Performance, BMus

In addition to study of the fundamentals of musicianship and music literacy addressed in the core curriculum, bachelor of Music students complete coursework structured to develop their understanding of music performance and a body of work consistent with the repertoire and performance practice of the particular degree and concentration. Students may pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in the following majors: Composition, Contemporary Urban and Popular Music, and Performance. All Bachelor of Music candidates must apply to and be accepted into this degree program in the Music Department.

The Bachelor of Music degree in Performance is an intensive, professionally-oriented degree designed to prepare students for a professional career in music and to provide the foundational competencies and knowledge required for those who may choose to pursue graduate study in music. The degree provides professional training in the broad range of skills required of modern-day professional musicians within the context of traditional and contemporary practices and hands-on, practical applications in the discipline of music. Students may choose from three different concentrations: Vocal Performance, Instrumental Performance, and Jazz Studies.

Upon successful completion of the core curriculum, students should be able to:

Fluently read and write traditional musical notation in solo and multi-part scores.
Communicate verbally and in writing about the fundamental materials of tonal harmony, including the melodic, harmonic, and textural standards associated with music of the common practice period; construct representative musical examples in a tonal idiom.
Demonstrate an embodied understanding of these musical materials, both vocally and on a keyboard instrument.
Discuss through spoken and written language the social, cultural, and aesthetic development of Western music from antiquity through the modern era; assess specific performances and works as related to those contexts.

Bachelor of Music students in Performance must choose a concentration area in Vocal Performance, Jazz Studies, or Instrumental Performance.

A grade of C or better is required in all major coursework, and a GPA of 3.0 or higher is required in the major for all BMus candidates.

Instrumental Performance

Upon completion of the BMus in Performance with a Concentration in Instrumental Performance, students should be able to:

Employ advanced musicianship skills, repertoire, and stylistic practice in performance on the primary instrument.
Maintain a large personal performance repertoire and a portfolio of professional-quality recordings that will form the foundation of a professional performance career.
Compose and arrange music for a variety of instrumental ensembles utilizing a range of compositional techniques.
Employ a professional-level understanding of the analytical tools of music in the creation of expressive and coherent performances.
Demonstrate professional and forward-thinking pedagogical approaches to musical performance suitable to a variety of educational settings.
Enact a thorough and flexible business plan that fully supports a professional career.
Discuss through spoken and written language the social and historical contexts in which repertoire for the instrument has been created and critically evaluate the dominant narratives of the music’s aesthetic and cultural development.

Program Requirements | 4 Year Planning Tool | Transfer Planning Tool

Jazz Studies

Upon completion of the BMus in Performance with a Concentration in Jazz Studies, students should be able to:

Perform and record original compositions and arrangements as the leader of a professional-quality ensemble, producing a body of work that will form the foundation of a professional performance career.
Participate in the ongoing evolution of traditional and modern jazz repertoire through composition, arranging, and performance.
Demonstrate professional and forward-thinking pedagogical approaches to jazz education suitable to a variety of educational settings.
Enact a thorough and flexible business plan that fully supports the student’s professional goals.
Discuss through spoken and written language the social and historical contexts in which jazz has been created and critically evaluate the dominant narratives of the music’s aesthetic and cultural development.

Program Requirements | 4 Year Planning Tool | Transfer Planning Tool

Vocal Performance

Upon successful completion of the BMus in Performance with a Concentration in Vocal Performance, students should be able to:

Demonstrate mastery of technical skills, including rhythm, pitch accuracy, phrasing, dynamics, expressive nuances, and contemporary improvisational techniques as applied to repertoire in a variety of genres and practices for contemporary vocal styles.
Lead and conduct rehearsals and performances with an accompanist or band, and generate professional-quality arrangements and scores for musicians.
Demonstrate professional and forward-thinking pedagogical approaches to vocal instruction suitable to a variety of educational settings.
Discuss through spoken and written language the social and historical contexts in which a variety of musical styles have been created and performed, and critically evaluate the dominant narratives of the music’s aesthetic and cultural development.
Enact a thorough and flexible business plan that fully supports the student’s professional goals.

Program Requirements | 4 Year Planning Tool | Transfer Planning Tool