Music

• Department Information
• Program Description
• Career Opportunities
• Scholarships
• Preparation
• Admission
• Major Requirements (B.A.)
• Other Degree Requirements
• Minor Requirements
• Undergraduate Courses

Department Information

Department of Music
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
Office: Music and Business Bldg. 2571
Phone: (510) 885-3135 FAX: (510) 885-3461
Email: music@csueastbay.edu
Website: http://music.csueastbay.edu

Professors Emeriti
Frank J. La Rocca, Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley
Ellen Wassermann, M.M. Peabody Conservatory

Associate Professors
Wesley J. Broadnax, D.M.A. Michigan State University
Rafael Hernandez (Chair), D.M. Indiana University
Buddy O. James, D.M.A. University of Southern California

Assistant Professors
John Eros, Ph.D. The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Peter K. Marsh, Ph.D. Indiana University
Johannes P. Wallmann, Ph.D. New York University

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Program Description

The Music Department at CSUEB integrates rigorous academic training with a driving passion for the making of great music: the classics from the European-American tradition, great jazz, the new 'classics' of our own time, world music, experimental music and more. With a rich variety of opportunities for performing and composing and a deep commitment to teacher education, the Music Department offers something for all students seriously committed to pursuing a life in music.

Student performance groups are open to all qualified students and one need not be a music major to participate. There are more than twenty active ensembles including Symphonic Band, Jazz Workshop, University Singers, Orchestra, Opera Workshop, New Music Ensemble, Chorus, Oratorio Society, Percussion Ensemble, Chamber Singers, and many small vocal and instrumental ensembles.

The Department of Music offers Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree majors which are fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. All music majors have the advantage of continuous applied lessons with instrumental, vocal, or composition teachers on the faculty. A music minor is also offered.

The Music Department occupies a large, fully-equipped, modern facility with a number of special resources: a Media Center for Music Technology; Music Resource Center, with thousands of scores and recordings; Choral Music Education Student Resource Center, with thousands of choral octavos and conducting resources; large musical equipment collection for student use; Recital Hall with custom acoustical design; and professional recording facilities.

The Music curriculum is designed to serve the needs of students who have career goals in performance, composition, music technology, jazz, public school or private teaching, or graduate study, as well as those who are pursuing other fields of study and choose music as an elective.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students graduating with a B.A. in Music from Cal State East Bay will have achieved the following:

1. improved rhythm and pitch identification skills and pitch accuracy for application in performance and composition;
2. development of enriched tone production in tandem with improved technical skills in performance;
3. enhanced awareness and knowledge of theoretical structures and compositional techniques;
4. an awareness of historical context and references as well as an increased awareness and knowledge of the literature;
5. improved listening skills and levels of interaction in ensemble performance.

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Career Opportunities

• Choral Director
• Composer
• Arranger
• Music Professor/Teacher
• Concert Artist
• Symphony Member
• Jazz Musician
• Conductor
• Film/Video Composer
• Musical Theater Director
• DJ
• Freelance Performer

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Scholarships

The Music Department annually awards a number of scholarships to entering and returning music majors. For more information, contact the Music Department office at (510) 885-3135.

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Preparation

For Advanced Placement course equivalencies, see Registration chapter.

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Admission

Students wanting to select music as a major are expected to have had a variety of pre-college cognitive and affective experiences, such as high school performance, high school theory programs, individual private instruction with music professionals, or music professional experiences. Admission to the major in music is determined by audition. Students must complete this audition and be accepted to the department prior to being accepted in the major.

Transfer students will be placed at the appropriate applied lesson level determined by their successful audition. Transfer students will also be subject to a proficiency examination as described below under "Special Requirements of the Department of Music, Section IV. Proficiency Examinations."

Standards and guidelines for auditions may be found on the Department of Music website.

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Major Requirements (B.A.)

The major consists of 87 units; the B.A. requires a total of 180 units.

Sample Program
A Sample Program for this degree can be found at the department website: http://music.csueastbay.edu.

1. Lower Division (49 units)
   • MUS 1027, 1028, 1029¹ Sightsinging I, II, III (3 units)
   • MUS 1031, 1032, 1033¹ Music Theory I, II, III (12 units)
   • MUS 1155 Music Through the Ages (4 units)
   • MUS 1610-1699 Level 10 Applied Music (3 units)
   • MUS 1314, 1315, 1316¹ Basic Piano Class I, II, III (3 units)
   • MUS 2027, 2028, 2029 Sightsinging IV, V, VI (3 units)
   • MUS 2031, 2032, 2033 Music Theory IV, V, VI (12 units)
   • MUS 2610-2699 Level 20 Applied Music (3 units)
   • MUS 3501-05, 3509-15 Music Performance Activities (6 units)
2. Upper Division (38 units)
   • One of: Music 3051, 3061, 3062 Form and Analysis; Counterpoint I, II (4 units)
   • MUS 3155, 3156, 3157 Music Literature and Analysis I, II, III (12 units)
   • MUS 3610-3699 Level 30 Applied Music (6 units)
   • MUS 3501-05, 3509-15 Music Performance Activities (6 units)
   • MUS 3531-3590 Chamber Ensembles. Four units to be taken in four different quarters (4 units)
   • MUS 4610-4699 Level 40 Applied Music (6 units)

