Nov 25, 2024  
Spring 2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
Spring 2023 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

College of Musical Arts



Introduction

1031 Moore Musical Arts Center, 419-372-2181
www.bgsu.edu/musical-arts.html

The College of Musical Arts has achieved national recognition by training talented musicians for professional careers in performance, music education, composition, jazz, music history and world music. The college presents nearly 600public concerts each year and is a major cultural resource for the campus and northwest Ohio.

  • Students receive individualized instruction in the Moore Musical Arts Center-one of the nation’s finest music facilities-which has a state-of-the-art computer lab and music technology and recording studios.
  • Nearly 60 full-time faculty are active teachers, scholars and performers with national and international reputations.
  • Music ensembles-orchestra, bands, choirs, small groups and world music ensembles-are open to all University students (some by audition).
  • The Batchelder Residential Music Community and the Arts Village Residential Community are conveniently located across the street from the Moore Musical Arts Center.
  • Approximately 90 scholarships are offered annually to incoming students to recognize musical and academic achievement.

Academic Objectives

The College of Musical Arts at Bowling Green State University prepares music professionals for state and national leadership roles in teaching, research, and creativity in all of the musical arts. We aspire to be recognized nationally as a premier music learning community.

The mission of the College of Musical Arts is fourfold:

  • To educate qualified students for careers in music teaching, performance, composition, analytical or historical research, and related technical and support fields;
  • To serve state, national, and international communities through support and dissemination of creative work in composition and performance;
  • To serve state, national, and international communities through support and dissemination of research in musicology, ethnomusicology, music theory, music technology, music education, and music pedagogy;
  • To serve as a cultural resource for the University community and northwest Ohio.

Since 1947, the College of Musical Arts has been an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). In addition, the Department of Music Education is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Areas of Study

Bachelor of Music (B.M.)

The College of Musical Arts offers the following majors and specializations pertaining to the Bachelor of Music degree:

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Bachelor of Musical Arts (B.M.A.)

Music minors

Academic Advising

Departmental advisors are available to assist students with career advisement, curricular planning, course selection, and progress toward meeting graduation requirements. Ultimate responsibility for knowing and meeting requirements rests with the student, who needs to be thoroughly familiar with the undergraduate catalog and with appropriate curricular check sheets. Students admitted to the College of Musical Arts as music majors or minors are expected to meet with the chairs or advisors of their appropriate departments to discuss their academic programs.

Organization of the College

The College of Musical Arts enjoys the distinction of collegiate status within Bowling Green State University. This position as an academic unit allows the College to contribute to the cultural life of the University and community while pursuing the mission of training students for professional careers in music.

The College of Musical Arts is organized into three departments-music education, performance studies, and musicology/composition/theory-and houses the MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music. The Creative Arts Program offers noncredit music instruction for students and members of the Bowling Green community.

MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music

The MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music supports a variety of activities that foster creativity, performance, research, and education in contemporary music and technology. The center sponsors the Annual New Music Festival, Music at the Forefront, and mini guest residencies. The center is also dedicated to the dissemination of information and the collection of archival materials.

Honors and Student Organizations

Bowling Green State University is the home of the Delta Omicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Lamba, the national honorary music fraternity. Students may also join a variety of professional and service clubs, including: Phi Mu Alpha, Sigma Alpha Iota, Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association, American String Teachers Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, Music Teachers National Association, Praecepta, and Student Advisory Committee.

Admission as Music Major or Minor

Incoming freshmen or transfer students who fall into one or more of the following categories are required to pass an entrance audition in their primary performance area prior to registration as a music major/minor.

  • Students wishing to major in music through the B.M. degree in the College of Musical Arts or the B.A. degree in the College of Arts and Sciences.
  • Students who wish to minor in music and are enrolled in any BGSU college.
  • Students from any college at BGSU who wish to be considered for a Music Talent Award from the College of Musical Arts.
  • Students from any college at BGSU who wish to enroll for private music lessons for credit. (Non-credit applied music lessons are available through the Creative Arts Program without an audition.)
  • Students who wish to major in composition must also submit a portfolio of works before or at the time of their entrance audition.

