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IMPORTANT NOTE

The requirements below apply to those students with a year. Students are required by to follow the major (and minor) requirements found in the catalog in effect at the time they declared their first major. To find your catalog year, please visit your Grades and Academic Records found in and access the that matches your catalog year.

Music

Overview

Students majoring in Music must choose, at the time of declaring the major, one of the following focuses to pursue: foundations of music creation, instrumental performance, vocal performance, or music studies. Students with no prior music theory experience must take MUSC 101, offered in the fall semester. Students with substantial experience in music theory should take the Music Theory Placement Exam to see if they can pass directly into MUSC 151, offered in the spring semester.

In addition, students who are pursuing the foundations of music creation focus may choose to concentrate in composition or production. The composition or production concentration must be declared by October of the junior year in order to prepare for the practice-based component of the Senior Comprehensive project.

To declare the Music major with any focus, students must have completed MUSC 151 with a grade of C or higher. In addition, to declare the music production concentration, students must have also completed MUSC 148 with a grade of C or higher. Moreover, for production students, both MUSC 151 and MUSC 148 must be completed by the end of the sophomore year.

Students intending to study abroad in their junior year must begin the music theory sequence in their first year and should only consider study abroad programs that can advance their progress in the Music major. Students who study abroad in their junior years and are pursuing a vocal or instrumental performance focus will be accommodated with online MUSA lessons.

Requirements

Major

All students pursuing a Music major must complete the following courses:

Required Courses:

MUSC 151Music Theory II

4 units

MUSC 231Keyboard Musicianship I

1 unit

MUSC 232Keyboard Musicianship II

1 unit

MUSC 251Music Theory III

4 units

MUSC 263Western Music and Culture: 1830 to the Present

4 units

MUSC 285Topics in the Critical Study of Popular and Non-Western Music

4 units

MUSC 351Music Theory IV

4 units

MUSC 490Senior Seminar

4 units

In addition to these 26-units required of all Music majors, students majoring in Music must pursue one of the following focuses:

The Foundations of Music Creation Focus

Students who plan to concentrate in composition or production should pursue a focus in the foundations of music creation:

Foundational Courses

All students must take the following two courses (8-units):

MUSC 113Learning to Compose

4 units

MUSC 148Introduction to Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)

4 units

Music Industry or Advanced Production

Students wishing to concentrate in music composition must take "Introduction to Music Industry" while those who plan to concentrate in music production may choose between "Introduction to Music Industry" and "Advanced Production" (4-units):

MUSC 245Introduction to the Music Industry

4 units

MUSC 248Advanced Production: Sampling and Synthesis

4 units

Electives

Students wishing to concentrate in music composition must take "Composition Seminar" while those who plan to concentrate in music production may choose one of the following electives (4-units):

MUSC 201The Ethics and Aesthetics of Sampling

4 units

MUSC 242/COMP 242Music and Artificial Intelligence

4 units

MUSC 245Introduction to the Music Industry

4 units

MUSC 246Live Sound Engineering

4 units

MUSC 248Advanced Production: Sampling and Synthesis

4 units

MUSC 252Introduction to Songwriting

4 units

MUSC 257Composition Seminar

4 units

MUSC 258Introduction to Film Scoring

4 units

MUSC 261Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829

4 units

Ensemble

Students must participate in two semesters of ensemble, selected from the courses below (2-units):

MUSC 120College Chorus

0 or 1 unit

MUSC 121Glee Club (Sopranos/Altos)

0 or 2 units

MUSC 122Glee Club (Tenors/Basses)

0 or 2 units

MUSC 123Afro-Cuban Drumming

1 unit

MUSC 124Son Jarocho Ensemble

1 unit

MUSC 127Jazz Ensemble

0 or 1 unit

MUSC 129Chamber Music

0 or 1 unit

MUSC 130Symphony Orchestra

0 or 1 unit

Instrumental Performance Focus

Students pursuing the instrumental performance focus are highly encouraged to participate in lessons and an ensemble starting their Freshman year.

