Music

Cadek Department of Music

Professor Lee Harris, Head

The Cadek Department of Music seeks to cultivate a passion for musical excellence by providing the highest quality education. The department serves the entire University community by offering General Education music courses, opportunities for group musical performance, individual lessons, and beginning classes in piano, voice and guitar, as well as minors in Music. The Bachelor of Music degree is designed to prepare students for the professional life of a musician. Graduates of the program will be able to: 1) effectively read musical scores and detect errors in performance; 2) analyze and identify key elements in musical scores and performances; 3) present a stylistically appropriate performance from standard musical literature.

The requirements for entrance to and graduation from the Cadek Department of Music are in accordance with the published regulations of the National Association of Schools of Music and the Tennessee regulations for certification of teachers.

The Cadek Department of Music offers the following two degree programs at the undergraduate level: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with a major in Music, the Bachelor of Music (B.M.), with a major in Music. The B.M. degree provides five concentrations: instrumental performance; vocal performance; theory or composition; instrumental music education; vocal music education.

The B.A. degree is offered for students who desire a strong liberal arts background with a major in music. Approximately one third of the four-year B.A. program is in music, and numerous elective hours outside the department permit study in other academic areas.

The B.M. degree is a more concentrated course of study in the major area. Approximately two thirds of the four-year program is in music. The B.M. degree in music education is appropriate for students who plan to teach music in elementary, middle, or high schools. It combines general education with music content and teaching methodology in a highly structured course of study. Students who successfully complete the program are awarded teaching certification upon graduation. All music degree programs represent appropriate preparation for graduate study.

Admission to the Music Program

Freshmen, transfer, and current UTC students intending to change their major to Music must first enroll as Pre-Music majors. They must perform a live audition on their primary applied instrument or voice, and complete either a Music Theory Diagnostic or Proficiency Examination in order to eligible for admission into the Bachelor of Arts degree program in Music or a Bachelor of Music degree program.

The music audition determines both the student’s readiness for college-level applied music instruction and potential for a career in music. Entering students will perform their audition on the spring audition dates or on the Friday before classes begin each semester. Current UTC students may audition on semester-end performance juries. The Music Theory Diagnostic Exam is a placement test indicating whether the student is prepared for college-level music theory. This exam is administered on spring audition dates, at summer Orientation sessions and on the Friday before classes begin in the fall semester. Students transferring to UTC as juniors must take the Sophomore Theory Proficiency Examination and audition for upper-level applied study (3000-level or 4000-level).

The Music Department will notify students of the results of the audition and diagnostic exam. Students who are successful in both areas will be admitted as music majors and the Records Office will be officially notified. Students who meet with partial success must remain Pre-Music majors. Deficiencies in applied performance must be addressed through appropriate applied study at the 1000- or 2000-level. They must later re-audition for admission to the major. Any student who does not achieve the required minimum score on the Theory Diagnostic Exam must complete a music fundamentals course (MUS 1020) with a minimum grade of C before they will be admitted as a music major. Students whose performance on the audition and the diagnostic exam indicates no real potential for success in the major will be counseled to seek another major.

Requirements

All music majors are required to participate in an ensemble appropriate to the concentration during each semester of residence, for a minimum of eight credit hours (seven for music education majors). For all music majors, a 2.0 minimum grade point average in all music courses is required. For licensure in music education, a 2.5 cumulative average is required with no grade lower than a C; see Music Education. A senior recital or other senior educational experience is required of all majors as specified for the music degree program. See the Music Student Handbook for more information on this and other additional requirements of the Music Department.

Within each program, suggested courses of study are offered for the various music degree programs. Most courses are listed only by course number or referred to generically as Ensemble and Applied Music study. More specific degree plans, broken down by semester, are printed in the Music Student Handbook.

An ensemble is defined as any group of two or more performers. Large ensembles include Chamber Singers, Chattanooga Singers, Choral Union, Concert Band, Marching Band, Master Chorale, University Orchestra, and Opera Workshop. Any other ensemble, including a soloist with accompanist, is considered a small ensemble.

“Applied Music” and “Applied Study” refer to individual lessons in voice or an instrument. An audition is required before registering for any level of applied music study. For information on scheduling an audition, please contact the Music Office at (423) 425-4601. Applied study at the 1000-level is appropriate for non-majors, those studying a secondary instrument, and for Pre-Music majors who need remedial study. 1000-level applied music may be taken for 1 credit hour and the student receives a 30-minute individual lesson per week. If the instructor approves, students may enroll in two 1000-level sections for that instructor and receive a 60-minute lesson. 2000-level, 3000-level, and 4000-level applied music study are reserved for music majors, qualified minors and advanced non-majors with instructor’s approval. These levels may be registered for 2 - 4 credit hours and the weekly lesson is 60 minutes. Please see the Music Student Handbook for further information.

