Music

College of Creative Arts
Dean: Keith Morrison

School of Music and Dance
CA 140
415-338-1344
Director: Ronald Compesi (Acting)

Undergraduate Advisers: Deeter, Festinger, Habermann, Jones, Lindeman, Modirzadeh, Neve, Spencer, Suzuki, Todorov, Woodward

Graduate Coordinator: Victoria Neve

Faculty

Professors—Caltabiano, Festinger, Jones, W., Lee, P., Lindeman, Neve, Peterson, W., Roach, Spencer, Woodward

Associate Professors—Habermann, Modirzadeh, Suzuki

Assistant Professors—Deeter, Magie, Todorov

Programs

B.A. in Music
Bachelor of Music
Minor in Music
Minor in World Music and Dance
M.A. in Music
Master of Music

Program Scope

The School of Music and Dance offers both professional and liberal arts degree programs in music as well as courses that enrich the general education and cultural life of the university. The Bachelor of Arts in Music provides a humanistic approach to the study of music as a significant part of human tradition and culture. The Bachelor of Music is an intensive curriculum designed for students wishing to study music for specific professional purposes or for advanced students seeking to attain professional levels without necessarily planning to become professional musicians. The Master of Arts in Music is designed to provide advanced training for students with highly developed interest and talent in specific areas of music study; to prepare teachers for both two- and four-year college music positions; to provide prospective doctoral aspirants with a sound foundation for advanced graduate study; to make graduate programs available to public school teachers involving intensive study of specific areas of music; and to prepare students for professional careers in composition and arranging. The Master of Music is designed to provide graduate study for the superior performer and to allow for maximum development of specialized skills. The school also offers two minors in music: a liberal arts minor, designed to provide a planned sequence of musical development from which future enjoyment and learning can proceed, and a Minor in World Music and Dance, which is interdisciplinary in character. The faculty of the School of Music and Dance includes internationally recognized performers, composers, music educators, and scholars.

A wide variety of individual and ensemble performance opportunities are available to all students at SFSU. These include wind ensemble, Jazz Band, University Symphony, Chamber Singers, Women’s Chorus, and University Chorus. The school also participates in opera and musical-comedy productions in the College of Creative Arts and sponsors many small, specialized ensembles such as Chamber Music, Collegium Musicum, Jazz Combos, and ensembles for woodwinds, brass, and percussion. The Alexander String Quartet is quartet-in-residence and Branford Marsalis is an artist-in-residence at San Francisco State University.

The School of Music and Dance offers numerous scholarships, based on musical and scholastic performance as well as need. The May Treat Morrison Trust supports scholarships and instruction in chamber music. An endowed scholarship and loan fund in memory of Paul M. and Edith Pone has been established in support of academically promising music students who demonstrate financial need. The Janis D. Getz and William Corbett-Jones Scholarships are awarded to talented piano majors with strong academic records. Other awards include the Eugene Fulton Vocal Scholarship, the Presser Scholarship, the DeBellis Scholarship, the Vernazza Scholarship for Music Education, the Bielawa Student Composer-in-Residence Award, the Michael Avalos Prize for pianists, and the Peter Frampton Contemporary Music Award. For further information and an application, contact the School of Music and Dance.

San Francisco State University has been an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1963.

Facilities

The Music Program is housed in the Creative Arts Building. Facilities include McKenna and Knuth Theatres, seating 701 and 322 respectively; an electronic music laboratory; three piano laboratories; choral and instrumental ensemble rehearsal space; classroom and practice facilities; and a music materials resource center, containing instruments and scores.

The J. Paul Leonard Library provides music listening facilities; computer access; and extensive scores, recordings, and books on music. The Frank V. deBellis collection of Italian culture, located on the sixth floor of the Library, contains historic musical instruments, rare books, musical manuscripts, and scores and archival sound recordings.

Career Outlook

Career options for music majors are very diverse. The analytical and listening skills, collaborative experiences, concentration and broad historical and cultural knowledge gained through the study of music prepare students to achieve in many professional arenas. Their individual talents may lead them into specific aspects of music, including performance, composition, scholarship, and teaching. Graduates of the SFSU music progams currently perform as soloists or in symphony orchestras, opera, chamber ensembles, choruses, rock groups, and jazz combos; they conduct Broadway musicals, church choirs, community choruses, commercial music, opera, and symphony; they compose and arrange music in a wide variety of styles; they teach every aspect of music from pre-school through university in independent studios and in public and private schools and colleges; they write record and program notes, serve as music librarians, design and work with music technology, and act as critics and lecturers. They occupy key positions as music administrators and provide leadership for professional music organizations. They continue to create, perform, analyze, write about, lobby for, and listen to music both for profit and for pleasure.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN MUSIC

Enrollment priority in the lower division sequence of theory and musicianship courses is given to music majors. All students intending to enroll in these courses are required to take undergraduate placement examinations in music theory, aural skills, and piano. These examinations are given twice each semester on university advising days.