Foundational Courses

Students must take all of the following courses (10-units):

MUSC 113Learning to Compose

4 units

MUSC 261Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829

4 units

MUSC 272Conducting

2 units

Principal Instrument Private Study

Students must complete six semesters of private study () on their principal instrument during the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Years (6-units):

Ensembles

Students must take six semesters of ensemble, including:

Ensemble A:

Students must take four semesters of ensemble to be chosen from the following courses (4-units):

MUSC 127Jazz Ensemble

0 or 1 unit

MUSC 130Symphony Orchestra

0 or 1 unit

Ensemble B:

Students must take one semester of ensemble to be chosen from the following courses (1-unit):

MUSC 128Chamber Jazz

0 or 1 unit

MUSC 129Chamber Music

0 or 1 unit

Ensemble C:

Students must take one semester of improvisation (1-unit):

MUSC 131Improvisation

1 unit

Vocal Performance Focus

Students pursuing this focus are highly encouraged to participate in lessons and an ensemble starting their Freshman year and to take at least four semesters of Glee Club.

Foundational Courses

Students are required to take all of the following courses (12-units):

MUSC 115Topics in Vocal Music

4 units

MUSC 261Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829

4 units

MUSC 271Instrumental and Vocal Arranging

2

MUSC 473Senior Performance and Composition Comprehensives Preparation

2-Units

Private Voice Study

Students must complete six semesters of private voice study during their Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Years (6-units):

MUSA 211Voice (Half Hour)

0 or 1 unit

MUSA 212Voice (One Hour)

0 or 1 unit

MUSA 213Jazz and Commercial Voice (Half Hour)

0 or 1 unit

MUSA 214Jazz and Commercial Voice (One Hour)

0 or 1 unit

Ensemble

Students must participate in six semesters of ensemble, to be chosen from the following courses:

MUSC 120College Chorus

0 or 1 unit

MUSC 121Glee Club (Sopranos/Altos)

0 or 2 units

MUSC 122Glee Club (Tenors/Basses)

0 or 2 units

Music Studies Focus

Foundational Courses

All students in this focus must take the following (8-units):

MUSC 113Learning to Compose

4 units

MUSC 261Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829

4 units

Advanced Research

Students must choose one of the following (2- to 4-units):

MUSC 350Topics in Musical Style

2 units

MUSC 393Directed Research

2 or 4 units

Elective A (100-level)

Students must complete a 100- level course, chosen from the following (4-units):

MUSC 102/LLAS 102Music of Latin America

4 units

MUSC 103Music of Asia and the Pacific Islands

4 units

MUSC 104Music of Africa and the Middle East

4 units

MUSC 105Topics in American Music

4 units

MUSC 111Topics in Jazz History

4 units

MUSC 115Topics in Vocal Music

4 units

MUSC 116African American Music: From Slavery to the Present

4 units

MUSC 117Copyright, Originality, and Theft in American Popular Music

4 units

Elective B (200-level)

Students must complete a 200-level course, chosen from the following (4-units):

MUSC 200Music and Disease

4 units

MUSC 201The Ethics and Aesthetics of Sampling

4 units

MUSC 264The Total Artwork

4 units

MUSC 266French Culture 1589-1848

4 units

MUSC 283Music of Los Angeles

4 units

MUSC 285Topics in the Critical Study of Popular and Non-Western Music

4 units

MUSC 286Music and Politics of the United States-Mexico Border

4 units

MUSC 287Music and Social Protest

4 units

MUSC 295Topics in Music: Composers

4 units

Private Lessons

Students pursuing this focus must complete two semesters of private lessons (200-level MUSA courses) (2-units):

Ensemble

Students must participate in two semesters of ensemble, selected from the courses below.

MUSC 120College Chorus

0 or 1 unit

MUSC 121Glee Club (Sopranos/Altos)

0 or 2 units

MUSC 122Glee Club (Tenors/Basses)

0 or 2 units

MUSC 123Afro-Cuban Drumming

1 unit

MUSC 124Son Jarocho Ensemble

1 unit

MUSC 127Jazz Ensemble

0 or 1 unit

MUSC 129Chamber Music

0 or 1 unit

MUSC 130Symphony Orchestra

0 or 1 unit

Minor

Students must complete a total of 24 units, in music theory, music history and culture, and in courses of one's choosing per the guidelines below. NB: MUSC 101 Music Theory I does not count towards this 24-unit requirement.

