String Department Handbook

• A movement of a concerto, memorized.
• At least the first movement of a sonata; if a Baroque sonata is chosen, then the first two movements are required.
• In addition, each instrument must include the following:

Violin and viola:

(a)        Three etudes, preferably not by the same composer; a movement of solo Bach or equivalent short piece may be substituted for one etude;

(b)        At the discretion of the jury, any major or minor scale and arpeggio in three octaves; in double stops, scale of two octaves.

Cello:

(a)        A movement of solo Bach.

(b)        An etude or an equivalent concert-piece; orchestral excerpts

(c)        At the discretion of the jury, any major or minor scale and arpeggio in three octaves.

• A movement of a major concerto, memorized.
• Two contrasting movements from a major sonata, not of the Baroque period.
• In addition, each instrument must include the following:

Violin and viola:

(a)        Two etudes, one of which may be replaced by a work composed in the last fifty years.

(b)        Two contrasting movements of solo Bach, memorized;

(c)        At the discretion of the jury, any scale and arpeggio in three octaves; thirds, sixths, octaves, and (for violin) tenths, in two octaves

Cello:

(a)        Unaccompanied performance, to be satisfied in either of two ways:

(1)        A prelude and contrasting movement of a Bach suite (Prelude and Fugue of Fifth Suite can fulfill this requirement); or

(2)        A prelude of Bach plus one other movement by a composer other than Bach

(b)        An etude or equivalent concert-piece or a work composed within the last 50 years; orchestral excerpts

(c)        At the discretion of the jury, any scale and arpeggio in three octaves, 3rds and 6ths in four major keys into thumb position

• Two movements of a major concerto, memorized.
• A major sonata (not from the Baroque).
• In addition, each instrument must include the following:

Violin:

(a)        One etude or a difficult orchestral excerpt.

(b)        Two contrasting movements of a solo Bach Sonata or Partita, memorized.

Viola:

(a)        Two movements of a Concerto

(b)        A major sonata (not of the Baroque)

(c)        two contrasting movements of solo Bach memorized

(d)        A work composed in the last 50 years OR a work or movement demonstrating virtuosity (can be a difficult etude or orchestral excerpt)

Cello:

(a)        Unaccompanied performance, to be satisfied in either of two ways:

(1)        A prelude and contrasting movement of a Bach suite (Prelude and Fugue of Fifth Suite can fulfill this requirement); or

(2)        A prelude of Bach plus one other movement by a composer other than Bach.

(b)        An etude, an equivalent concert-piece, or a difficult orchestral excerpt.

Double-Bass

Freshmen and Sophomores prepare at least two contrasting compositions with accompaniment (memorized), two etudes, an orchestral excerpt, scales and arpeggios.  Juniors must perform at least two movements of a major concerto, a movement of solo Bach, and at least one other composition with accompaniment (all memorized). Orchestral excerpts and bowed jazz solos may be added at the discretion of the instructor.

Guitar

Guitarists prepare three works of contrasting styles which best demonstrate their technical and musical development.  All works are to be performed from memory.

In addition, all undergraduate guitar performance majors must perform one complete major concerto from the twentieth-century by the end of their degree studies.

Harp

Freshmen and sophomores prepare three works of contrasting styles which best demonstrate their technical and musical development.  All works, with the exception of contemporary repertoire, are to be performed from memory.  For juniors, orchestral excerpts selected by the instructor are in addition to the solo requirement.

With appropriate medical documentation and approval from the Office of Academic Affairs, a performance jury may be postponed one time due to a short-term injury or illness. Failure to complete a make-up jury in the subsequent semester will result in an administrative leave of absence for the student for the following semester. Any exceptions to this policy must be made with the approval of the Office of Academic Affairs in consultation with the student’s applied teacher and the Department Chair. If a student becomes in danger of failing to complete a make-up jury, it is highly advisable for the applied teacher to initiate a conversation with the Department Chair and the Office of Academic Affairs as soon as possible.