Bachelor of Music Continuation Standards

In order to assure the professional competence of graduates in Bachelor of Music programs, students must demonstrate their mastery of both theoretical and applied aspects of music at the midpoint of their degree programs. Successful completion of these standards is prerequisite to enrollment in upper-division music courses.

Performance (Instrumental and Vocal):

2.0 grade point average in all music courses.
While enrolled in MUS 2080 , pass the Theory Proficiency Exam as prerequisite to upper-division music courses with the following exceptions: MUS 3110 , MUS 3150 , MUS 3160 , MUS 3170 , MUS 3320 , MUS 4040 , MUS 4050 , MUS 4060 .
Audition for admission to 4000 level before Division Jury in the semester during which student is registered for his/her sixteenth hour of 2000-level study.
Audition requirements for continuation include 15 minutes of solo repertoire (memorized as required), demonstrating at least two distinct stylistic periods. Students must also demonstrate techniques as mandated by each applied area. See the Undergraduate Music Student Handbook for further details regarding this audition.

Theory and Composition:

2.0 GPA in all music courses.
While enrolled in MUS 2080 , pass the Theory Proficiency Exam as prerequisite to upper-division music courses with the following exceptions: MUS 3110 , MUS 3150 , MUS 3160 , MUS 3170 , MUS 3320 , MUS 4040 , MUS 4050 , MUS 4060 .
Audition on primary instrument for admission to 3000 level before applied faculty in semester juries at the end of the fourth semester of 2000-level study.
Audition requirements for continuation include 10 minutes of solo repertoire (memorized as required), demonstrating at least two distinct stylistic periods. Students must also demonstrate techniques as mandated by each applied area. See the Undergraduate Music Student Handbook for further details regarding this audition.
Written evaluation by theory/composition faculty of aptitude for career in theory/composition submitted to department head and the semester jury panel prior to the audition.

Education (Instrumental or Vocal):

For graduation, 2.0 grade point average in music courses and 2.0 average in College of Health, Education and Professional Studies courses. For licensure, 2.5 overall average, 2.5 average at UTC, 2.5 average in education courses with no grade lower than a C, and 2.5 average in content area courses with no grade lower than a C.
Audition on primary instrument for admission to 3000 level before applied faculty in semester juries at the end of the fourth semester of 2000-level study.
Audition requirements for continuation include 10 minutes of solo repertoire (memorized as required), demonstrating at least two distinct stylistic periods. Student must also demonstrate techniques as mandated by each applied area. See the Undergraduate Music Student Handbook for further details regarding this audition.
While enrolled in MUS 2080 , pass the standardized Theory Proficiency Exam as prerequisite to upper-division music courses with the following exceptions: MUS 3110 , MUS 3150 , MUS 3160 , MUS 3170 , MUS 3320 , MUS 4040 , MUS 4050 , MUS 4060 .
Pass the Piano Proficiency Exam as prerequisite to MUS 3210 .
Evaluation by faculty of aptitude for a career in music education via the entrance interview for TEP.

Note: These requirements are in addition to those mandated by the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies.

Theory Proficiency Exam Requirements:

Demonstrate thorough grasp of basic concepts, symbols, and procedures taught in the music theory and ear training sequence. This will include:

writing and identifying scales, key signatures, modes, intervals, triads, seventh chords, “borrowed” chords;
correct division of beats/pulses and beaming in various meters;
the ability to write tonal harmonic progressions in four parts, using good voice leading;
The ability to recognize and describe with appropriate terminology the elements of musical form in a brief composition or portion thereof;
The ability to accurately sing at sight a tonal melody, and to accurately perform a rhythmic passage at sight;
The ability to complete brief melodic and harmonic dictations.

Conditional Provision for Theory Proficiency Exam and Performance Standards

If a student passes the Theory Proficiency Exam but does not meet the performance standards, he or she may enroll in upper-division courses on a provisional basis for one semester. At the end of that semester, the student must re-audition and pass the performance standards in order to continue in the degree program.

Conversely, if a student meets the performance standards but fails the Theory Proficiency Exam, he or she may enroll in upper-level applied study on a provisional basis for one semester. At the end of that semester, the student must retake and pass the theory exam in order to continue in the degree program.