1. Program
Description: The minor in Music Composition integrates
traditional studies in music theory, orchestration and composition with current
technologies in sound design and audio production embracing the MTU vision and
mission of melding its technological resources with Science and Arts resources.
This minor would available to all MTU students, but the primary goal of
creating the minor in music composition is to enhance our existing majors of
Sound Design and Audio production, providing our majors with additional skills
in the area of music composition focusing on media including live theatre,
entertainment, documentary, industrial, and educational film/video, digital arts,
and gaming performance.
2. Rationale: The Department of
Visual and Performing Arts currently awards two degrees that require expertise
in the area of composition: Sound Design and Audio Production. Few universities
offering these degrees require music courses as part of the major and most
provide little or no training the area of composition despite the fact that
students are required to compose music. MTU would be unique in that our
students, unlike those in other Sound Design Programs, would receive training
in this area, thus providing them with a competitive edge in the workforce.
3.
Related Programs:
· At Michigan Tech
o Current Minors in
Music
§
Minor
in Music
§
Minor
in Jazz Idiom
§
Minor
in Music Technology
· At other
institutions
In
the region no other colleges or universities offer a minor in music composition
like the proposed minor in Music Composition.
Of the nine universities surveyed, seven offered a minor in general
music. Five of these schools offer no courses in composition.
Regional
Programs
·
Northern
Michigan University – Minor in Music, no
courses in composition
·
UMD
– Minor in General Music, no minor in music
composition
·
University
of Wisconsin – Green Bay: Minor in general music, no minor in composition
·
University
of Wisconsin – Lacrosse – General Music Minor, no minor in composition, no
courses in composition
·
University
of Wisconsin – Stevens Point – General Music minor, no courses in music composition
·
Michigan
State University – no minors in music
·
University
of Michigan – no minors in music
·
Western
Michigan – General Music Minor, no minor
in music composition
·
Central
Michigan - General Music Minor, no minor
in music composition
Most
of Michigan Technological University’s traditional benchmark institutions lack
similar programs. Carnegie Mellon in the
only school currently offering a Minor in Music Composition (MIT offers a
general music minor with a composition emphasis). None of these schools offers
a degree in Sound Design making our program unique in that we are able to
combine the field of sound design with composition.
Benchmark
Institutions
·
Carnegie
Mellon –Composition Minor (no music courses are required as part of the BA in
Sound Design)
·
MIT
– General Music minor with emphasis in composition
·
Cal
Poly – Music Minor with Composition Emphasis
·
Colorado
School of Mines –No music minor
·
Georgia
Tech – General Music Minor, no minor in composition
·
Renssalaer
Polytechnic – General Music minor, no minor in composition
·
University
of Missouri Rolla – Music Minor
While
most of the degree programs in Sound Design/Audio Production do not require or
even offer music courses to students in their programs, a very few (Savannah
College of Art and Design and Cal Poly) require music courses as part of the
degree. These universities recognize the importance of music courses, and
especially composition courses, as part of the curriculum. The only Benchmark
institution that offers a B.A in Sound Design and also offers a minor in Music
Composition is Carnegie Mellon making the minor in music composition combined
with a BA in Sound Design unique among regional, benchmark and national
institutions.
National
Institutions offering degrees in Sound Design/Audio Production
·
North
Carolina School for the Arts (UNCSA) No music courses as part of the major
·
Cal
Arts – Music courses are suggested as electives
·
University
of Illinois – No music classes are part of the degree
·
Boston
University – Requires Electronic Music and Music Theory
·
UC
Irvine – No music at the undergraduate level
·
DePaul
University – No music courses required as part of the major
·
The
University of the Arts – No music courses in the BFA in Sound Design
·
Savannah
College of Art and Design - freshmen level general education composition class.
Music Theory required.
4. Projected
Enrollment: The program expects
to enroll eight to ten minors in 2010 and a similar number each year for four
years to create a company of thirty-two to forty composition students.
5. Scheduling Plans: This
degree will be administered as part of the regular course schedule, including
alternate-year cycling of certain courses.
The proposed teaching schedule is:
Fall Semester
FA
2500 Music Theory I
FA
3112 Techniques of Contemporary Composition
Performance
Ensemble (1 choice)
Spring Semester
FA
3530 Music Theory II
FA
3122 Composition and Media
FA
3560 Music History
Performance
Ensemble (1 Choice)
Summer Semester
FA
2500 Music Theory I
FA
3530 Music Theory II
Courses
listed in this minor have the following prerequisites (shown in parenthesis):
FA3122 (FA2500, FA3530 and FA3112), FA3112 (FA2500 and FA3530), FA3530 (FA2500
and (UN1002 or UN1003),), FA3560 (UN1002 or UN1003)
6. Curriculum Design:
Minor
Requirements:
Core Courses
FA 2500 Music Theory I 3
FA 3530 Music Theory II 3
FA 3560 Music History 3
Performing Ensemble (see list below) 1
Sub Total 10
Credits
Specific
Requirements
FA 3112 Techniques of Contemporary Composition 3
FA 3122 Composition and Media 3
FA 4970 – Final Project` 1
Sub Total 7
Credits
Total Program
Credit Hours 17
Credits
*Performance ensemble requirement to be
fulfilled by FA 2420 Jazz Lab Band, FA4420 Jazz Combo, FA 4800 Jazz
Improvisation, Pep Band, Wind Symphony, Superior Winds or Keweenaw Symphony
Orchestra.
7. New Course Descriptions: Two new courses will be created as part of
the minor in music composition. They are FA3112 Techniques of Contemporary
Composition and FA3122 Composition and Media.
FA 3112 -Techniques of Contemporary Composition has been designed
as a study in the art of acoustic instrumental, vocal and MIDI composition.
Topics that will be explored include the study of musical styles, forms,
orchestration and esthetics. We will look at music of pre-20th
Century and contemporary composers and explore how this music is relevant to
our own.
FA
3122 – Composition and Media has been designed as continuation of
Techniques of Contemporary Composition. Students will continue to study
contemporary compositional techniques and apply these techniques to composition
for media including theater, television, and digital cinema and gaming
performance.
8. Library &
Other Learning Resources:
The J. Robert Van Pelt Library
offers services and resources to meet the informational and research needs of
the University and to support members of the University community in the
development of skills to be information literate and lifelong learners. Librarians offer a range of services,
including workshops, online tutorials, course-related library seminars, and
consultation services for students and faculty.
Students will be directed to active
and regular use of the university library.
This library has a broad range of music resources related to the field
of music composition, recording, computer assisted music media.
The
Visual and Performing Arts Department CAML provides the necessary computer
assisted composition and recording tools necessary to support the Minor in
Music Composition. Performance ensembles
in the Visual and Performing Arts Department the necessary medium for live
performance of student compositions.
9. Computing Access Fee: A computer fee of $75.00
will be assessed with each course in Music Theory and Composition for a total
of $300.00 in computer fees per student for the Composition Minor.
10. Faculty Resumes : See Attachment B
In
addition to facilities and equipment across the Michigan Tech campus that we
encourage students to look at and take part in while here at Michigan Tech, the
spaces and equipment dedicated to the needs of program include:
·
Ensemble
Rehearsal Rooms, Studios, Laboratories
Multi-Media Classroom, 120 Rozsa
Recording studio, 214, 215 & 208 Rozsa
Sound technology lab, 210 Walker
Computer lab, 213 Rozsa
·
Theatres
McArdle Theatre, Walker Arts and Humanities
Center
Black box theatre
Flexible seating up to 265