Disability accommodations may be approved for performance juries through ESM’s established academic accommodations process for disabilities. For more information: https://www.esm.rochester.edu/academic-affairs/disability

• A complete major concerto, memorized.
• A complete major sonata.
• A work prepared by the student, unassisted by any professor.
• In addition, each instrument must include the following:

Violin:

(a)        Two contrasting movements from a Bach solo Sonata or Partita, memorized;

(b)        A Paganini Caprice, an equivalent etude, or a difficult orchestral excerpt.

(c)        A difficult short piece for violin solo or with piano accompaniment, by composers such as Wieniawski, Sarasate, Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsky, Szymanowski, or Bartok.

Viola: 

(a)        A complete major concerto, memorized

(b)        A complete major sonata

(c)        A work prepared by the student, unassisted by any professor

(d)        Two contrasting movements of solo Bach, memorized

(e)        A work composed within the last 50 years OR a work or significant movement demonstrating virtuosity

Cello:

(a)        Unaccompanied performance, to be satisfied in either of two ways:

(1)        A prelude and contrasting movement of a Bach suite (Prelude and Fugue of 5th Suite can fulfill this requirement); or

(2)        A prelude of Bach plus one other movement by a composer other than Bach.

(b)        One of the following three:

(1)        An etude or a difficult orchestral excerpt.

(2)        A difficult piece, either solo or with piano;

(3)        A virtuoso movement from works such as Davidoff At the Fountain or a movement from the Francoeur or Locatelli sonatas.

Double-Bass:

(a)        Two contrasting movements from a Bach solo Suite, memorized;

(b)        A difficult etude or a difficult orchestral excerpt.

(c)        A virtuoso showpiece, either from the double bass repertoire or a transcription, memorized.

Guitarists should prepare the following repertoire for a Performer’s Certificate Jury, all memorized:

(a)        A complete sonata, partita, or suite by J. S. Bach or one of his contemporaries.

(b)        A major work of the nineteenth-century, either a sonata or a large single-movement work.  A neo-romantic work from the Segovia repertoire may be substituted with the permission of the director of guitar studies.

(c)        A complete major contemporary sonata, large single-movement work, or a suite.

(d)        A complete major concerto from the twentieth century.

(e)        A work prepared by the student, unassisted by any professor.

Harpists should prepare the following repertoire:

(a)        A complete major sonata, large single-movement work, or large suite, memorized.

(b)        A virtuoso work, memorized.

(c)        A contemporary work.

(d)        A complete concerto, memorized. (Contemporary concerti need not be memorized.)

(e)       A work prepared by the student, unassisted by any professor.

Among the criteria used in judging the Performer’s Certificate are the following:

(a)        The highest technical standards.

(b)        Discernible artistry, each work should be presented with sensitivity, imagination and understanding.

(c)        Ability to communicate to an audience.

(d)        The ability to work independently from the student’s major teacher.

(e)        The clear potential to assume a leadership role in the profession after graduation.

(f)        Excellence which will reflect positively on the Eastman School in the eyes of the profession.

Candidates will have 20 minutes in which to present their program. The program is divided into two sections:

(a)        12 minute segment that is left to the candidate’s own choice but should be performed without break and must include at least 3 minutes of the self-prepared work. The candidate is not obliged to play whole movements but should move swiftly from one piece to the next in order to get maximum playing time into the limited time slot.

(b)        8 minute segment when the chair of the jury can request any piece or portion of a piece from the candidate’s program.

The candidate must receive an affirmative vote from 75% of the faculty members on the jury panel in order to be nominated for the Performer’s Certificate Recital.

Candidates who have passed the PC jury must present a Performer’s Recital during the following academic year or the Summer Session following that year if they are enrolled for study with an Eastman School String Faculty member.  A committee of three members of the String Faculty (including the student’s studio professor) must hear the recital. This committee must vote approval in order for the candidate to win the Performer’s Certificate.

Undergraduate recitals should not exceed 50 minutes of music, including encore. PC, DMA, and MM recitals are not to exceed 65 minutes of music, including encore. Underestimated timings may result in an incomplete recording of a recital. The program for a degree recital is selected by the student and the student’s major professor and should include only repertoire for instrumental solo or with keyboard. Any exceptions in repertoire other than solo or with keyboard must be approved by the other primary faculty of that instrument. Students are encouraged to include a work written within the last forty years.

