Spelman College Department of Music: First-Year Orientation

 

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First-Year Orientation

Greetings from the Department of Music. Congratulations on your acceptance into Spelman College and being a member of the Class of 2014. We look forward to your matriculation as music majors and minors. Please visit our First-Year Orientation page often as it will provide the most up-to-date orientation and department information.


Important Links

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC HANDBOOK 2010-2011

Course Sequence Booklet

First-Year Form

Spelman College Orientation Information and Schedule



Music Seminar

Music Seminar is a zero-credit, pass/fail, weekly meeting of all music majors and minors for the purpose of student recitals (matinees), seminars, workshops, special lectures, guest recitals, and listening labs. Music majors must be enrolled in Music Seminar each semester for a total of eight (8) semesters. Music minors must be enrolled in Music Seminar for six (6) successive semesters.


Music Seminar meets every Wednesday at 3:00 pm in the Fine Arts Building Room 107.


Requirements:

Attendance:

  1. • Attendance counts for 1/3 of the overall Music Seminar grade.

  2. • Attendance for Seminar and Matinees are mandatory for all music majors and minors.

  3. • Absences must be approved by the Department Chair.

  4. • Unexcused absences may result in a failing grade.


Concert Reports:

  1. • Concert reports count for 1/3 of the overall Music Seminar grade.

  2. • Five reports are required each semester - three (3) from on-campus concerts and two (2) from off-campus concerts and must be 500 words in length.

  3. • Page formatting: 12-point font, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.

  4. • Failure to post concert reports on your website may result in a failing grade.


Websites: Students are required to develop two (2) separate websites: a public professional website and a private assessment website. Students must purchase one (1) domain name (credit card only) as a lab fee.


Matinees: With the exception of first-semester first-year students, all music majors and minors are required to perform in a matinee performance at least one time per semester.



Applied Music (Private Lessons)

The study of voice or an instrument is an integral part of the musical education of every music student. Therefore, prior to graduation, all music majors must be enrolled in Applied Music every semester and all music minors must complete a minimum of six (6) semesters of private lessons on a single instrument. Two Applied Music courses may not be taken concurrently for credit.


Private lessons are offered in the following instruments:

MUS 011-018 Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello, Harp)

MUS 021-026 Voice

MUS 031-038 Piano

MUS 041-046 Organ

MUS 051-059 Woodwinds and Brass

MIS 061-069 Percussion


Declaration of a student’s primary instrument is made at the time of audition. Based on the audition, a student may be accepted into the Applied Music program on a probationary status until a reevaluation at the end of the freshman year. A subsequent request to change the primary instrument will necessitate another audition and may likely require the student to spend additional semesters at the College.


At the discretion of the Applied Music instructor, students may be taught individually or in small groups. Students generally will have regular private lessons and periodic group classes, such as workshops and master classes.


Attendance and Obligations

Students are expected to be prepared for and attend each Applied Music lesson and other studio requirements. The Applied Music instructor will keep records of attendance and students’ practice habits. Students are expected to practice a minimum of one (1) hour a day in the Fine Arts Building practice rooms. Students are expected to purchases their scores.


During the first week of classes, each student is responsible for contacting her Applied Music instructor to arrange a mutually convenient lesson time. Instructors are not expected to make up lesson time lost due to student negligence in making these arrangements.


Instructors are responsible for making up lessons for students who have excused absences. An excused absence is any absence for which the student contacts the instructor at least 24 hours in advance and receives the instructor’s permission to miss the scheduled lesson. The teacher is also responsible for making up any lessons that he or she is required to miss; such lessons may be made up any time within the semester.


With the exception of first-semester First-Year students, each student is expected to perform on at least one (1) Matinee during each semester. Each student must be enrolled in an ensemble supporting their applied music study each semester.


Note: Additional information regarding repertoire, skill-development, and other studio expectations will be given to the student at the beginning of each semester.


Applied Music Faculty:

Hyunjung Chung (Piano)

Joyce Finch Johnson (organ)

Pamela Dillard (Voice)

Ann Marie McPhail (Voice)

Laura English-Robinson (Voice)

Joseph Jennings (Clarinet, Saxophone)

Alfred Wyatt (French Horn)

Candace Keach (Flute)

Jeffrey Kerschner (Percussion)

Roumena Georgieva (Violin, Viola)

Kyna Elliott-Brooks (Cello)




The Ensemble Experience

Music majors and minors are required to register each semester for an ensemble for one credit that serves as a laboratory supporting the primary Applied Music study. Upper-level music students may elect an additional ensemble (for 1 credit or 0 credit) only with the approval of the primary Applied Music instructor and the Department Chair. A maximum of eight (8) semester hours of ensemble credit may be used in meeting departmental graduation requirements for both the music major and the music minor.


