Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance

The B.A. degree in Music provides a course of study for students interested in a liberal arts degree with a major in music. This degree, with its foreign language component, offers an appropriate background for prospective advanced-degree candidates who are preparing for careers in composition, technology, music history, music theory, jazz studies, library science, or independent studio teaching. It also works well for students who want to study music but are aiming at careers in other fields, and for students with double majors. There is sufficient flexibility within the B.A. to provide an opportunity for acquisition of those skills that are necessary in the current technological environment. The culmination event of the B.A. is a senior project planned and carried out with the help of a faculty advisor. Students electing a B.A. in music must complete a minimum of 41 credit hours in music, planned with the approval of a faculty advisor in the department.

Grand Valley State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Admission

In addition to formal admission to Grand Valley, each applicant wanting to major or minor in music is required to arrange for a personal audition with the music department. When considerable geographical distance or extreme hardship prevents a personal audition, the applicant may, with the permission of the department, submit an audio recording of an appropriate performance. Entering first-year students and transfer students will be required to take a theory placement exam on audition day. A student with two or more years of piano experience will also be required to take a keyboard musicianship placement exam. Audition appointments should be made at least one month in advance. Recommended audition repertoire and an application can be found at www.gvsu.edu/mtd/musicauditions.

Course Catalog: B.A. in Music Student Learning Outcomes: Music, B.A. Apply

The Bachelor of Music degree in Performance is a professional degree program. Although GVSU's required general education curriculum (for all degree programs) forms part of the BM in Performance curriculum and provides a sound liberal arts context for professional study, the main emphasis is on music performance. Designed for students who demonstrate exceptional ability and a particular interest in concentrating on performance at the undergraduate level, it is chosen often as preparation for graduate-level performance study in a master's or doctoral degree program. Professional performance and/or college-level teaching may be the primary goal.

Instruction in piano, organ, voice, guitar, string, woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments is normally available. Students admitted to this program must complete a minimum of 84 credit hours in music, depending on track (vocal or instrumental) and initial keyboard placement. BM students must fulfill department concert attendance expectations, attend music major meetings, complete keyboard musicianship requirements, and perform a faculty-approved half-recital during the junior year and a full recital in the senior year. Before the junior year, students in this degree program also take appropriate literature and pedagogy courses. While students interested in composition or jazz often elect the BA degree course of study, BM students with abilities in composition and/or jazz studies have the opportunity to develop these skills as a secondary area within the BM program as well.

Grand Valley State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Admission

In addition to formal admission to Grand Valley, each applicant wanting to major or minor in music is required to arrange for a personal audition with the music department. When considerable geographical distance or extreme hardship prevents a personal audition, the applicant may, with the permission of the department, submit an audio recording of an appropriate performance. Entering first-year students and transfer students will be required to take a theory placement exam on audition day. A student with two or more years of piano experience will also be required to take a keyboard musicianship placement exam. Audition appointments should be made at least one month in advance. Recommended audition repertoire and an application can be found at www.gvsu.edu/mtd/musicapply

Course Catalog: Bachelor of Music Student Learning Outcomes: Music, B.M. Apply

A Comprehensive Program
The Bachelor of Music Education degree is a professional degree program. Substantial training in music combines with professional music education study and collaboration with the GVSU College of Education. The program enables students to meet certification requirements for teaching music in Michigan elementary and public schools. The program has two tracks, vocal/choral and instrumental, both of which result in K-12 Music Certification.

The Core Music Program
Musical training at GVSU emphasizes solo and ensemble performance for all students. The core program also includes music theory, aural perception, music history, and keyboard musicianship courses.

Music Methods
Choral teaching method experiences are acquired in class and in observation and tutoring of public school students. In addition to basic methods, students in the vocal/choral emphasis are afforded the unusual opportunity to work with developing singers from local public schools as part of a newly created course, "Teaching the Developing Voice."

Instrumental music education students are given extensive training in an eight-semester sequence of voice and brass, woodwind, string, percussion instruments. Skills are further developed in the conducting class lab band/orchestra.

Beyond general teaching methods, B.M.E. instrumental students study the tenets of marching band techniques both in the classroom and on the field.

Keyboard Musicianship 
An intensive keyboard musicianship curriculum and state-of-the-art piano lab enable students with all entering keyboard backgrounds to develop functional keyboard skills essential for music teaching success. Private study is encouraged and offered beyond the four-semester sequence of group study.

Professional Preparation
Students receive extensive field experience in a one-year practicum, consisting of one semester of half-day teacher assisting and one semester of full-day student teaching. Classes and seminars taken concurrently with the practicum allow students to continually identify and address issues crucial to effective music teaching.

