Direct Measure
Students seeking to major or minor in music are required to complete proficiency assessments in the following areas:
Performance Audition—Students must declare a major instrument or voice upon entrance, perform two pieces of contrasting style for the area applied faculty (instrumental, piano, voice), and pass minimum performance requirements according to the following standards:
Instrumental—Two contrasting pieces from the standard repertoire
Piano/Organ—Two contrasting pieces from the standard repertoire
(minimum level—Bach Two-part Invention)
Voice—Two contrasting pieces from the standard repertoire
Further, students are required to sight read on their major instrument or voice for the area applied faculty. Students who do not perform with Accuracy and adequate Technique, Tone Quality, and Musicianship may be admitted provisionally under MUS 135 (applied non-major) to prepare for a formal audition. MUS 135 hours do not count toward degree requirements for the major in music. A
First Semester Applied Music Evaluation form has been developed by the department as a method of evaluating and recording base-line performance levels of all entering students.
Theory Diagnostic Examination—Students must take a basic music theory and ear training examination at the time of the entrance audition to determine possible deficiencies. Students who pass the exam will enroll in MUS 200 Music Theory I and MUS 199 Sight Singing and Ear Training during the first fall semester of their enrollment. Students who fail the theory examination are advised to take MUS 098 Fundamentals of Music, during the summer prior to enrollment in MUS 200.
Piano Placement Examination—All students must take a piano placement prior to their first semester of enrollment in the music program. The placement examination is given by the piano faculty; determination of level is based on number of years of applied study, knowledge of theory fundamentals, two-staff reading ability, and keyboard facility. Those with little or no keyboard background are required to enroll in MUS 140 Piano Techniques I during the first fall semester of their music studies or may be required to enroll in the GS non-major piano class (Piano Fundamentals) if they cannot demonstrate basic music reading ability; those with previous keyboard study and little or no theory background will be placed into MUS 141 Piano Techniques II and are required to enroll in the spring semester of their first year of music studies; those with extensive keyboard study, with at least a year of music theory study will be placed into MUS 240 Piano Techniques III during the first fall semester of their music studies; and all keyboard principals/majors and others with extensive applied study, excellent reading abilities and technical facility will be placed into MUS 260 Keyboard Harmonization in the spring of their first year of music studies.
Each student enrolled in applied music is required to perform for a faculty jury at the end of each semester. Repertoire and technique requirements are specific to each area (instrumental, keyboard, voice) and level of study. Each area also provides repertoire sheets and critique forms on which students are graded in specific areas such as Tone (beauty, characteristic timbre, control); Intonation; Technique (articulation, fingering, breathing, embouchure, facility, balance and voicing); Musicianship (tempo, rhythm, phrasing, dynamics, stylistic interpretation); Memorization; Diction; and Stage Presence; along with written comments and an overall grade from each adjudicator. The jury grade is incorporated into the course final grade. The Jury performance assessment forms are kept in student files maintained by each instructor with copies, providing evidence of progress, to be included in student portfolios. Refinements of the jury evaluation process continue, with faculty from each performance division responsible for implementation of suggested changes.
As part of the jury process, typically at the end of the third semester of study (instrumentalists/pianists) and fourth semester (vocalists), students apply for admission to Advanced Standing. Due to the highly varied repertoire of each applied instrument, specific performance requirements are determined by area applied faculty. We are in the process of completing lists of standardizing repertoire level requirements from each area within the instrumental division (brass, percussion, woodwinds). The string faculty have developed specific requirements for scales and arpeggios, exercises, etudes, along with standard literature at the level of a Beethoven Sonata or Lalo Concerto (cello) and the unaccompanied works of J.S. Bach, concerti/sonatas of Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, and concert pieces at the level of the Kreisler Praeludium and Allegro in the Style of Paganini or the Kodaly Adagio (violin/viola) for achievement of advanced standing status. Guitar students must demonstrate technical facility in scale, chord, arpeggio, and exercise playing, a knowledge of chord positions and various classical/jazz styles. Sample repertoire at the advanced level is still needed as a benchmark for student admittance to upper level study. During 2007-08, we plan to finalize specific repertoire level requirements for Advanced Standing in the areas of high brass, low brass, woodwinds, and percussion.
