Music

Department: Music
Department Chair: Patricia Cahalan Connors
Program Options: Certificate, B.A.

As a St. Kate’s music major, you have the opportunity to pursue a wide variety of career goals. You may choose to concentrate on honing your skills as a performer, with the goal of opening your own private teaching studio, performing in the local music community, leading music in worship or moving on to more advanced study in graduate school. Or, you may simply wish to expand your understanding and experience of music as a discipline as a primary component of a broad, liberal education. You may choose to pursue double majors, pairing music study with such disciplines as business, theater, theology, French, political science, psychology or science. You also may prepare for a career in music education as an elementary or secondary school music teacher.

The most basic course of study is the liberal arts major in music. Courses required for the liberal arts music major provide an opportunity for you to develop performance skills and to gain an understanding of music in theory and culture. If you wish to pursue a more rigorous course of study in music, you must be accepted into either the performance and pedagogy concentration or the music education major, which leads to state certification for a K-12 music teaching licensure. These two courses of study are primarily geared to vocalists and pianists, and they require an audition.

As a music student at St. Kate’s, you may take advantage of a number of outstanding performance opportunities. First among these is the biennial Concerto/Aria Concert, in which students are selected through competitive auditions to perform solos with an orchestra of professional musicians. There are annual opportunities for participation in musical theater productions through the joint St. Kate’s/University of St. Thomas Theater Department and special performances which arise periodically, such as the recent premiere production of the new opera Mozart in Manhattan or the acclaimed performance of the Women’s Choir in the national broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. Choral singers regularly find themselves performing thrilling masterworks with professional orchestras and soloists, touring within the United States (or abroad!) or experiencing Renaissance music, costume and dance as participants in our Christmas Renaissance Madrigal Feasts. String players sit side-by-side with professionals in our String Chamber Orchestra, and wind players may choose a chamber ensemble experience or participate in a University of St. Thomas band.

St. Kate’s music faculty members are outstanding teachers, respected scholars, gifted performers and caring mentors. Their areas of expertise include piano performance, voice performance, theory and composition, music education and choral conducting.

Many of our music majors have gone on to successful careers in music. Included among these are school music teachers (elementary and secondary schools, vocal and instrumental), studio teachers of piano, voice or other instruments, orchestral musicians, music businesswomen or arts managers, professional accompanists, singer-actors and liturgical musicians.

The Music Department also offers an option for a minor in music, as well as a certificate program in piano pedagogy. The piano pedagogy certificate program prepares the pianist for a career as a piano teacher through specialized study with a concentration in piano pedagogy. It is intended for persons who want credentials to teach piano and need specific training in music and pedagogy. It is also designed for people who have a B.A./M.A. in music, but lack training in piano pedagogy or for those who want refresher courses to improve their skills in performance and pedagogy.

FINE ARTS REQUIREMENT
All music courses fulfill the fine arts core requirement, although you should note that prerequisites are required for some courses. Four semesters of ensemble and/or private music lessons will satisfy the requirement, provided that at least two of the four semesters are consecutive and in the same ensemble or applied area (instrument or voice).

TRANSFER STUDENTS
Transfer students are placed in departmental programs on the basis of an entrance audition and a placement examination in theory. If you have successfully completed fewer than four semesters at another institution, you must petition for admittance to the major during the first semester of your sophomore year. If you have successfully completed four or more semesters as a music major at another institution, you will be admitted on the basis of a successful performance audition. To be applied to the music major requirements, transfer credit must have been completed within ten years prior to the date you first enroll at the College of St. Catherine.

PRIVATE MUSIC INSTRUCTION
Private music lessons are available for majors and non-majors. Admittance to the performance level of instruction is by audition only and is primarily intended for music majors. Elective-level lessons are designed for non-majors or minors who wish to continue the development of their performance skills. You may enroll for 30- or 50-minute lessons. No audition is required for elective lessons; however, a minimum basic level of music reading skill and musical background is expected. You meet your instructor in a minimum of 12 lessons per semester. After registering for the appropriate course, you must set up your lesson schedule in the Music Department Office.

ENSEMBLES
All students are welcome to audition for music ensembles. Majors are required to participate in College ensembles for four, seven or eight semesters, depending on the course of study. There is no tuition fee for ensemble participation if you have a course load of at least 12 credits beyond the ensemble.
The College of St. Catherine is a full member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
See also: Education – Music Education with K-12 Teaching Licensure (vocal or instrumental).

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

LIBERAL ARTS CONCENTRATION

MUS 1130, 1140 Theory I and II
MUS 2130, 2140 Theory III and IV
MUS 3110, 3120 History and Literature of Music I and II
Private Lessons — four semesters Elective or Performance Level
Ensembles — four semesters (MENS 1201, 1401, 1601, 1701, 1711, 1811)

Eight additional hours selected from:
MUS 1160 Jazz in America
MUS 1180 Music of Cultures Outside the Western Tradition
MUS 1750, 1770 Italian or French Diction for Singers
MUS 3100 Introduction to Vocal Pedagogy
MUS 3000/3010/3050 Piano Pedagogy I, II or III
MUS 3150, 3160 Conducting I and II
Additional semesters of ensembles or lessons (up to four hours)
In addition, you are required to attend a specified number of student, faculty and professional music performances. See Music Major Handbook for details.

PERFORMANCE AND PEDAGOGY CONCENTRATION
MUS 1130, 1140 Theory I and II
MUS 2130, 2140 Theory III and IV
MUS 3110, 3120 History and Literature of Music I and II
MUS 4160 Orchestration
Piano proficiency
Performance level lessons — 8 semesters
Ensembles — 8 semesters

You are required to register for and successfully complete a performance ensemble during each semester of full-time enrollment. A minimum of eight semesters is required for graduation, regardless of full- or part-time status. In general, these will be major conducted ensembles. See Music Department Handbook for special ensemble requirements related to each performance medium.

RECITALS
Two recitals are required for graduation: a half-recital in the junior year and a full graduation recital in the senior year.

Additional requirements according to performance area:

Piano
MUS 3000 Piano Pedagogy I: Elementary Level
MUS 3010 Piano Pedagogy II: Intermediate Level
MUS 3050 Piano Pedagogy III: Performance Practices

Recommended:
MUS 4754 Practicum (observation and student piano-teaching)

Voice
MUS 1750 Italian Diction for Singers
MUS 1770 French Diction for Singers
MUS 3100 Introduction to Vocal Pedagogy
MUSL 1310 Elective piano (two semesters beyond piano proficiency)

As a music major you satisfy the Writing Requirement for Majors by completing MUS 3110 and MUS 3120. You complete the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Writing Requirement with two other writing-intensive courses (CORE 1000 and CORE 3990).

URL: http://minerva.stkate.edu/academiccatalog0709.nsf/pages/music
This page was created on 05/02/2007 and last updated on 05/02/2007.
Comments, questions and feedback about this site may be addressed to registrar@stkate.edu.