Music Program Requirements

Faculty

• Brandon Derfler
• Kimi Kawashima (Chair)
• Chris Puckett

View Music Courses

Program Goals

Our goal is to graduate students with unique abilities to:

• Perform with a high degree of competency on one or more instruments or voice in both solo and ensemble capacities and in different settings
• Apply the subdisciplines of music theory, aural skills, and music history to learning, insightfully interpreting, and successfully creating or performing music
• Communicate effectively about music in a variety of fundamental ways beyond performance—perhaps most essentially through teaching, writing, analysis, and public speaking
• Evaluate music as a cultural phenomenon closely connected with other art forms, increasingly interwoven with traditions and influences from around the world, and reflecting and affecting all local and global communities
• Synthesize and acquire the musical and technological skills necessary to succeed within the ever-changing, complex world of professional music making

Objectives

The Florence J. Gillmor School of Music at Westminster offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music and also offers a music minor. Music majors must select an emphasis in vocal performance, piano performance, or music studies. The BA degree in music is an excellent choice for talented students who plan to pursue graduate work in music, for liberal arts students pursuing two majors in preparation for graduate school, and for musical pre-law or pre-med students. It is also a degree that would qualify students for any number of music-related jobs following university. Among musicians with sufficient talent and training for careers in the field, those with degrees in music are at an advantage over those without.

The School of Music also offers opportunities for anyone on campus interested in making music, regardless of background or area of formal study. School performing ensembles include the Westminster Singers, Westminster Chorale, Westminster Chamber Orchestra, Westminster Jazz Ensemble, Westminster Chamber Players, and Westminster Opera Studio. (All of the above require at least an informal audition.) Private lessons and WCore courses in music are also available to students.

Program Requirements

An audition is required for status as a major or minor in music. Students must choose a primary instrument and audition on that particular instrument (e.g., piano, voice, guitar, violin, etc.). Live auditions are held each year on specific dates as announced on the School of Music web page. Music major aspirants auditioning before the end of March who are planning to enroll as first-year students the following fall semester will automatically be considered for music scholarships. Due to strict course sequencing, students wishing to graduate with a music major within a four-year course of study must begin their required course work fall semester of their freshman year, and audition for status no later than the end of their first semester.

Students seeking a music minor must audition before their sophomore year and begin their required course work no later than fall semester of that same year. In order to maintain music major or minor status, each student must maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA in music courses, and additionally pass each required music course with a minimum grade of C-.

Transfer students wishing to complete a music major at Westminster must complete at least half their total number of required music credits at Westminster, and be enrolled in a performing ensemble each semester while at Westminster. Transfer students wishing to complete a music minor must complete a minimum of nine credits of music—including two semesters of ensemble credit—at Westminster University. For more information, email the Music Department Chair, currently Dr. Kimi Kawashima.

Upon entry to the music program, students are expected to demonstrate competency in music fundamentals. Academic competency can be demonstrated by completion of the Fundamentals of Music course sequence (MUSC 105 and MUSC 106) or via placement exam; students may place out of one or both of these courses. Students must demonstrate reasonable piano proficiency, either through successful completion of a diagnostic test or alternately by taking a group piano course or private piano lessons at the discretion of the student’s music advisor.

Students must meet the university-wide graduation requirements in addition to the Music major:

• 124 total hours
• 30 upper division hours
• WCore or Honors College requirements

Music Studies Major

Recommended Plan of Study for BA Music Studies

Music Major – Performance Emphasis (Piano)

Recommended Plan of Study for BA Music – Piano Performance

Music Major – Performance Emphasis (Vocal)

Recommended Plan of Study for BA Music – Vocal Performance

Music Minor

Recommended Plan of Study for Music Minor

*Ensemble and elective scheduling are flexible within the four-year plan of study, but the School of Music strongly encourages every music minor to participate in a music ensemble whenever their schedule allows.