The keyboard division (piano) has determined that the minimum Advanced Standing requirement is the level of a fast movement of a Mozart Sonata and a three-part/voice invention or fugue of Bach; for organ, a performance of three pieces at the level of works from a suggested literature list along with hymn preparation and a demonstration of manual and pedal technique are required. In addition, students must submit a cumulative list of performance repertoire studied and performed at UNK. The Assessment of Learning Outcomes includes specific grades for Skills: Note/Rhythm Accuracy, Tempo, Technique/Facility, Pedaling, Balance and Voicing, Phrasing and Articulation, Tone Color and Dynamics, Stylistic Interpretation.
In the voice area, students must successfully prepare four selections at the level of 1) an Italian art song by composers such as Caldara, Pergolesi, Cesti, Gluck, Bellini, Donizetti or Donaudy; 2) an art song in English by a 20th c. composers such as Barber, Duke, Copland, Rorem, or Quilter; 3) an early song or appropriate oratorio selection by Purcell, Jandel, Scarlatti, or Vivaldi for performance at the Advanced Standing jury. If the student is a musical theatre major, an appropriate musical theatre piece may be performed. If the student has completed French/German diction or has other significant language facility, a selection in another language may also be chosen.
Students who pass the admission requirements to Advanced Standing may enroll in upper division applied lessons (MUS 350/351). Each degree program has a minimum semester requirement for study at the upper level division: BA-Music (minimum three semesters upper level); BM-Performance (minimum four semesters upper level); BM-Musical Theatre (minimum four semesters upper level); BM Music Business Emphasis (minimum one semester upper level); BAEd-Music K-12 (minimum three semesters upper level); Pre-Music Therapy (minimum three semesters upper level); and the Piano Pedagogy Certificate (minimum two semesters upper level). Students who do not pass the Advanced Standing barrier are required to continue enrollment in the lower level applied lessons until the Advanced Standing has been passed. In this case, the faculty provide a written statement of what areas need additional work. Records of Advanced Standing are kept in the applied faculty files; copies are given to the students for inclusion in the Portfolio and to the main office for accreditation records.
Students enrolled in all music degree programs are evaluated by the entire music faculty. In the spring semester of the freshman and sophomore years, students must submit lists of previous/current courses taken (including transfer courses) along with earned grades and names of course instructors, performance activities (solo, chamber and ensemble) and music-related organizations, honor societies and scholarship awards. All faculty have the opportunity to submit written commentary on student progress and, with permission of the student, faculty meet to discuss each student’s progress in the areas of performance, academics and participation in departmental activities. The department chair then writes a letter to every student, acknowledging his or her progress and offering encouragement toward the completion of the degree; or relays perceived areas of weakness and suggestions for improvement; or recommends that the student reconsider another degree program.
Students in all Bachelor of Music-Performance and Bachelor of Music-Musical Theatre degrees are required to perform degree recitals (MUS 488). A special evaluation process, the Recital Hearing, is set up with all the applied faculty within the following areas of applied areas of study— instrumental, keyboard and vocal in a juried performance by all area performance faculty. Students are required to perform a juried Recital Hearing at least two weeks in advance of a formal recital. Students are assessed on the fulfillment of requirements including Memorization (vocalists and pianists), Repertoire (multiple languages and styles for vocalists, multiple style periods for pianists and instrumentalists), Technique, and Musicianship. The hearing is graded on a pass/fail basis. Those who pass may proceed with developing the final program, scheduling the recording technician, the piano tuner, and a news release. Those who fail are required to cancel their reserved recital date and reschedule a hearing at a later time to be determined by their applied instructor. Specific comments are provided by area faculty to assist students in further preparation for a subsequent hearing. The final assessment of the recital is made by the instructor, via a course grade. The recital may be taken as an H Option for those in the Honors Program. For all others, Senior Projects are generally determined by the student’s primary instructor and taken as an Independent Study. Copies of all Independent Study project plans, with title, content, outline of study, and final grade, are housed in the Music Office for NASM accreditation review.
The Piano Proficiency Examination is administered to all music majors and minors (various levels determined by varied degree programs). The exam is one of the department’s primary assessment tools, designed to test the student’s ability to comprehend and apply theoretical principals (scale and chord construction and function, harmonization, transposition); competency in keyboard reading and facility (basic technique, sight reading, score reading, repertoire); and listening and creative functional skills (harmonization, accompanying solo performer, varying accompanying patterns in harmonization pieces).
