The Bachelor of Music Core Curriculum
Undergraduate students must fulfill the following core requirements:
- Applied music (instrumental or vocal concentration): Eight semesters of required studio instruction (a minimum of seven semesters are required for musical arts majors). Each year through the junior year, students receiving studio instruction are required to perform for a jury of faculty. Piano majors are required to perform an additional jury in the senior year.
- Chamber music: A minimum of one full year, two credit hours, of chamber music coaching and performance (for applied music and musical arts instrumental majors).
- Eastman Colloquium: An Eastman Initiatives course that introduces students to the broad scope of music and musicians at the Eastman School, in a format that allows for interaction between students and faculty and guest speakers. The colloquium emphasizes the practical aspects of music as well as the philosophical, pedagogical, historical, and social underpinnings of music practiced in the broadest sense.
- Humanities and sciences requirement: A new one-semester Freshman Writing Seminar will focus on different literary, historical, art historical, and philisophical topics, to allow students to choose from at least five possibilities. This is followed by an additional 21 credit hours of elective study in non-musical or cross-disciplinary liberal studies. (Musical arts majors must complete 24 elective credit hours, some of which will be part of their individualized “concentration.”)
- Large ensembles: Depending upon major and degree program, all undergraduate students are required to complete from two to eight semesters in large ensembles (orchestras, wind ensembles, choruses, etc.). Ensembles are not restricted to upper division students or performance majors; all under-graduates participate.
- Music history: A three-semester introduction to the history of Western art music, focusing on musical forms, styles, composers, and the social context of music from plainchant to the present.
- Music theory and aural skills: A five-semester sequence in which students develop skills in music analysis, sight singing, improvisation, aural perception, harmony, voice-leading, and writing (four semesters and a theory elective are required for musical arts majors).
- Music academic elective: An upper division course in music history or theory, generally chosen to reflect a student’s special interests.
- Piano class: All students must demonstrate proficiency at the keyboard or enroll in piano class according to the requirements of their majors.
More detailed information on curriculum requirements by major can be found on the registrar website.
