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Music

Musically Excellent

Academically Engaging

Distinctively Christian

Dr. Mark Aaron Humphrey, Chairperson

Purpose

UMHB Department of Music educates and prepares student-musicians for lives of Christian service and contribution to the art as music educators, performers, church musicians, composers, and scholars; provides and nurtures a core of musical life for society at large; and educates the overall university (faculty, staff, and students) regarding music’s intrinsic value as a part of the human experience and the enrichment of the human spirit.

All musicians, whether performers, composers, scholars, or teachers, share common professional needs. Every musician must, to some extent, be a performer, a listener, a historian, a composer, a theorist, and a teacher. For this reason, certain subject matter and learning processes are common to all baccalaureate degrees in Music. UMHB’s undergraduate music curriculum provides the following:

  1. A conceptual understanding of such musical properties as sound, rhythm, melody, harmony, texture, and form and opportunities for developing a comprehensive grasp of their interrelationships as they form the cognitive-affective basis for listening, composing, and performing.
  2. Repeated opportunities for enacting, in a variety of ways, the roles of listener (analysis), performer (interpretation), composer (creation), and scholar (research).
  3. A repertory for study that embraces all cultures and historical periods.

The UMHB Department of Music is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music and Texas Association of Music Schools.

Degree Offerings and Requirements

Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Church Music

(131 minimum hours)

Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Music Education*

(136-137 minimum hours)

Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Performance

(130-131 minimum hours)

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

(124 minimum hours)

Music Minor

(22 minimum hours)

*conforms to certification requirements of the Texas Education Agency

  • No Music course in which a grade lower than “C” was obtained will count toward fulfillment of a major or minor in Music.
  • Performance majors will not receive applied music credit for grades of “C” or below in their principal medium.
  • All Music majors and minors should acquire a copy of the Department of Music Handbook which contains specific degree and other special requirements.

Admission to the Program

Students seeking entrance into the music program as a major or minor will be evaluated on the basis of present criteria which may exceed general admission requirements listed in the University Catalog. Note: Admission to UMHB does not constitute automatic acceptance into the Department of Music as a major or minor.

All students desiring acceptance and admission into the Department of Music to pursue the Bachelor of Music degree, the Bachelor of Arts degree, or the 25 semester hours minor in music must meet the following requirements:

  • Successful Admission into the University;
  • Revealed success in high school music courses (or the equivalent) via transcripts, programs, etc.;
  • Demonstrated basic knowledge of the rudiments of music by taking a fundamentals of music placement test, or by earning a “C” or better grade in MUSI 1320 Introduction to Theory and Aural Skills ;
  • Completion of a formal audition (including sight-reading) revealing the possession of sufficient skills in one’s musical performance medium; and
  • Letters of recommendation from at least two active music professionals.

Upon successful completion and verification of each requirement, the music faculty will vote whether to accept the candidate. An applicant may be denied acceptance into the program for any legal reason.

Provisional acceptance may be given for one (1) semester if the applicant has not completed the five requirements above. All requirements must be successfully completed by the end of one semester in order to earn full acceptance into the music major or minor degree plan.

After acceptance and admission into the music degree program, music majors will designate a major track of study: Music Education, Church Music, Performance (Voice or Piano), or Bachelor of Arts.

Note to Performance majors: Due to the high degree of music performance expectation of this track, students pursuing the Performance major will be granted probationary status until successful completion of two seme s ters of study (freshman level). At that time candidates must be formally approved by faculty in their particular applied music medium to continue as performance majors.

 

The University establishes requirements for admission to its music programs in conformity with the published regulations and standards of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Tests

Placement: All entering Music students (freshman and transfer) must take a placement test.

  • First-semester-freshman music students must take the Theory Placement Exam before registering for classes to determine readiness for MUSI 1331.
  • Transfer Music students with 45 or more transfer credits must take the Departmental Barrier Exam (MUSI 2000-see below) and demonstrate proficiency in their applied principal and secondary performance mediums before their upper-level music coursework may begin.

Applied Juries: All Music majors and minors taking applied music must take a jury at the end of each semester. Solo recitals may take the place of the jury.

Proficiency: Bachelor of Music majors must pass a Piano Proficiency Test. All music majors and minors must also pass a proficiency examination in their applied principal. Performance majors must pass an “advanced-level” proficiency test (MUSI 200X), as well, in order to proceed as upper-level Performance majors. Teacher certification candidates must pass all proficiency exams before student teaching. Requirements for these tests are published by the Department of Music.

Credit by Examination: Students may receive credit by examination for certain courses.

TExES Review (MUSI 4006): Music Education majors must take the TExES Review course prior to student teaching and must show mastery of the final exam in order to proceed with student teaching.