The examination is divided into four parts, generally given on separate exam days periodically throughout the final semester of study for those enrolled in piano classes or given in a single 30-40 minute period for those with adequate skills to cover all materials without coursework (applied piano faculty determine class placement at the time of the entrance audition). The examination is further divided into four levels of difficulty, Level I being the easiest and Level V the most difficult. Included are also slightly varied requirements for instrumental versus vocal majors (i.e. preparing and performing an instrumental score vs. choral score on the exam or playing an accompaniment featuring the student’s major voice or instrument); however, the level of difficulty of instrumental and voice majors for each degree program is comparable whereas all piano majors and principals have more difficult requirements in the areas of Technique, Sight Reading and Repertoire. The examination is administered by the course instructor for LEVEL I (Piano Tech II—Music Minors); by at least two keyboard faculty members for LEVEL II (Piano Tech III—Music Minor-ElEd Majors; Music Business Majors; Liberal Arts-Music Majors), LEVEL III (Piano Tech IV—Music Education Majors, Music Performance Majors, Musical Theatre Majors, and Pre-Music Therapy principals), LEVEL IV/V (Keyboard Harmonization—Keyboard Majors and Principals in all degree programs). The exam is graded on a P/F basis; letter grades may be assigned for each exam segment as determined by the course instructor for students currently enrolled in piano classes.
FOUR-PART EXAMINATION—AREAS OF ASSESSMENT
(Varied by degree program, primary instrument)
PART I: TECHNIQUE (M/m Scales, Inversions, Progressions-Primary and Extended)
PART II: SIGHT READING (Elem. Song, Transposed Melodies, Scores)
PART III: HARMONIZATION AND TRANSPOSITION (M/m –Transposed, SR Chord Symbols)
PART IV: REPERTOIRE (Accompaniment, Anthems, Prepared Scores, Solo)
Students are required to present a complete portfolio for faculty consideration during the final semester before graduation. Included in the portfolio are sections related to solo, chamber and ensemble performance, jury sheets, repertoire sheets, Advanced Standing forms, recital programs, samples of academic achievements, honors and awards, extracurricular participation, and areas related to the specific degree program. Portfolios are also informally reviewed by area faculty at each music jury to assess progress toward the completed document. Studio teachers and faculty advisors provide guidance to each student in areas of acceptable portfolio organization and content as determined by their specific degree programs.
Once accepted into Teacher Education, music education majors continue advanced coursework in music and teacher education. Two common assessments at Level 3 must be satisfactorily completed prior to placement in Level 4 (Student Teaching).
Case Study of a Lesson Plan Common Assessment – Students learn appropriate lesson planning skills in both Elementary and Secondary Methods with formal assessment occurring in Elementary Methods. Students are assessed using a common lesson rubric and must demonstrate competence on four criterion including: (1) age appropriate objectives linked to content standards, (2) assessment plan, (3) design and sequence, and (4) use of materials and resources. These are assessed in greater depth during student teaching with the Case Study of a Unit Plan.
Students must successfully complete expectations for both field experiences and are assessed by practicing professional music educators that serve as mentors during the experiences. Students are assessed in the areas of (1) induction into teaching, (2) teaching dispositions, and (3) completion of 10 hours in teacher-related duties that occur outside the classroom.
The student teaching experience is a semester long experience completed under the mentorship of professional practicing music educators in public/private school classrooms. Students complete the following common assessments during their student teaching experiences:
- Case Study of a School/Community
- Case Study of a Unit Plan
- Satisfactory evaluations by cooperating/mentor teacher (midterm & final – same criterion as listed for university supervisor evals below)
- Satisfactory evaluations by university supervisor (midterm & final) based on minimum of six observation/visitations. These observations are comprehensive and address: 1) Lesson Planning, 2) Assessment and Evaluation, 3) Instructional Planning and Materials/Resources, 4) Instructional Delivery, 5) Classroom Management, 6) Teaching Dispositions: Collaboration, Reflection, and Responsibility
All music business majors will experience an internship that will allow the student to apply what has been learned to a professional situation within a close mentoring relationship in a business in the music industry, with the mentor evaluating the students' performance. Piano pedagogy students will experience internships that will allow the student to apply what has been learned to a professional situation within a close mentoring relationship with professional private and group piano teachers, with the mentor evaluating the students' performance.
Indirect Measures
The Graduating Senior Survey will be distributed to all graduating music majors and minors via the internet (Opinio).
Objective
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Participants
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Evaluators
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A, B, C, D
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graduating music majors and minors using Graduating Senior Survey
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faculty
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The Department will collect information from music alumni about student learning outcomes through questionnaires administered by mail.
Previous Plan, Replaced Fall 2007