Faculty committees for degree recital approval: Senior and MM recitals – studio teacher plus one string faculty member; PC and DMA recitals – studio teacher plus two string faculty members; DMA lecture recitals – studio teacher, academic advisor for recital subject, plus one faculty member appointed by the graduate dean.

All String players will have the opportunity to audition for the chance to play a concerto with one of the Eastman Orchestras. Faculty members of the instrument concerned will organize the individual competitions.

Faculty members are responsible for choosing repertoire and setting the date for the competition. They are also responsible for assembling a panel of three judges for the competition and for deciding on any cuts. All information will be communicated to the string department secretary who can in turn pass the information on to the students and book necessary rooms.

The Repertoire for the Competition should be announced at the latest by June of the previous year.

In the case of more than 5-6 students entering the competition, prelims should be held.  In this case the student should prepare the entire work but there will be cuts announced shortly before the competition.

The panel for the finals will include the conductor who will perform the final concert. If this is a student they will be present but not be eligible to vote. Other panel members must be invited by the faculty members of the instrument concerned and should include other members of the string department who are studio teachers and/or guest teachers from other institutions of a similar stature.

The panel will pick a winner and an alternate. This will be published on the academic affairs bulletin board after the competition. Written comments will be available for students who have participated.

(4 credits total, 2 credits per semester) 

Fall semester:  A course which examines the literature of guitar-related instruments of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, including the vihuela, four-course guitar, Baroque guitar, Baroque Lute, and theorbo.  Notation conventions (with an emphasis on Renaissance and Baroque tablature and figured-bass realization) are studied, as well as documented performance practices.  Students also acquire techniques for researching original sources.

Spring semester:  A continuation of the preceding semester, this is a course which examines the solo, chamber, and concerto literature for the guitar across the classical, romantic, and twentieth-century style periods.  The development of the instrument is discussed, along with developments in notation and guitar techniques as well as research methods.

(2 credits)

A course designed to examine the historic and contemporary materials and techniques available for effectively teaching the guitar to students at all levels.  The course will survey a wide range of method and studies, and will examine the effectiveness of various pedagogical approaches to technique and interpretive analysis.  The history of guitar pedagogy will also be studied.

(2 credits)

A course designed to develop a full knowledge of the fretboard through the study of fingerings, harmony, sight reading, score reading, transposition, and figured-bass.

(1 credit per semester)

Coaching and performance of chamber music works involving guitar.  Instrumentalists and singers who wish to coach and perform repertoire with guitar may register for credit.

(4 credits total, 2 credits per semester)

An in-depth examination and integration of guitar literature, fretboard harmony, guitar pedagogy, and research techniques.  Through performance, transcription, bibliographic techniques and scholarly studies, students will research extensively the instruments, styles, notation systems, composers, and repertoire that have led the guitar from its origins through the most current developments.  Professional activities will also be addressed, including instrument design, commissioning music, freelance skills, and preparing for interviews and professional positions.  Required of all Master’s degree guitar students whose major is Performance and Literature.

(All Semesters)

A weekly meeting of all guitar majors to openly perform and discuss the performance of guitar solo and chamber music repertoire.  Special emphasis is given to stage deportment and related aspects of professional life including publishing, recording, the business of music, freelance, preparing an application for a college teaching position, commissioning music, etc.

(4 credits total, 2 credits per semester)

Fall semester: An introduction to the study of historical performance practice including in-depth discussions of rhetoric, affect, articulation, phrasing and expression, dynamics, rubato, rhythmic alteration (notes inégales, overdotting, separé, etc.), national and regional styles, historical temperaments, and studying music in its historical context.

Spring semester: A continuation of the preceding semester, this is a course which examines ornamentation, improvisation, dances (choreography, character, articulation, rhythmic structure, historical tempi), tempo, tactus and time words, recitative performance, basso continuo practice, historical opera performance and Bach’s iPod.

