Program Overview:
Music Education majors are required to select a concentration in either Instrumental or Vocal Music Education. Upon fulfilling the academic requirements of the Music Education program, and passing examinations required by the New York State Education Department, students qualify for initial certification to teach music in New York State. New York Certification is All-Level K-12.
Piano and Guitar majors are tracked vocal-general. If a piano or guitar major has a designated proficiency on a band or orchestra instrument and desires to change tracks, they must pass an audition on an instrument. The track may then change to instrumental but they must continue major lessons on piano or guitar with five additional semesters of successful secondary applied lessons on their minor instruments. It is recommended that this audition take place during regular audition dates, however, this change must be declared and approved by the end of their freshmen year to ensure all instrumental techniques courses are completed.
Program Contacts:
To email the Department Chairs,
Joseph Eppink, Music Department
Carol Rasowsky, Teacher Education
Program Webpage:
Music Education, BS
Program Requirements:
Auditions
An audition with members of the Music Department faculty is required for everyone who wishes to major in Music at The College of Saint Rose. For examples of appropriate audition repertoire, please consult the College of Saint Rose Music Website and the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) manual, Levels V and VI, or the equivalent manual from another state music education association. Sight-reading may be required. In addition to the above requirements, all Music Industry applicants will participate in a supplementary audition providing the opportunity to present an original song or composition, a performance in a jazz, folk, or commercial style, or to demonstrate facility on an additional instrument or voice. Consult the music department website for specific information regarding Music Industry Program Audition materials.
Percussionists should demonstrate skills on at least two of the following percussion units: snare drum, timpani, keyboard percussion, multiple percussion, or drum set. It is strongly recommended that all percussionists demonstrate ability to perform on keyboard percussion instruments.
String applicants must prepare scales and two contrasting works or movements. For examples of appropriate audition repertoire, please consult the College of Saint Rose Music Website and the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) manual, Levels V, and VI, or the equivalent manual from another state music education association.
Pianists are expected to demonstrate all major and harmonic minor scales and arpeggios, and to perform from memory at least two contrasting solos from the standard classical repertoire. For examples of appropriate audition repertoire, please consult the College of Saint Rose Music Website.
Organists will perform a solo organ selection, play a hymn, and demonstrate manual and pedal technique.
Brass and Woodwinds should prepare approximately 10 minutes of music from two contrasting selections of difficulty level grades 5-6. For examples of specific audition repertoire, please consult the College of Saint Rose Music Website and the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) manual, Levels V, and VI, or the equivalent manual from another state music education association. Saxophone students with jazz experience are encouraged to also perform a jazz piece. It is recommended that saxophone auditions be performed on the alto saxophone and clarinet auditions be performed on the Bb soprano clarinet.
Music Education and Bachelor of Arts in Music majors who audition on Guitar and Upright bass must audition on classical literature and use acoustic instruments. Music Industry students may also audition on classical literature.
Music Industry Students auditioning on Electric Guitar, Acoustic Steel String Guitar, Electric Bass, and Upright Bass performing in a Jazz Idiom, please consult the music department website for specific information regarding Music Industry Program Audition materials for these instruments.
Vocalists should present from memory two solos from classical vocal repertoire listed as Level V or VI in the NYSSMA manual, or an art song or aria listed in a comparable document from the student's home state if applying from out of state. One solo should be sung in English and the other in Italian, German or French. An accompanist will be provided.
Students accepted into the music department who wish to be considered for a different major within the music department, must reapply and/or audition for the appropriate faculty.
Transfer Credit and Advanced Placement Theory Credit
Entering students with an advanced placement grade of 4 or 5 in the written and/or aural section of the AP Music Theory Exam will be advanced to MUS 201 Music Theory III and/or MUS 203 Ear Training and Sight Singing, respectively.
Acceptance of transfer credit will be evaluated at the time of entry by way of course placement tests in the appropriate areas at the time of audition and through a review of student transcripts. Based upon skill and work, music faculty may approve up to 4 semesters of applied lessons.
Music Talent Awards
Music talent awards and academic scholarships are available to qualified entering students on the basis of their musical and academic abilities. Music talent scholarship recipients are required maintain a minimum average of 3.0 in their music courses and a minimum cumulative average of 2.0. Those who perform at an acceptable level on a secondary instrument or voice that may serve the needs of Department ensembles are also eligible for awards. Award recipients are required to participate in all recommended ensembles, as needed, relative to their instrumental or vocal performance abilities in order to retain Talent Award.
