Music, A.A.

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Musicians live and work in sound. They inhale life around them and exhale their response to that life in organized sounds. Since music learning must handle various aspects of these sounds, our music curriculum involves elements of theory, history, cultural understanding, personal skill development, technology use, and both group and individual performance. The following curricular demands and outcomes are those typically required during the first two years of a four-year music degree, as recommended by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) accrediting body in their curricular guidelines for accredited colleges. Students must successfully complete core courses with a “C-” or better to meet program requirements. Students planning to transfer to a four-year program may need to have additional hours beyond the program requirements at Northwest College in order to transfer in as a junior. These students should consult with their advisor and the appropriate four-year college catalog.

General Education Requirements

Students should refer to the Graduation Requirements .

Total General Education Requirements: 36-42 Credits

Six hours of Visual and Performing Arts and six hours of Comparative Cultural Awareness will be fulfilled by taking Core Courses.

Core Courses

MUSC 1030 - Written Theory I (3)
MUSC 1035 - Aural Theory I (1)
MUSC 1040 - Written Theory II (3)
MUSC 1045 - Aural Theory II (1)
MUSC 2030 - Written Theory III (3)
MUSC 2035 - Aural Theory III (1)
MUSC 2040 - Written Theory IV (3)
MUSC 2045 - Aural Theory IV (1)
MUSC 2050 - Historical Survey I (3)
MUSC 2055 - Historical Survey II (3) (Capstone Course)

Total Core Courses: 22 Credits

Recommended Transfer and General Electives

Transfer and General Electives selected in consultation with advisor.

The Music Department and four-year transfer colleges and universities expect music majors to take applied music and ensembles every semester. Piano proficiency is required for a bachelor’s degree in music. The piano proficiency exam should be taken here before transfer to another college. Piano class or applied piano is taken until the proficiency exam is passed. Passing of the piano proficiency will be posted on the transcript.

MUSC 0200 - Convocation (0)
MUSC 1290 - Class Piano I (1)
or
MUSC 1200 - Piano I (1-2)
MUSC 1295 - Class Piano II (1)
or
MUSC 1200—Piano I (1)
MUSC 2290 - Class Piano III (1)
or
MUSC 2200 - Piano II (1-2)
MUSC 2295 - Class Piano IV (1)
or
MUSC 2200—Piano II (1)
MUSC—Music Ensemble (4 semesters) (4)
MUSC—Applied Music (major instrument/voice) (8)

Total Transfer and General Electives: 6-12 Credits

Music education students should take the following courses:

MUSC 1025 - Introduction to Music Education (2)

Music Electives

MUSC 1000 - Introduction to Music (3)
MUSC 1415 - Audio Basics and Live Sound Reinforcement (3)
MUSC 1435 - Audio Recording (3)
MUSC 2060 - Jazz Improvisation I (1)
MUSC 2065 - Jazz Improvisation II (1)
MUSC 2370 - Rock and Roll - Its History and Culture (3)
MUSC 2440 - Electronic Musicianship: Synths and MIDI (3)
MUSC 2435 - Advanced Audio Recording (3)

Minimum Credits for Degree = 64

Music Education

For secondary education, to facilitate transfer to a four-year college as a junior, students planning to become middle school or high school music teachers are encouraged to complete programs in both Secondary Education and in the subject(s) they plan to teach. Consult your advisor every semester when selecting courses.