NAfME
A collegiate chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is an active student organization in the Music Department. Service work, professional development, and music education advocacy are the group's primary missions.

Questions about the Music Education program at Grand Valley State University can be directed to: Charles Norris, Coordinator of Music Education, at (616) 331-3385 or e-mail [email protected] and Beth Gibbs, Associate Professor of Music Education, at (616) 331-2837 or e-mail [email protected].

Teachable Minor
Students interested in a second area of certification are encouraged to contact the CLAS Advising Center (616-331-8585). An additional teachable minor would require up to one year of extra course work in that area. College of Education requirements would count for both teachable areas, with pre-service teaching distributed between certification areas.

Grand Valley State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Admission

In addition to formal admission to Grand Valley, each applicant wanting to major or minor in music is required to arrange for a personal audition with the music department. When considerable geographical distance or extreme hardship prevents a personal audition, the applicant may, with the permission of the department, submit an audio recording of an appropriate performance. Entering first-year students and transfer students will be required to take a theory placement exam on audition day. A student with two or more years of piano experience will also be required to take a keyboard musicianship placement exam. Audition appointments should be made at least one month in advance. Recommended audition repertoire and an application can be found at www.gvsu.edu/mtd/musicapply

Course Catalog: Bachelor of Music Education Student Learning Outcomes: Music, B.M.E. Apply

The Bachelor of Science in Performing Arts Industry degree provides a course of study for students interested in study of either music or theatre in conjunction with study in Public and Nonprofit Administration. Performing Arts Industry study is geared for students interested in working within the arts field as administrators, presenters, businesspeople, or any of the myriad options beyond performance or education. The B.S. degree requires a cognate of STA 215 as well as two courses from the listed options. The culmination event of the B.S. is an internship experience within the student's chosen field guided by a faculty advisor. Students electing a B.S. in Performing Arts Industry must complete the Public and Nonprofit Requirements as well as either the Music or Theatre core sequence, planned with the approval of a faculty advisor in the department. Students will complete 24 Credits of Public and Nonprofit Administration Courses, and then either 39 Credits in Music, or 50 Credits in Theatre depending on their area of focus. Please note, students entering the Music focus of this degree program are required to complete a music major audition.
 More Information about the B.S. in Performing Arts Industry Apply

The music minor program is designed for students with previous training in music seeking non-music degrees who desire to increase their knowledge of music or further develop their skills in music. Students study music theory, aural perception, music history, keyboard musicianship, and a music elective. In addition, students take applied lessons and participate in major ensembles. Instruction in piano, harpsichord, organ, voice, guitar, harp, strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion instruments is normally available. Students are admitted to this program through audition and must complete a minimum of 27 credit hours in music courses.

Grand Valley State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Admission

In addition to formal admission to Grand Valley, each applicant wanting to major or minor in music is required to arrange for a personal audition with the music department. When considerable geographical distance or extreme hardship prevents a personal audition, the applicant may, with the permission of the department, submit an audio recording of an appropriate performance. Entering first-year students and transfer students will be required to take a theory placement exam on audition day. A student with two or more years of piano experience will also be required to take a keyboard musicianship placement exam.* Audition appointments should be made at least one month in advance. Recommended audition repertoire and an application can be found at www.gvsu.edu/mtd/musicapply

Course Catalog: Music Minor Apply

The Piano Pedagogy Certificate (in the Department of Music and Dance at Grand Valley State University) will enable undergraduate piano majors and area piano teachers to focus on the skills necessary for successful piano teaching. Students learn how to teach beginner, intermediate, and early–advanced students. They learn how to teach pre-college students as well as music majors who take keyboard as their secondary instrument. They learn how to teach correct technique, how to develop musicianship and good sight-reading skills, how to select, level, perform, and teach repertoire, how to practice efficiently, and how to motivate. Students learn about the most important competitions and festivals in the state as well as in the nation. The requirements for National Certification are covered in the last semester of piano pedagogy.

This certification provides teachers with theoretical knowledge and practical experiences in accordance with state and national piano teaching guidelines. The piano pedagogy coursework includes guided teaching experiences. Students completing the Piano Pedagogy Certification will have a record of this accomplishment appear on their academic transcript, and a certificate for their piano studio.

To gain entrance into the program, an interview with the Piano Pedagogy professor and the performance of one memorized intermediate-level piano work will take place.

Course Catalog: Piano Pedagogy Certificate Student Learning Outcomes: Piano Pedagogy Certificate