The Music Conservatory
2004-2006 Undergraduate Catalog | Catalogs

The Music Conservatory was founded in 1867 as the Chicago Musical College, a conservatory whose primary focus was the intensive and rigorous training of young men and women preparing for careers as professional musicians. In 1954, the Chicago Musical College became part of Roosevelt University, enhancing this tradition by adding the multifaceted educational opportunities afforded by a major University. In 1997, the Chicago Musical College joined with the University’s theatre program to become the College of the Performing Arts; and in 2000, it was renamed The Music Conservatory of the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

Today, the mission of The Music Conservatory is to offer a musical education of the highest possible quality within the diverse, intellectually challenging setting of a major university, located in a world-class city, with programs of study that are relevant to the performing, composing, and teaching of music in today’s complex world. The goals of The Music Conservatory are to do the following:

• Develop students’ individual professional excellence.
• Provide a well-rounded education in music and related fields.
• Acquaint all students with past musical traditions and with the music of today.
• Stress creative performance and skills.
• Prepare graduates for successful employment in all fields of music.
• Broaden the base of participation in the musical life of the city and nation.
• Identify, enroll, and prepare talented young men and women graduating from Chicago’s high schools.

Students of The Music Conservatory regularly place high in or win local, regional, and national competitions. Many graduates occupy important positions as members of major orchestras; school music teachers and supervisors; college administrators; and teachers, performers, conductors, and creative artists in this country and abroad. They are living proof of the Conservatory’s standards and aims as well as of the professional standing of its faculty.

The Music Conservatory is organized into departments coordinated by the director. Curricula with a major in piano, string (including guitar), wind, or percussion instruments, voice, orchestral studies, composition, music education, and jazz studies lead to the degree of Bachelor of Music.

An individualized program of studies in music combined with course work in a second discipline leads to the Bachelor of Musical Arts degree. For information on the master’s and diploma programs, consult the University’s graduate catalog.

The Community Academy of the Chicago College of Performing Arts provides an excellent opportunity for students of any age to take noncredit private lessons and courses. These students need not meet any requirements for admission. Information on the Community Academy is available on request by calling 312-341-3830.

Admission requirements

Admission to Roosevelt University does not necessarily include admission to The Music Conservatory. To be admitted to The Music Conservatory, students must present a successful audition or other evidence of aptitude in the chosen major in addition to meeting the University’s entrance requirements. For those students who wish to pursue a major in music education, an interview with music education department faculty is also required. Students residing more than 250 miles from Chicago may submit a recorded audition in lieu of a personal one. (The faculty reserves the right to validate recorded audition materials.) Prospective students should contact the coordinator for recruitment and student services at The Music Conservatory to obtain specific audition requirements for each major program.

For optimum success in the freshman year, the entering music student should have studied an instrument or voice and music theory for several years and have participated in high school music organizations. Students entering the basic musicianship sequence are expected to have written and aural command of the rudiments of music, including scales, intervals, triads, rhythm, and some knowledge of the keyboard.

Prior to the initial registration, all entering students (freshman and transfer) must take placement examinations to determine their already acquired skills in the areas of music theory and keyboard proficiency. Students will be placed in the basic musicianship sequence at a level appropriate to their proficiency. An outline of materials covered on the placement tests is available upon request from the coordinator for recruitment and student services at The Music Conservatory.

Transfer credit in applied music, musicianship, and music education subjects will be validated only by proficiency examination or by successful completion of a more advanced course. Students exempted from any component of Musicianship by placement examination will replace those hours with free electives.

Scholarships and awards

A number of special music scholarships are granted each year by competition or recommendation. Awards are made on the basis of merit, ability, financial need, and departmental needs without regard to race, religion, place of residence, national origin, or age. Detailed information is available from the coordinator for recruitment and student services at The Music Conservatory. The application deadline for these music awards is March 1.

Requirements for Bachelor’s Degrees

Students seeking the Bachelor of Music degree may major in performance (piano, guitar, orchestral instrument, or voice), orchestral studies, composition, jazz studies (vocal or instrumental), or music education (choral or instrumental). Students seeking the Bachelor of Musical Arts degree follow a curriculum of core and individualized studies.

Degrees are conferred upon regular students in good standing who have met the following requirements:

• At least 120 semester hours of credit, following the curriculum for the major field, with a grade point average of at least 2.0 (2.3 in music education) and with core and major course grades that satisfy departmental requirements.
• Practical piano-playing ability for use in teaching, accompanying, and study, where required.
• University Writing Requirement.
• Six semesters of satisfactory performance attendance.
• One of the following (depending on the major):

• Performance major: junior recital of at least 30 minutes of music (piano majors, 45 minutes), to be performed during the last semester of the junior year; senior recital of at least 60 minutes of music, to be performed during the last semester of the senior year. For jazz performance majors, only the senior recital is required. The senior recital may not be scheduled until 90 semester hours of course work toward the degree have been completed.
• Composition major: public performance of at least 30 minutes of original compositions during the senior year.
• Music education major: recital before graduation, as prescribed by departmental outline, and satisfactory completion of student teaching or internship.
• Bachelor of Musical Arts degree: individually designed senior project.
• At least 60 semester hours must be completed in courses numbered 200 or higher, of which at least 16 semester hours (20 semester hours in applied music curricula) must be in courses numbered 300 or higher.
• The last two years (no less than 60 semester hours) toward a Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Musical Arts degree must be earned at The Music Conservatory or Roosevelt University in order to qualify for the degree.
• No more than 66 semester hours of applicable credit may be transferred from a junior or community college.

