Application Requirements By Major
There are six majors offered within the bachelor of music degree program, and it is possible to pursue more than one major at the same time. On the application form students must indicate the major or majors to which they are applying, and also indicate an instrument or voice type for their applied studies. (Failure to indicate a major and an instrument/voice may delay the processing of the application and the scheduling of an audition.)
Admissions decisions are based initially on recommendations of the faculty within the major field. For example, a violin student who applies for a performance major must be recommended for admission by the violin performance faculty. If a student applying for a performance major also applies for a music education major, the decision is made on the shared recommendations of the music educatioin department and the performance department. (More information on the admission process may be found in the Application and Admission section.)
UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS
Applied Music (Performance)
Composition
Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media
Music Education
Musical Arts
Theory
Double Majors
Bachelor of Music with a Major in Applied Music (Performance)
This performance-intensive major is designed for students considering futures as professional performers: soloists, opera and concert vocalists, orchestral and band musicians, conductors, chamber musicians, recording artists and studio musicians, church musicians, studio teachers, arts administrators, and other professions in the music business. Instrumentalists perform in Eastman’s large ensembles on a rotating basis; voice and keyboard majors participate in large ensembles and opera according to the requirements of their majors. Different instrumental and vocal concentrations in the applied music major have different course requirements, but typically involve courses in repertory, chamber music, instrumental and vocal skills, or pedagogy.
• Audition requirement: All applied music applicants must audition for the faculty of their instrument (including voice). The audition may be in Rochester, at a regional audition center, or by self-prepared audition tape. Specific details, including dates and exceptions, may be found in the audition section and on the application form. Applicants who apply on more than one instrument (including voice) will be scheduled for auditions on one day. Note, however, that decisions are made independently for each instrument, including voice (that is, an applicant may be accepted on one and rejected on another, based on the recommendation of each faculty and the admissions committee).
• Interview requirement: All applied major applicants who audition in Rochester will be scheduled for a small group interview with a member of the Eastman administration. The purpose of this interview is to become better acquainted with the applicants, and to observe the interactions of the applicants. Those who audition at regional audition centers may have informal interviews as part of their auditions. Those who apply by self-prepared audition tape are not interviewed.
Bachelor of Music with a Major in Composition
The composition major gives students who wish to develop a basic craft in the manipulation of musical materials a thorough understanding of contemporary harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, contrapuntal, and timbral elements. Over four years, composition majors study with members of the composition faculty on a rotating basis. Composition majors take required lessons on an instrument or voice in faculty studios and participate in student ensembles.
• Prescreening requirement: Applicants must submit copies of a minimum of three or a maximum of four scores of original compositions with their applications by the application deadline. Scores must be reduced to 11"x17" or smaller. Recordings of composed works are encouraged, but are not required. Due to the large number of scores and recordings submitted, materials will not be returned; do not submit originals.
• Interview requirement: Following faculty review, a limited number of applicants will be invited to interview in Rochester with a member of the composition faculty on one of the regularly schedules audition days. (Interviews are not conducted at regional audition centers.)
• Audition requirement: During the visit in which the applicant interviews in Rochester, she or he also will be scheduled for an audition on an applied instrument or in voice. Student compositions and pieces in jazz or popular styles are not acceptable for the purpose of this audition. Applicants should follow the repertory guidelines given in this section for all undergraduate students. (Pianists: Note that there is a specific repertory listing for composition majors. You can view and print a copy of repertory suggestions here: Audition Repertory by Instrument .)
Bachelor of Music with a Major in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media
(Performance Emphasis or Writing Emphasis)
This major is designed for students seeking careers in jazz performance, composition/arranging, and education. Jazz studies (JCM) majors may elect an emphasis in performance or in writing skills. In most cases, majors in both emphases study classical technique and repertory for two years in a performance faculty studio, and study jazz repertory and technique for two years in a jazz faculty studio.
The JCM department offers a major in performance skills on the following instruments: trumpet, saxophone, trombone, piano, double bass, guitar, and drum set. Writing skills applicants must audition on and maintain proficiency on one of the above instruments. The Eastman jazz program does not include vocal jazz. Vocalists who wish to major in jazz studies and contemporary media must audition and be accepted as instrumentalists first, and thus their preliminary tape must illustrate their instrumental (not vocal) skills. Voice studies could be added later in the student’s program of study.
Performance Emphasis:
• Prescreening requirement: Applicants to the performance emphasis must submit a preliminary audition tape plus the Supplemental Application for Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media Degree Programs with their applications by the application deadline. Suggested repertory for prescreening for applicants with a performance emphasis are:
- Three to four selections in varying jazz styles (ballad, swing, straight 8th note, etc.) that emphasize the applicant’s improvisational skills.
