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Instrumental Performance music majors at MTSU come from around the world and receive top-shelf teaching from high-performing faculty. Students focus on guitar; organ; piano; jazz studies; or brass, orchestral strings, woodwinds, and percussion. Programs are strong in all areas. Numerous student ensembles provide performances in styles from concert and marching band, orchestra and chamber music, to jazz, salsa, and steel drum. Groups have recently performed concert tours of China, Korea, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, and Italy. Instrumentalists also are close to Music City's recording studios, Nashville Symphony, and a thriving live music market. Students regularly have master classes with world-renowned artists and can even study on period instruments.


What We're Doing

Guitar graduate grabs another international prize

MTSU School of Music graduate Silviu Ciulei (B.M.) recently took first place in one of the most preeminent competitions in the world, the Indiana International Guitar Festival and Competition at Indiana University’s esteemed Jacobs School of Music. It was Ciulei's eighth competition prize in 18 months, earning him $1,500 plus a handmade Kolya Panhuyzen guitar worth $12,000. When Romanian native Ciulei first arrived on campus, MTSU bought a concert guitar for him to play (now used by other students). Ciulei studied guitar performance with MTSU professor William Yelverton and has just completed his doctorate at Florida State University.

Alumni conduct on Broadway; tour with Queen tribute, The Who

MTSU graduate Stephen Malone is the associate musical director, associate conductor, and a keyboardist for 2012 Tony Award winner&nbsp;<em>Newsies the Musical</em>. Reggie Grisham, a trumpet performance alum, is touring with The Who. Recent grad Tyler Warren was chosen by international competition to be drummer for official Queen tribute band, Extravaganza. Malone graduated with a music degree in Instrumental Performance (Organ) after first studying voice. The Disney Theatrical Productions stage musical opened in 2011 and debuted on Broadway in 2012, with Jeremy Jordan starring until joining the TV show&nbsp;<em>Smash</em>. Music is by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein. The show is based on the 1992 film&nbsp;<em>Newsies</em>.


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  • MTSU True Blue Preview: Instrumental Music

    MTSU True Blue Preview: Instrumental Music

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    MTSU | The University of Opportunities

 
 
 

The School of Music mentors students to become articulate musicians, successful as performers, composers, scholars, and music-business persons and in advanced degree programs. MTSU graduates are regularly accepted into prestigious schools of music such as Indiana, Manhattan School of Music, Michigan, Florida State, and Wisconsin. Possible career options in addition to performing professionally include

  • Arts manager
  • Band director/leader
  • Church musician/worship leader
  • Composer/arranger/orchestrator
  • Conductor
  • Instrument salesperson/repair technician
  • Instrumental performer
  • Marketer
  • Music critic/journalist
  • Music editor and publisher
  • Music educator
  • Music librarian
  • Musicologist
  • Songwriter
  • Studio/private teacher
  • Talent agent
  • University professor

Employers of MTSU alumni include

  • Nashville Symphony Orchestra
  • Regional orchestras in a number of states and metropolitan areas
  • University of Southern Mississippi
  • University of Northern Colorado
  • Middle Tennessee State University
  • The Kennedy Center
  • Major Command Army Band at Fort Bragg, N.C.
  • K-12 schools and colleges throughout the nation

MTSU’s School of Music offers an undergraduate major in Music leading to Bachelor of Music (B.M.) degree in the following concentrations:

For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS button to the right.

Undergraduate minors in Music, American Music Studies, and Music Industry are also available.

Graduate programs offered by the School of Music include the Master of Music (M.M.) degree with specializations in collaborative piano; conducting; jazz studies; music composition; music composition for contemporary media; music education; musicology; or performance.

There is a graduate minor in Music.

Instrumental Performance Concentration (Brass, Harp, Orchestral Strings, Woodwinds, and Percussion), B.M.

Music, Instrumental Performance Concentration (Brass, Harp, Orchestral Strings, Woodwinds, and Percussion), B.M.

Music 
615-898-2497
Angela DeBoer, program coordinator
Angela.DeBoer@mtsu.edu

To be admitted into the Bachelor of Music degree program, all entering students must pass an audition before the faculty on their major instrument or voice. Students who do not pass the audition may be allowed, at the discretion of the faculty, to enroll in private music lessons or class instruction for one semester only. At the end of the semester the student must reaudition for admission into the program.

In addition, all prospective new or transfer undergraduate majors and minors are required to take the Music Theory and Aural Skills Diagnostic Exam to determine appropriate placement in the music theory program. For additional information and to schedule a time for the exam, contact the School of Music Office. Students may not enroll in any music theory course until the exam is taken.

Jury Examinations

All music majors and minors are required to participate in jury examinations in their primary performing areas. Non-music majors registered for private lessons may be required to perform a jury examination at the discretion of the instructor. Jury examinations are held to measure the student's progress at the conclusion of each semester. Those students who have presented and passed their senior recitals during the semester may be excused from jury examinations.

Undergraduate Music majors must pass a upper-division jury to qualify for applied music study at the MUAP 3000 level. A Music major must take his or her upper-division jury no later than the end of the sixth semester and if not passing must take an upper-division jury again the next semester. A third attempt must be accompanied by extraordinary circumstances and must carry the approval of the studio teacher and director of the School of Music.

Class Piano/Theory and Aural Skills

All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required, with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons.

Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550, Keyboard Skills for Pianists I, and MUS 2560, Keyboard Skills for Pianists II, in lieu of class piano.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Music, Instrumental Performance (Brass, Harp, Orchestral Strings, Woodwinds, and Percussion), B.M., Academic Map  

Degree Requirements

General Education41 hours
Major Requirements79 hours
     Major Core   27 hours
     IP Concentration   52 hours
TOTAL120 hours

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Major Requirements (79 hours)

Music Core (27 hours)

All music majors must take class piano or private piano instruction until they pass the piano proficiency examination prescribed by their degree programs. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students must earn a grade of C- or higher in MUTH 1110, MUTH 1120, MUTH 2110, MUTH 2120 (music theory sequence) and MUHL 1610, MUHL 3010, MUHL 3020 (music history sequence).

  • MUS 1010 - Recital Attendance  0 credit hours  
    (6 semesters)(6 semesters)  dotslash:(6 semesters) title:(6 semesters) 
    (6 semesters) 

    MUS 1010 - Recital Attendance

    0 credit hours

    Attendance at a minimum number of recitals and concerts given by students, faculty, and guest artists. Six semesters required for undergraduate music majors (see School of Music handbook for details). May be repeated multiple times. Pass/Fail.

  • MUS 3140 - Basic Conducting  2 credit hours  

    MUS 3140 - Basic Conducting

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUTH 2120. Interpretation of scores, fundamental diagrams with and without baton, terminology, and stage deportment.

  • MUHL 1610 - The World of Music

    3 credit hours

    A study of culture and music through a chronological survey of styles, genres, and composers of Western art music and through the comparative study of various non-Western musical practices.

  • MUHL 3010 - History of Western Art Music I

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUHL 1610 with grade of C- or better. Second required music history course for Music majors. A survey of Western art music from antiquity through the eighteenth century, including Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.

  • MUHL 3020 - History of Western Art Music II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUHL 1610 with grade of C- or better. Third required music history course for music majors. A survey of Western art music of the eighteenth through twenty-first century, including Classical, Romantic, Modern, and Postmodern periods.