(4 credits total, 2 credits per semester)

Fall semester: An exploration of the history of plucked instruments from antiquity through the 16th century with an emphasis on members of the lute and guitar families (lute, vihuela, Renaissance guitar, cittern, gittern, orpharion, bandora, and mandora) and the historical construction of these instruments studied through a detailed examination of surviving instruments. The pedagogical methodology in the Renaissance will be examined and ways of adapting that approach to the needs of today’s students discussed. The vast repertoire for each of these instruments and the performance practices for each will be studied using examples of all of the major composers from each period and region for solo lute, lute duet, trio, quartet, lute and voice, consort, and large-scale concerted repertoire. Finally, strategies for programming this music for the modern concert stage will be discussed.

Spring semester: A continuation of the preceding semester, exploring the rich and varied family of plucked instruments from the 17th and 18th centuries including the 11- and 13-course Baroque lute, archlute, theorbo, Baroque guitar, gallichon, Angelique and mandolino. The pedagogical sources of the period will be examined and the specific performance practice issues for each instrument discussed. The vast repertoire for these instruments will be studied including the music for solo lute, lute duet, lute and voice, lute concerto, obbligato parts in operas, oratorios and cantatas, and the role of plucked instruments in orchestral music of the time. Finally, strategies for programming this music for the modern concert stage will be discussed.

(2 credits)

This course is designed so that each player can work at their own pace and level depending on their experience, reading from figured and unfigured bass parts. The repertoire for this study will be drawn from repertoire performed in the Collegium Musicum or Baroque Chamber Music class along with additional, specially selected, level-specific exercises and pieces. This is required of all lute majors using whatever type of lute they are most interested in cultivating for playing continuo (Renaissance lute, theorbo, Baroque guitar, Baroque lute, etc.)

(2 credits total, 1 credit per semester)

Fall semester: Freshman harp students enhance technical skills using advanced etudes and studies from standard repertoire.

Spring semester: Portions of this semester are devoted to perfecting tuning skills, modulating at the harp, and continued use of etudes and studies.

(2 credits total, 1 credit per semester)

Fall semester: Harpists explore harp technique, methods, and repertoire for teaching harpists of all ages. Additional topics include instrument purchase for teaching, private and group teaching, recruitment, and introducing the harp into schools.

Spring semester: Harpists recruit a beginning student to teach in class each week. Discussion of teaching techniques and repertoire are ongoing through the semester. Students are expected to create appropriate repertoire for their student throughout the semester.

(2 credits total, 1 credit per semester)

Harp majors are required to complete at least 2 credits in harp chamber music and have the option, with their major professor’s consent, of using all 4 elective credits in chamber music.

Harp majors may form groups consisting of string or wind players who are already registered for chamber music. These players will receive credit for only 1 group. Harp Chamber Music groups are coached by Professor Bride.

Harpists may also form a duo and register for CHB 281-282.

(All Semesters)

A weekly meeting of all harp majors to openly perform and discuss the performance of solo repertoire, orchestra parts, and chamber music.  A monthly master class is included. Special topics, including freelancing and commercial repertoire are discussed.

In addition to offering course instruction in conducting, the Department of Conducting and Ensembles provides ensemble training programs for string students within the following performing organizations:

• Eastman Philharmonia (PHIL)
• Eastman School Symphony Orchestra (ESSO)
• Musica Nova Ensemble (MN)
• Philharmonia Chamber Orchestra (PCO)
• Collegium Musicum (CM)
• Studio Orchestra (SO)

The Wind Ensemble (EWE) and Wind Orchestra (EWO) also incorporate double-bass(es), and harp(s) from time to time, depending on the chosen repertoire.

The Conducting Orchestra (CO) meets weekly to offer training for Conducting majors.  Its string section comprises string performance majors with Graduate Awards.

All undergraduate and first year Masters string players are assigned to orchestras based on the results of the required annual audition.  Auditions consist of designated excerpts and a 2 minute portion of a concerto and are “blind” (held behind a screen).  All Freshmen will be placed in ESSO with placement for all other students dependent on the results of the audition and not necessarily determined by year in school.  Eastman conductors, members of the ESM String Department and the RPO listen to the auditions. Assignments to Musica Nova are made by the director of Musica Nova. Students interested in performing in Musica Nova or Collegium Musicum, should advise the appropriate ensemble director.  These assignments must be shared equally with a student’s orchestral assignment in order to provide the maximum exposure to widely varied literature.

Both symphony orchestras will vary in size throughout the academic year based on the instrumentation requirements of the chosen repertoire.

