 recital will consist of a presentation of the student’s own compositions.
3. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Music degree in any option except Composition must achieve the 300 level in performance before giving the MUS 398 recital and 400 level in performance before giving the MUS 498 recital. Recital approval will be given only to students who are currently studying with CSUF applied music faculty. Specific information on jury-level criteria is available from the Music Department office.
4. In order to qualify for state-funded applied music (including MUS 398 and MUS 498 recitals), an undergraduate student must currently be enrolled for a minimum of six units of music classes (including applied music), at least two of which must be in an academic area, i.e., any course other than performing ensembles and applied music. (A student needing fewer than six units of music classes to graduate will not be required to take extra units to meet the six-unit requirement and will receive applied instruction if otherwise qualified.) In addition, the student must be enrolled in the appropriate major performance ensemble, as stipulated in section 6 above. If the student receives a “C−” (1.7) or lower, or “WU” in applied music or in the major performance ensemble, or if the student fails to complete six units of music classes as described above, applied lessons will be withheld in the subsequent semester. A student who fails applied music must present an acceptable reinstatement audition before state-funded lessons will be resumed
5. Students are limited to a maximum of three semesters of applied music at a given level of performance. Applied music may be denied for failure to make satisfactory progress within the degree.
6. Students in the B.A. program are eligible for a maximum of eight units of state-funded applied music (MUS 398 and MUS 497 included). B.M. students are eligible for a maximum of 14 units (MUS 398 and MUS 498 included).
7. All undergraduate music majors are required to take applied lessons each semester until their recital requirements are complete.
To be approved for graduation, a music major must maintain a 2.5 GPA in all music coursework that is to be used to meet degree requirements. In addition, a student must earn a “C” (2.0) or better in all music courses required for the B.A. in Music or B.M. degrees.
All requests for exceptions to departmental or curricular requirements must be directed by petition in advance to the department chair.
Undergraduate music majors are required to accumulate 60 hours of performance-related activities-30 hours during each of the first two semesters or 15 hours during each of the first four semesters of matriculation as a music major at CSUF. Performance-related activities include recital and concert attendance, as well as learning about and participating in house and stage management, publicity and public relations, lighting and sound editing.

Programs and Courses Offered

Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Music

Master of Arts

Master of Music

Music, M.M.

Non-Degree

Certificate

Artist Diploma: Professional Certificate in Music Performance

Courses

Music

Courses are designated as MUS in the class schedule.

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