  • MUTH 4130 - Orchestration and Arranging

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2120. Compass and tonal qualities of band and orchestra instruments; transposition. Fundamentals of arranging for various instrumental groupings.

  • MUTH 1110 - Theory and Aural Skills I

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1000 with grade of C- or higher or satisfactory score on theory diagnostic exam. Harmonic tonality and fixed-do solfège through chorale analysis and harmonizations of given bass lines. Major and minor scales and harmonizations through secondary function. Meets for five hours per week.

  • MUTH 1120 - Theory and Aural Skills II

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1110. Harmonic tonality and fixed-do solfège through chorale analysis and harmonizations of given bass lines. Modal scales, harmonization, and analysis through the augmented sixth. Meets for five hours per week.

  • MUTH 2110 - Theory and Aural Skills III

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1120. Harmonic tonality and twentieth-century vocabularies. Nineteenth-century chromaticism. Meets for four hours per week.

  • MUTH 2120 - Theory and Aural Skills IV

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2110. Continued study of harmonic tonality and twentieth-century vocabularies. Twentieth-century practices. Meets for four hours per week.

Instrumental Performance Concentration (52 hours)

  • MUS 1530 - Class Piano I  1 credit hour  

    MUS 1530 - Class Piano I

    1 credit hour

    Acquaints beginning piano students with the keyboard. Includes such skills as note reading, basic chords for harmonization of melodies, improvisation, basic exercises for development of coordination and technique, transposition, repertory, and sight reading. TBR Common Course: MUS 1027

    NOTE: All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

    Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons. Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550 and MUS 2560 in lieu of class piano.

  • MUS 1540 - Class Piano II  1 credit hour  

    MUS 1540 - Class Piano II

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: MUS 1530. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 1530. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills. TBR Common Course: MUS 1127

    NOTE: All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

    Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons. Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550 and MUS 2560 in lieu of class piano.

  • MUS 2530 - Class Piano III  1 credit hour  

    MUS 2530 - Class Piano III

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: MUS 1540. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 1540. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills.

  • MUS 2540 - Class Piano IV  1 credit hour  
    (1 credit hour required)(1 credit hour required)  dotslash:(1 credit hour required) title:(1 credit hour required) 
    (1 credit hour required) 

    MUS 2540 - Class Piano IV

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: MUS 2530. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 2530. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills.

  • MUS 3150 - Advanced Instrumental Conducting

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUED 2320 and MUS 3140. Further development of techniques, especially those relevant to choral and instrumental conducting. Laboratory experiences with large musical groups; conducting with records to develop awareness of musical texture, form, and general musicianship in all areas as related to conducting.

  • MUAP 3800 - Junior Recital  1 credit hour  

    MUAP 3800 - Junior Recital

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: One semester of upper-division private study. Corequisite: Private lesson in major area of performance. Required of all Bachelor of Music majors with a concentration in Vocal or Instrumental Performance. Constitutes approximately 30 minutes of music with appropriate repertoire as assigned by the private instructor; recital performance graded by a faculty committee; must be passed with a grade of C or better.

  • Music elective 3 credit hours (NOTE: MUS 1030 may not be counted as an elective.)
  • MUTH 4110 - Form and Analysis

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2120. Binary and tenary forms, simple rondos and sonatinas progressing to sonata form, large rondos, theme and variations, art song, and free forms. Stylistic analysis and study of devices and materials from early to contemporary periods.

  • MUPD 41- -  - Advanced Pedagogy 2 credit hours
  • MUEN 3- - -  - Ensembles 14 credit hours **
  • MUAP 2- - -  - Private Instruction 8 credit hours
  • MUAP 4- - -  - Private Instruction 12 credit hours
  • MUHL 47- -  - Instrumental Literature 2 credit hours OR  MUHL 4870 2 credit hours (for harp)
  • MUAP 4900 - Senior Recital  2 credit hours  

    MUAP 4900 - Senior Recital

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUAP 3800 with a grade of C or better (Vocal or Instrumental Performance); three semesters of upper-division private study. Required of all Bachelor of Music majors with a concentration in Vocal or Instrumental Performance, Jazz Studies, and Theory-Composition. Constitutes approximately 50 minutes of music with appropriate repertoire as assigned by the private instructor. Recital performance graded by a faculty committee; must be passed with a grade of C or better.

**Ensembles

NOTE: Sixteen (16) hours of ensemble participation as approved by faculty are required, but only fourteen (14) of those hours may be counted toward degree requirements; the remaining hours may be taken for zero (0) credit. Ensembles may be based on audition and are selected with guidance from the faculty.

Instrumental Performance (Guitar)

Music, Instrumental Performance Concentration (Guitar), B.M.

Music 
615-898-5623
William Yelverton, program coordinator
William.Yelverton@mtsu.edu

To be admitted into the Bachelor of Music degree program, all entering students must pass an audition before the faculty on their major instrument or voice. Students who do not pass the audition may be allowed, at the discretion of the faculty, to enroll in private music lessons or class instruction for one semester only. At the end of the semester the student must reaudition for admission into the program.

In addition, all prospective new or transfer undergraduate majors and minors are required to take the Music Theory and Aural Skills Diagnostic Exam to determine appropriate placement in the music theory program. For additional information and to schedule a time for the exam, contact the School of Music Office. Students may not enroll in any music theory course until the exam is taken.

Jury Examinations

All music majors and minors are required to participate in jury examinations in their primary performing areas. Non-music majors registered for private lessons may be required to perform a jury examination at the discretion of the instructor. Jury examinations are held to measure the student's progress at the conclusion of each semester. Those students who have presented and passed their senior recitals during the semester may be excused from jury examinations.

Undergraduate Music majors must pass an upper-division jury to qualify for applied music study at the MUAP 3000 level. A Music major must take his or her upper-division jury no later than the end of the sixth semester and if not passing must take an upper-division jury again the next semester. A third attempt must be accompanied by extraordinary circumstances and must carry the approval of the studio teacher and director of the School of Music.

Class Piano/Theory and Aural Skills

All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required, with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons.

Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550, Keyboard Skills for Pianists I, and MUS 2560, Keyboard Skills for Pianists II, in lieu of class piano.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Music, Instrumental Performance (Guitar), B.M., Academic Map  

Degree Requirements

General Education41 hours
Major Requirements76 hours
     Major Core   27 hours
     IP Concentration   49 hours
Electives3 hours
TOTAL120 hours

 

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Major Requirements (76 hours)

Music Core (27 hours)

All music majors must take class piano or private piano instruction until they pass the piano proficiency examination prescribed by their degree programs. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students must earn a grade of C- or higher in MUTH 1110, MUTH 1120, MUTH 2110, MUTH 2120 (music theory sequence) and MUHL 1610, MUHL 3010, MUHL 3020 (music history sequence).

  • MUS 1010 - Recital Attendance  0 credit hours  
    (6 semesters)(6 semesters)  dotslash:(6 semesters) title:(6 semesters) 
    (6 semesters) 

    MUS 1010 - Recital Attendance

    0 credit hours

    Attendance at a minimum number of recitals and concerts given by students, faculty, and guest artists. Six semesters required for undergraduate music majors (see School of Music handbook for details). May be repeated multiple times. Pass/Fail.

  • MUS 3140 - Basic Conducting  2 credit hours  

    MUS 3140 - Basic Conducting

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUTH 2120. Interpretation of scores, fundamental diagrams with and without baton, terminology, and stage deportment.

