DIVISION OF PIANO
DIVISION OF PIANO
Policies & Requirements
Policies & Requirements
It is each student’s responsibility to be familiar with the policies, requirements, and procedures of the division. If you have any questions, contact your advisor immediately to avoid delay in fulfilling requirements. In addition to knowing the policies and requirements of the division, students should read and become familiar with the academic policies described in the beginning of this handbook.
Piano majors have priority over other students in the use of practice rooms with grand pianos. Classrooms with grand pianos may also be used by piano majors for practice when no other classes or events have been scheduled in them. Check with the School of Music Scheduling Office before using a classroom for practice.
All undergraduate music majors must complete the MUSC 099 requirement as outlined in this handbook.
Divisional Noon Recitals are held three to four times during the semester on Tuesdays, 12:30–1:45. Students are encouraged to perform on the noon recital series as often as possible, but must have their primary teacher’s permission in order to be scheduled on the series. Performers must submit program information (including repertoire and performance time) to the division coordinator according to instructions that will be emailed before each recital. Only the division coordinator can excuse a student from any portion of the Noon Recital requirement.
All undergraduate piano students are required to play a performance examination (jury) at the end of each semester in which applied music is taken. BA, BME, and minor sequence students should prepare 10 minutes of music, fully memorized, for their jury assessments. BM sequence students should prepare 15 minutes of music, fully memorized, for their jury assessments. At least two faculty will be present for all jury performances. Students enrolled in the recital courses MUSP 420A, MUSP 410A, or 305A may use the recital in lieu of a jury at the discretion of the studio teacher.
The piano faculty will supply critical evaluations for each jury performance in addition to submitting a grade. These comments are submitted to the appropriate teacher, who will share them with the student at the end of the jury period. The faculty reserve the right to request a special jury for any student who does not exhibit sufficient progress during any semester.
Students and Faculty may access the Jury Portal at this link.
Students seeking the Bachelor of Music degree will enroll in the Major Series for applied lessons:
Freshman Courses MUSP 119A 120A
Sophomore Courses MUSP 217A 218A
Junior Courses MUSP 315A 316A
Senior Courses MUSP 419A 420A (senior recital)
The following technical requirements (to be demonstrated before the applied teacher) are expected of students enrolled in MUSP 119A, 120A, 217A, 218A, and 315A: scales, major double-thirds, sixths, tenths, and arpeggios in root position and all inversions.
Juries for students enrolled in the Major Series are fifteen minutes in length, and are played before at least two piano faculty. All music must be performed from memory, except for avant-garde selections. The student’s final grade will be determined by an equal weighting of the jury and studio grade.
During the 316 semester (junior year) students must perform a half recital consisting of approximately twenty-five minutes of music (half recitals are usually shared with another student). This recital must be preceded by a successful hearing, which will be graded by the studio teacher and reflected in the studio grade. Successful performance of the junior recital will exempt the student from playing a jury in the 316 semester. In the 420 semester (senior year) students are required to give a senior recital. This recital must be preceded by a successful hearing before three members of the piano faculty. The studio instructor will attend and grade the recital. The repertoire played on the junior recital may not be included in the senior recital, although any other repertoire learned throughout the student’s course of study is eligible for the senior recital, as determined in consultation with the studio teacher.
Students seeking the Bachelor of Music Education (BME) or Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees will enroll in the Principal Series for applied lessons:
Freshman Courses MUSP 109A 110A
Sophomore Courses MUSP 207A 208A
Junior Courses MUSP 305A 306A
Senior Courses MUSP 409A 410A
For students seeking the BME degree, MUSP 410 is the terminal semester of applied study, and it is usually taken during the seventh semester (instead of 409). For students seeking the BA degree, MUSP 305 is the terminal semester of applied study. Students seeking lessons beyond the terminal semester must secure approval through the process described in this handbook.
Juries for students enrolled in the Principal Series are ten minutes in length and may be played in one of the faculty piano studios before a committee of three piano faculty members. The jury must be performed from memory. The student’s final grade will be determined by an equal weighting of the jury and studio grade.
Students seeking the BA and BME degrees are required to give a half recital during the final semester of lessons.