Oct 04, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Music Composition - Major (Bachelor of Music)


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The Bachelor of Music in Composition provides the musical, aesthetic, practical, and entrepreneurial skills necessary for an emerging creative artist to build a meaningful and satisfying career in music composition. The program provides extensive involvement with professional organizations in composition, film and media scoring, and related fields at the regional and national levels, through internships and other collaborations and professional opportunities. In addition, the Music Composition program provides exposure to other Rochester area musical organizations. The Bachelor of Music in Composition requires a minimum of 120 credits.

This degree is designed for:

  • Students seeking to major in composition, leading to graduate school and/or professional practice.
  • Careers after graduation include: composition, film and media scoring, commercial music, orchestration and arrangement, copying and score preparation, and music production.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will develop a high artistic level of composition and be prepared for careers in composition (both concert and media), orchestration and arrangement, production, and score preparation, as well as matriculation into graduate programs in music, through:
  1. Understanding the means to develop a composition from concept to finished product
  2. Practical knowledge of a variety of forms, styles, and notation
  3. Competency to work with both electronic and acoustic media
  4. Knowledge of composers who represent the highest standard of achievement in the art
  5. Fluency in the use of tools needed by composers, including keyboard skills, spoken and written language, analytical techniques, conducting and rehearsal skills, and applicable technology
  6. Understanding of the business aspects of music composition in a context of community involvement in arts leadership
  7. Opportunities for the performance and recording of the students’ work
  8. Private instruction aimed at developing the student’s strengths, diagnosing and solving problems, while instilling an artistic vision and purpose.

Core Curriculum Requirements


All Nazareth students complete Core Curriculum coursework as part of their degree requirements. The Core provides a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences while guiding students to pose and explore their own intellectual questions. See Academic Policies and Procedures  for specific core curriculum requirements. 

Music Core (Composition)


Bachelor of Music Core (Composition)


Students pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Composition must take the following (in addition to the courses listed above):

Music Composition Major Required Courses


In addition to the courses listed above, Music Composition students must take the following courses:

Upper Division Electives, Music Composition


Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Music in Composition program must complete three upper division music electives. Options include:

Bachelor of Music in Composition Senior Experience


The culminating senior course for the BM in Composition is the Senior Portfolio/Recital, an experiential learning course engaging students in demonstrating the practical application of knowledge and skills acquired in the study of composition and applied music lessons, music history, music theory, and the liberal arts.

Sample Program


Freshman Year
Fall Semester Spring Semester
ENGW 101 Exposition    3 ENGW 102 Argument and Research   3
FYS - PEQ (1) 3 MUS.Q 104 Introduction to World Music  PEQ (2) 3
ACS 101 Academic and College Success   1 MUS 124 Music Theory II    3
Health & Wellness Course 0 MUS 126 Aural Skills II   1
MUX 099 School of Music Orientation   0 MUG 132 Piano Class II  or MUP 2_ Performance Secondary Lesson (or equivalent) 1
MUS 123 Music Theory I    3 MUP 1Q Composition Primary Lesson 2
MUS 125 Aural Skills I   1 ENS __ Major Ensemble .5
MUG 131 Piano Class I  or MUG 141 Voice Class I  (or equivalent) 1 MUP 1__ Performance Primary Lesson 1
MUP 1Q Composition Primary Lesson 2 MUX 019 Concert Attendance   0
ENS __ Major Ensemble .5 MUP 097 Composition Studio Forum   0
MUP 1__ Performance Primary Lesson 1    
MUX 019 Concert Attendance   0    
MUP 097 Composition Studio Forum   0    
TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS 15.5 TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS 14.5
       
Sophomore Year
Fall Semester Spring Semester
PEQ (3) & (4) 6 SCI.Q 167 Integrated Science of Sound  / SCI.Q 168L Integrated Science of Sound Lab   (5) 4
MUS 223 Music Theory III    3 MUS 224 Music Theory IV   3
MUS 225 Aural Skills III   1 MUS 226 Aural Skills IV   1
MUG 231 Piano Class III  or MUP 2_ Performance Secondary Lesson (or equivalent) 1 MUG 232 Piano Class IV  or MUP 2_ Performance Secondary Lesson (or equivalent) 1
MUS 211 The History of Western Music I: Antiquity to the Baroque Period   3 MUS 212 The History of Western Music II: The Baroque Period to the Late Nineteenth Century   3
MUP 1Q Composition Primary Lesson 2 MUS 272 Introduction to Conducting   1
ENS __ Major Ensemble .5 MUP 1Q Composition Primary Lesson 2
MUP 1__ Performance Primary Lesson 1 ENS __ Major Ensemble .5
MUX 019 Concert Attendance   0 MUP 1__ Performance Primary Lesson 1
MUP 097 Composition Studio Forum   0 MUX 019 Concert Attendance   0
    MUP 097 Composition Studio Forum   0
    MUX 294 Sophomore Recital/Portfolio 0
    MUX 232 Keyboard Proficiency Exam   0
TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS 17.5 TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS 16.5
       
Junior Year
Fall Semester Spring Semester
PEQ (6) 3 Integrative Studies/DEIB (IS/DEIB) - 1 3
MUS 371 Choral Conducting  or
MUS 372 Instrumental Conducting  
2 Integrative Studies (IS) -2 3
MUS 317 The History of Western Music III: Music Since 1900   3 MUS 321 Orchestration and Arranging   3
MUS 323 Modal and Tonal Counterpoint   3 MUP 1Q Composition Primary Lesson 3
MUP 1Q Composition Primary Lesson 3 ENS __ Major Ensemble .5
ENS __ Major Ensemble .5 MUP 1__ Performance Primary Lesson 1
MUP 1__ Performance Primary Lesson 1 MUP 097 Composition Studio Forum   0
MUP 097 Composition Studio Forum   0    
TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS 15.5 TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS 13.5
       
Senior Year
Fall Semester Spring Semester
Integrative Studies (IS) -3 3 PEQ (8) 3
CME 050 Core Milestone Experience   0 Upper Division Music Elective (300/400 level) 3
PEQ (7) 3 Upper Division Music Elective (300/400 level) 3
Upper Division Music Elective (300/400 level)   3

MUX 499 Senior Honors Composition Portfolio/ Recital 

 
0
MUP 1Q Composition Primary Lesson 3 MUP 1Q Composition Primary Lesson 3
ENS __ Major Ensemble .5 ENS __ Major Ensemble .5
MUP 1__ Performance Primary Lesson 1 MUP 1__ Performance Primary Lesson 1
MUP 097 Composition Studio Forum   0 MUP 097 Composition Studio Forum   0
    MUX 49_ Senior Performance Recital 0
TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS 13.5 TOTAL SEMESTER CREDITS 13.5

 

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