Department of Music
262-472-1310
The Music Department offers its majors high-quality instruction and performance opportunities to prepare them for careers and/or advanced study in such areas as public school music teaching, performance, music theory, composition or musicology, and studio teaching, as well as for the wide range of opportunities that exist in the music field. By completing a minor in Music, students gain knowledge and experience that is highly valued by future employers as they pursue a chosen career. The Music Department also offers elective certificates in Accompanying, Conducting, Jazz, Music History and Music Theory.
The Department houses a variety of performing ensembles, which are open to all university students. Students may enroll in these ensembles and earn General Education credits as well. Vocal groups include the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Harmonia Chorale, Hawk-Kor Chorus, Vocal Jazz, and Opera Workshop. The Department also collaborates with the Theatre/Dance Department in an annual musical theatre production of an opera, operetta or Broadway musical. Instrumental groups include the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Whitewater Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Warhawk Marching Band, University Band, Jazz Ensembles, Brass Ensembles, Woodwind Choirs, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Combos, SONICT (new music ensemble), New Media Ensemble, Baroque Ensemble and various chamber groups. All provide rich and varied musical experiences and the opportunity to ), New Media Ensemble, Baroque Ensemble
UW-Whitewater Music Department has been a fully accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1977. Prospective music majors may find application materials, audition requirements, and a schedule of auditions on the Music Department website.
Program Requirements and Departmental Policies
Auditions
Students desiring to major or minor in music must pass an audition in their primary performing area. If this cannot be completed before initial registration, music major status will be conditional pending a successful entrance audition. Minors may enroll for applied music study (lessons) only with the permission of instructor and department. Applied study is not necessary for completion of some music minors.
Waivers
Entering majors or minors may, through the Advanced Placement Examination, be waived from certain Music Theory or Aural Skills courses MUSC 151, MUSC 152, MUSC 153, depending on AP scores. Total units required for graduation, however, remain unchanged.
Note: to non-music majors: The one-unit instrumental and vocal ensembles may be repeated. Though all such music ensemble units earned will appear on your transcript, no more than six will be applied toward graduation. All ensembles, except MUSC 169, carry General Education ARTS (GA) credit. MUSC 169 carries Physical Education (GP) credit.
Other Requirements - Music Department Handbook
The Music Department Handbook contains important information that, due to space limitations, is not printed in the Catalog. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with its contents online. The Handbook is updated as policies are added or changed. All enrolled majors and minors, regardless of admission date, are bound by policies outlined in the most recent revision of this Handbook. This handbook may be found here.
Applied Music Study: Terminology and Policies
The term "Primary Performing Area" refers to the student's main performing medium – the one in which the prospective major must pass an entrance audition in order to be accepted, receive instruction, and maintain satisfactory progress over the course of study. For applied study in the Primary Performing Area, courses are arranged by level (for example, MUSC 160, MUSC 260, MUSC 360, and MUSC 460, in the case of instrumental instruction), which normally correspond to the first through fourth years of enrollment.
Music majors have one Primary Performing Area which does not change during the course of study. If a change is desired, the student must re-audition in the new performing area and, if successful, would be placed at the level deemed appropriate by the auditioning panel for lessons in the new area. This change must have the consent of: a) the department chairperson, b) the appropriate applied music area coordinator(s), and c) the two applied music instructors involved.
Applied music study (class or private, required or elective) required by a student's curriculum is termed "Secondary" or "Non-Primary" study. In the case of private instruction, the course numbers MUSC 126, MUSC 127, MUSC 128, MUSC 129, MUSC 326, MUSC 327, and MUSC 328 apply to such secondary study.
Elective applied study is available for music minors, majors choosing to study a second area, majors who want to study beyond the curricular requirements, or non-music students; however, "elective" lessons (MUSC 120, MUSC 121, or MUSC 122) are available only by consent of the department chair, and these lessons include an additional fee above tuition.
Units: For all private applied study, a half-hour of instruction per week will receive one unit, with a maximum of one hour of instruction for two or more units. A minimum of five hours of individual practice per week are required for each unit taken.
Writing Proficiency Requirement
In order to pass the writing requirement as a music major, students do one of the following:
- Achieve a grade of B or better on a targeted written assignment (or assignments) in: MUSC 344, MUSC 345, MUSC 455, MUSC 465, and MUSED 466.
- Pass ENGLISH 370.
Students may attempt to pass the writing requirement only once within a single course, but may attempt it again by taking other courses listed above. Students must notify the instructor of the course (in writing) that they will attempt to pass the writing proficiency.
Notes
- For BA (Music): Two terms each at the 100, 200, and 300 levels of primary applied instruction are required. Based on entrance audition, up to two terms of non-primary private applied instruction may be counted toward the six terms required. BA students must pass the upper division jury before graduation.
- For BM (Music Education and Theory and Composition): Seven terms of private study in the primary performing area required - two each at levels 100, 200, 300. One term at level 400 is required with concurrent registration in MUSC 488. Additional policies regarding applied study and recital requirements are found in the Music Department Handbook.
- For BM (Music Education Choral Emphasis): Levels of Class Piano (MUSC 186, MUSC 187, and MUSC 188) may be used to satisfy this requirement. With permission from the keyboard faculty, students with prior background (or who make unusually rapid progress) may substitute MUSC 128 for any or all of these courses.
- For BM (Music Education Choral and General): Completion of MUSC 177 in addition to three terms of MUSC 127 and three terms of MUSC 327 satisfy this requirement. With permission of the voice faculty, MUSC 127 may be substituted for Class Voice.
- For BM (Music Education Choral Emphasis): The ensemble requirement may be fulfilled by participation in seven terms of large ensembles (MUSC 171), or six terms of large ensembles and two terms of small ensembles. Small ensembles include MUSC 279 and MUSC 271 and opera or musical theatre productions, MUSC 272.
- For BM (Music Education Instrumental Emphasis): Wind- or percussion-primary students enroll in four terms to be selected from MUSC 161 and MUSC 162; and two terms of MUSC 169. String-primary students enroll in seven semesters of MUSC 162. Guitar-primary students must have a seven-term plan of study approved by the department chairperson and the instrumental faculty.
- For BM (Music Performance): Additional policies regarding applied study and recital requirements are found in the Music Department Handbook.
- For BM (Music Performance): Wind- or percussion-primary students enroll in eight terms of MUSC 162, MUSC 161, or MUSC 164 with no fewer than 4 terms of Orchestra and/or Symphonic Wind Ensemble. String-primary students enroll in eight terms of MUSC 162. Voice-primary students enroll in eight terms of MUSC 171. Keyboard-primary students enroll in 2 to 4 terms of MUSC 482 or MUSC 383 fulfilling the remainder of the requirement in large ensembles. Guitar-primary students must have an eight term ensemble plan of study approved by the department chairperson and instrumental faculty.
- For BA (Music): Wind- or Percussion-primary students enroll in four terms of instrumental ensembles, with two terms selected from MUSC 162, MUSC 161, MUSC 164 or MUSC 169. String-primary students enroll in four terms of MUSC 162. Voice-primary students enroll for four terms of MUSC 171 and/or MUSC 172. Keyboard- and guitar-primary students must have a four-term ensemble plan of study approved by the department chairperson and keyboard faculty (for piano/organ) or instrumental faculty (for guitar).
- For BM (Theory Composition): String-, wind-, percussion-primary students enroll in six terms of MUSC 161 or MUSC 162. Voice-primary students enroll in six terms of MUSC 171. Keyboard- and guitar-primary students must have a six-term ensemble plan of study approved by the department chairperson and the keyboard faculty (for piano/organ) or instrumental faculty (for guitar).