  • MUHL 1610 - The World of Music

    3 credit hours

    A study of culture and music through a chronological survey of styles, genres, and composers of Western art music and through the comparative study of various non-Western musical practices.

  • MUHL 3010 - History of Western Art Music I

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUHL 1610 with grade of C- or better. Second required music history course for Music majors. A survey of Western art music from antiquity through the eighteenth century, including Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.

  • MUHL 3020 - History of Western Art Music II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUHL 1610 with grade of C- or better. Third required music history course for music majors. A survey of Western art music of the eighteenth through twenty-first century, including Classical, Romantic, Modern, and Postmodern periods.

  • MUTH 1110 - Theory and Aural Skills I

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1000 with grade of C- or higher or satisfactory score on theory diagnostic exam. Harmonic tonality and fixed-do solfège through chorale analysis and harmonizations of given bass lines. Major and minor scales and harmonizations through secondary function. Meets for five hours per week.

  • MUTH 1120 - Theory and Aural Skills II

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1110. Harmonic tonality and fixed-do solfège through chorale analysis and harmonizations of given bass lines. Modal scales, harmonization, and analysis through the augmented sixth. Meets for five hours per week.

  • MUTH 2110 - Theory and Aural Skills III

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1120. Harmonic tonality and twentieth-century vocabularies. Nineteenth-century chromaticism. Meets for four hours per week.

  • MUTH 2120 - Theory and Aural Skills IV

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2110. Continued study of harmonic tonality and twentieth-century vocabularies. Twentieth-century practices. Meets for four hours per week.

  • MUTH 4130 - Orchestration and Arranging

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2120. Compass and tonal qualities of band and orchestra instruments; transposition. Fundamentals of arranging for various instrumental groupings.

Instrumental Performance Concentration (49 hours)

  • MUS 1530 - Class Piano I  1 credit hour  

    MUS 1530 - Class Piano I

    1 credit hour

    Acquaints beginning piano students with the keyboard. Includes such skills as note reading, basic chords for harmonization of melodies, improvisation, basic exercises for development of coordination and technique, transposition, repertory, and sight reading. TBR Common Course: MUS 1027

    NOTE: All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

    Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons. Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550 and MUS 2560 in lieu of class piano.

  • MUS 1540 - Class Piano II  1 credit hour  

    MUS 1540 - Class Piano II

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: MUS 1530. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 1530. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills. TBR Common Course: MUS 1127

    NOTE: All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

    Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons. Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550 and MUS 2560 in lieu of class piano.

  • MUS 2530 - Class Piano III  1 credit hour  

    MUS 2530 - Class Piano III

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: MUS 1540. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 1540. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills.

  • MUS 2540 - Class Piano IV  1 credit hour  
    (1 credit hour required)(1 credit hour required)  dotslash:(1 credit hour required) title:(1 credit hour required) 
    (1 credit hour required) 

    MUS 2540 - Class Piano IV

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: MUS 2530. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 2530. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills.

  • MUS 3170 - Guitar Skills I  2 credit hours  

    MUS 3170 - Guitar Skills I

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUTH 1110, MUTH 1120, and two semesters of private study. A skills course for improving reading skills and applying music theory concepts to the guitar. Topics will include arranging, harmonization of melody, reading from lead sheet format, improvisation, and standard repertoire suitable for a variety of performance situations.  

  • MUTH 3110 - Counterpoint  3 credit hours  

    MUTH 3110 - Counterpoint

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2120 with C- or better. Review and continuation of contrapuntal techniques. Canon, imitation, various contrapuntal devices, inventions, and beginning fugue. Analysis and some degree of original work.

  • MUAP 3800 - Junior Recital  1 credit hour  

    MUAP 3800 - Junior Recital

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: One semester of upper-division private study. Corequisite: Private lesson in major area of performance. Required of all Bachelor of Music majors with a concentration in Vocal or Instrumental Performance. Constitutes approximately 30 minutes of music with appropriate repertoire as assigned by the private instructor; recital performance graded by a faculty committee; must be passed with a grade of C or better.

  • MUHL 4060 - Survey of Guitar Literature

    3 credit hours

    Basic literature for the guitar from the Renaissance to the present. Analysis, listening, research, and performance.

  • MUTH 4110 - Form and Analysis

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2120. Binary and tenary forms, simple rondos and sonatinas progressing to sonata form, large rondos, theme and variations, art song, and free forms. Stylistic analysis and study of devices and materials from early to contemporary periods.

  • MUPD 4350 - Guitar Pedagogy  2 credit hours  

    MUPD 4350 - Guitar Pedagogy

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Study of the theoretical and practical basis of teaching guitar.

  • MUEN 3- - -  - Ensembles 8 credit hours **
  • MUAP 2412 - Private Instruction-Guitar  2 credit hours  
    (8 credit hours required)(8 credit hours required)  dotslash:(8 credit hours required) title:(8 credit hours required) 
    (8 credit hours required) 

    MUAP 2412 - Private Instruction-Guitar

    2 credit hours

    Private instruction is available to qualified students on all orchestral and band instruments, voice, guitar, keyboards and composition. Those students enrolling in private instruction for the first time audition to determine if they are adequately prepared for college-level study. To arrange for an audition, students should contact the School of Music Office. One-credit private instruction courses require one-half hour lesson per week. Two-credit courses are for music majors only and require one hour-long lesson per week. A corequisite enrollment in an appropriate music ensemble is required for students registered for private instruction in voice, brass, woodwinds, orchestral strings, and percussion. Private instruction course numbers will be repeated for each semester of study. Students who are not prepared for such private instruction as stated above should register for class instruction, e.g., class piano, class guitar, or class voice. If class instruction is not available, students may be allowed to enroll in private instruction for one semester after which a faculty jury examination must be passed to continue private instruction. Private instruction course numbers will be repeated each semester of study. A maximum of four semesters of lower-division private instruction may be applied to a music degree. See Miscellaneous Course Fees for further information.

  • MUAP 4413 - Private Instruction-Guitar  3 credit hours  
    (12 credit hours required)(12 credit hours required)  dotslash:(12 credit hours required) title:(12 credit hours required) 
    (12 credit hours required) 

    MUAP 4413 - Private Instruction-Guitar

    3 credit hours

    Promotion to the upper division does not follow automatically after the completion of four semesters of courses in the lower division but is made only upon the successful completion of the upper-division jury. This jury, normally given at the end of the sophomore year to music majors, is conducted by the School of Music. Recommendation to upper division is made only if the student's proficiency as a performer bears promise of future artistic qualities as a soloist. It is at this level that the music major normally begins preparation for his/her junior and/or senior recital. A student who fails to pass the upper-division jury must continue lower-division private instruction until the jury is passed. Private instruction course numbers will be repeated for each semester of study. A one-credit course requires one half-hour lesson per week. Two- and three-credit courses are for music majors only and require one hour-long lesson per week. A corequisite enrollment in an appropriate music ensemble is required for students registered for private instruction in voice, brass, woodwinds, orchestral strings, and percussion. After successful completion of the upper-division jury, a student must be enrolled for a minimum of three semesters before being allowed to give the senior recital. Students must pass the upper-division performance jury before being allowed to student teach. Three-credit private instruction courses are designed for only those students majoring in music with performance as their concentration. Students enrolled in these courses will receive one hour of instruction per week. Although three-credit courses meet for the same length of time as two-credit courses, students enrolled are expected to spend more time in preparation for their lessons and perform more repertoire during the course of the semester as assigned by the instructor.

