Music Major, B.F.A.

The Department of Music offers both a BA and a BFA track for music majors. Under the new proposal, all students seeking music degrees will begin under the BA music track. Students may then apply to the BFA track “by audition.” No audition is required for admission into the BA program. Ordinarily, BFA auditions will take place during the third semester of matriculation at Tulane.

The BFA in Music is a rigorous program of study with separate concentrations in Performance, Composition, Jazz, and Musical Theatre. All students share a core curriculum in musicology, performance, and composition, with additional required courses in the appropriate areas of concentration.

CORE COURSE REQUIREMENTS for all BA and BFA Majors (26)

Musicology (12 credits)

• MUSC 1410 - History of European Art Music to 1750 (3)
• MUSC 1420 - History of European Art Music Since 1750 (3)

Plus 2 of the following courses (6 credits):

• MUSC 1900 - New Orleans Music (3)
• MUSC 2410 - American Musics * (3)
• MUSC 2420 - World Musics * (3)
• MUSC 2450 - Introduction to Opera (3)
• MUSC 3310 - Musics of Latin America (3)
• MUSC 3320 - Musical Theatre in America (3)
• MUSC 3340 - History of Jazz (3)
• MUSC 3440 - African American Music (3)
  * Pre-requisites and/or Co-requisites (see course descriptions)

Theory (12 credits)

• MUSC 1510 - Harmony (3)
• MUSC 1520 - Advanced Harmony (3)

Plus 2 of the following courses (6 credits):

• MUSC 1530 - Jazz Theory * (3)
• MUSC 2010 - Tonal Analysis: 18th-19th Centuries * (3)
• MUSC 2020 - 20th-Century Theory * (3)
  * Pre-requisites and/or Co-requisites (see course descriptions)

Performance (2 credits)

• APMS 1090 - Musicianship Laboratory I (1)
• APMS 1100 - Musicianship Laboratory II (1)

CONCENTRATION IN PERFORMANCE (50 credits total)

Performance (24 credits)

• APMS 2171-01 - Vocal Ensemble /APMS 2187-01 Musical Theatre Workshop (4) (4 semesters*)
• APMS 2090 - Musicianship Laboratory III (1)
• APMS 2100 - Musicianship Laboratory IV (1)
• APMS 2210 - Voice, Instrument, or Composition (8) (4 semesters**)
• APMS 3210 - Private Intermediate Voice, Instrument, or Composition (4) (2 semesters)


• APMS 4230 - Private Advanced Voice, Instrument, or Composition and
• Recital Preparation / APMS 4231 Advanced Lessons/Recital Prep / APMS 4232 Advanced Lessons/Recital Prep / APMS 4233 Advanced Composition/Recital Prep / APMS 4234 Advanced Lessons/Recital Prep (3)
• APMS 4300 - Senior Recital Capstone (3)
  
  * Students may elect to mature within an ensemble by taking the major ensemble for his/her instrument up to 8 times for credit.
  ** Students are encouraged to take applied lessons every semester; however, a course substitution, one semester of APMS 4910 Independent Study/Lecture Recital Prep/Lecture Recital, is available for students lacking one semester of lessons.

CONCENTRATION IN COMPOSITION (49 credits total)

Performance (20 credits)

• APMS 2090 - Musicianship Laboratory III (1)
• APMS 2100 - Musicianship Laboratory IV (1)
• APMS 2171-01 - Vocal Ensemble /
• APMS 2187-01 Musical Theatre Workshop (4) (4 semesters*)
• APMS 2218 - Beginning Composition (4) (2 semesters**)
• APMS 3213 - Intermediate Composition (4) (2 semesters)
• APMS 4233 - Advanced Composition/Recital Prep (3)
• APMS 4300 - Senior Recital Capstone (3)

Plus 1 of the following courses (3 credits):

• APMS 3020 - 18th-Century Counterpoint (3)
• APMS 4040 - Orchestration (3)
• APMS 4950 - Special Topics in Music Theory (3)

* Students may elect to mature within an ensemble by taking the major ensemble for his/her instrument up to 8 times for credit.
** Students are encouraged to take applied lessons every semester; however, a course substitution, one semester of APMS 4910 Independent Study/Lecture Recital Prep/Lecture Recital, is available for students lacking one semester of lessons.

