Music

Learn more about the Department of Music at Valpo online.

Professor Doebler; Associate Professors Bognar, Maugans (chair), Uhde; Assistant Professors Kim, Piedra.

The Department of Music offers four degree programs: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Music Education, and Bachelor of Music Therapy. The Bachelor of Arts may be pursued as a traditional liberal arts music major or with an emphasis in church music or music industry. Study of music may also be combined with the Diaconal Program (see page 54). The Bachelor of Music may be earned through concentrated professional study in one of three tracks: performance, church music, or composition. The Bachelor of Music Education carries full teaching certification in a combination of vocal, instrumental, and general music. The Bachelor of Music Therapy is accredited by the American Music Therapy Association, prepares students for national board certification (MT-BC), and includes supervised field training and internship. Valparaiso University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Graduates from the Department of Music pursue careers of varied kinds: teaching music in elementary and secondary schools, universities, and in private studios; professional music leadership in churches; performance; and positions in arts related businesses (arts management, recording, publishing, music retailing, music technology, and entertainment). The Music curriculum is also especially well designed to prepare students for graduate study in music leading to professions in higher education and performance. Mastery of performance, verbal, and critical thinking skills are expected in most music-related professions. Some fields, such as music education, music therapy, church music, and music business, require hands-on training through internship experiences. Ability to improvise, compose, arrange, and conduct increases the musician’s chances for success. The Music curriculum is designed to meet these expectations.

Admission

A performance audition and theory placement is required for entry into the music major or minor. Music majors must also meet all admissions requirements set by the University and by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Departmental Requirements

Majors and minors must meet all requirements set for them by this department, as outlined in the Department Handbook for Music Students which is located online (valpo.edu/music) and which is available on request from the Department of Music Office. Regulations concerning student performance, concert attendance, ensemble participation, music colloquium, and the Keyboard Proficiency Tests are included in the handbook.

Special Co-Curricular Programming

Visiting performers, scholars, and clinicians supplement the regular curricular instruction through frequent recitals, lectures, workshops, and seminars presented by the department. Annual events of long-standing include the Jazz Festival, the Church Music components of the Liturgical Institute, and performances of the Bach Institute. A wide array of faculty and guest performances, combined with regular presentation of student soloists, chamber musicians, and ensembles are programmed annually. The concert calendar is deliberately designed to support student learning in the major; at the same time it offers rich cultural opportunities to other students and all members of the University community, as well as audiences in Northwest Indiana.

Placement and Special Credit

Students who earn a score of 4 or 5 on the AP Music Theory exam will receive 3 credits for MUS 163 and 2 credits for MUS 109 . Qualified students may take a music theory or musicianship placement exam. Students who place directly into MUS 164 shall receive 3 credits for MUS 163 after they pass MUS 164 with a grade of C- or higher at Valparaiso University. Students who place directly into MUS 110 shall receive 2 credits for MUS 109 after they pass MUS 110 with a grade of C- or higher at Valparaiso University.

Performance

Note: Non-music majors who are candidates for degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences are restricted to a maximum of 16 credit hours in performance and/or ensemble which may be applied toward degree requirements. See College of Arts and Sciences for more information.

Studio Instruction

See Tuition and Fees for appropriate fees.

A program of studio instruction is offered to students of Valparaiso University in piano, organ, harpsichord, orchestral and band instruments, voice, guitar, and composition. The choice and use of materials are determined by the instructor in each area following guidelines which appear in the Department of Music Handbook for Music Students. A limited number of studio spaces are available for non-majors. All non-major studio enrollments are for 1 credit hour. Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music majors may register for 2 credit hours in their principal performance medium. Only Bachelor of Music majors may register for 3 credit hours in their principal performance medium. Studio instruction for music majors is supplemented with a required performance colloquium which meets for one 50-minute period per week (MUS 499 , 0 cr.); non-majors enrolled in studio instruction are welcome to participate in the colloquium and are urged to do so.

Music majors are accepted into the music program following an audition and are placed at an appropriate level as specified by the guidelines of their chosen degree program. Other students will be placed at an appropriate level through consultation with the chair of the department and the studio faculty. Students with no, or minimal, prior study should register for MUAP 003.

Studio instruction is available in:

Voice
Piano and Jazz Piano
Harp
Harpsichord
Organ
Organ Improvisation
Violin
Viola
Violoncello
Contrabass
Classical Guitar
Viola da gamba
Flute
Oboe
Clarinet
Bassoon
Saxophone
French Horn
Trumpet
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Percussion
Alexander Technique
Composition

The Department of Music has six articulated levels of performance study, each of which is tied to technical and repertoire proficiencies. Advancement through studio levels is based on performance at juries each semester and through completion of repertoire and technical requirements established for each level. The repertoire for each performance medium stresses variety in styles and periods and is selected from the standard repertoire.

Titles of the individual course sections correspond to the area of study (e.g. MUAP 003BA - Bassoon ).

Ensemble Music Instruction

Instruction in one of the major ensembles for a period of one semester gives one credit hour. Instruction in one of the minor ensembles gives 0.5 credit hour. The following are considered major ensembles: Valparaiso University Chorale, Kantorei, Chamber Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and Luce Band. All other ensembles are considered minor ensembles. All ensemble courses are available for graduate credit at the 500 level. Enrollment at the 500 level is limited to students who have specialized training and background to participate in the ensemble in some capacity (such as assistant conductor, section leader, or project director) to be determined by the instructor of the ensemble and with the approval of the chair of the department.