Music
Pamela Keele Cress, Interim Chair; Brandon Beck, Christine Janis, Jinhyang Park, Kraig Scott.
Instruction and experiences in music are provided to prepare students for careers in music, guide in the development of performance skills, heighten aesthetic sensitivity, and enhance the cultural setting of both campus and community.
The department offers the single professional degree of Bachelor of Music with a choice of two majors, Music and Music Production.
The Music major is a standalone major but also offers three concentration options: Music Performance, BEd (Bachelor of Education) Preparation for Music Education Teacher Certification, or MIT (Master of Initial Teaching) Preparation for Music Education Teacher Certification. Formal acceptance as a music major or minor is accomplished by passing a performance audition before the music faculty and completing the Theory I and Ear Training 1 sequences of classes. Requirements for minimum piano proficiency must be completed before students can be advanced to upper-division performance standing in their applied instrument. Students whose applied instrument is keyboard are exempt from this requirement. Standing as a music major or minor is a prerequisite for enrollment in upper-division music courses.
The Music Production major is an interdisciplinary major between the music and communication and languages departments. It will prepare students for jobs within music production and related media industries including music production recording, mixing, mastering, sound design, and scoring.
All students pursuing a music degree will participate in a primary departmental music organization (ensemble) during each quarter in residence. Music minors must participate in a primary music organization during each quarter that they take lessons from departmental faculty. All students will enroll for either credit or zero credit. University Singers (MUPF 215) serves as the primary ensemble for students whose performance area is voice; Wind Symphony (MUPF 255) for brass, wind, and percussion students; Symphony Orchestra (MUPF 266) for string students.
The department lists a number of requirements for its majors which must be met without credit. These include concert and recital attendance, and performance classes. Detailed information regarding these and other requirements is included in the Handbook for Music Students and Teachers, available online at music.wallawalla.edu.
Transfer students majoring in music must take a minimum of six quarter hours in applied music at Walla Walla University. All majors, with the exception of those pursuing Music Production, must continue study with their applied instrument until completion of the Senior Recital.
Senior music majors, with the exception of those pursuing Music Production, are required to take the Music MFT (as a departmental exit exam), and an exit survey.