Students auditioning to be majors or minors are required to take a diagnostic examination in general musicianship to determine placement in music theory courses. A study guide is available from the College of Musical Arts admissions office prior to the examination. Students will be notified of the results of their audition and the diagnostic examination approximately three weeks following their audition.

There may be additional requirements to be fully accepted into your major within music. Applicants with performance skills in other areas are encouraged to audition in those areas as well.

Entrance auditions prior to enrollment are not required for students who do not fall into one of the five categories listed above.

Information regarding auditions, personal interviews, and tours of the Moore Musical Arts Center may be obtained by contacting the coordinator of music admissions at 419-372-8577 or by visiting the college’s Web page at www.bgsu.edu/musical-arts.html. For information about other University entrance/placement examinations, see Academic Policies .

Double Major

Students interested in a double major should consult the chairs of the departments involved for information pertaining to the requirements. Double majors must be approved by the chairs of the appropriate departments. Such programs ordinarily require more than eight semesters to complete.

Music Opportunities for the Non-Major

Music classes are available to fulfill BG Perspective requirements. Students are also invited to participate in the many performance ensembles in the College of Musical Arts.

Courses for non-majors range from a basic music appreciation class that embraces popular, world and classical styles to more specific courses in art music, jazz, world music, music theory and composition, and group lessons in piano, voice, or guitar.

Membership in music ensembles is open to all students in the University. See course descriptions for a full listing of ensembles. The following ensembles require a placement audition at the start of the semester: A Cappella Choir, University Choral Society; Men’s Chorus, Women’s Chorus, and Collegiate Chorale; Concert, University, Athletic, Marching, and Symphonic Bands; Philharmonia Orchestra; and a variety of small vocal and instrumental ensembles, including Brass Choir, Jazz Lab Band, and New Music Ensemble. The Afro-Caribbean Ensemble, Taiko, Steel Drum, Early Music Ensemble, and Balinese Gamelan Ensemble require no audition and are open to any University student.

Degree programs offered

Special programs

Guidelines for Transfer Students

Students currently enrolled in other degree programs at Bowling Green State University who wish to transfer into the College of Musical Arts as a major or minor must pass an entrance audition the semester prior to transfer and have a minimum 2.5 grade point average.

Transfer students from other colleges or universities who wish to major or minor in music must pass an entrance audition one semester prior to enrollment and have a minimum 2.5 grade point average.

College Requirements

Overview

The Bachelor of Music degree is a professional degree with extensive developmental content. The program includes BG Perspective courses as well as a significant proportion of professional courses in music. Intensive developmental music study in private lessons, chamber music, and large ensembles begin immediately in the freshman year.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the baccalaureate degree, students in music are expected to:

  • Possess a repertoire of musical skills and knowledge;
  • Demonstrate independence of thought and action in music performance and scholarship;
  • Make informed aesthetic judgments about music compositions and performances, including evaluation of musical knowledge;
  • Understand the styles and structures of music and relate this knowledge to performance;
  • Understand relationships among multiple traditions, histories, and styles of music, art, and other disciplines;
  • Apply technical vocabulary to communicate with a community of other professionals and to instruct novices;
  • Apply musical knowledge to novel situations in performance, teaching, scholarship, and composition, including personal interpretations of the repertoire;
  • Participate in associations and organizations for the improvement of music in our society and articulate complex professional issues to audiences and community constituencies in ways that make these concepts understandable;
  • Lead musical performances and discussions.

General Requirements for the B.M. Degree

All bachelor of music degree students must complete the BG Perspective requirements , the basic musicianship core, the College of Musical Arts recital attendance requirement, and the professional requirements for the degrees listed on the following pages. To further assist students in academic program planning, degree check sheets are available from each department.