Applied Music
Applied music instruction on their principal instrument or voice is required of all Music majors. All Music Education majors are required to complete seven semesters of applied study on their major instrument. All Music Industry majors are required to complete eight semesters of applied study on their major instrument or voice. Repertoire Class and Music Convocation are required for each semester registered for applied lessons. Students are required to successfully complete an Upper Divisional Jury at before advancing to their fifth semester of applied lessons. Semester and annual juries are part of the assessment tools used in applied study. Please consult specific syllabi for detailed requirements.
Major Ensembles
Music Education, and Bachelor of Arts in Music majors are required to participate in the major performing group appropriate to their applied concentration for a minimum of seven semesters. Music Industry majors are required to participate in the major performing group appropriate to their applied concentration for a minimum of seven semesters, four of which may be in The Commercial Music Recording Ensemble, MUS 280 (audition required). All Music Industry guitar and electric bass players are assigned to be in Jazz Guitar Ensemble as their major performing ensemble upon a successful audition. All Music majors are required to earn a minimum of four college credits of major ensemble participation. All transfer Music Education majors are required to take a minimum of four semesters of their major performing ensemble at The College of Saint Rose.
MUS 291 Masterworks Chorale: Participation in this ensemble is required of all vocal, piano, and guitar Music Education majors and all vocal and piano Music Industry majors.
MUS 292 Wind Ensemble: Participation in this ensemble is required of all Music Education, Bachelor of Arts and all Music Industry brass, woodwind and percussion majors, as well as students receiving talent awards for the above categories. MUS 290 College Campus Band may be substituted in this area for proper placement after an approved successful audition each semester.
MUS 287 Jazz Guitar Ensemble: Participation in this ensemble is required of all Music Industry guitar and electric bass majors. Music Industry guitar and electric bass majors who unsuccessfully audition for this group are required to participate in Masterworks Chorale until they are able to successfully audition for the Jazz Guitar Ensemble.
MUS 289 Orchestra: Participation in this ensemble is required of all Music majors whose applied area is violin, viola, cello, harp or double bass.
Small Ensembles
All Music Education and Bachelor of Arts in Music Majors are required to register and successfully participate in Chamber Ensembles for a minimum of 4 semesters. These ensembles include: Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Chamber Choir, Brass Choir, Flute Choir, Woodwind Quintet, Brass Quintet, Trombone Choir, Chamber Winds, Madrigal Singers, Opera Workshop, Women’s Chorale, Chamber strings, Glee Club, Clarinet Choir, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble, Mixed Vocal/Instrumental Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Strings.
All Music majors may participate in non-required ensembles. These include Brass Choir, Chamber Choir, Madrigal Singers, Women’s Chorale, Glee Club, Clarinet Choir, Flute Choir, Instrumental Jazz Ensemble, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Saxophone Ensemble, Vocal Chamber Music Ensemble, Opera Workshop, Brass Quintet, Women’s Chorale, Percussion Ensemble, Campus/Community Band, Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Winds.
Final Projects
A culminating music project is required of all students fulfilling degree programs in Music Education, Bachelor of Arts in Music and Music Industry.
Music Education majors are required to prepare and present a senior recital of at least thirty minutes but no longer than sixty minutes in length. The appropriate format for each student is determined at the applied music jury preceding the semester in which he/she presents the recital. The student is required to register for Music 450 Senior Performance (0 credit) and be enrolled in applied music during the semester in which he/she presents the recital. Senior recitals may only be presented during the fall or spring semesters. They may not be presented before the tenth week of the seventh semester of applied study. Senior Recitals may not take place while student teaching.
Music Industry majors are required to complete a capstone project in the form of full length CD during the senior year. The project requires the student to compose, record, perform, produce, and engineer all aspects of the album and present the final CD at the end of the semester as a playback presentation. Music Industry faculty must approve a proposal in order to begin the project.
Bachelor of Arts majors are required to perform/produce a capstone project (MUS 450), which is congruent with their concentration. This could be a public lecture and/or recital, composition or poster display depending on the student’s primary area of study.
Overall Music Student Requirements
Music majors are required to earn a minimum grade of C in all required music courses. Any and all of these courses in which a student receives a grade below C, are required to be repeated at Saint Rose until a grade of C or higher is attained. All entering Freshman Music Majors are required to pass a basic musicianship test. Students who do not pass this exam will be placed in MUS The Music Fundamentals class, MUS 110, before being placed in MUS 101.