The Studio Orchestra string section is assigned from the current pool of string students.

Masters level students are required to play in a large ensemble for the first two semesters of their study at Eastman.  If this cannot be accomplished for any reason, students must make arrangements with the Graduate Dean to defer this requirement for one or two semesters.  Students are encouraged to enroll for ensembles for as many semesters as they are in residency, but are only required to enroll for two.  Graduate students (masters and doctoral) who register for graduate ensemble credit will be assigned to one of the orchestras based on the required audition. Students may enroll for either one or two hours of credit each semester.  Students with a graduate award will be assigned to the Conducting Orchestra in addition to any other ensemble assignments.

1. The Conducting and Ensembles Department office is located at the end of the second floor corridor of Old Sibley Library (OSL 201).  The secretary for the department is Sheryle Charles (274-1440). The website is located at: http://www.esm.rochester.edu/ensembles/
2. All Eastman ensembles are managed by the Ensemble Librarian and Operations Manager, Kathy Zager (274-1447). A string principal “pool” is determined based on the annual string auditions and concertmaster call back auditions.  String assignments change per cycle and all seating assignments are posted on the Information boards (outside of OSL 201 and in Lowry Hall)
3. The Ensemble Library (OSL 201) manages and maintains performance materials for all musical genres.  Students, faculty and staff are welcome to borrow materials from the library at any time.
4. Normal Rehearsal Schedules:

ESSO & MN               MWF   1:45-3:25 PM              5 hours weekly

PCO & PHIL               MWF   3:45-5:25 PM              5 hours weekly

CO                              T          3:45-5:45 PM              2 hours weekly.

5. Based on the concert schedule some extra or dress rehearsals may be held and will always be made public well in advance. Consult ensembles website at:

http://www.esm.rochester.edu/ensembles/rehearsals/

6. String students dissatisfied with their orchestral seating assignments should consult privately with the orchestral conductor. Additional auditions are held in the Spring Semester for those students who wish to have a second chance.
7. Every Spring, both the Eastman Philharmonia and the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra as well as both wind ensembles do readings of student compositions. These readings are always recorded for the benefit of the composer.

Required of all first-year violin, viola, and cello performance majors, this year-long course combines lecture/demonstrations, master classes, and individual coaching to provide an overview of the standard string quartet literature from Haydn through the 20th century. Participants are organized into string quartets, and class presentations emphasize basic ensemble skills and rehearsal techniques. There are four class recitals as part of this course. Current instructors are the members of the Ying Quartet.

All current Eastman performance majors with the exception of freshmen may enroll in this course. Groups must be ensembles of three or more and will consist primarily of strings or strings and piano, but may include one or more wind players or other instrumentalists as supported by the repertoire.

Interested students must attend the organizational chamber music meeting at the start of each academic year (time and place will be publicized in Clef Notes and in emails and posters). Enrollment takes place through individual forms submitted to the String Department Administrative Assistant by the posted deadline each semester. Students will request chamber music partners on these forms, and all potential partners must list each other on their respective individual forms. Every attempt will be made to place Individuals who do not request partners or who only indicate an incomplete group, but successful placement cannot be guaranteed. There is also a place on the form to request repertoire to be studied. Normally these requests will be supported, however, final repertoire assignments will be made at the discretion of the chamber music faculty.

Once all individual enrollment forms are received, the chamber music faculty will make group and faculty coaching assignments. It is the responsibility of both the group and the coach to contact each other to arrange a coaching schedule. Groups may expect up to twelve weekly coachings per semester. If possible, coachings should happen within the Tuesday/Thursday 3:30-5:30 chamber music hours since these blocks should be reserved in everyone’s schedule. Grading for the course is 50 percent based on a grade given by your faculty coach for your week to week work, and 50 percent based on a grade given by the chamber music faculty for your performance in the final class recitals of the semester.

Students will be allowed to register for only one chamber music ensemble per semester, and all members of any group must be registered. Information on the chamber music program is shared by email and is typically posted on the chamber music bulletin board outside ESM315 in the main building.

