Music (MM) in Performance with an Emphasis in Piano, Organ, or Guitar |
2024-2025 GRADUATE STUDIES CATALOG
Effective 1 June 2024 through 31 May 2025
Please see the Graduate Catalog Archives for PDF versions of past catalogs.
This program is offered by the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts and is only available at the St. Louis main campus.
Program Description
The MM in performance provides an intensive curriculum in solo and ensemble experiences culminating in two public solo recitals.
Graduates of the MM program will be trained to further their careers in private studio teaching or public performance as soloists, ensemble members, or composers. The emphasis for each student's training will be determined by individual consultation with the major professor.
The MM in performance conforms to the guidelines specified by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) for accreditation. Webster University is a full member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
Students who desire a more general course of studies may pursue the master of arts (MA) with a major in music.
Learning Outcomes
Students with the master of music in performance will:
- Perform music at a level appropriate to the student’s needs and interests.
- Articulate through writing, speaking, and other media an understanding of the theoretical, historical, and aesthetic frameworks of a variety of musics and musical cultures.
- Apply and integrate aural skills, analysis, and sociohistorical knowledge to the study and interpretation of various musics.
Admission
See the Admission section of this catalog for general admission requirements. Students interested in applying must submit their application online at www.webster.edu/apply. Transcripts should be sent from your institution electronically to transcripts@webster.edu. If this service is not available, send transcripts to:
Office of Admission
Webster University
470 E. Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119
Additional Requirements
Requirements for admission to the MM in performance program include:
- An official transcript that documents the awarding of a baccalaureate degree in music from an accredited institution.
- A satisfactory audition/interview before an appointed faculty committee. Guidelines for audition repertoire are available upon request from the specific program director (voice, piano, jazz, instrumental studies, and so forth). Please read the following section on Audition Procedures. Additional information on audition procedures and requirements may be found at the Department of Music website.
- A satisfactory performance on an entrance examination in music history and theory. Remedial studies (without credit) may be prescribed for students who have deficiencies in either or both of these areas.
- Three letters of recommendation, at least two of which should be from former music teachers.
Audition Procedures
Piano or Organ
Applicants for the MM in performance with an emphasis in piano or organ should present three (3) works that represent a variety of historical and technical styles. Memorization is preferred, though not required.
Guitar
Applicants for the MM in performance choosing to audition on guitar should present a minimum of three works representing a variety of historical and technical styles, and preferably performed from memory.
Departmental Standards and Policies
Students should consult the Academic Warning, Probation, and Dismissal sections of this catalog for further information. In addition, the Department of Music Handbook, available at the Department of Music website, includes departmental policies on admission to candidacy, degree recitals, theses, applied music, and ensembles, as well as other areas that pertain to MM and MA students. This departmental policy manual constitutes an extension of the Webster University Graduate Studies Catalog.
Ensemble Requirement for Graduate Students
All graduate students in music are required to participate in a major ensemble. Composition majors fulfill this requirement through participation in New Music Ensemble and another major ensemble, such as choir, orchestra, or wind ensemble. Additional performing groups may be chosen for elective credit, or substituted for one semester of major ensemble with the approval of the Department. Specific ensemble requirements are listed with each degree and area of emphasis or study.
Graduate Oral Examinations
The Graduate Oral Examination is required of all students at the graduate level. This examination is based on the student’s program of study, and includes topics in music history and literature, music theory, and the area of emphasis or study. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to integrate and interpret materials and issues in the major field. The exam emphasizes topics dealt with directly in the student’s thesis, recital, or other major project presented in fulfillment of the degree requirements.
This is an oral examination conducted by a faculty committee. The oral examination is usually taken during the last semester of study toward the degree.
Students who fail the oral examination may retake it upon the recommendation of the committee.
Required Courses
Core Music Courses
- MUSC 5100, MUSC 5110 Analytical Techniques I, II (6 hours)
- MUSC 5120 Seminar in Music Literature (3 hours)
Performance Courses
- MUSC 5001, MUSC 5004 or MUSC 5005 Applied Piano, Applied Instrument or Applied Organ (four semesters) (8 hours)
- MUSC 6600 Graduate Recital (0 hours)
- MUSC 6650 Graduate Recital (0 hours)
Major Ensemble
Two semesters (2 hours) to be selected from:
- MUSC 4900 Webster University Chorale (1 hour per semester)
- MUSC 4920 Webster University Aurelia (1 hour per semester)
- MUSC 4940 Webster University Orchestra (1 hour per semester)
- MUSC 4980 Webster University Wind Ensemble (1 hour per semester)
Supportive Courses
- MUSC 5090 Graduate Colloquium (taken every semester) (0 hours)
- Additional Music Literature course selected from the following (2-3 hours):
- MUSC 4080 Secondary Choral Methods and Literature (3 hours)
- MUSC 5150 The Art Song (3 hours)
- MUSC 5160 Operatic Literature (3 hours)
- MUSC 5190 Orchestral Literature (3 hours)
- MUSC 4170, MUSC 4175 Piano Literature I, II (6 hours)
- MUSC 4185 Piano in Chamber Music Literature (3 hours)
- MUSC 5800 Advanced Studies in Music: Jazz History (2 hours)
- Electives (11 hours)
Suggested electives include:- MUSC 4010 Composition (1-3 hours)
- MUSC 5030 Eighteenth-Century Counterpoint (3 hours)
- MUSC 5160 Operatic Literature (3 hours)
- MUSC 4170, MUSC 4175 Piano Literature I, II (6 hours)
- MUSC 4185 Piano in Chamber Music Literature (3 hours)
- MUSC 4260, MUSC 4270 Piano Pedagogy I, II (4 hours)
- MUSC 5370 Advanced Topics in Music Entrepreneurship (3 hours)
- MUSC 4800 Advanced Topics (2-3 hours)
- MUSC 4950 Webster University Chamber Music Ensembles (1 hour)
- MUSC 5200 Independent Study (1-4 hours)
- MUSC 5210 Seminar in Music Pedagogy (3 hours)
Oral Examination (0 hours)
Total: 32-33 credit hours
Advancement to Candidacy
Students are admitted to their graduate program upon completion of all admission requirements. Students are advanced to candidacy status after successfully completing 12 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. In specialized programs, courses required as prerequisites to the program do not count toward the 12 credit hours required for advancement.
Library Holdings
Books, periodicals, scores, records, compact discs, and videos, as recommended for music libraries by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), are conveniently housed in the Emerson Library. In addition, the library subscribes to a number of significant online music-related resources including Oxford Music Online, RILM, Music Online, Opera in Video, and Naxos Music Library.
Graduate Assistantships
The Department of Music offers graduate assistantships in jazz studies, music theory, orchestra, and choral music. For further information, interested applicants should contact the Chair of the Department of Music. Assistantship stipends do not include tuition remissions. Applications for assistantships must be received by April 1.
Graduate Scholarships
The Department of Music offers a limited number of scholarships to graduate students based on merit. Among these are the Buder Foundation Scholarships, the James Moroney Nigh Endowed Scholarship Fund in Opera, and the TKT Jazz Scholarship. These scholarships are available to graduate students only after the first year of study. For more information, interested applicants should contact the Chair of the Department of Music. Scholarship applications are due by April 1.
Graduate Student General Financial Aid Information
For information on non-music related sources of financial aid, including work study and loan programs, interested applicants should contact the Webster University Office of Financial Aid.
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