Special Requirements of the Department of Music

1. Applied Lessons
   1. Each Music major will declare an applied music discipline (keyboard, voice, wind, brass, percussion, strings, jazz, guitar, harp, composition) with the department
      Majors wishing to choose composition as their applied music discipline are required to complete first year study in an instrumental or vocal discipline or demonstrate equivalent experience and submit a portfolio of written works for review. Students whose portfolios are accepted, will begin applied lessons in composition.
   2. To receive applied lessons, an undergraduate student must be enrolled for a minimum of six units, two of which must be in any music course other than major performance activities and applied music.
      Registration for applied lessons requires concurrent enrollment in a major performance activity (MUS 3501-05, 3509-15). Students who do not meet this requirement by the end of the add/drop period will not be eligible for applied lessons that quarter. Ensembles that may be used to meet this requirement are listed in the Handbook for Music Majors.
      All students enrolled in applied lessons must demonstrate their progress in the major before a faculty jury at the end of the third quarter of study at the current applied level. A failed jury will result in a failing grade for the applied lesson.
      Students are limited to a total of twelve quarters of study in applied instruction (assuming a passing grade for each quarter of instruction was given).
   3. Applied lesson instruction culminates in a level 40 recital as outlined in the Handbook for Music Majors.
2. Recitals
   1. Music majors are to appear each year in regularly scheduled student recitals as determined by the department.
   2. Specific recital performance requirements are outlined in the Handbook for Music Majors.
   3. Music majors are required to attend four DEPARTMENTAL recitals or concerts each quarter on which they are not a performer or participant. Recital attendance is recorded on a recital attendance card that may be obtained from the Music Department office.
3. Major Performance Activities and Chamber Ensembles
   1. Each music major is required to play his or her principal instrument (as determined by applied lesson enrollment) in one major music performance activity (MUS 3531-3590) each quarter in which he or she is registered for applied lessons. Students may choose to perform on a secondary instrument or voice to fulfill the requirement if performance opportunities on the principal instrument do not exist.
   2. The 4 units of chamber ensemble required for the Music major must be taken in 4 different quarters.
4. Proficiency Examinations
   1. Proficiency examinations may be required in any or all aspects of music performance skills, theory, and history and literature as a basis for determining placement in sequence courses.
   2. An upper division transfer student who has completed most of his or her music major may be required to take remediation in certain courses in theory, history and literature, and performance based on the results of the proficiency examinations.
   3. All new music majors (except keyboard majors) are required to take a piano proficiency exam. If the exam is not passed, the student must enroll in the appropriate level of class piano instruction until the proficiency exam or MUS 2313 is passed. (Freshmen music majors, including keyboard majors, are required to take for credit a minimum of MUS 1314, 1315, 1316. They may challenge the course for credit if they believe their keyboard skills meet the demands of MUS 1314, 1315, 1316.)
   4. All keyboard majors are required to pass a proficiency exam in sight-reading, keyboard harmony and open-score reading or pass MUS 2314, 2315, 2316.

Major Advising

Since requirements are subject to change, consult an advisor in your major department for clarification and interpretation of your major requirements.

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Other Degree Requirements

In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University requirements for graduation which are described in the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements chapter in the front of this catalog. These include the General Education-Breadth requirements; the second composition (ENGL 1002) requirement; the cultural groups/women requirement; the performing arts/activities requirement; the U.S. history, U.S. Constitution, and California state and local government requirement; the University Writing Skills Requirement; and the residence, unit, and grade point average requirements.

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Minor Requirements

The minor consists of 33 units.

Note: To be admitted to the minor program, the student must demonstrate vocal or instrumental performing ability. Applied instruction will be limited to three quarters of study.

Required courses:

• MUS 1027 Sightsinging I (1)
• MUS 1028 Sightsinging II (1)
• MUS 1029 Sightsinging III (1)
• MUS 1031 Music Theory I (4)
• MUS 1032 Music Theory II (4)
• MUS 1033 Music Theory III (4)
• MUS 1610-99 Level 10 Applied Instruction for 3 quarters (3)
• MUS 3500-50² Performance Activities for 4 quarters (4)

Class piano instruction taken from: MUS 1314-16, 2311-13, 2314-16² (3)

Upper division electives in music selected in consultation with departmental advisor (8 units)

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Undergraduate Courses

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Footnotes

1. MUS 1027-29 and 1031-33 and 1314-16 to be taken concurrently.
2. Substitutions for this requirement may be made, with the approval of the Departmental Minor advisor.

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