About three to four weeks before the end of the semester, there will be an audition to select a limited number of groups to participate in the Chamber Music Honors Recital that takes place at the end of each semester. The Chamber Music Faculty will choose the selected groups. Any chamber music group currently enrolled and studying in one of the chamber music programs (except freshmen courses, the Graduate Chamber Music Seminar, and the Duo Piano Seminar) are eligible to audition. Once the audition date is set, the String Department Administrative Assistant will publicize the audition and facilitate the sign-up process. Groups must be present for a live audition to be considered. Groups also must be prepared to perform complete works.

The Eastman School of Music can be proud of our Chamber Music department’s commitment to community engagement. We established the first community interaction/engagement program of its kind among American music schools and these interactions have served the community and our chamber music students well. We are continuing this tradition with the program Eastman to Go (ETG).

ETG is an exclusive destination within the confines of our chamber music offerings. Interested ensembles audition for the CHB faculty in November, during our normal chamber music honors auditions. Groups chosen to participate in ETG will be selected based on their musical preparation and potential for artistic growth.

Each group will perform a total of ten minutes of repertoire; either a mix of smaller works or a larger multi-movement work. If the ensemble chooses to present a multi-movement work, the entire work must be ready to be performed. The faculty will select the exact pieces and/or movements from your repertoire list at the audition.

Any group, whether they are currently receiving coaching or not, is eligible to audition. The only requirement is that the group contains three to eight musicians. Our hope is to include groups that have been historically underrepresented in past iterations of this program such as guitar ensembles, jazz groups, vocal or percussion ensembles.

The faculty will select no more than fifteen groups from these auditions to participate in the ETG program. In the spring semester, each group will be paired with a coach willing to prepare the ensemble and facilitate/mentor the ETG process. In many cases, this means that the group will maintain its relationship with its current coach, but we can reassign the groups, as needed.

To help with group mentoring, ETG will provide three to four required workshops in the beginning of the spring semester for students chosen for the program. These workshops will provide guidance on performance, preparation and interaction with audiences. Because the number of students involved will be relatively small, these events will provide a rich, intimate and user-friendly experience.

Each group will perform one, required school concert in the Rochester area. Selected groups may also be recommended for performance opportunities in other venues. These concerts will be scheduled based on the mutual availability of each group and the host organizations. They will be scheduled directly by the ensemble with the venue, with the help of the Program Director and the Program Assistant. The goal is to include community enrichment programs such as Eastman at Strong Museum, Third Thursdays Performing Arts and Culture Series at the UR Medical Center, etc. All sites will be offering written assessments to advance the learning process.

Each student participating will receive an additional credit in the spring semester by simply registering for their regular chamber music course plus an additional Chamber Music course listing called Eastman to Go (CHB 286/486).  Graduate students will be allowed to register for their regular chamber course in the spring semester for zero credits, but they will be required to register for Eastman to Go (CHB 486). This credit earned by graduate students will count toward the four credit limit of ensemble coursework.

The goal of Eastman to Go is to make our community engagement program an even more vibrant presence within the CHB curriculum, one that is initially based on artistic merit and potential and includes the rewards of an extra credit, a modest honorarium and recommendations for other opportunities. By serving a select number of groups, Eastman to Go provides each ensemble with an opportunity to have more faculty contact and the necessary support to provide a positive, closely-monitored experience.

This seminar is specifically tailored to graduate students. It is open to those wishing to pursue an in-depth, pre-professional chamber music experience and welcomes individuals as well as pre-formed groups.  The course has a limited enrollment and allows groups to work in depth on one major work from the chamber music repertoire. Individual group coachings with an assigned faculty coach alternate with occasional master classes by other members of the ESM faculty in which all the seminar groups perform for each other. All seminar groups perform their complete piece in Hatch Hall at the end of the semester and have the opportunity to participate in outreach concerts in and around Rochester.

This course may be taken for 1 credit. There is also a 0 credit option, provided degree ensemble requirements have been met.

The purpose of the MM PRL oral exam is to encourage the student’s ability to articulate verbally an in-depth understanding of the repertoire of their instrument. This takes the form of a presentation based on the repertoire of the student’s MM degree recital and will include commentary on topics such as historical and cultural context; theory and analysis; pedagogical, stylistic, or technical concerns; performance practice; relevant literary or contextual sources; and personal interest or connection. The material presented should have a clear link to the student’s interpretive choices.