It is strongly recommended that BFA Musical Composition students take


• MUSC 2010 Tonal Analysis: 18th-19th Centuries and
• MUSC 2020 20th-Century Theory which are offered as part of the CORE.

CONCENTRATION IN JAZZ (60 credits total)

Performance (31 credits)

• APMS 2171-01 - Vocal Ensemble /APMS 2187-01 Musical Theatre Workshop (4) (4 semesters*)
• APMS 2210 - Voice, Instrument, or Composition (8) (4 semesters**)
• APMS 3210 - Private Intermediate Voice, Instrument, or Composition (4) (2 semesters)
• APMS 3500 - Jazz Improvisation (6) (2 semesters)
• APMS 3510 - Jazz Arrangements (3)
  APMS 4230 - Private Advanced Voice, Instrument, or Composition and
• Recital Preparation / APMS 4231 Advanced Lessons/Recital Prep / APMS 4232 Advanced Lessons/Recital Prep / APMS 4233 Advanced Composition/Recital Prep / APMS 4234 Advanced Lessons/Recital Prep (3)
  
• APMS 4300 - Senior Recital Capstone (3)

Computer Music (3 credits)

• MUSC 2300 - Introduction to Computer Applications in Music (3)
  
  * Students may elect to mature within an ensemble by taking the major ensemble for his/her instrument up to 8 times for credit.
  ** Students are encouraged to take applied lessons every semester; however, a course substitution, one semester of APMS 4910 Independent Study/Lecture Recital Prep/Lecture Recital is available for students lacking one semester of lessons.
  
  It is strongly recommended that BFA Jazz students take


• MUSC 1530 Jazz Theory , MUSC 3340 History of Jazz , and/or
• MUSC 1900 New Orleans Music which are offered as part of the CORE.

CONCENTRATION IN MUSICAL THEATRE (60 credits total)

Performance (18 credits)

• APMS 2171-01 - Vocal Ensemble /
• APMS 2187-01 Musical Theatre Workshop (2) (2 semesters*)
• APMS 2210 - Voice, Instrument, or Composition (6) (3 semesters**)
• APMS 3210 - Private Intermediate Voice, Instrument, or Composition (4) (2 semesters)
• APMS 4230 - Private Advanced Voice, Instrument, or Composition and
• Recital Preparation / APMS 4231 Advanced Lessons/Recital Prep / APMS 4232 Advanced Lessons/Recital Prep / APMS 4233 Advanced Composition/Recital Prep / APMS 4234 Advanced Lessons/Recital Prep (3)
  
• APMS 4300 - Senior Recital Capstone (3)

Theatre and Dance (at least 16 credits)

Choose 2 from the following (6 credits):

• THEA 2100 - Fundamentals of Acting (3)
• THEA 3010 - Intermediate Acting (3)
• THEA 3030 - Suzuki Method of Acting (3)

Choose from the following (at least 10 credits):

• DANC 1810 - Tap Dance I (2)
• DANC 2810 - Tap Dance II (2)
• DANC 1930 - Ballet I (2)
• DANC 2930 - Ballet II (2)
• DANC 1950 - Jazz Dance I (2)
• DANC 1970 - Modern Dance I (2)
• DANC 2950 - Jazz Dance II (Musical Theatre Dance) (2)
• DANC 2970 - Modern Dance II (2)
• DANC 3800 - Modern Dance III (1)
• DANC 3820 - Ballet III (1)
• DANC 3950 - Jazz Dance III (1)
• DANC 4800 - Modern Dance IV (1)
• DANC 4820 - Ballet IV (1)
• DANC 4950 - Jazz Dance IV (1)
  
  * Students may elect to mature within an ensemble by taking the major ensemble for his/her instrument up to 8 times for credit.
  ** Students are encouraged to take applied lessons every semester; however, a course substitution, one semester of APMS 4910 Independent Study/Lecture Recital Prep/Lecture Recital is available for students lacking one semester of lessons.
  
  It is strongly recommended that BFA Musical Theatre students take


• MUSC 2450 Introduction to Opera and
• MUSC 3320 Musical Theatre in America which are offered as part of the CORE.
  
  BFA Musical Theatre students are urged to take as many dance and acting electives as possible, and are strongly encouraged to take at least one dance class each semester.