Musicianship Core

*Note: MUCT 2330, 2340, and 2350 are applicable to the BG Perspective humanities and arts domain requirement as well as satisfying the international perspective requirement for BG Perspective. MUCT 2370  is applicable to the BG Perspective Cultural Diversity in the United States domain requirement.

Recital Attendance Requirement

All freshman, sophomore, and junior music majors are required to attend 15 music recitals or concerts on campus each term, exclusive of those in which the student is a participant. Attendance at the biweekly College Recitals may be counted toward the minimum of 15 recitals per term. Students majoring in music must register for and successfully complete six semesters of MUS 99  (Recital Attendance).

Minor in Other Discipline

A music major interested in concentrated study in another discipline should consult the chair of both the major department and the department in which the minor is to be taken. With judicious course selection, it is often possible to earn a minor or its equivalent in another field. This additional study may require more than eight semesters to complete.

“S/U” Grading

No required music courses may be taken for “S/U” grades. Music education field experiences, BG Perspective, and professional requirements outside of music, however, may be taken for “S/U” credit. Elective hours within and outside of music may also be taken on an “S/U” basis, provided that the general grading policies  of the University are maintained.

Ensemble Participation

Students extend their knowledge of music repertoire, style, rehearsal, and performance techniques through continuous ensemble participation. All music majors are required to register for a major ensemble each semester they are enrolled for applied lessons. Ensemble choices should be appropriate to the student’s major and principal performance medium. All ensembles require a placement audition; contact the appropriate ensemble office for further information. All music majors are required to audition for and enroll in a major ensemble each semester they are enrolled for applied lessons. Students should consult their department chair with questions.

The College of Musical Arts offers a variety of ensemble opportunities. These include major (large) ensembles and elective (small) ensembles.

Major ensembles

The following ensembles have correlates in the professional/educational world following graduation and utilize the student’s principal performance medium and fulfill degree requirements for ensemble participation:

*Note: Opera Theatre will count as a major ensemble only for vocal performance majors with 60 completed credit hours.

The following exceptions for major ensemble credit will be made:

  • One semester of Marching Band and one semester of Jazz Lab Band may count as a major ensemble for instrumental music education majors.
  • Theory/Composition, guitar and piano majors will be assigned to large ensembles or an equivalent substitution based on consultation with the applied instructor, ensemble directors and the appropriate department chair.

Elective ensembles

College of Musical Arts ensembles, other than the Major Ensembles listed above, are considered elective ensembles. Elective ensembles exist for pedagogical, cultural, or enrichment opportunities and may include the student’s principal or secondary performance medium. They are designed to foster independent listening and performance skills and the investigations of appropriate literature.

Programs of Study

Music Minors

The following minors (Jazz minor, Recording technology minor, Music Industry minor) are offered as supplementary programs that may complement other degrees in the College of Musical Arts or other colleges within the University.

College Administration

College of Musical Arts

1031 Moore Musical Arts Center, 419-372-2181
www.bgsu.edu/musical-arts.html

Jeffrey Showell, D.M.A., Ph.D., Dean, 1031 Moore Musical Arts Center (MMAC), 419-372-2188
Per Broman, Ph.D., Associate Dean for undergraduate studies, 1031 MMAC, 419-372-8507
Mary Natvig, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for undergraduate studies, 1052 MMAC, 419-372-7351
Robert Satterlee, D.M.A., Director of graduate studies, 1031 MMAC, 419-372-2182
Gene Trantham, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Musicology/Composition/Theory, 1031 MMAC, 419-372-8507
Kenneth Thomson, D.M.A., Chair, Department of Music Education, 2153 MMAC, 419-372-8175
William Mathis, D.M.A., Chair, Department of Music Performance Studies, 1031 MMAC, 419-372-8576
Susan Hoekstra, M.A., Director of Public Events, 2114 MMAC, 419-372-8654
Kurt Doles, Ph.D., Director of MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music, 1061 MMAC, 419-372-2955
Scott Rogers, M.M., Academic Advisor, 1041 MMAC, 419-372-2181