Department of Music

Humanities 105 • 678-839-6516
http://www.westga.edu/music

Professors:

J. Bleuel, C. Gingerich, K. Hibbard (Chair), D. McCord

Associate Professors:

J. Byrd, E. Kramer, C. Self

Assistant Professor:

B. Geyer, D. Neely

Lecturer:

E. Hunt

Instructor:

M. Breckling, A. Sutton

The Department of Music at West Georgia is dedicated to developing educators who are equally well trained as musicians and teachers, and to developing performers, composers, and scholars who contribute performances, works, and ideas of integrity. Bachelor of Music degrees are offered with majors in Music Education, Composition, Performance, Performance with an Emphasis in Jazz Studies, and Performance with an Emphasis in Piano Pedagogy. The program of study in music education leads to Georgia State Teacher Certification. Students who pursue a major in another field of study may qualify to pursue a Minor in Music. All instruction is delivered by distinguished artist-teacher faculty with extensive credentials and professional experience. The University of West Georgia is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

Faculty and Facilities

Cultural events are presented in the Kathy Cashen Recital hall, which houses a two-manual, 16-rank Reuter pipe organ and a 9-ft. Steinway concert grand piano, and in the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts, which boasts a mainstage hall of 455 seats and the Richard Dangle “black-box” Theater. Gracing the mainstage of the Townsend Center are twin Bösendorfer Imperial grand pianos, making West Georgia one of only a few institutions in the nation to have two such instruments on the same stage. In addition to Kathy Cashen Recital Hall, the Humanities Building houses a state-of-the-art music technology lab, a well-equipped keyboard lab, a large percussion studio, multi-media classrooms, faculty studios, and numerous practice rooms. UWG is the first public university in the nation to be designated a Kawai EPIC Institution. In addition to the pianos mentioned above, our Excellent Performance Instrument Collection includes Kawai pianos in all classrooms, studios, practice rooms, and rehearsal rooms, an additional Steinway concert grand, and five Shigeru Kawai grand pianos of various sizes, including a designated rehearsal instrument reserved for Piano principals.

Opportunities in Music

Students at West Georgia, whether music majors, minors, or non-music majors, participate in a wide range of music activities for university credit. Music majors and minors follow a prescribed program of study, while non-music majors may select from a wide variety of offerings.

Many students perform in University ensembles, which include the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Opera Workshop, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Chamber Winds, Jazz Ensemble, Marching Band, Basketball Band, Keyboard Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Woodwind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and various small chamber groups.

Private study is available in piano, organ, voice, and guitar, as well as in wind, brass, and percussion instruments. These private lessons are required of all music majors and minors (Principal Applied). Music majors who desire to study a second instrument may enroll in MUSC 4610: Secondary Applied .

Students also enroll in music courses offered in the Core Curriculum, including Music Appreciation; Jazz, Rock, and Popular Music; and Survey of World Music. To determine which courses can most suitably meet your needs, contact the Chair of the Department of Music.

Entrance Auditions and Placement Examinations

All incoming freshmen and transfer students planning to major in music must audition before the music faculty on their principal performing instrument or voice. A scholarship audition may serve as a student’s admission audition.

Credit by examination for any course in the Music Theory or Keyboard Skills sequence must be validated by the course’s faculty and processed through the Music Office and the Office of the Registrar.

Transfer Student Admission

The music major entering the Department of Music by transfer must submit an official transcript of all previous college work to the University’s Office of Admissions. The applicant should be prepared to validate achievements in the area of applied music, music theory, ear training and sight singing, keyboard proficiency, and the history and literature of music. Plans for the removal of any deficiency must be initiated during the first registration period.

Transfer students must pass the level-change examination in order to register for upper-division principal-applied study (MUSC 4600: Principal Applied ). For transfer students who have completed 2 years of applied study, the level-change examination may take place during the entrance audition. Otherwise it will occur during the applied jury examination in the semester when the student is ready for advancement from the lower-division to the upper-division level of study. Specific requirements regarding applied lessons are listed on the department website at: (http://www.westga.edu/music). For additional information about the performance standards for applied-music study, please see the faculty coordinator(s) in your area or the Chair of the Department of Music.

Music Scholarships

Music scholarship awards are available to qualified students as determined by a scholarship audition. Numerous students are served annually by these awards to music-major, music-minor, and non-music-major students. All awards are valid pending admission to and approval of funding by the University.

The Music Scholarship Committee considers many criteria before recommending a candidate for a scholarship award. These criteria include the candidate’s anticipated contribution to departmental ensembles, the needs within the department, the financial need of the candidate, and the amount of award money available. For continuing students, additional considerations include their actual contributions to the department through solo performances and ensemble participation, improvement and growth in applied study, and academic standing.

Learning Outcomes

The learning outcomes for each of the degree programs in Music can be found at the Website https://www.westga.edu/academics/coah/music/music-degree-programs.php.

Programs

Bachelor of Music

Minor

Music Minor