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Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Music major, a student will have developed a broad range of skills for the interpretation and understanding of music and demonstrated the ability to complete a significant independent project involving research or composition and to present that work in writing and in discussion. Majors will be able to:

1. Interpret and understand music from a range of angles
   • Perform a formal music analysis of notated repertory
   • Demonstrate critical listening skills involving non-notated recorded examples
   • Engage with music as an object of historical and ethnomusicological inquiry
2. Participate in a music performance, either as a soloist in a group:
   • Prepare for a performance or presentation of work with a private instructor and/or ensemble director
   • Respond appropriately to feedback
   • Demonstrate preparation through participation in a performance at a concert, in a performance class, or for an instructor
3. Complete a significant independent project, either a research-based project or a composition project, that serves to critically explore a topic:
   • Choose and define a central question or object of analysis from the major field
   • Develop a methodology, framework or approach for testing or exploring a question
   • Conduct independent work with the support of an advisor
   • Respond appropriately to feedback
4. Communicate research and/or creative work done
   • Write a clear and coherent document that is substantially longer than a traditional term paper or project and formatted in a style appropriate to the approach
   • Orally present, discuss and defend work done
   • In the case of composition and/or projects, perform or otherwise document the completed composition

The primary assessment tool for learning in the major at ¹û½´ÊÓƵ and the level of student achievement in the major area is the senior thesis; the junior qualifying examination, which assesses a student's readiness for thesis, provides a second assessment tool. For more information on the senior thesis and the junior qualifying examination, see degree requirements.