  • MUAP 4900 - Senior Recital  2 credit hours  

    MUAP 4900 - Senior Recital

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUAP 3800 with a grade of C or better (Vocal or Instrumental Performance); three semesters of upper-division private study. Required of all Bachelor of Music majors with a concentration in Vocal or Instrumental Performance, Jazz Studies, and Theory-Composition. Constitutes approximately 50 minutes of music with appropriate repertoire as assigned by the private instructor. Recital performance graded by a faculty committee; must be passed with a grade of C or better.

  • Music upper-division elective 2 credit hours

**Ensembles

NOTE: Ten (10) hours of ensemble participation as approved by faculty are required, but only eight (8) of those hours may be counted toward degree requirements; the remaining hours may be taken for zero (0) credit. Ensembles may be based on audition and are selected with guidance from the faculty.

Electives (3 hours)

Instrumental Performance (Jazz Studies)

Music, Instrumental Performance Concentration (Jazz Studies), B.M.

Music 
615-898-2724
Jamey Simmons, program coordinator
James.Simmons@mtsu.edu

To be admitted into the Bachelor of Music degree program, all entering students must pass an audition before the faculty on their major instrument or voice. Students who do not pass the audition may be allowed, at the discretion of the faculty, to enroll in private music lessons or class instruction for one semester only. At the end of the semester the student must reaudition for admission into the program.

In addition, all prospective new or transfer undergraduate majors and minors are required to take the Music Theory and Aural Skills Diagnostic Exam to determine appropriate placement in the music theory program. For additional information and to schedule a time for the exam, contact the School of Music Office. Students may not enroll in any music theory course until the exam is taken.

Jury Examinations

All music majors and minors are required to participate in jury examinations in their primary performing areas. Non-music majors registered for private lessons may be required to perform a jury examination at the discretion of the instructor. Jury examinations are held to measure the student's progress at the conclusion of each semester. Those students who have presented and passed their senior recitals during the semester may be excused from jury examinations.

Undergraduate Music majors must pass an upper-division jury to qualify for applied music study at the MUAP 3000 level. A Music major must take his or her upper-division jury no later than the end of the sixth semester and if not passing must take an upper-division jury again the next semester. A third attempt must be accompanied by extraordinary circumstances and must carry the approval of the studio teacher and director of the School of Music.

Class Piano/Theory and Aural Skills

All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required, with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons.

Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550, Keyboard Skills for Pianists I, and MUS 2560, Keyboard Skills for Pianists II, in lieu of class piano.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Music, Instrumental Performance (Jazz Studies), B.M., Academic Map  

Degree Requirements

General Education41 hours
Major Requirements79 hours
     Major Core   25 hours
     IP Concentration   54 hours
TOTAL120 hours

 

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Major Requirements (79 hours)

Music Core (25 hours)

All music majors must take class piano or private piano instruction until they pass the piano proficiency examination prescribed by their degree programs. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students must earn a grade of C- or higher in MUTH 1110, MUTH 1120, MUTH 2110, MUTH 2120 (music theory sequence) and MUHL 1610, MUHL 3010, MUHL 3020 (music history sequence).

  • MUS 1010 - Recital Attendance  0 credit hours  
    (6 semesters)(6 semesters)  dotslash:(6 semesters) title:(6 semesters) 
    (6 semesters) 

    MUS 1010 - Recital Attendance

    0 credit hours

    Attendance at a minimum number of recitals and concerts given by students, faculty, and guest artists. Six semesters required for undergraduate music majors (see School of Music handbook for details). May be repeated multiple times. Pass/Fail.

  • MUS 3140 - Basic Conducting  2 credit hours  

    MUS 3140 - Basic Conducting

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUTH 2120. Interpretation of scores, fundamental diagrams with and without baton, terminology, and stage deportment.

  • MUTH 1110 - Theory and Aural Skills I

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1000 with grade of C- or higher or satisfactory score on theory diagnostic exam. Harmonic tonality and fixed-do solfège through chorale analysis and harmonizations of given bass lines. Major and minor scales and harmonizations through secondary function. Meets for five hours per week.

  • MUTH 1120 - Theory and Aural Skills II

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1110. Harmonic tonality and fixed-do solfège through chorale analysis and harmonizations of given bass lines. Modal scales, harmonization, and analysis through the augmented sixth. Meets for five hours per week.

  • MUHL 1610 - The World of Music

    3 credit hours

    A study of culture and music through a chronological survey of styles, genres, and composers of Western art music and through the comparative study of various non-Western musical practices.

  • MUTH 2110 - Theory and Aural Skills III

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1120. Harmonic tonality and twentieth-century vocabularies. Nineteenth-century chromaticism. Meets for four hours per week.

  • MUTH 2120 - Theory and Aural Skills IV

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2110. Continued study of harmonic tonality and twentieth-century vocabularies. Twentieth-century practices. Meets for four hours per week.

  • MUHL 3010 - History of Western Art Music I

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUHL 1610 with grade of C- or better. Second required music history course for Music majors. A survey of Western art music from antiquity through the eighteenth century, including Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.

  • MUHL 3020 - History of Western Art Music II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUHL 1610 with grade of C- or better. Third required music history course for music majors. A survey of Western art music of the eighteenth through twenty-first century, including Classical, Romantic, Modern, and Postmodern periods.

Concentration Requirements (54 hours)

  • MUAP 2- - - - Private Instruction 4 credit hours
  • MUAP 2- - -  - Private Instruction (Jazz) 4 credit hours
  • MUAP 4- - -  - Private Instruction (Jazz) 8 credit hours
  • MUAP 4343 - Jazz Arranging, Applied Study  2 credit hours  
    (2 semesters)*(2 semesters)*  dotslash:(2 semesters)* title:(2 semesters)* 
    (2 semesters)* 

    MUAP 4343 - Jazz Arranging, Applied Study

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1120. Focuses on the art of writing a jazz arrangement. Various orchestration techniques (both linear and horizontal), writing for the rhythm section, ranges and transposition of instruments, form and historical approaches to arranging for jazz ensembles presented. Preparation of arrangements for several performances required during the semester.

  • MUEN 3431 - Jazz Improvisation Lab  1 credit hour  
    (2 semesters)(2 semesters)  dotslash:(2 semesters) title:(2 semesters) 
    (2 semesters) 

    MUEN 3431 - Jazz Improvisation Lab

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1120. Emphasizes basic jazz performance practices in an ensemble setting. Training in improvisation will include melodic paraphrase, ear-training, jazz scales and arpeggios, the study of transcriptions, and exposure to recorded examples of various jazz styles. Basic musicianship issues such as practicing, transposition, and common performance practices will be covered. Performances will showcase the concepts learned throughout the semester. May be repeated for two credits.  

  • MUEN 3- - -  - Ensembles 9 credit hours **
  • MUHL 4530 - History of Jazz  3 credit hours  

    MUHL 4530 - History of Jazz

    3 credit hours

    Study of the history and literature of jazz music including African roots, developments and aspects of style periods, and the contemporary state of jazz. Listening and analysis.

  • MUPD 3050 - Jazz Pedagogy  2 credit hours  

    MUPD 3050 - Jazz Pedagogy

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Techniques and methods of teaching jazz studies including the training of jazz ensembles and combos.

  • MUTH 3160 - Jazz Theory  3 credit hours  

    MUTH 3160 - Jazz Theory

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1120. Exploration of the harmonic syntax, melodic construction, and song forms in jazz music. Analysis, listening, original composition, and practice hearing jazz chords and progressions.

  • MUTH 4180 - Improvisation  3 credit hours  

    MUTH 4180 - Improvisation

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1120 or permission of instructor. Basic tools of jazz improvisation including chord/scale relationships, melodic construction, and practice techniques. In-class playing over blues, rhythm changes, and other standard jazz progressions. Elements of the bebop style. Preparation of playing exercises and several solo transcriptions.

  • MUAP 3800 - Junior Recital  1 credit hour  

    MUAP 3800 - Junior Recital

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: One semester of upper-division private study. Corequisite: Private lesson in major area of performance. Required of all Bachelor of Music majors with a concentration in Vocal or Instrumental Performance. Constitutes approximately 30 minutes of music with appropriate repertoire as assigned by the private instructor; recital performance graded by a faculty committee; must be passed with a grade of C or better.

  • MUAP 4900 - Senior Recital  2 credit hours  

    MUAP 4900 - Senior Recital

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUAP 3800 with a grade of C or better (Vocal or Instrumental Performance); three semesters of upper-division private study. Required of all Bachelor of Music majors with a concentration in Vocal or Instrumental Performance, Jazz Studies, and Theory-Composition. Constitutes approximately 50 minutes of music with appropriate repertoire as assigned by the private instructor. Recital performance graded by a faculty committee; must be passed with a grade of C or better.

  • MUS 1530 - Class Piano I  1 credit hour  

    MUS 1530 - Class Piano I

    1 credit hour

    Acquaints beginning piano students with the keyboard. Includes such skills as note reading, basic chords for harmonization of melodies, improvisation, basic exercises for development of coordination and technique, transposition, repertory, and sight reading. TBR Common Course: MUS 1027

    NOTE: All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

    Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons. Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550 and MUS 2560 in lieu of class piano.

  • MUS 1540 - Class Piano II  1 credit hour  

    MUS 1540 - Class Piano II

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: MUS 1530. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 1530. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills. TBR Common Course: MUS 1127

    NOTE: All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

    Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons. Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550 and MUS 2560 in lieu of class piano.

  • MUAP 2351 - Private Instruction-Piano  1 credit hour  
    (2 semesters)(2 semesters)  dotslash:(2 semesters) title:(2 semesters) 
    (2 semesters) 

    MUAP 2351 - Private Instruction-Piano

    1 credit hour

    Private instruction is available to qualified students on all orchestral and band instruments, voice, guitar, keyboards and composition. Those students enrolling in private instruction for the first time audition to determine if they are adequately prepared for college-level study. To arrange for an audition, students should contact the School of Music Office. One-credit private instruction courses require one-half hour lesson per week. Two-credit courses are for music majors only and require one hour-long lesson per week. A corequisite enrollment in an appropriate music ensemble is required for students registered for private instruction in voice, brass, woodwinds, orchestral strings, and percussion. Private instruction course numbers will be repeated for each semester of study. Students who are not prepared for such private instruction as stated above should register for class instruction, e.g., class piano, class guitar, or class voice. If class instruction is not available, students may be allowed to enroll in private instruction for one semester after which a faculty jury examination must be passed to continue private instruction. Private instruction course numbers will be repeated each semester of study. A maximum of four semesters of lower-division private instruction may be applied to a music degree. See Miscellaneous Course Fees for further information.

  • MUHL 3910 - Styles and Analysis of Jazz

    3 credit hours

    Technical features of various styles from the inception of jazz to present. Introduction of jazz style periods, performance practices, stylistic features, and artists.

Music Electives (2 hours)

  • MUTH 4190 - Principles and Practices of Electronic Music

    3 credit hours

    (Same as RIM 4190.) Prerequisites: RI majors - admission to candidacy and RIM 1230 or MUTH 1110; others-RIM 3010, RIM 1230, or MUTH 1110 or permission of instructor. An introduction to synthesizer programming and the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) with emphasis on history, theory, and application. Hands-on activities include synthesizer programming with virtual instruments and MIDI sequencing using a digital audio workstation. Laboratory required.

  • MUAP 2342 - Private Instruction-Composition

    2 credit hours

    Experience composing original works in numerous media and styles to develop technique and self-expression. Topics include melodic and harmonic practice, orchestration, analysis, music form, score preparation, and audience psychology. Musical styles may embrace jazz, rock, pop, and electronics in addition to traditional and contemporary art music.

  • MUAP 4342 - Private Instruction-Composition

    2 credit hours

    Experience composing original works in numerous media and styles to develop technique and self-expression. Topics include melodic and harmonic practice, orchestration, analysis, music form, score preparation, and audience psychology. Musical styles may embrace jazz, rock, pop, and electronics in addition to traditional and contemporary art music.

  • any MUHL 3000-4000 level course 3 credit hours

**Ensembles

NOTE: Ten (10) hours of ensemble participation as approved by faculty are required, but only nine (9) of those hours may be counted degree requirements; the remaining hour may be taken for zero (0) credit. Ensembles may be based on audition and are selected with guidance from the faculty.

Instrumental Performance (Organ)

 

Instrumental Performance (Piano)

Music, Instrumental Performance Concentration (Piano), B.M.

Music 
615-898-5649
Arunesh Nadgir, program coordinator
Arunesh.Nadgir@mtsu.edu

To be admitted into the Bachelor of Music degree program, all entering students must pass an audition before the faculty on their major instrument or voice. Students who do not pass the audition may be allowed, at the discretion of the faculty, to enroll in private music lessons or class instruction for one semester only. At the end of the semester the student must reaudition for admission into the program.

In addition, all prospective new or transfer undergraduate majors and minors are required to take the Music Theory and Aural Skills Diagnostic Exam to determine appropriate placement in the music theory program. For additional information and to schedule a time for the exam, contact the School of Music Office. Students may not enroll in any music theory course until the exam is taken.

Jury Examinations

All music majors and minors are required to participate in jury examinations in their primary performing areas. Non-music majors registered for private lessons may be required to perform a jury examination at the discretion of the instructor. Jury examinations are held to measure the student's progress at the conclusion of each semester. Those students who have presented and passed their senior recitals during the semester may be excused from jury examinations.

Undergraduate Music majors must pass an upper-division jury to qualify for applied music study at the MUAP 3000 level. A Music major must take his or her upper-division jury no later than the end of the sixth semester and if not passing must take an upper-division jury again the next semester. A third attempt must be accompanied by extraordinary circumstances and must carry the approval of the studio teacher and director of the School of Music.

Class Piano/Theory and Aural Skills

All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required, with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons.

Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550, Keyboard Skills for Pianists I, and MUS 2560, Keyboard Skills for Pianists II, in lieu of class piano.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

Music, Instrumental Performance (Piano), B.M., Academic Map  

Degree Requirements

General Education41 hours
Major Requirements79 hours
     Major Core   27 hours
     IP Concentration   52 hours
TOTAL120 hours

General Education (41 hours)

General Education requirements (shown in curricular listings below) include courses in Communication, History, Humanities and/or Fine Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social/Behavioral Sciences.