Music students will be assessed on their knowledge of and familiarity with a body of music literature selected by the music faculty in MUS 302.
All music students, major and/or minor, will be required to take a Music Theory/Ear training placement test. Those students who do not achieve a passing score will be placed into MUS 110 (Fundamentals of Music) as a prerequisite to MUS 101 (Music Theory I).
Concert Attendance Requirements
Students enrolled in music degree programs are required to attend ten live performances per semester as a member of the audience. Performances that will fulfill the concert attendance requirement are those presented by college and university ensembles, college student recitals, college faculty recitals, professional orchestras, chamber ensembles, soloists, student playbacks and selected commercial music performances which are approved by the music faculty of the individual Repertoire classes (MUS 100).
Students are required to arrive before the beginning of the concert and stay until the end. For performances at The College of Saint Rose, students are required to submit programs signed by a member of the Saint Rose music faculty as evidence of attendance. For performances not at The College of Saint Rose, a program signed at the concert by a concert participant, or someone related to the performance, is required. The programs are to be submitted to their Repertoire Class Instructor (MUS 100) in accordance with the class syllabus.
Piano Proficiency (MUS 484)
All Music Education students are required to pass the piano proficiency prior to student teaching. Bachelor of Arts and Music Industry majors are required to pass the piano proficiency prior to being approved to begin their senior project. It is administered during final exam week and may be taken during subsequent semesters until passed. Students will play scales, progressions, four-part open score, harmonization, solo repertoire, and an accompaniment for four performers. Prerequisites: MUS 281 and MUS 282.
Professional Qualities Assessment for Music Education Majors
Students at The College of Saint Rose who are candidates to become professional music educators are required to demonstrate high standards in communication skills, in the ability to take responsibility and accept personal accountability, and in ethical thought and practice. As candidates progress toward completion of their professional education programs, they are required to demonstrate evidence to professors that, through course work, field and clinical experiences and interpersonal interactions, they are developing professionally. Faculty consider these professional qualities to be as important as academic performance since they are so clearly related to one’s success as a professional. The Music department faculty will rate candidates in each of these three categories:
Core Curriculum
Music Theory and History (18 credits)
Ear Training and Solfege (8 credits)
| MUS 103 | Ear Training and Solfege | 2 |
| MUS 104 | Ear Training and Solfege | 2 |
| MUS 203 | Advanced Ear Training and Solfege | 2 |
| MUS 204 | Advanced Ear Training and Solfege | 2 |
Keyboard Harmony (4 credits)
MUS 181 and MUS 182 is required for students who have had little or no previous piano experience.
Applied Music (for Music Education majors) (7 credits)
| MUS 393 | Applied Music Primary Instrument | 1 |
7 credits of Applied Music Primary Instrument
Music Education Major, Instrumental Concentration
Professional Studies (39 credits)
Summary: Music Education Major Instrumental Concentration (Total credits 126)
Core Curriculum (37)
Professional Studies (39)
| | Major Performing Ensembles | 4 |
| | Small Ensembles | 0 |
| EPY 244 | Life-Span Human Development | 3 -4 |
| EPY 350 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| SED 225 | Includ Stud w/Disabilities | 3 |
| | Liberal Education Courses | 36 |
| | Drug Education, Child Abuse, HIV/AIDS and Violence Prevention Workshops | 0 |
Major Performing Ensembles: 4 semesters at 1 credit, 3 with 0 credit
Small Ensembles: 4 semesters at 1 or 0 credit
Liberal Education Courses: Recommended for Liberal Education: MUS 257 Music Technology to fulfill L08 Information Technology and CIS 204 Educational Computing to fulfill Further Disciplinary Study
Music Education Major Vocal Concentration (Guitar/Voice/Piano)
Professional Studies (38/37/38 credits)
Summary: Music Education Major Vocal Concentration (Total credits)
| | Guitar | 125 |
| | Voice | 124 |
| | Piano | 125 |
| | Core Curriculum | 37 |
Professional Studies (guitar/voice/piano) (38/37/38)
| | Ensembles | 4 |
| EPY 244 | Life-Span Human Development | 3 -4 |
| EPY 350 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| SED 225 | Includ Stud w/Disabilities | 3 |
| | Liberal Education Courses | 36 |
| EDU 102 | Violence Prevention | 0 |
| EDU 103 | Child Abuse Prevention | 0 |
| EDU 106 | HIV/AIDS/ and Communicable Diseases Safety Education Workshop | 0 |
| EDU 111 | Dignity For All Students Workshop | 0 |
| EPY 337 | Substance Abuse Workshop | 0 |
Liberal Education Courses: Recommended for Liberal Education: MUS 257 Music Technology to fulfill L08 Information Technology and CIS 204 Educational Computing to fulfill Further Disciplinary Study
Internship/Field Experiences/Service:
Student Teaching
Music Education majors practice teaching in methods courses and must complete a minimum of 100 hours of classroom observations in area schools before they can student teach. Music student teachers spend one entire semester in their student teaching placements. They are placed in schools with individual consideration to strengths, personalities and areas that will be strengthened by the placement.