MUS 060 String Ensemble

MUS 070 Glee Club

MUS 080 Woodwind Ensemble

MUS 081 Jazz Ensemble

MUS 392 AUC Orchestra

* Vocal majors and minors are required to participate in Glee Club for a maximum of eight (8) semester hours. This participation does not preclude concurrent participation in the other Music Department ensembles.




Audition Information

In addition to the general requirements for admission to the College, the incoming student must complete an audition in person in her major medium. Auditions are evaluated by the music faculty.


Purpose of the Audition

The audition provides an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate her performance ability to the music faculty. The audition is also a way for faculty to determine whether the candidate is likely to be successful as a professional musician. An audition generally lasts between 10-20 minutes.


General Guidelines

  1. •Students who have more than one instrument are encouraged to audition in each area of musical expertise.

  2. •Performance from memory is desirable but not required unless specifically indicated.

  3. •Piano accompaniment for instrumental solos is desirable but not required. Vocalists should be prepared to audition with piano accompaniment. The Department will supply the accompanist.

  4. •All candidates will be examined for tonal memory and ability to match pitch.

  5. •All candidates are encouraged to include a current repertoire, reflecting technical studies, solos, scales, etc.

  6. •Where a great distance is involved, the candidate may submit a recording, preferably in video format. Candidates who submit a recording may be asked to re-audition after arriving on campus.


Specific Guidelines

Keyboard. The candidate should be prepared to perform:

  1. 1.    At least two (2) contrasting pieces from the standard repertoire.

  2. 2.    Scales and arpeggios in any major or minor key.


Orchestral Strings. The candidate should be prepared to perform:

  1. 1.    Two pieces - one slow for tone, vibrato and bow control; one fast for general dexterity.

  2. 2.    Basic major scales and arpeggios.


Percussion. The candidate should be prepared to perform:

  1. 1.    A suitable solo to demonstrate musical and technical ability on the following instruments: snare drum, timpani, and xylophone/marimba.

  2. 2.    Basic rhythm patterns and scales to demonstrate musicality.


Voice. The candidate should be prepared to perform:

  1. 1.    From memory, a minimum of two songs, one of which should be in a foreign language.

  2. 2.    Various vocal exercises to determine range, dexterity, and vocal quality.


Wind /Brass Instruments. The candidate should be prepared to perform:

  1. 1.   A suitable solo or etude to demonstrate musical and technical ability.

  2. 2.   Basic major scales and arpeggios to demonstrate range and sound quality.


Scheduling an Audition

Auditions for the Department of Music are generally held during New Student Orientation Week. Be sure to check the orientation schedule when arriving on campus to determine when the auditions will be held.




Additional Requirements


1. All core courses must be taken at Spelman College unless special permission is granted by the Department Chair. Such permission must be obtained in writing.


2. All music majors and minors must exhibit satisfactory piano proficiency. Courses in Class Piano are offered for students to become proficient on the piano. There are three (3) levels of The Piano Proficiency Test. All students must receiving a passing grade in all three levels to meet graduation requirements.


  1. 3.All music majors must present an exit project (senior recital, thesis, composition) during the senior year, prior to graduation. All majors must present a junior recital.

  2. 4.All music minors must present a half-recital during the senior year, prior to graduation or take an upper-level for-credit music history or music theory course culminating an exit project.

  3. 5.All music majors and music minors must register each semester for Music Seminar, a Pass/Fail course based on class attendance, concert attendance, and websites.

  4. 6.Fine Arts Requirement - MUS 120, MUS 130, MUS 240, MUS 241, MUS 242, or MUS 330 may be elected to satisfy divisional core requirements in the Fine Arts. Music majors and minors must elect Fine Art courses outside the Department of Music.

  5. 7.International / Women’s Studies Requirement - MUS 121 or MUS 130 may be used to fulfill this requirement, For this divisional requirement, music majors and minors must elect courses outside the Department of Music.


8. All music majors and music minors are required to demonstrate their expertise by developing a digital portfolio, i.e., a website. The website is two-fold: a professional public website and a private assessment website. Students are required to pay a lab fee toward their required website. Failure to comply will result in a failing grade in Music Seminar.

 


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