Major Requirements (79 hours)

Music Core (27 hours)

All music majors must take class piano or private piano instruction until they pass the piano proficiency examination prescribed by their degree programs. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students must earn a grade of C- or higher in MUTH 1110, MUTH 1120, MUTH 2110, MUTH 2120 (music theory sequence) and MUHL 1610, MUHL 3010, MUHL 3020 (music history sequence).

  • MUS 1010 - Recital Attendance  0 credit hours  
    (6 semesters)(6 semesters)  dotslash:(6 semesters) title:(6 semesters) 
    (6 semesters) 

    MUS 1010 - Recital Attendance

    0 credit hours

    Attendance at a minimum number of recitals and concerts given by students, faculty, and guest artists. Six semesters required for undergraduate music majors (see School of Music handbook for details). May be repeated multiple times. Pass/Fail.

  • MUS 3140 - Basic Conducting  2 credit hours  

    MUS 3140 - Basic Conducting

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUTH 2120. Interpretation of scores, fundamental diagrams with and without baton, terminology, and stage deportment.

  • MUHL 1610 - The World of Music

    3 credit hours

    A study of culture and music through a chronological survey of styles, genres, and composers of Western art music and through the comparative study of various non-Western musical practices.

  • MUHL 3010 - History of Western Art Music I

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUHL 1610 with grade of C- or better. Second required music history course for Music majors. A survey of Western art music from antiquity through the eighteenth century, including Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.

  • MUHL 3020 - History of Western Art Music II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUHL 1610 with grade of C- or better. Third required music history course for music majors. A survey of Western art music of the eighteenth through twenty-first century, including Classical, Romantic, Modern, and Postmodern periods.

  • MUTH 1110 - Theory and Aural Skills I

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1000 with grade of C- or higher or satisfactory score on theory diagnostic exam. Harmonic tonality and fixed-do solfège through chorale analysis and harmonizations of given bass lines. Major and minor scales and harmonizations through secondary function. Meets for five hours per week.

  • MUTH 1120 - Theory and Aural Skills II

    4 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1110. Harmonic tonality and fixed-do solfège through chorale analysis and harmonizations of given bass lines. Modal scales, harmonization, and analysis through the augmented sixth. Meets for five hours per week.

  • MUTH 2110 - Theory and Aural Skills III

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 1120. Harmonic tonality and twentieth-century vocabularies. Nineteenth-century chromaticism. Meets for four hours per week.

  • MUTH 2120 - Theory and Aural Skills IV

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2110. Continued study of harmonic tonality and twentieth-century vocabularies. Twentieth-century practices. Meets for four hours per week.

  • MUTH 4130 - Orchestration and Arranging

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2120. Compass and tonal qualities of band and orchestra instruments; transposition. Fundamentals of arranging for various instrumental groupings.

Instrumental Performance Concentration (52 hours)

  • MUS 2550 - Keyboard Skills for Pianists I

    1 credit hour

    Elementary-level sight-playing; three-voice, open-score reading; improvisation; harmonization using primary chords; transposition; and common patterns in two-octave range (scales, arpeggios, progressions).

  • MUS 2560 - Keyboard Skills for Pianists II

    1 credit hour

    Intermediate-level ensemble and solo sight-playing; harmonization using primary and secondary chords; improvisation; transposition; four-voice, open-score reading; and common patterns in four-octave range (scales, arpeggios, progressions).

  • MUTH 3110 - Counterpoint  3 credit hours  

    MUTH 3110 - Counterpoint

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2120 with C- or better. Review and continuation of contrapuntal techniques. Canon, imitation, various contrapuntal devices, inventions, and beginning fugue. Analysis and some degree of original work.

  • MUAP 3800 - Junior Recital  1 credit hour  

    MUAP 3800 - Junior Recital

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: One semester of upper-division private study. Corequisite: Private lesson in major area of performance. Required of all Bachelor of Music majors with a concentration in Vocal or Instrumental Performance. Constitutes approximately 30 minutes of music with appropriate repertoire as assigned by the private instructor; recital performance graded by a faculty committee; must be passed with a grade of C or better.

  • MUTH 4110 - Form and Analysis

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUTH 2120. Binary and tenary forms, simple rondos and sonatinas progressing to sonata form, large rondos, theme and variations, art song, and free forms. Stylistic analysis and study of devices and materials from early to contemporary periods.

  • MUPD 4360 - Piano Pedagogy I  2 credit hours  

    MUPD 4360 - Piano Pedagogy I

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. The various technical and philosophical approaches in teaching piano. Examines teaching repertory from beginning through the late-elementary levels. Supervised teaching.

  • MUPD 4370 - Piano Pedagogy II

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUPD 4360 or permission of instructor. Examines intermediate-level teaching repertory. Develops skills and concepts for teaching intermediate-level students. Supervised teaching.

  • MUPD 4380 - Group Piano Pedagogy

    1 credit hour

    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Examines class piano texts and materials. Develops skills and concepts for teaching class piano. Course observation and supervised teaching.

  • MUEN 3- - -  - Ensembles 8 credit hours **
  • MUAP 2352 - Private Instruction-Piano  2 credit hours  
    (8 credit hours required)(8 credit hours required)  dotslash:(8 credit hours required) title:(8 credit hours required) 
    (8 credit hours required) 

    MUAP 2352 - Private Instruction-Piano

    2 credit hours

    Private instruction is available to qualified students on all orchestral and band instruments, voice, guitar, keyboards and composition. Those students enrolling in private instruction for the first time audition to determine if they are adequately prepared for college-level study. To arrange for an audition, students should contact the School of Music Office. One-credit private instruction courses require one-half hour lesson per week. Two-credit courses are for music majors only and require one hour-long lesson per week. A corequisite enrollment in an appropriate music ensemble is required for students registered for private instruction in voice, brass, woodwinds, orchestral strings, and percussion. Private instruction course numbers will be repeated for each semester of study. Students who are not prepared for such private instruction as stated above should register for class instruction, e.g., class piano, class guitar, or class voice. If class instruction is not available, students may be allowed to enroll in private instruction for one semester after which a faculty jury examination must be passed to continue private instruction. Private instruction course numbers will be repeated each semester of study. A maximum of four semesters of lower-division private instruction may be applied to a music degree. See Miscellaneous Course Fees for further information.

  • MUAP 4353 - Private Instruction-Piano  3 credit hours  
    (12 credit hours required)(12 credit hours required)  dotslash:(12 credit hours required) title:(12 credit hours required) 
    (12 credit hours required) 

    MUAP 4353 - Private Instruction-Piano

    3 credit hours

    Promotion to the upper division does not follow automatically after the completion of four semesters of courses in the lower division but is made only upon the successful completion of the upper-division jury. This jury, normally given at the end of the sophomore year to music majors, is conducted by the School of Music. Recommendation to upper division is made only if the student's proficiency as a performer bears promise of future artistic qualities as a soloist. It is at this level that the music major normally begins preparation for his/her junior and/or senior recital. A student who fails to pass the upper-division jury must continue lower-division private instruction until the jury is passed. Private instruction course numbers will be repeated for each semester of study. A one-credit course requires one half-hour lesson per week. Two- and three-credit courses are for music majors only and require one hour-long lesson per week. A corequisite enrollment in an appropriate music ensemble is required for students registered for private instruction in voice, brass, woodwinds, orchestral strings, and percussion. After successful completion of the upper-division jury, a student must be enrolled for a minimum of three semesters before being allowed to give the senior recital. Students must pass the upper-division performance jury before being allowed to student teach. Three-credit private instruction courses are designed for only those students majoring in music with performance as their concentration. Students enrolled in these courses will receive one hour of instruction per week. Although three-credit courses meet for the same length of time as two-credit courses, students enrolled are expected to spend more time in preparation for their lessons and perform more repertoire during the course of the semester as assigned by the instructor.