- Recordings that feature the soloist in jazz small group formats are preferred. Recordings with play-along recordings are also acceptable. Large ensemble recordings that feature the soloist may be faded into and out of the solo segments.
- Applicants are encouraged to include examples of non-traditional improvisational formats as well as their original compositions and arrangements. More information may be found on the Jazz Supplemental Application.
• JCM audition requirements: Following faculty review, a limited number of applicants will be invited to audition in Rochester. (JCM auditions are not conducted at regional audition centers, nor are taped auditions acceptable.) In Rochester, the applicant will be scheduled for three auditions on the same day: (1) a jazz audition accompanied by an Eastman student rhythm section; (2) a classical audition; (3) a group jazz audition with the other JCM applicants that day. The solo jazz audition should be prepared according to the guidelines on the supplemental application. The classical audition should be prepared according to the repertory guidelines given in the audition section. You can view and print a copy of repertory suggestions here: Audition Repertory by Instrument . (Pianists: Note that there is a specific repertory listing for JCM majors.) Further information on the audition may be found on the supplemental application.
Writing Emphasis:
• Prescreening requirement: Applicants to the writing emphasis must submit copies of scores and tapes of original compositions and/or arrangements, a preliminary tape as described for performance emphasis, and the Supplemental Application for Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media Degree Programs with their applications by the application deadline. Prescreening requirements for applicants with a writing emphasis are:
• Three to four scores of compositions
and/or arrangements that display writing for large and small jazz group formats.
• Recordings of works submitted
may be included. Recordings from reading sessions and rehearsals are acceptable. If live performers are not available, recordings of computer sequences of works may be submitted.
• Candidates with a background in
classical composition are encouraged to submit one or two examples of original non-jazz works.
• Writing concentration applicants
must also submit a jazz performance tape (see above), although two selections in varied styles will suffice. More information may be found on the Supplemental Application.• JCM audition requirements: Following faculty review, a limited number of applicants will be invited to audition in Rochester. Audition requirements are the same as for the Performance Emphasis (see above).
Bachelor of Music with a Major in Music Education
The major in music education centers on a public-school teaching certification curriculum. Students must elect a general emphasis, a vocal emphasis, or an instrumental emphasis, depending upon their professional teaching goals. Music education majors are provided with innovative music instruction opportunities at all levels. These include hands-on, pilot, or research programs in string, choral, and pre-K music education in the Rochester City School District; performance and presentation opportunities in local schools; and nationally recognized programs offered through Eastman’s Community Education Division. Music education majors, for example, help preschoolers discover music through the MusicTIME program, and give private instrumental lessons to adults over age 50 who play in the New Horizons Band and Orchestra. In recent years, the department has boasted a 100% placement rate of its graduates seeking employment in music. Music education majors take required lessons in faculty studios and participate in major student ensembles.
• Preliminary requirement: Applicants must submit the Supplemental Application for Music Education Applicants with their applications by the application deadline. This Supplemental Application includes an essay. Complete information may be found on the Supplemental Application. (Note that this is not a prescreening requirement; all applicants to this program will be scheduled for an audition/interview.)
• Audition requirement: All music education applicants must audition for the faculty of their instrument/voice. The audition may be in Rochester, at a regional audition center, or by self-prepared audition tape. Specific details, including dates and exceptions, may be found on the application.
• Interview requirement: Music education applicants who audition in Rochester also will be scheduled for an interview with a member of the music education faculty. Those applicants who audition at a regional audition center will be interviewed by the Admissions Office representative conducting the audition. Those applicants who audition by self-prepared tape will be interviewed by phone by a member of the music education faculty, following a satisfactory evaluation of their audition tapes. The purpose of this interview is to assess the intent of the applicant in pursuing a music education major, and the elements of the applicant’s back-ground that may contribute to success in the profession.
• Skills test requirement: All music education applicants who audition in Rochester will be given a skills test. (Click here for a sample skills assessment test.) The purpose of this test is to evaluate the applicant’s preparedness and potential in certain skills critical to success in the profession. Applicants who are admitted to the School without this test will be tested during orientation week.
Bachelor of Music with a Major in Musical Arts
The major in musical arts is an innovative honors curriculum that enables students to craft an individualized program of study, undertaken in consultation with a faculty committee, that leads to and culminates in a major senior project. These programs of study may be wide-ranging and cross-disciplinary, and are generally not possible within the structured requirements of other majors at Eastman. This major is intended for exceptional students who possess not only strong musical and intellectual abilities, but also the motivation and self-direction to succeed in the senior project.
