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ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Birmingham-Southern College Catalog 2017-2018
93
All lessons and courses offered by the department are designed to help students increase
their enjoyment of and ability to create music. In the tradition of the professional music
school, the department provides a collegial environment among all students with the
intention of cultivating talent and challenging students musically and intellectually.
The department offers two distinctive degrees, both of which provide music majors with
a program of strength and rigor: the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Musical Arts, a
music-intensive degree that integrates individualized study in another academic area.
Students who anticipate majoring in music must audition in their principal instrument no
later than the end of their first term at the College and demonstrate sufficient competency
to undertake college-level work. Following two years of study, a committee of music
faculty will interview and audition students and advise them concerning their degree
plans and expectations. Prior to graduation, students must achieve a minimum
proficiency level in the principal instrument and in piano appropriate for their degree (see
the
Music Student’s Handbook
for an explanation of specific proficiency levels) and must
advance toward that degree at a rate acceptable to the music faculty.
Upon completion of the music major, students will be able to
•
hear, identify, and work with musical elements including rhythm, pitch,
harmony, structure, timbre, and texture
•
demonstrate the ability to apply musical notation through performance
•
recognize and articulate an understanding of compositional process and musical
style with reference to artists, technologies, events, and cultural forces through
the major periods of history
•
use research tools and analysis to develop and defend judgments and write about
music
Bachelor of Arts
The Bachelor of Arts with a major in music is designed for students who wish to study
music in a broad liberal arts context. The major is balanced among four types of music
study: theory, literature and history, applied study in performance, and ensemble
participation. In the senior year, students present a solo recital or the results of an
independent research topic (a correlative paper is required).
Major Requirements
The following courses are required (12 units):
MU 151
MU 152
MU 158
MU 221
MU 222
MU 251
MU 252