  • Music electives 3 credit hours
  • MUHL 4850 - Piano Literature I

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Survey of the basic literature of the harpsichord and the piano from the seventeenth century to the early nineteenth century. Live performance, analysis, and research.

  • MUHL 4860 - Piano Literature II

    3 credit hours

    Prerequisite: MUHL 4850 or permission of instructor. Survey of the basic literature of the piano from the nineteenth century to the present. Live performance, listening, analysis, and research.

  • MUAP 4900 - Senior Recital  2 credit hours  

    MUAP 4900 - Senior Recital

    2 credit hours

    Prerequisites: MUAP 3800 with a grade of C or better (Vocal or Instrumental Performance); three semesters of upper-division private study. Required of all Bachelor of Music majors with a concentration in Vocal or Instrumental Performance, Jazz Studies, and Theory-Composition. Constitutes approximately 50 minutes of music with appropriate repertoire as assigned by the private instructor. Recital performance graded by a faculty committee; must be passed with a grade of C or better.

**Ensembles

NOTE: Ten (10) hours of ensemble participation as approved by faculty are required, but only eight (8) of those hours may be counted toward degree requirements; the remaining two hours may be taken for zero (0) credit. Ensembles may be based on audition and are selected with guidance from the faculty.

 

Our adjunct faculty bring outstanding professional experience to our programs. Many are industry leaders with decorated careers and honors. Importantly, they are innovative educators who offer hands-on learning to our students to prepare them to enter and thrive in a dynamic, and oftentimes emerging, industry and professional world. They inspire, instruct, and challenge our students toward academic and professional success.

Music

MUS 1010 - Recital Attendance
0 credit hours

Attendance at a minimum number of recitals and concerts given by students, faculty, and guest artists. Six semesters required for undergraduate music majors (see School of Music handbook for details). May be repeated multiple times. Pass/Fail.

MUS 1030 - Introduction to Music
3 credit hours

Meets part of the General Education Humanities and/or Fine Arts requirement. Perceptive listening to music of various styles and cultures including popular and world musics and Western classical concert music. TBR Common Course: MUS 1030

MUS 1500 - Introduction to Piano
1 credit hour

A beginning group piano class for non-music majors. Prior knowledge of the piano not assumed. Skills covered by the class include reading and playing of pieces, basic exercises for the development of technique, a variety of short examples based on five-finger positions, and basic music theory. Students work at a digital Roland keyboard in class; includes weighted keys and individual headphones.

MUS 1510 - Class Voice I
1 credit hour

Basic vocal techniques including posture, breath control, tone quality, and diction. Italian and English diction, Vaccai studies, and moderately easy song repertory.

MUS 1520 - Class Voice II
1 credit hour

Prerequisite: MUS 1510. A continuation of the vocal techniques in Class Voice I with addition of vocal flexibility, uniform tone quality in extending the voice range, interpretation of songs, and stage deportment in public performance. Further study of Vaccai, Italian art songs, and English songs.

MUS 1530 - Class Piano I
1 credit hour

Acquaints beginning piano students with the keyboard. Includes such skills as note reading, basic chords for harmonization of melodies, improvisation, basic exercises for development of coordination and technique, transposition, repertory, and sight reading. TBR Common Course: MUS 1027

NOTE: All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons. Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550 and MUS 2560 in lieu of class piano.

MUS 1540 - Class Piano II
1 credit hour

Prerequisite: MUS 1530. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 1530. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills. TBR Common Course: MUS 1127

NOTE: All undergraduate music majors (except keyboard principals) must take class piano every semester as indicated on the advising check sheets until the required piano proficiency exam is successfully completed. Concurrent enrollment in Class Piano I and Theory and Aural Skills I is required with the following exceptions: (1) The student successfully passed either Class Piano I or Theory and Aural Skills I, but not both, or (2) the student successfully passed one or more levels of Class Piano by examination. Students should see their advisors for details.

Students wishing to continue piano after successfully completing the required class piano sequence may audition for piano applied lessons. Keyboard principals must take MUS 2550 and MUS 2560 in lieu of class piano.

MUS 1550 - Class Guitar I
1 credit hour

Beginning guitar playing, teaching basic techniques through chording and melodic elements.

MUS 1560 - Class Guitar II
1 credit hour

Prerequisite: MUS 1550 . Continuation of skills and concepts sought in Class Guitar I with emphasis on more advanced playing and repertory study.

MUS 2530 - Class Piano III
1 credit hour

Prerequisite: MUS 1540. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 1540. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills.

MUS 2540 - Class Piano IV
1 credit hour

Prerequisite: MUS 2530. Continuation of skills and concepts taught in MUS 2530. Emphasis on standard piano repertory in addition to sight reading and functional piano skills.

MUS 2550 - Keyboard Skills for Pianists I
1 credit hour

Elementary-level sight-playing; three-voice, open-score reading; improvisation; harmonization using primary chords; transposition; and common patterns in two-octave range (scales, arpeggios, progressions).

MUS 2560 - Keyboard Skills for Pianists II
1 credit hour

Intermediate-level ensemble and solo sight-playing; harmonization using primary and secondary chords; improvisation; transposition; four-voice, open-score reading; and common patterns in four-octave range (scales, arpeggios, progressions).

MUS 2680 - Music Industry Seminar
0 credit hours

Introduces students to the real-world experiences and lessons learned by industry leaders working in the diverse music industry. Guests with backgrounds as artist-entrepreneurs and music business-entrepreneurs will be primary focus. Student attendance and active participation in question and answer sessions with featured guests will enable greater understanding and insight into the music industry.

MUS 2690 - Foundations in Music Industry
3 credit hours

First course in the Music Industry curriculum. The foundational exploration of how music performance, commerce, and entrepreneurship come together to help you project, plan, and implement a future career in the music industry. Additional focus on developing awareness of music industry career paths and promoting relevant soft skills to promote a lifetime of success after school. For Music majors only.

 

MUS 3130 - Conducting in the Industry
2 credit hours

Prerequisite: MUTH 2120. Fundamental conducting patterns with and without a baton, terminology, stage deportment, advanced mixed meter patterns, and introduction to score study and reading. For Music Industry majors, Theory/Composition majors, B.A. in Music students.

MUS 3140 - Basic Conducting
2 credit hours

Prerequisites: MUTH 2120. Interpretation of scores, fundamental diagrams with and without baton, terminology, and stage deportment.

MUS 3150 - Advanced Instrumental Conducting
2 credit hours

Prerequisites: MUED 2320 and MUS 3140. Further development of techniques, especially those relevant to choral and instrumental conducting. Laboratory experiences with large musical groups; conducting with records to develop awareness of musical texture, form, and general musicianship in all areas as related to conducting.

MUS 3160 - Advanced Choral Conducting
2 credit hours

Prerequisite: MUS 3140. Further development of conducting techniques relative to the choral area. Emphasis on choral style and literature, scope and sequence of the historical perspective, and major developments in the choral art.

MUS 3170 - Guitar Skills I
2 credit hours

Prerequisites: MUTH 1110, MUTH 1120, and two semesters of private study. A skills course for improving reading skills and applying music theory concepts to the guitar. Topics will include arranging, harmonization of melody, reading from lead sheet format, improvisation, and standard repertoire suitable for a variety of performance situations.  

MUS 4000 - Special Topics in Music
1 to 3 credit hours

Study of a topic in music. Topic and prerequisites to be announced.

MUS 4100 - Independent Study in Music
1 to 3 credit hours

Intensive study of a chosen subject. An indication of reasonable skill and knowledge of research techniques, writing, and creativity expected. Requires permission of the instructor and director of the music school.

MUS 4270 - Music Internship
3 to 6 credit hours

Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Examination and experiences in music industry, music education, or instrumental or choral conducting. Music industry may include songwriting and the creative aspects of music, studio production, music publishing, and music merchandising. Music education may include public and private school settings, state board of education arts consulting, and music textbook consulting. Conducting may include school and church conducting, music publishing, and private or public orchestras and/or choirs. Pass/Fail.

MUS 4360 - The Music Industry Professional
3 credit hours

Creation, examination, and experience in developing and implementing a business plan in the selected areas of the music business. Areas include studio teaching, freelance musicianship, contracting, performing, producing, nonprofit organizations, and similar areas of music specialization.

MUS 4460 - Bachelors of Arts in Music Capstone
3 credit hours

Prerequisites: Completion of all MUHL and MUTH requirements; permission of department. Provides opportunity for students to complete a thesis, musical performance, composition, or some combination of these under faculty advisement and appropriate to the interests of the student. Must include written work in all cases.

Music Ensembles

MUEN 3000 - Accompanying
1 credit hour

Both solo and ensemble vocal and instrumental repertory with emphasis on the role of the piano in these combinations. Performance required.

NOTE: Non-piano majors must complete an audition and receive the permission of the instructor to enroll in the class. In the audition, the student will be required to perform two memorized solo piano pieces, play all major and minor scales, and sight read a short piece or excerpt that will be handed to them. The audition may take place one or two days before the beginning of each semester before the first day the class meets. Students who fail the audition will not be allowed to enroll in the class.

MUEN 3100 - The Band of Blue Marching Band
0 to 1 credit hour

Participation in all phases of the band, including rehearsals and appearances.

MUEN 3110 - Symphonic Band
0 to 1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of concert and repertoire. Open by audition.

MUEN 3120 - Wind Ensemble
0 to 1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of concert band and wind band repertoire. Open by audition.

MUEN 3140 - Concert Band
0 to 1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of concert and repertoire.

MUEN 3150 - Choral Music Lab
0 to 1 credit hour

Two semesters of Choral Music Lab required for the Vocal/General Education concentration. Study and rehearsal of public school materials and repertoire not covered in other music classes. Provides upper-division music education students opportunities to conduct and teach in an experimental/laboratory setting.

MUEN 3200 - Concert Chorale
0 to 1 credit hour

Participation in all phases of chorus, including rehearsals and appearances.

MUEN 3210 - Tenor Bass Chorale
0 or 1 credit hour

An auditioned ensemble open to all university students who sing tenor or bass, regardless of gender identity. Two concerts are presented each semester, with a varied repertoire from Baroque to Broadway.

MUEN 3220 - Soprano Alto Chorale
0 to 1 credit hour

An auditioned ensemble for all university students who sing soprano and alto, regardless of gender identity. Concerts are performed twice each semester and feature a variety of repertoire, from Baroque to Broadway.

MUEN 3230 - Schola Cantorum
0 to 1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of English madrigals and traditional American choral repertoire. Open by audition.

MUEN 3240 - MTSU Singers
0-1 credit hour

Participation and public performances of a variety of popular and commercial music. Open by audition.

MUEN 3250 - Opera Theater
0 to 1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of opera. Technical and performing aspects of opera production as they pertain to light and grand opera.

MUEN 3260 - University Chorus
0 to 1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of varied choral repertoire. Open by audition.

MUEN 3270 - Musical Theatre Production
0 to 1 credit hours

Prerequisite: An audition will be required to enroll in the course as a performing cast member. Stage managers and technical crew will require the recommendation of an advisor. Production of a fully-staged musical work. 

MUEN 3300 - Symphony Orchestra
0 to 1 credit hour

Participation in all phases of the orchestra, including rehearsals and appearances.

MUEN 3360 - Concert Orchestra
0 to 1 credit hour

Preparation and performance of symphonic literature. (No audition required.)

MUEN 3400 - Jazz Ensemble
0 to 1 credit hour

A performing organization providing instruction and experience in playing jazz.

MUEN 3410 - Salsa Band
1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of appropriate repertoire. Open by audition.

MUEN 3420 - Commercial Music Ensemble
1 credit hour

Acquaints the student with the rehearsal and performance of commercial music.

MUEN 3430 - Jazz Combo
1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of appropriate repertoire. Open by audition.

MUEN 3431 - Jazz Improvisation Lab
1 credit hour

Prerequisite: MUTH 1120. Emphasizes basic jazz performance practices in an ensemble setting. Training in improvisation will include melodic paraphrase, ear-training, jazz scales and arpeggios, the study of transcriptions, and exposure to recorded examples of various jazz styles. Basic musicianship issues such as practicing, transposition, and common performance practices will be covered. Performances will showcase the concepts learned throughout the semester. May be repeated for two credits.  

MUEN 3500 - Percussion Ensemble
1 credit hour

Performance of percussion ensemble literature. Programs are presented.

MUEN 3700 - Mixed Chamber Ensemble
1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of music literature appropriate to the ensemble.

MUEN 3710 - Brass Chamber Ensembles
1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of appropriate chamber music repertoire. Open by audition.

MUEN 3720 - Guitar Chamber Ensembles
1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of appropriate chamber music. Open by audition.

MUEN 3730 - Piano Chamber Ensembles
1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of appropriate chamber music. Open by audition.

MUEN 3740 - String Chamber Ensemble
1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of appropriate chamber music. Open by audition.

MUEN 3750 - Woodwind Chamber Ensemble
1 credit hour

Preparation and public performance of appropriate chamber music. Open by audition.

MUEN 3760 - Chinese Music Ensemble
0 to 1 credit hour

Learning and performing Chinese musical instruments. (No audition required.)

MUEN 3770 - MTSU Chamber Orchestra
1 credit hour

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Preparation and public performance of music literature appropriate for chamber orchestra (primarily strings).

Online or Hybrid Programs at a Glance

This program is available .


For More Information or Explore Your Options​

Contact your department / program coordinator or advisor for more details about the program OR work one-on-one with your advisor to explore your options.


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The Online Advantage​

With over 25 years of experience in online teaching and learning, MTSU Online offers students access to innovative, high-quality programs. Designed with students in mind, our courses allow maximum flexibility for those unable to participate in person. ​

Resources and services for online students are available from MTSU Online or contact us at distance@mtsu.edu.

Contact Information

Angela Satterfield
Angela.Satterfield@mtsu.edu
615-898-2469

Jazz Studies

Jamey Simmons
James.Simmons@mtsu.edu
615-898-2724

Who is My Advisor?

Travis Hunter
Travis.Hunter@mtsu.edu
615-904-8180 | PH 124

Mailing Address

School of Music
Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU Box 47
1301 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132

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