Graduate students study with master teachers, many of whom are renowned performers in their field, through applied music study in keyboard, guitar, electric bass, and all orchestral instruments and voice. Students perform in a variety of ensembles that rank among the finest in the country by virtue of the quality of concerts, recordings, broadcasts, tours, and repertoire.

Additional Learning Outcomes for the M.M. in Performance Degree

The School of Music has a common body of knowledge and skills for all graduate degree areas. These fall broadly into the following categories: Professional Competence, Musicianship, Creativity and Scholarship, and Pedagogy and Communication.

In addition to the core competencies on the Graduate Degrees page, Masters in Music Performance fullfill the following goals and outcomes:

  1. Students must demonstrate achievement of professional, advanced-level competence in the major area, including significant technical mastery, the ability solve professional problems independently, and develop a coherent set of artistic/intellectual goals, for the purpose of long-term success in their chosen field.
  2. Students are expected to have the ability to form and defend value judgments about music, and to communicate musical ideas, concepts, and requirements to professionals and laypersons related to the practice of the major field.
  3. Students must demonstrate advanced understanding of performance practice and historical and social contexts of the musical works of their field.
  4. Students must demonstrate the ability to conduct theoretical analysis of relevant repertoire, including arranging music for their instrument and/or ensembles.
  5. Students incorporate relevant technology into degree completion requirements, including recitals, recital program notes, and jury papers.
  6. Students must demonstrate advanced competency in musicianship skills, including rhythm, aural skills, sightreading, score analysis and reading, and transposition.
  7. Students must demonstrate a reasonable capacity to improvise as appropriate to the performance practice of selected repertoire.
  8. Students perform a wide variety of musical styles from various cultures and time periods.
  9. Students demonstrate research, communication, critical thinking, and problem- solving skills throughout in applied study, ensembles, and academic coursework.
  10. Students will demonstrate an understanding of sequential pedagogy for advanced-level performers; major schools of philosophy and methodology; teaching techniques and strategies; repertoire and resources; measurement and evaluation of performance; psychological, cognitive, and physiological developmental issues in teaching

Credits

A minimum of thirty (30) credit hours will be required in the Master of Music programs. The thirty credits include ten (10) credits of a Music Core, with other courses divided between major-area requirements and electives.

For the Performance major, the requirement will be satisfied by completing thirty (30) credits including the completion of a performance capstone project. This project includes a lecture recital with program notes or a performance paper.

Curricula by Applied Area

Jazz Emphasis Curriculum