the music major

The first two years of the major focus on building a foundational competency in the areas of music theory, music history, and applied music concentration.  In addition, membership in one or more of the department's choral ensembles cultivates ensemble and performance skills.  In the third year of study, students begin to branch out into their areas of interest or specialization. The major requires a minimum of forty-one credits in music courses.

Admission

Admission to the Department of Music is dependent upon the successful completion of an audition in piano, organ, or voice, and a diagnostic test in music theory.  A successful audition will consist of the performance of a challenging work from the classical repertoire that demonstrates technical and musical maturity, and the potential for advanced study in music. 
On site auditions are highly recommended and should be scheduled through the Admissions Office.

  AApplied Music

The doorway to a life in music is almost universally opened by the study of a musical instrument or singing.  The development of each student's individual performance capabilities is central to the development of the complete musician.  Applied music study provides the context in which music students can bring both the sensitive and intellectual faculties of their musical personalities to life.  In order to provide this practical basis for musical growth, all music majors are required to take applied music in their performance concentration (piano, organ, or voice) during all eight semesters of their career at AMU.

Ensembles

While individual development is crucial to the formation of every musician, collaborative experience with others is the forum where musicianship is most intensely refined.  The choral program at AMU is the Music Department's most visible presence in the University community, and a proud ambassador of AMU's academic and spiritual values in the wider Southwest Florida region. 

Music Theory

The theoretical training offered by the music curriculum at AMU is designed to provide the intellectual and affective skills not only to inform the students' approach to performance but to allow them to handle the raw materials of music with a view toward composition.  Since the Middle Ages, the creation of music has been seen as both a mathematical and linguistic act, wedding the cerebral and visceral capacities of man into a beautiful, unified event.  In pursuit of this ideal, the instruction in harmony and counterpoint avoids the encyclopedic approach, seeking rather the understanding of the elements of music in themselves.  The goal of the department's theoretical preparation is the free exercise of musical imagination within the tradition of Western music.

Music History

The Music History sequence at AMU seeks to develop a sense of cultural history in general, as well as a detailed knowledge of the development of musical style through the ages.  Insofar as the Music Theory sequence develops the craft of musical composition, the historical survey provides the music student with a grasp of the organic contingency that exists among the various periods and styles of music.  By studying the history of Western music, the 21^st century musician finds language to articulate his own musical identity and the context in which to receive and promote the gift of our musical heritage.

Sacred Music Concentration

The departmental concentration in Sacred Music emphasizes the restoration, preservation, and cultivation of the Catholic Church's heritage of sacred and liturgical music.  With its focus on the music particular to the Roman Rite, this concentration will facilitate an immersion into the rich treasury of Catholic music.  In addition to supplying a broader view of musical practice, the sacred music concentration will richly supplement the skill set required for positions of musical leadership in the Catholic Church.

REQUIRED MAJOR COURSES:

* Majors need 6 credits of AMU Choir (MUSC 200/300)  OR   4 credits of AMU Choir and 2 credits of Chamber Choir (MUSC 410 - 1 credit per semester)

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CONCENTRATION IN SACRED MUSIC:

the music minor