All music majors are assigned a faculty adviser with whom they confer each semester to develop an appropriate program. Individual instrumental and vocal instruction is restricted to music majors. Participation in a large ensemble is required of all students enrolled in applied lessons. Students enrolled in Major Instruction in voice or an orchestral instrument are required to take one unit of ensemble pertinent to their instruments for each half-hour of private instruction given. (See individual program requirements for maximum number of ensemble units, MUS 371-390, applicable to degree requirements.) In order to qualify for music major courses and individual instruction, students must pass a performance audition and qualify on the undergraduate placement examinations for admission into the lower division theory and musicianship sequence.

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC

The Bachelor of Arts in Music provides a humanistic approach to the study of music as a significant part of human tradition and culture. Students may choose the Classical Emphasis, the Emphasis in Jazz/Popular Styles, or the Emphasis in Electronic Music. As a liberal arts curriculum, the Bachelor of Arts is not intended as vocational preparation, although many career opportunities are open to students with such a background.

The curriculum for this degree consists of two segments: the preparation for the major and an upper division major of thirty-two units. The preparation for the major involves competency and/or course work requirements in theory, ear training, and piano. Additional electives may be taken in music, but a maximum of 60 units in music may be counted towards the 120 units required for graduation.

Preparation for the Bachelor of Arts in Music should be completed during the freshman and sophomore years. In order to be accepted into the major in the junior year, students must satisfy the criteria listed below.

• Written and aural competency in basic musical and harmonic techniques. May be demonstrated by examination or by completion of MUS 221 (2), 222 (2), 223 (2), 231 (3), 232 (3), and 233 (3).
• Functional use of the keyboard. May be demonstrated by examination or by completion of MUS 201 (1), 202 (1), and 203 (1).
• Performance ability at the major instruction level in one applied area (voice, piano, or instrumental major). Students not able to demonstrate such performance level must develop, with their adviser, a school approved program that will provide for clear demonstration of musicality and musicianship.
• Voice majors are strongly recommended to take Class Voice in order to achieve performance competence.

Upper Division Courses

Students must obtain school acceptance into the upper division major no later than the end of the first semester of the junior year.

On-line course descriptions are available.

BACHELOR OF MUSIC

The Bachelor of Music is an intensive curriculum, designed for students wishing to study music for specific professional purposes or for students seeking to attain professional levels without necessarily planning to become professional musicians. Emphasis areas within the program provide specialized study in music education (credential preparation), in various performance areas, in music history/literature, jazz, or in composition. These specializations are intended to prepare students for graduate study or for various professional opportunities. Every candidate for the professional degree program must demonstrate a significant technical and artistic level of accomplishment in at least one area of performance.

In addition to possessing musical ability and motivation, each student planning to pursue a professional music curriculum must come to San Francisco State University with significant background and training in some performance area. A maximum of 73 units in music may be counted toward this degree.

The Bachelor of Music with an emphasis in music education is designed for students preparing to teach in the elementary and secondary schools. Completion of this curriculum satisfies academic requirements for the Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music, leaving only the professional education sequence to be taken in the College of Education.

Students in the Composition Emphasis have early and continued opportunities through private lessons, Composers' Workshop, and other specialized classes to study with nationally recognized faculty composers and to have their works publicly performed.

Performance majors receive up to eight semesters of free private lessons with the department's distinguished artist faculty, many of whom are members of the San Francisco Symphony, Opera, and Ballet Orchestras, and maintain active professional careers. The degree program culminates in a formal senior recital in the department's concert hall.

Students in the History/Literature Emphasis pursue core courses in music history as well as specialized courses in such areas as keyboard literature, jazz, ethnic music, and courses focused on the works of individual composers. The culminating project for the undergraduate degree in Music History/Literature, a senior thesis of an analytical or historical nature, gives each student an opportunity to work closely with a member of the music history faculty in developing research and analytical skills.

Bachelor of Music students must complete a core of 25 units which includes concert attendance and one of the following emphases: Music Education; Piano, Instrumental, or Vocal Performance; Composition; Jazz; or History and Literature. Students who select the Music Education Emphasis must complete one of the three options listed under Music Education.

On-line course descriptions are available.

In addition to the core requirements, all candidates must pass the junior qualifying examination in one instrument or voice.

Music Education Emphasis
Candidates must pass the senior comprehensive performance examination or present a recital. One option is chosen from Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, or the Diversified Program as shown below.

Piano Performance Emphasis

Vocal Performance Emphasis

In addition, reading proficiency in French, German, or Italian must be demonstrated no later than the first semester of the junior year.

Instrumental Performance Emphasis

Composition Emphasis
Students wishing to enter the composition emphasis file an "Intent to Apply" form at the completion of MUS 232, and make their actual application to the program at the completion of MUS 425 (normally at the end of the sophomore year). The application consists of an application form, a transcript, and a portfolio of compositions. A portfolio of scores and recordings of works written for a variety of ensembles must also be submitted and approved before graduation from the program.

In addition, candidates must pass the junior qualifying examination in one instrument or voice.

Jazz Emphasis

History and Literature Emphasis

In addition, candidates must pass the junior qualifying examination in one instrument or voice and demonstrate basic reading knowledge of French, German, or other appropriate language.

MINOR IN MUSIC

The program is designed to provide students with a planned sequence of musical experiences upon which future enjoyment and learning can be built. The minor may be designed, in consultation with a music adviser, to meet the particular goals of the individual student.