Students who wish to pursue the musical arts major take the undergraduate core curriculum as well as the departmental requirements in their applied music areas during the first two years. During the junior and senior years, students follow their individual courses of study as approved by the musical arts supervisory committee; this includes Eastman Initiatives courses and a six-credit senior project. Students continue with applied music lessons, juries, and recitals consistent with the requirements for all BM students, except that a minimum of seven rather than eight total semesters of applied music lessons and ensembles are required. This allows for off-campus learning opportunities such as internships or overseas study that might be part of their approved course of study.
• Applying: In general, freshman applicants must be admitted to the School in another undergraduate major before they may apply for the musical arts major. Enrolled Eastman students may apply for this major during the sophomore year. Transfer students who wish to apply directly to this major must have completed a minimum of two years of undergraduate study in music elsewhere, and must interview at Eastman for this program.
•Application criteria: A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better; a cumulative jury grade of B+ or better; satisfactory progess for completion of the BM; outstanding supporting documentaion.
Bachelor of Music with a Major in Theory
This major is intended for students interested in combining theoretical studies of musical structure with most of the requirements of the BM in applied music or composition or, more rarely, the BA in another academic area. Music theory majors take required lessons in faculty studios and participate in student ensembles.
• Preliminary requirement: Applicants must submit a written paper with their application forms by the application deadline. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the applicant’s writing ability. This paper need not be on a musical topic. (Note that this is not a prescreening requirement; all applicants to this program will be scheduled for an audition/interview.)
• Interview requirement: Undergraduate theory applicants will be interviewed by the theory faculty. Interviews are not conducted at regional audition centers; all theory applicants must audition and interview in Rochester.
• Audition requirement: On the same day the applicant interviews in Rochester, he or she will aslo be scheduled for an audition on his or her applied instrument or voice. Applicants should follow the repertory guidelines given in the following page: Audition Repertory by Instrument.
Bachelor of Music with a Dual Major
Within the BM, students may elect to pursue more than one major. For example, an applied major or jazz studies major may be combined with a major in music education. Other combinations of majors within the BM are possible. Students may apply to both majors as freshmen or transfer students, or by petitioning to add or change a major during enrollment. (Approval to add a second major for an enrolled student is given by the dean of academic affairs on the recommendation of the chairs of the major departments.) Note that students do not have to be enrolled in two majors in order to take courses outside of their major. Also, while major study on two instruments is very rare, students often enroll with one applied area and elect study on a secondary instrument or voice (usually with a doctoral teaching assistant) without auditioning in two applied areas. Secondary lesson auditions occur at the start of the academic year. Students completing a dual major should expect to augment significantly the minimum number of courses for the single major.
• Requirements: Students applying to more than one undergraduate major must meet all the requirements described here for each major. If one major requires an audition or interview in Rochester, then all auditions/interviews will be scheduled in Rochester on the same day, according to the guidelines given in the application.
• Prescreening decisions: Several majors have a requirement for prescreening. If an applicant to more than one major is rejected from a major based on the prescreening evaluation, that applicant may still continue the application process for the other major(s). Should applicants in this situation wish to withdraw from the application process, they are required to notify the Admissions Office of their withdrawal in writing (via letter or e-mail).
• Final decision: Decisions are made independently for each major. It is possible for an applicant to be accepted into one major and rejected from another. It is then the applicant’s choice whether or not to undertake studies at Eastman with a single major. (In such circumstances, an applicant often will enroll in the major to which they are accepted and take electives in the other major, perhaps adding that major later in the course of study.)
• Important note: Because of the extremely demanding programs at Eastman, we urge applicants to consider very carefully their reasons for applying to more than one major, or on more than one instrument/voice. Students enrolled in multiple majors or on multiple instruments must still complete their undergraduate studies in four years (with the exception of the FORTE program described below). It can be very rewarding for students to do this, but it works best when students have the passion and drive to be willing to accomplish the work required.
• The FORTE program: The FORTE (four years plus teaching experience) program is a ninth semester of tuition-free enrollment for selected music education majors at the Eastman School. This semester is devoted exclusively to completion of the student teaching experience. The FORTE program is available to students enrolled in under-graduate music education programs who also are enrolled in a second major or dual degree program. Students must be in good standing in both majors in order to apply, and must be recommended by their music education advisers as well as by their studio teachers. All requirements for both majors must be completed in eight semesters, with the exception of the student teaching. Applied study is not available to students as part of this tuition-free semester.
