Music

Our BMus degree provides our students with four categories of professional skills, all of which are necessary for a successful career in any area of music.

1. Core practical and theoretical skills for the professional musician.
   • The first two years of the degree revolve around each student’s Primary Study (or principal instrument), which includes 4 hours of weekly instruction: 1-hour individual instruction, 1-hour group instruction, and 2 hours of ensemble instruction. Parallel to this intensive study on their primary instruments, our students receive professional training in keyboard and aural skills, harmony and theory, music history, and choral singing.
2. A specialized qualification in a particular area of music.
3. During their final two years of study, our students must complete seven courses in one of the four following concentrations:
   • Classical Performance: this consists of two more years of Advanced Primary Study, as well as courses in performance practice, analysis, and composition.
   • Jazz Performance: this also consists of two more years of Advanced Primary Study, along with courses in applied jazz harmony, improvisation, and jazz composition.
   • Music Education: students in this course gain practical and theoretical knowledge of various methodologies for teaching music to children, including actual teaching experience in local schools.
   • Creative Music Technology: this concentration trains students to compose and create new musical works with the aid of the latest advances in computers and music technology.
4. Flexibility to develop one’s individual interests and talents.
5. In addition to the seven courses in their concentration, music students also take an additional five courses in any area of music they wish, making the program highly adaptive to each student’s individual needs and interests.
6. A well-rounded general education that prepares students to succeed in a variety of professional contexts.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme the graduates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate technical skills of artistic expression.
2. Express knowledge of a wide variety of musical repertoire.
3. Perform in a variety of ensemble situations and solo situations.
4. Practice and rehearse effectively, alone and with groups.
5. Demonstrate a high level of musical literacy.
6. Demonstrate a high level of aural, creative, and re-creative skills.
7. Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
8. Demonstrate familiarity with some academic fields other than music.
9. Demonstrate an advanced level of technical and expressive ability on their primary study (Classical Performance and Jazz Performance Concentrations).
10. Demonstrate advanced familiarity with classical repertory (Classical Performance Concentration).