Twelve of the total units must be in upper division work and taken in residence at SFSU.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN MUSIC

The School of Music and Dance offers a Master of Arts in Music with emphases in composition, music education, or music history; and a Master of Music in Performance with emphases in vocal or instrumental performance, chamber music, or conducting (choral or instrumental).

Admission to Program

Students should apply by April 1 for the following fall or October 1 for the following spring. Applicants are required to file two applications, one with the university and one with the School of Music and Dance. Admission to conditionally classified status requires acceptance by both the university and the School of Music and Dance. A departmental application form may be obtained by writing to the School of Music and Dance, or by calling (415) 338-1431. University applications must be requested from the graduate admissions office.

Requirements for admission to conditionally classified status in music are as follows.

1. A baccalaureate degree, with a major in music or equivalent musical experience.
2. A minimum 2.5 grade point average in the last 60 units of undergraduate study.
3. A completed application form for graduate study in music.
4. A 200-500 word narrative statement of purpose. This statement should include a description of the applicant's previous accomplishments.
5. An official copy of the applicant's undergraduate transcripts, and graduate transcripts if the student has been previously enrolled in a program of graduate study.
6. Two letters of recommendation from current or former teachers or professionals who are familiar with the applicant's qualifications.
7. Completion of Graduate Classification Examinations in Music History, Theory, Aural Skills and, for music education candidates, the Music Education Master's Advisory Exam. These examinations must be taken prior to entry into the program. Students who demonstrate deficiencies in one or more areas may be accepted into the program contingent upon remediation of all deficiencies within one academic year of entry into the program. Undergraduate course work taken to remove deficiencies may not be used as part of the 30 units required for the master's degree in music.
8. Specific requirements for each individual program are:
1. For applicants to the Master of Music program: a live audition before members of the Music faculty or, for applicants unable to travel to San Francisco, a high quality audio cassette or videotape 30-45 minutes in duration demonstrating the student's current level of accomplishment. A repertoire list is also required, including an indication of those works on the list which have been performed in recital.
2. For applicants in the Master of Arts in Music with an emphasis in Music Education: a written description of the nature and extent of teaching experience. Applicants must also provide evidence of at least two years of school music teaching and/or a valid teaching credential.
3. For applicants in the Master of Arts program in Music History: representative examples of student analytical papers.
4. For applicants in the Master of Arts program in Composition: representative scores and, if possible, tapes of recent musical compositions.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: Newly admitted students are required to take the Graduate Essay Test (GET), administered by the Testing Center, prior to registering for MUS 700. If writing deficiencies exist, remedial work in appropriate writing classes will be required. Level Two: satisfactory completion of the Music History seminar from the 750 series.

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement to candidacy occurs when a Graduate Approved Program (GAP) form has been completed by the student and approved by the major adviser, college graduate coordinator, and the Dean of the Graduate Division. Prior to completion of the GAP form, the student must have been granted fully classified status (see #7 above); have satisfactorily completed both Written English Proficiency Requirements; have completed at least twelve semester units applicable to the degree with a B average or above; and have successfully completed review of the student's program with the faculty adviser.

Master’s Examination. All candidates for the master’s degree (M.A. and M.M.) must pass a comprehensive examination that demonstrates their ability to communicate, both in speech and in writing, their command of music theory, history, research and analytical skills, and musical repertoire. This examination must be taken during the semester in which the student completes all course work.

MASTER OF ARTS IN MUSIC

This program is designed to provide advanced training for students with highly developed interest and talent in specific areas of music study; to prepare teachers for both two- and four-year college music positions; to provide prospective doctoral aspirants with a sound foundation for advanced graduate study; to make available to public school teachers graduate programs involving intensive study of specific areas of music; and to prepare students for professional careers in composition. The composition emphasis culminates in a major creative project. All other emphases require a master's thesis.

All students must complete a nine-unit core requirement and complete an emphasis as designated below. Enrollment is required during the semester of graduation.

On-line course descriptions are available.

MASTER OF MUSIC

This program is designed to provide graduate study for the superior performer and to allow for maximum development of specialized skills in the particular areas of talent. Students may emphasize classical solo performance, chamber music, or conducting. This degree is particularly appropriate for students intending to perform or conduct music professionally, to teach applied performance in college/university settings or private studio, or to pursue doctoral studies in performance. The program culminates in a formal graduate recital.

All students must complete a nine-unit core requirement and complete an emphasis as designated below. Participation in a large conducted classical ensemble in area of study is required of all graduate students (orchestral instruments and voice) enrolled in applied lessons. Enrollment is required during the semester of graduation.

Footnotes

1. MUS 371, 372, 373, and 379 fulfill General Education requirements; therefore, an additional 3 units may be taken for GE and are not counted in the emphasis total.
2. At least 1 unit must include MUS 388, 390, or 430.
3. Students with extensive background in music may substitute more advanced courses.
4. Unit totals indicate the minimum requirement. Additional instruction may be required before the thesis/composition is undertaken.
5. To be successfully completed prior to advancement to fully classified status in the program.