Students who major in music may pursue either a Bachelor of Musical Arts (B.M.A.) degree in Performance or a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Music Technology. The Bachelor of Musical Arts in Performance is a professional degree built on a liberal arts core which prepares students for a career in teaching or performance in voice or an instrument, or for graduate study in performance.
The Bachelor of Musical Arts degree in Performance is designed to teach the theory, literature, and performance of music, to the highest attainable standard in the context of a liberal arts environment, with an orientation towards performance and study in both Western and Arab music. The dual focus on Western and Arab music makes this program truly unique. Music performance majors graduate with experience in and understanding of both important musical traditions.
All music performance majors take individual lessons in voice or an instrument and will learn to sight-read musical notation fluently and comprehend what they hear. Majors learn to view music culture and history through the lens of the liberal arts. They are encouraged to make connections between art and culture across a wide array of eras and places. In courses, lessons, rehearsals, and performances, all students in the program are taught to adhere to a professional standard: to be punctual and prepared, and to treat their colleagues, and the material to be studied or performed, with the respect that is their due.
In order to complete the Bachelor of Musical Arts (B.M.A) degree in Performance, a student will:
- Perform an instrument at or near a professional level, as demonstrated by participation in musical ensembles, concerts and the final solo recital.
- Understand and apply the fundamental principles of Western and Arab music theory, with special emphasis on listening skills, sight-reading ability, musical analysis and piano proficiency. Composing, arranging and transcribing are encouraged.
- Study and research representative works of Western and Arab music literature within appropriate socio-cultural contexts across time and place, from ancient to contemporary times.
- Speak and write effectively about the theoretical, aesthetic, pedagogical and socio-cultural aspects of music-making.
In order to be accepted into the major, all students will be required to audition before the faculty in their primary instrument or voice, normally within the freshman and sophomore years. All students pursuing the Bachelor of Musical Arts in Performance must either pass the MUSC 1805 How to Read Music Placement Exam or take MUSC 1805 prior to, or concurrently with MUSC 1800 .
Students who choose a primary instrument other than piano will also be required to pass MUSC 2850 and MUSC 2851 , (ideally by the end of the sophomore year). Students pursuing the Bachelor of Musical Arts in Performance must choose a primary instrument or voice, in which they must complete at least seven semesters of MUSC 1800 , plus one semester of MUSC 4980 . Students with significant prior experience may, with permission of the Music Program Director, substitute up to two individual lesson courses in a non-primary instrument or voice.
A total of 120 credit hours are required for the Bachelor of Musical Arts (B.M.A.) degree in Performance.
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