Music Program Learning Outcomes

Learning Goals
The learning goals of the Bachelor of Arts in Music at Eastern Connecticut State University align closely with the goals and mission of the University. Music majors:

• Develop the ability to collect and synthesize information and present it clearly through their writing and oral presentations
• Develop leadership and collaborative skills through participation in small and large ensembles
• Learn to consider musical works within the greater cultural, socio- political, and aesthetic context
• Debate topics of ethics, engage in global learning opportunities, and use their art to engage with the surrounding community
• Engage in the process of self-expression through the creation of original material, whether it be through performance, composition or the completion of original research

B.A. in Music

(Based on the National Association of Schools of Music Handbook)

Learning Outcomes:

• Hear, identify and work conceptually with the elements of music, such as rhythm, melody, harmony, structure and timbre/texture
• Interpret and apply musical notation
• Understand compositional processes, aesthetic properties of style, and the ways these interact with artistic and cultural contexts
• Exhibit knowledge of a wide selection of musical literature, principal eras, and genres
• Conduct independent original research within a specific field of interest by identifying research methodologies and appropriate resources and communicate this work effectively through writing and oral presentation
• Demonstrate functional keyboard skills
• Apply music knowledge through performance

Students with a concentration in Performance are able to:

• Demonstrate the technical skills required for expression in at least one major performance area
• Sing or play with accurate intonation (as applicable).
• Interpret and effectively communicate music from a varied repertoire and to perform stylistically across a variety of time periods and genres
• Apply knowledge of music theory and music history to the interpretation and contextualization of repertoire for performance in creative and critical ways
• Demonstrate skills in leadership and collaboration as acquired through regular participation in ensembles; participation in ensembles should be varied in size and repertoire explored
• Prepare and present a full-length solo recital through completion of a senior project that represents the breadth of repertoire studied throughout the private lesson sequence

Students with a concentration in Musicology: History, Composition, and Criticism will be able to:

• Investigate music in a critical way
• Expand the range of analytical methods, theoretical perspectives, creative techniques and research approaches developed in the music major core
• Apply skills and knowledge developed in core music theory, history and ethnomusicology courses to focused analytical, critical and creative studies that may involve analyzing the style and structure of past and present music; investigating its place in history and culture; and/or creating works of musical art through a variety of media
• Grow as thinkers, creators and researchers through interactions with repertoires not included in the music major core
• Connect and synthesize the components of the concentration (history, composition, criticism) in creative and critical ways
• Demonstrate the acquisition, development and synthesis of skills and knowledge through a senior project that reflects the student’s interests in the concentration

Students with a concentration in Music Industry and Leadership will be able to:

• Articulate the variety of career paths available to students with a background in music industry and leadership
• Demonstrate proficiency in the technology and software essential for a career in the music Industry
• Demonstrate entrepreneurial skills necessary for 21st-century musicians
• Demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills appropriate to the field
• Demonstrate effective leadership skills and the ability to articulate varied leadership models and theories
• Develop workplace skills through internships with on- and off-campus arts organizations and arts initiatives