Transfer Credit

Credit Requirements for Transfer Students (For general institutional information regarding transfer of courses, see the Registration Policy and Procedures section of this catalog.) Transfer music majors or minors must meet all Admission to the Program requirements (see above). Placement in UMHB music courses is determined by:

  • A live or taped audition before the music faculty; and
  • Successful completion of the Departmental Barrier (MUSI 2000) for students transferring at least 45 semester hours from other schools. (Note: If deficiencies are revealed, the student will be required to take (or re-take) courses at their demonstrated academic or performance level including the Piano Proficiency (MUSI 2005) and Applied Principal Proficiency (MUSI 200X).
  • Credit for music courses from other institutions may be accepted with a minimum grade of “C”
  • In no instance may lower level (1000-2000) courses equate to or substitute for UMHB upper level (3000-4000) courses.

Music Scholarships

The Department of Music awards scholarships annually to entering and current students after audition. Endowed and designated awards for Music students are listed in the Departmental Scholarship section of this catalogue.

Scholarships for music majors are contingent upon the following:

  • Maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 GPA in Music courses.
  • Approval of the Director of Financial Aid.
  • A declaration of intent to major in music or to participate in an ensemble (for non-majors).
  • Enrollment in a minimum of 12 semester hours per semester.
  • Register for, and fully participate in, the ensemble to which they are assigned every semester they receive the scholarship. (Music Education majors are exempt from enrollment the semester of student teaching.) After the student has completed all ensemble degree requirements, he/she must continue to enroll and fully participate in the assigned ensemble, but has the option to do so as an “ensemble audit.”

Ensembles

Music majors and minors are required to participate for credit in music ensembles. (See degree plans for specific requirements.) This assignment will be determined by the following faculty members in accordance with the needs and opportunities set forth by the ensemble directors:

  1. Director of Choral Studies, Director of Instrumental Activities, or Director of the Opera Program
  2. Principal applied instructor
  3. Advisor

Recitals and Concerts (MUSI 1023/1031 – Performance Lab)

Numerous campus music programs are scheduled each semester. For the Music major or minor, attendance of and/or participation in musical performances is of paramount importance. Each student must attend a minimum of fifteen events per semester. Music majors must meet this requirement for eight semesters. Music minors must attend two semesters. (Music Education majors are exempt during their semester of student teaching and thus are required only seven semesters.)

Students must register for MUSI 1023/1031 Performance Lab to receive credit for attendance. See the Department of Music Handbook for further information.

Level I and Level II Recitals

A thirty-minute Level I Solo Recital (MUSI 3000) is required of all BA in Music, Music Education, Church Music and Performance majors. Performance Majors must also present a forty-five minute Level II Recital (MUSI 4000). Music Education majors must present a Level I Recital before the semester of Student Teaching.

Applied Music (Individual Instruction)

Applied music instruction is intended for Music majors and minors. Any other student wishing to enroll for applied music must have the written permission of the Chair of the Department of Music. Reading skills are expected of any student enrolled in applied music. Individual applied music instruction is available in the following areas: Piano, Voice, Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion. One 30-minute lesson per week is taught for each semester-hour credit. Thus, two hours of semester credit equals one hour of private instruction per week and three hours of semester credit equates to one and one-half hours of lessons each week. Students may receive one to three semester hours of credit in an applied medium per long semester. Three hours of applied music taken in a single medium during a semester is typical for Music Performance majors. Other music majors or minors desiring to take 3 hours in a single applied medium must have permission from his/her advisor and applied music instructor before enrolling. (While credit may be earned in more than one medium, the maximum applied music credit total allowed per long semester is four hours. This is due to the amount of practice required by each medium.) Because of the accelerated nature of summer school, however, only one semester hour of credit can be earned per performing medium during a single session. (The maximum applied music credit total allowed per summer session is two hours.) Detailed technique and repertoire requirements for the various grade and credit levels are published by the Department of Music.

  • Group applied music instruction is offered for beginning students. (See course offerings) Beginning pianists must complete Class Piano I and II or have permission of the instructor before enrolling in applied piano.
  • All Music majors and minors must select an Applied Principal (best performing medium) and an Applied Secondary. Piano must be the Applied Secondary unless it is chosen as Principal.
  • Bachelor of Music majors must pass the Piano Proficiency Exam (MUSI 2000). (Not required for Bachelor of Arts or music minor.) All music majors and minors must also pass a proficiency examination in their principal applied area (a second applied area if piano is their principal instrument.) Teacher certification candidates must pass the proficiency exam in piano and a second applied area before their semester of student teaching. Requirements for these tests are published by the Department of Music.
  • Applied music tuition and fees are found in the Financial Information section of this catalog.