Two SHG faculty members will adjudicate the oral exam, and one of these will be the student’s applied professor. In most cases, the other faculty will be of the same instrument. Oral exams take place in the applied professor’s studio and should be scheduled around the date of the MM degree recital. An expected date range is from two weeks prior to up to a month afterward. Selection and invitation of the additional faculty member and scheduling of a date should be done in consultation with the student’s applied professor.

The oral exam is scheduled for a half hour which includes the presentation and time for any questions and discussion. Half of the presentation will focus on one of the works from the degree recital and display theoretical analysis and historical and cultural understanding at a conservatory level. The other half of the presentation will be brief verbal program notes covering the rest of the works in the recital at a level appropriate for a general audience of concertgoers. When addressing either level, the presentation should highlight theoretical, historical, cultural and contextual knowledge that clearly informs interpretive choices. Additionally, the presentation should point to the student’s own personal and artistic engagement with the music. Simply put, a successful oral exam will answer these questions: What makes this piece worth playing? Why am I excited to play it? Why should an audience be excited to listen to it?

At the conclusion of the presentation, the student will be asked to leave the room while the faculty committee assesses areas such as clarity of thought, organization of materials, depth of knowledge displayed, effectiveness in communicating with an audience, and ability to answer any questions. The exam will be rated pass/partial fail/fail, and the two members of the committee will record the results and sign the form that is then returned to the SHG Department Administrative Assistant (Vicky Hoover, OSL 204). In the event of a fail or partial fail, the student must repeat all or a specified part of the oral exam within a reasonable amount of time.

It is expected that the student will prepare the presentation in close consultation with their applied professor, with particular guidance on subject material and overall scope of information. Students may speak from notes and provide supplemental material for the first half of the oral but should be prepared to speak without notes for the verbal program note portion of the exam.  It is highly advisable to practice delivering the presentation for their applied professor.

Significant performers and their contributions

Development of the modern viola

Include related instruments, e.g. viola pomposa, viola d’amore

Development of the bow

Future technology

Significant makers and schools of instrument making

Variations in sizes and shapes – Hutchins, Erdesz, Izuka, for example

Instrument buying and selling

Instrumental technique

Body mechanics and anatomy

Instrument size issues

Left hand

Bow arm

Vibrato

Extended techniques

Violin vs. Viola technique

Ornamentation

Interpretation and style

Including pre-Baroque, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, etc.

Health and Wellness issues

Feldenkrais/Alexander/Pilates/Yoga/Tai chi

Psychology of performance/performance anxiety

Motivational issues

Sources/bibliography

Unaccompanied

Development of the Sonata

Development of the Concerto

Chamber Music

Major Orchestral Excerpts

New Music/Commissioning

Editions

Methods

Graded repertoire

Etudes and technical studies

Right hand/Left hand focus

Studio teaching/Classroom teaching

History

Significant pedagogues and their contributions

Tertis

Primrose – Tuttle, McInnes, Schotten…

Historical schools of teaching, including violin schools, and their influence

e.g. Leopold Mozart, Geminiani, Quantz, Franco-Belgian school

Auer, Ysaye, Flesch, Galamian, etc.

(4 credits total, 2 credits per semester)

This course enables students to organize and present a sequence of string instruction with special attention to the needs of the beginning and intermediate string player.  Students will apply their knowledge of string playing and teaching by providing private lessons to local public school string students. In the first semester emphasis is placed on general techniques of instruction for all stringed instruments. In the second semester differentiation will be made between the teaching of different instruments.

Prerequisites: Upper division or graduate student status and the recommendation of instructor and advisor.

(4 credits total, 2 credits per semester)

An in-depth survey of standard repertoire, particularly directed at preparing students for orchestral auditions and careers.

Prerequisites: Upper division or graduate student status and the recommendation of instructor and advisor.

6 credits total for violin, viola, violoncello

4 credits total for double-bass

These credits may be fulfilled by courses in any area.  No more than 2 credits may be earned with ENS 280 or 290.  This elective requirement is additional to the Humanities-Science elective requirements, and may be chosen from any credit-bearing course offered by the University.

