Music Composition - Sub-Plan Option
As an additional condition of the BM Composition program, grades of B- or higher are required in all required courses offered by the Composition and Theory Area. If the student does not obtain a B- or higher in any of the required courses offered by the Composition and Theory Area, she/he will be required to repeat the course until the requisite grade is attained.
At the conclusion of each semester of private composition study, the student submits a portfolio of their compositional work done during the semester to the Composition faculty for a jury, during which the semester grade is assigned by the faculty. Music contained in the portfolio must have been worked on during lesson meetings. Students also submit a listening journal, with entries for 28 pieces each semester. Student have the option of requesting comments from the composition faculty.
Composition majors in their junior year, who have passed their second year review, will pursue a special project (in lieu of a junior recital) that will consist of a six-to-eight minute work, cast in a single movement, for a small chamber ensemble (minimum trio) drawn from the standard fl-cl-vln-vc-perc-pno chamber ensemble. This project should be started in the fall, with a goal of completion for possible performance and/or reading close to the end of the spring semester.
The work of a senior composition major is directed toward their senior recital. Senior composition majors register for MUS 499B in the semester in which the recital takes place. This recital consists of original compositions, using a variety of instrumentation, with a combined duration of between 30 and 45 minutes; the candidate must participate in the recital either as performer or conductor, and one work on the recital should feature or be constructed using electronic elements. The program for the recital is always constructed in close consultation with a student’s studio teacher, and should reflect the highest quality work the student has completed during their study (all works are typically composed after the process of formal admission). Students should book their recital date with the production office as early as possible during the fall semester of their senior year (email recitals-music@cua.edu to book a date). Students must notify the entire composition faculty of the date as soon as it is booked.
Once the program for the recital is settled between the student and their studio teacher, the student must email their proposed program (title, duration, and instrumentation in the body of the email, along with PDF attachments of all scores in their final form) to the entire composition faculty no later than 45 days in advance of the recital date. Faculty reserve the right to request changes to the program, and therefore students are urged to submit their work as early as possible, rather than waiting for the 45-day deadline.
Major Area Credits - Take All
Supportive Courses in Music - Take All
MUS Electives
MUS Elective - Consult department for options
6 credits for non-piano principals: MUS only
6 credits for piano principals: MUS or MUPI permitted
General Studies - Take All