Music-Music Industry – BS

Entering students with an advanced placement grade of 4 or 5 in the written and/or aural section of the AP Music Theory Exam will be advanced to MUS 201 Music Theory III and/or MUS 203 Advanced Ear Training and Sight Singing, respectively.

Acceptance of transfer credit will be evaluated at the time of entry by way of course placement tests in the appropriate areas at the time of audition and through a review of student transcripts. Based upon skill and work, music faculty may approve up to 4 semesters of applied lessons.

Music Talent Awards 

Music talent awards and academic scholarships are available to qualified entering students on the basis of their musical and academic abilities. Music talent award recipients are required maintain a minimum average of 3.0 in their music courses and a minimum cumulative average of 2.0. Those who perform at an acceptable level on a secondary instrument or voice that may serve the needs of Department ensembles are also eligible for awards.

As part of the responsibility for accepting this award, students will be required to perform in 1 to 2 ensembles in addition to the required performing ensemble, as determined by the Talent Award Committee. This responsibility is required for seven semesters for Music Industry majors. Students seeking scholarship beyond the standard 8-semester sequence may submit their request to the Talent Award Committee for consideration (contact the Music Department for more information).

Any student, regardless of major or applied area, who receives a Talent Award scholarship as a result of a string audition will have MUS 289 Symphony Orchestra as their first Talent Award assignment. If the case that MUS 289 Symphony Orchestra is a required ensemble for that semester, other performing ensembles can serve as the student's first Talent Award assignment. In the case that there are four or more double basses in MUS 289 Symphony Orchestra, Music Industry double bassists may be assigned another ensemble as their first Talent Award assignment. 

Applied Music

All Music Industry majors are required to complete eight semesters of applied study on their major instrument or voice.  Repertoire Class and Music Convocation are required for seven semesters. Semester and annual juries are part of the assessment tools used in applied study.  Please consult specific syllabi for detailed requirements.

Music Industry majors concentrating in applied Songwriting/Composition will take primary applied Songwriting/Composition (MUS 397) in place of applied instrument or vocal lessons (MUS 393). Songwriters/Composers will also take MUS 300: Composition Seminar in place of MUS 100: Repertoire Class. Students are also required to fulfill 6 semesters of applied study in a secondary instrument or voice (MUS 394).

Major Ensembles 

Music Industry majors are required to participate in the major performing group appropriate to their applied concentration for a minimum of seven semesters. All Music majors are required to earn a minimum of four credits of major ensemble participation. All transfer Music majors are required to take a minimum of four semesters of their major performing ensemble at The College of Saint Rose. Music Industry majors may substitute up to 4 semesters of MUS 280, MUS 298, or MUS 299 for another major ensemble.

MUS 280 Music Industry Ensembles

MUS 287 Electric Guitar Ensemble

MUS 289 Symphony Orchestra

MUS 290 Symphonic Band

MUS 291 Masterworks Chorale

MUS 292 Wind Ensemble

MUS 293 Chamber Choir

MUS 298 Instrumental Jazz Ensemble

MUS 299 Chamber Jazz Ensemble

Major Ensemble Placement and Auditions

All Music Industry guitar and electric bass majors must audition for placement in MUS 280 (Music Industry Ensembles) and MUS 287 (Electric Guitar Ensemble) each semester. Participation in MUS 287 is required of all Music Industry guitar and electric bass majors, unless successfully placed in MUS 280, MUS 298 (Instrumental Jazz Ensemble), or MUS 299 (Chamber Jazz Ensemble). 

Each semester, auditions are held to determine placement in MUS 289 (Symphony Orchestra), MUS 290 (Symphonic Band), and MUS 292 (Wind Ensemble) for Music Industry strings, winds, brass, and percussion majors. Participation in MUS 289 is required of all Music Industry majors whose applied area is violin, viola, cello, harp or double bass. Participation in MUS 290, or 292 is required of all Music Industry brass, woodwind and percussion majors.

Participation in MUS 291 (Masterworks) or MUS 293 (Chamber Choir) is required of all vocal and piano Music Industry majors.

Small Ensembles 

All Music majors may participate in non-required ensembles. These include Brass Choir, Madrigal Singers, Women’s Chorale, Glee Club, Clarinet Choir, Flute Choir, Saxophone Ensemble, Vocal Chamber Music Ensemble, Opera Workshop, Brass Quintet, Women’s Chorale, Percussion Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Winds.

Capstone Project

The Senior Capstone Project (MUS 453) is the culmination of the 45 specialized credits for the Music Industry major. A 3-credit course, it is standard that Senior Capstone Projects become the dominant academic unit for semester, depending on the vision and scope presented by the student in the proposal stage. In order to help successfully complete all aspects of the Senior Capstone Project (recording, editing, mixing, and mastering), students are not required to participate in performance-related courses, such as Repertoire Class (MUS100/300), Convocation (MUS 200), or performance ensembles, each of which have 7 semester requirements to fulfill the Music Industry major.

The Senior Capstone Project will be a full-length LP that requires the student to compose, record, perform, produce, and engineer all aspects of the album and present the final masters at the end of the semester as a playback presentation. Music Industry faculty must approve a proposal in order to begin the project.

Overall Music Student Requirements 

Music majors are required to earn a minimum grade of C in all required music courses. Any and all of these courses in which a student receives a grade below C, are required to be repeated at Saint Rose until a grade of C or higher is attained.  

Music Department Listening List: Music students will be assessed on their knowledge of and familiarity with a body of music literature selected by the music faculty in MUS 302.

Music Theory Placement Exam: All entering music students, major and/or minor, will be required to take a Music Theory/Ear training placement test. Those students who do not achieve a passing score will be placed into MUS 110 (Fundamentals of Music) as a prerequisite to MUS 101 (Music Theory I) and MUS 103 Ear Training I).

Concert Attendance Requirements 

Students enrolled in music degree programs are required to attend ten live performances per semester as a member of the audience. Performances that will fulfill the concert attendance requirement are those presented by college and university ensembles, college student recitals, college faculty recitals, professional orchestras, chamber ensembles, soloists, student playbacks and selected commercial music performances which are approved by the music faculty of the individual Repertoire classes (MUS 100/300).

Students are required to arrive before the beginning of the concert and stay until the end. For performances at The College of Saint Rose, students are required to submit programs signed by a member of the Saint Rose music faculty as evidence of attendance. For performances not at The College of Saint Rose, a program signed at the concert by a concert participant, or someone related to the performance, is required. The programs are to be submitted to their Repertoire Class instructor (MUS 100/300) in accordance with the class syllabus.

Piano Proficiency (MUS 484) 

The piano proficiency exam is administered during final exam week and may be taken during subsequent semesters until passed. Prerequisites: MUS 281 and MUS 282.