Foundational Courses

Students must complete both of the following (8-units):

MUSC 151Music Theory II

4 units

MUSC 285Topics in the Critical Study of Popular and Non-Western Music

4 units

Elective A

One course selected from the following (4-units):

MUSC 200Music and Disease

4 units

MUSC 201The Ethics and Aesthetics of Sampling

4 units

MUSC 261Western Music and Culture: 1580-1829

4 units

MUSC 263Western Music and Culture: 1830 to the Present

4 units

MUSC 264The Total Artwork

4 units

MUSC 266French Culture 1589-1848

4 units

MUSC 283Music of Los Angeles

4 units

MUSC 285Topics in the Critical Study of Popular and Non-Western Music

4 units

MUSC 286Music and Politics of the United States-Mexico Border

4 units

Elective B

One 4-unit MUSC course numbered at the 200-level or 300-level in your area of interest (4-units):

Elective C

Students must complete an additional eight units of electives filled by any combination of 1-, 2-, or 4-unit MUSA and/or MUSC courses (8-units):

Production Concentration

Required Courses

MUSC 247Pro Tools Fundamentals

4 units

MUSC 249Recording Techniques

4 units

MUSC 348Mixing and Mastering

4 units

Senior Comprensive Project

Students must complete two semesters of MUSC 474 during their senior year and complete a senior comps project in production:

MUSC 474Senior Production Comprehensives Preparation

2 units

Composition Concentration

Composition Seminar

Students must complete an additional three semesters (12-units) of "Composition Seminar" (MUSC 257).

MUSC 257Composition Seminar

4 units

Conducting

Students must complete the 2-unit course, "Conducting" (MUSC 272):

MUSC 272Conducting

2 units

Comprehensive Project Requirement

Students must take "Composition Seminar" both semesters of their senior year and complete a senior comprehensive project in composition.

Second-Stage Writing

Students majoring in Music will satisfy the second-stage component of 色界吧's college-wide writing requirement by successfully completing MUSC 201, MUSC 261, or MUSC 263in the sophomore or junior year with a grade of B- or higher.  Students receiving a C+ or lower will have to take another Music course that satisfies this requirement. Music majors who do not complete the Second-Stage Writing Requirement through the standard course-based mechanism will need to submit a satisfactory writing portfolio (consisting of 4000 to 5000 words) from 200-level Music courses to the Department Chair prior to the end of their Senior Fall semester.

Comprehensive Requirement

Senior music majors complete a senior project related to the student's area of interest. All senior projects involve both a written and an oral component. The written component (thesis draft; or final draft of argument-driven analytic paper plus recital program notes) must be completed by the end of MUSC 490, which is offered in the fall semester. Each component is graded High Pass (HP), Pass (P), or Fail (F). A final grade of Pass with Distinction (PD) on the senior comprehensive will be awarded if all components (written, oral, and performance, if applicable) are graded High Pass.

In the Fall semester of their junior year, students submit a proposal for their senior project to the Music Department faculty for approval. Music's "Senior Comprehensive Project" page provides details about the project proposal and the requirements of individual concentrations.

All seniors will present their work in a public forum during the spring semester. If the Music faculty determines that the senior has not sufficiently prepared to complete the project in time, the senior must take a written examination in lieu of the recital or thesis submission/presentation in order to fulfill the senior comprehensive requirement. The faculty will supply questions drawn from the material of that senior’s course of music study at Occidental.

Awards

The Elinor Remick Warren Award is presented each spring to the student who has written the most outstanding piece of music, in a Music course, that academic year.

The Peters Prize is awarded to the "Music major who, in the opinion of the faculty, had done the most during the year to advance the ideals and the prestige of music on the campus."

Transfer Credit Policies

Transfer courses may be used to fulfill major requirements if they are a very close match to a course that is offered by the Occidental Music department. Permission should be sought from the Music Department Chair before the course is taken and will require a description and syllabus of the potential course to be transferred. Online courses cannot be used to fulfill major requirements. Music courses taken at other institutions may be used to fulfill general education requirements but also require the permission of the Music Department Chair before the course is taken.

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