Increasingly, as part of the interview process, candidates for faculty positions are asked specifically to demonstrate their teaching skills and to address issues of teaching and learning. The Advanced Certificate in College and/or Community Music Teaching curriculum is designed to prepare students to become more effective teachers.

Coursework: includes a 2-hour “core” course, Preparing Future Music Faculty, plus departmental pedagogy/methods courses at the graduate level, plus elective courses. Some examples of elective courses are ALP courses (i.e., Joys and Opportunities of Studio Teaching and Leadership Issues in Music), pedagogy courses outside the student’s home area, courses in psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, and education courses in the Warner School of Education and Human Development.

Internships: An internship bearing two hours of credit (PED 471) is available at no cost to students who have been accepted into the Certificate Program. Program Director Donna Brink Fox and the student’s primary applied teacher will typically supervise the internships. Internships will be offered to qualified graduate students who teach in the Eastman Community Music School, The College of Arts and Sciences, the Eastman undergraduate program, and other community settings.

The Eastman Collegium Musicum performs vocal and instrumental music of the 17th and 18th centuries on period instruments. The group is divided into various ensembles including a vocal group and a Baroque orchestra, often combining forces to perform large-scale concerted works such as operas and oratorios. Recent programs have included music by Monteverdi, Schütz, Purcell, Carissimi, Lully, Vivaldi, Handel, Bach, etc. Instruments used include Baroque violin, viola, cello, viola da gamba, recorder, oboe, Baroque bassoon, trumpet, sackbut, harpsichord, organ, lute, theorbo and Baroque guitar. Participation is by audition only. Figured bass skills are required for keyboard players, lutenists and guitarists. Baroque instruments and bows are available for students to use as long as they are members of the ensemble. Instruction and/or individual coaching is available for all Baroque instruments.

The Baroque Chamber Music Ensemble performs Baroque chamber music (trio sonatas, quartets, duets, cantatas, etc.) on modern or historical instruments. Baroque articulations, fingerings, bowings, phrasing and ornamentation will be studied and applied in a practical, non-dogmatic approach. The course is open to instrumentalists as well as singers. Participants will be divided into ensembles according to their own preferences as well as the requirements of the instructor to create manageable and viable groups. Ensembles will also be re- organized from time to time to provide variety of repertoire and personnel. Individual coachings of solo pieces (i.e. Bach unaccompanied violin, cello, flute, etc.) can be incorporated into the course if desired.

The various sections of Performance Practice: Baroque Performance Practice I (MHS 441), Baroque Performance Practice II (MHS 443) and 19th Century Performance Practice (MHS 281 & MHS 590) explore the vital issues of performance for each period. Issues studied include rhetoric, affect, aesthetics, articulation, phrasing and expression, ornamentation, dance tempos, characters and choreographies, tuning and temperament, rhythmic alteration, national and regional styles, and much more. The classes are both theoretical and practical combining discussion, listening and playing sessions. Though not a pre-requisite for the Collegium or the Baroque Chamber Music Ensemble, these courses supply the background needed to approach early repertoires in a historically-informed manner.

CRN 58392                       Two credits                 Time TBA

SUPERVISOR:    Dr. Donna Brink Fox, Associate Professor of Music

Education Office: ET 203       Phone:  x. 4-1544

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This course may be taken by graduate students who are interested in developing their teaching skills in a wide variety of environments and with a wide range of populations.  The details of a teaching placement, and the expectations and responsibilities of the student will be developed as an individual project through consultation with faculty members in the music education department.

Two credits                       Time TBA

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This course is open to those graduate students who are currently involved in a college teaching situation, whether as a graduate teaching assistant at Eastman or as a part-time instructor at another college.  Meetings of the entire group are arranged according to the schedules of those enrolled; supervisory observations with conferences for individual students are scheduled throughout the semester according to the teaching schedule.

4 credits, 2 credits per course

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This course enables students to organize and present a sequence of string instruction with special attention to the needs of the beginning and intermediate string player.  Students will apply their knowledge of string playing and teaching by providing private lessons to local public school string students.  Prerequisites: Upper division or graduate student status and recommendation of instructor and advisor.  Given every year.