While student teaching, Saint Rose Music Education students are observed and supervised by full-time Saint Rose Music Education faculty. Since 2005, The College of Saint Rose Music Department has placed student teachers in the following school districts:
Gloversville, Guilderland, Waterford-Halfmoon, Mohonasen, Shenendehowa, Fonda-Fultonville, East Greenbush, Catskill, Niskayuna, Cairo-Durham, Chatham, Albany, Glens Falls, Johnsburg, Schalmont, Northville, North Colonie, South Colonie, Schuylerville, Onteora, Troy, Johnstown, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Schodack, Saratoga Springs, Liverpool, Amsterdam, Schenectady, Ichabod Crane, Coxsackie-Athens, Rhinebeck and Taconic Hills.
Culminating Academic Experiences:
Final Projects
A culminating music project is required of all students fulfilling a degree program in Music Education, BA.
Music Education majors are required to prepare and present a senior recital of at least thirty minutes but no longer than sixty minutes in length. The appropriate format for each student is determined at the applied music jury preceding the semester in which he/she presents the recital. The student is required to register for Music 450 Senior Performance (0 credit) and be enrolled in applied music during the semester in which he/she presents the recital. Senior recitals may only be presented during the fall or spring semesters. They may not be presented before the tenth week of the seventh semester of applied studies.
Required Courses
Professional Accreditation:
The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.
The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000) The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://www.msche.org
The Department of Music at The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the U. S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://nasm.arts-accredit.org/
Programs offered by The College of Saint Rose for the preparation of all school professionals, leading to initial and advanced certifications, are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://www.ncate.org/
Career Opportunities and Graduate Studies
Careers and Graduate Study
Music education graduates may find employment in public and private schools, as well as other employment opportunities within education. Public school music teachers must earn a master’s degree within five years of their first teaching position to retain New York state certification. Our music graduates have gone on to pursue advanced study in some of the most prestigious music schools in the country, including:
The College of Saint Rose
The Boston Conservatory
The Eastman School of Music
The Hartt School
Indiana University
The New England Conservatory
Minor(s):
Complete minors listing
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
The Undergraduate Admissions Office begins review of Freshman applications each fall in late September for the following Fall. Students are encouraged to submit a complete an application as early as November. The Admissions Team will return a decision on complete applications within just three weeks. The College awards academic scholarships at the same time.
What Makes an Application Complete
- Online or Paper application (fee waived for online applicants!)
- Official High School Transcripts
- Official Transcripts for any College Level Courses
- SAT or ACT scores (See Test Optional FAQ's)
- Letter of Recommendation from a Counselor or Teacher
- Essay or Graded Paper
- Applicants may also apply via the Common Application Online.
- Art applicants are required to complete a portfolio review.
Admissions contact information (telephone number, admissions web pages)
Scholarships and Financial Aid
See Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid section for more information.
The Bottom Line
The total cost of The College of Saint Rose (including tuition, fees, room and board) is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast, and we still award more than $25 million in Saint Rose scholarships, grants and financial aid.
Take a look at our bottom line, and view a cost comparison with a four-year public institution.
More about Financial Aid
Financial Aid is defined as any grant, scholarship, loan, or employment opportunity given with the express purpose of assisting you with education-related expenses to make you education affordable. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of student need and the availability of funds.
The Admission and Financial Aid teams have designed a Guide to Scholarships and Financial Aid to help prospective students and families get to the bottom line and find that The College of Saint Rose is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast--while maintaining powerful academic opportunities.
Find Out More: