Music

Mission Statement

The faculty of the Swinney Conservatory are committed to facilitating student growth. Daily, we create opportunities for engaged students to develop musical maturity, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to the community.

Our graduates demonstrate professional and musical excellence, creative and analytical thinking, articulate and thoughtful communication, and a commitment to service and leadership.

The Conservatory serves three constituencies: scholar-musicians preparing for a career in music, students participating in music as an additional dimension to their studies, and those who participate in music to increase their knowledge and aesthetic sensitivity.

Baccalaureate Degrees in Music. The Swinney Conservatory offers four degree programs for students preparing for a career in music (Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music-Performance (Voice or Piano), Bachelor Music-Music Ministry, Bachelor of Music Education). All four degree programs are designed to give excellent preparation for a profession or for entry into graduate studies. The Conservatory also offers an academic minor in music. Students elect the degree program which best suits individual life-long goals. Students who major in fields other than music have the opportunity to participate in all ensembles and to enroll for applied study. All music participants are provided multiple solo and ensemble performance opportunities.

Music Program Outcomes

Theory and Aural Skills

Students will acquire a body of knowledge and technical skills necessary to pursue music as a profession and/or post graduate study. Discovering, analyzing, and creating music and the skills necessary to communicate effectively orally and in writing are key to developing mastery of this thread.

Music History and Literature

Students will acquire a body of knowledge and academic skills in Music History and Literature sufficient to pursue music as a profession and/or post graduate study. Discovering, analyzing, and creating music and the skills necessary to communicate effectively orally and in writing are key to achieving this thread.

Performance Skills

Students will acquire a body of knowledge and performance skills in three areas:

Playing or singing skills sufficient for small and large ensemble participation.
Play or singing skills sufficient for performing a creditable public recital.
Playing reference instruments (piano and guitar) with a level of proficiency necessary for demonstration and teaching.

The development of curiosity and the discipline to master skills is required for acquisition of performance skills at any level. Performing music is always an act of communication and often serves the community.

Leading and Teaching Others

Students will acquire proficient conducting skills, develop an understanding of psychology and pedagogy, and will demonstrate sufficient synthesis of the knowledge and skills of music making to begin a teaching career or enter post-graduate study.
Leading and teaching require effective communication, curiosity about the subject matter and pedagogy, and service, respect, and leadership of the community.

Accreditation. The Central Methodist University has been a member of the National Association of Schools of Music since 1950.

Entry-Level Audition. Each degree-seeking student must complete an entry-level audition. This audition should be completed at the end of the first semester of study. The auditioning committee will prepare a memorandum stating the degree sought and its findings. The committee will distribute its findings to the student, the student's advisor, and the Dean of the Conservatory. A student who fails the entry-level audition must audition again the following semester.

Upper-Level Review. Prior to enrolling in 300-level Music credit, each music major must pass an upper-level audition and review. The faculty of the Conservatory will prepare a memorandum stating the degree sought and its findings. Students who have not passed all portions of the Upper-Level Review by their sixth semester of residence will be guided to another degree.

Upper-Level Review Criteria

For the BME the student must:

have a passing grade on a competency based (MoGEA) exam covering writing, grammar, social sciences, mathematics, and scientific reasoning (required by the state for all students seeking teacher certification). The results are reported by the testing service and a copy is placed in CMU Division of Professional Education files;
have successfully completed the first four semesters of the Music academic sequence (MU150, 107, 117, 108, 118, 207, and 217);
have progress in Math and English courses, with attention to ACT subscores.
meet any additional requirements listed in the catalog on the Education page (https://clas-catalog.centralmethodist.edu/Education/index.html)

For the BA and BM, the student must have successfully completed the first four semesters of the Music academic sequence (MU 129, 150, 107, 117, 108, 118, 207, and 217).

Upper-Level Criteria Review: Performance

For the BME and BMMM the student must:

show promise of being able to present a "creditable public" half senior recital and sufficient personal musicianship and be able to sustain a part in an ensemble and perform incidental solos as part of a large ensemble;
have passed MU129 Guitar; and
have passed Piano Proficiency.

For the BM -Performance, the student must:

show promise as a recitalist and/or a graduate student in Music;
demonstrate the capability to prepare a half junior recital, a full senior recital, and sufficient personal musicianship as to be able to sustain a part in an ensemble and perform incidental solos as part of a large ensemble;
have passed MU129 Guitar; and
have passed Piano Proficiency

For the BA in Music, the student must:

show the capability of developing a creditable major instrument;
have passed MU129 Guitar; and
have passed Piano Proficiency

Upper-Level Criteria Review: Pedagogy

For the BME, the student must:

have passed MU214 Conducting;
have successfully completed ED101 Introduction to Teaching and ED102 Practicum (with a grade of "C" or better in no more than two attempts to pass ED102); and
have passed the pedagogy courses for their area of concentration (e.g. Trumpet Class, Brass Techniques, String Techniques, or Diction for Singers and Choral Literature).

For the BM -Performance, the student must:

have passed MU214 Conducting;
have completed a foreign language; and
have completed Diction for Singers.

For the BM (music ministry), the student must:

have passed MU214 Conducting;
have passed the courses for their area of concentration (e.g. Fundamentals of Music Technology, Advanced Music Technology, Worship Design and Music Business.

For the BA, the student must:

have passed MU214 Conducting; and
have completed a foreign language.

GPA requirements for the BME: The student must have the following minimum GPA prior to student teaching and graduation: at least a 2.0 GPA overall, a 3.0 GPA in the content area, and a 3.0 GPA in professional education courses with no grade lower than a "C" in any course required for certification. For the BA and BM, the student must have a 2.0 GPA overall.

Applied Music (ML). Applied Music means individual study through private lessons. Those enrolled in one credit hour of applied music are required to take one 30-minute private lesson per week. Those enrolled in two or more credit hours are required to take two 30-minute lessons per week. Students are only allowed to enroll in applied music lessons with the permission of the instructor and are advised to consult with a representative of the Conservatory of Music in the music office to determine appropriate course number for registration. All students enrolled in applied music are required to take a jury examination at the end of each semester.

Recitals. B.M. (performance) degree candidates in performance are required to present a half recital during the Junior year and an hour recital during the Senior year. B.M.E. and B.M. (music ministry) degree candidates are required to present a half recital during the Senior year. An examination will precede every such recital by at least two weeks.

Piano Proficiency. Music majors must continuously enroll in piano class or applied piano until the piano proficiency requirement is passed. Students must pass the proficiency exam in order to receive a passing grade in the fourth and subsequent semesters of piano study. The piano proficiency exam must be passed in its entirety before a BME student may enter the student teaching block.

Small Ensembles. Each student enrolled in applied music (private lessons) is expected to learn and to perform literature for small ensembles. Credit may be earned by enrolling in Chamber Ensembles.

Recital Attendance. Recitals are an integral part of private study at Central Methodist University. Therefore, all students enrolled in applied music are required to concurrently enroll in MU010 (Recital Attendance) and to attend required number of recitals each semester.

CMU has five student organizations for Music:

National Association for Music Education-Collegiate (NAfME-C) is a national organization of students interested in professional development in the field of music education
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is a national professional music fraternity for men of the Professional Inter-fraternity Conference and the National Music Conference
Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) is an international fraternity for women in music. A student must have high scholastic standing and must have taken or enrolled in a music class to be eligible for membership
Student-National Association of Teachers of Singing (SNATS) has fostered the formation of student chapters in order to advance knowledge about the professions of teaching and singing. The Student NATS chapter is an organization of students who can meet, hold events and discussions, participate, practice, and learn more about voice teaching as a profession and singing.
Student-American Choral Directors Association works to inspire excellence and nurture lifelong involvement in choral music for everyone through education, performance, composition, and advocacy.

Majors and Minors

Major Minor

BA in Music BMus in Piano or Organ Performance BMus in Vocal Performance BMus in Music Ministry BMus with Cert. in Instrumental Music BMus with Cert. in Vocal or Choral Music Music Minor