Subsequent or double discipline bachelor’s degrees

A student may receive more than one bachelor’s degree in the same field with different major subjects or concentrations, such as a Bachelor of Music in music education and a Bachelor of Music in piano, subsequently. All specific requirements for each of the degrees must be met fully, and the program must include at least 30 semester hours of enrollment not counted for the first degree. If a student works toward a double major, he/she will receive a single degree showing proficiency in both concentrations provided that all requirements for both concentrations are fully met at the same time.

Musical organizations and activities

The Music Conservatory stresses the importance of ensemble performance, both vocal and instrumental, by requiring all majors to participate in ensembles for credit toward the degree. Refer to the descriptions of each major for details. Students who receive permission to enroll as a visitor in any ensemble will receive a grade but no credit; they must complete the same requirements as students enrolled for credit.

Each student participates in ensemble groups during his/her entire period of enrollment. Degree-seeking students are required to participate in all ensembles to which they are assigned by the director.

In order to maintain the highest possible standards in each performing group, enrolled students are required to attend all rehearsals and performances. Because membership in any one of these groups entails a responsibility to the ensemble, to the other students, and to the Conservatory itself, school functions take precedence over outside activities. Excused absences from rehearsals may be occasionally granted for participation in outside competitions or auditions, but must have prior approval from the ensemble director. To assist in the preparation of personal schedules, the director of each ensemble will provide, at the beginning of the semester, a list of all performance dates and all known exceptions to the normal rehearsal schedule.

Students from other departments in the University may audition for performing ensembles and, if accepted, may participate with or without credit.

Absences and incompletes in applied music

If a student must cancel a private music lesson for unavoidable reasons, the student is expected to notify the instructor by 5:00 pm of the preceding day. Failure to do so removes any obligation on the part of the teacher to make up the missed lesson. Regular lessons falling on holidays will be made up. The student is responsible for making the necessary arrangements.

A department may refuse examination to any student who has more than three unexcused absences in an applied music subject, and a failing grade will be recorded unless written permission is obtained from the department chair to make up missed work. An applied music course will also be recorded as a failure if a student does not appear for the final jury examination.

Incompletes are given only in cases in which the student misses classes during the last weeks of the semester because of illness or other reasons beyond the student’s control. All incompletes in applied music courses must be approved in writing by the department chair. The student may not register for a succeeding course in the same subject until the incomplete has been removed.

Performance classes, recitals, and concerts

Departmental performance classes and regular student recitals afford students the opportunity of gaining experience and poise in public appearances. Attendance at departmental performance classes is required of all undergraduate majors in applied music. Juniors, seniors, and other advanced students present complete or joint recitals and may appear as soloists with the University symphony orchestra and other ensemble groups.

In a professional music school, concerts and recitals are part of the curriculum. They provide the opportunity to hear live performances of many different styles of music by faculty, students, and guest artists. Because the deans and faculty of The Music Conservatory believe that attending these performances is a meaningful and valuable activity, all undergraduate students must fulfill a performance attendance requirement. Students must attend a minimum of eight college-sponsored performances per semester for six semesters. Specific requirements will be announced each semester. Transfer students will be credited with up to four performance attendances in accordance with their status at the time of entrance into The Music Conservatory. Students will not be able to graduate with less than six semesters of satisfactory performance attendance recorded on their transcripts.

More than 100 concerts and recitals are scheduled each year, and all are open to the public. A calendar of events is available upon request. Students in all colleges of the University are urged to take advantage of these rich and interesting offerings.

The lower and upper divisions

The program of undergraduate study in each department of The Music Conservatory is divided into lower and upper divisions.

Lower division: The first two years of study (freshman and sophomore) offer the student a well-rounded basic instruction in music and are relatively similar for all students. This serves to orient the student in the major field of interest and ability and permits a change of major without great loss of credits.

At the conclusion of the fourth semester (or the equivalent for transfer students), students will be reviewed to confirm that they have completed these foundation courses in a satisfactory manner. Satisfactory progress is defined as grades of A or B in applied music, courses in the major, and ensembles; completion of all undergraduate core courses attempted; and a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 (2.3 for music education majors).

Upper division: The last two years of study (junior and senior) concentrate on the student’s field of specialization. If approved for entrance into the upper division, students will continue their studies according to the requirements of the department.