Course Requirements
For course requirements for the Bachelor of Music: Technology in Music and Related Arts, please see the grid .
Aims
The major in Technology in Music and Related Arts is intended for those students who desire a career where traditional musical skills and understanding are combined with the exploration of the very latest techniques for musical expression. It is expected that students who qualify for this major will demonstrate musical proficiency comparable to that shown by applicants in other areas of the conservatory.
The major prepares a student for specialized graduate study in electroacoustic music, digital media, and interdisciplinary performance. For those who go directly into professional life, this major offers a structured course of study that stresses the application of technology as a special resource in composition, new media, and performance.
Committee Exams
At the end of the first and second years of enrollment, the TIMARA faculty will review the progress of each student toward completion of the major.
The faculty will consider progress in the following areas:
1. TIMARA department classes (quantity and quality of work, and general participation in performing and critiquing).
2. Conservatory classes (music theory, aural skills, and musicology).
3. College classes (liberal arts electives).
4. Creative projects outside of class (performances, collaborations with dance or theatre, and so on).
5. Overall progress.
The faculty determines whether the student is performing at a better than satisfactory level, a satisfactory level, or a less than satisfactory level. If the department determines that a student is not making appropriate progress within the major, the student may be refused continuance in the program. It may also be recommended that the student redifine their relationship to the program and seek a TIMARA minor, an Individual Major, or a liberal-arts based Musical Studies Major within the College of Arts & Sciences.
Performance Requirements
First year TIMARA majors are required to assist departmental concerts and recitals. These activities may include: moving and connecting equipment for rehearsals and performances, attending software and hardware during rehearsals and performances, striking equipment after rehearsals and performances, and so on. Assignments will be administered by the department.
Two performances on departmental concerts are required by the end of the second year. It is the student’s responsibility to seek out and follow concert submission guidelines.
TIMARA Requirements
The Junior Recital or Project consists of a public presentation of work. This may take the form of a 30-minute recital of original works, a lecture/demonstration on a topic from the field, or some other form approved by the department.
The Senior Recital or Project represents the culmination of the student’s work for the major. This may take the form of a 60-minute recital of original works, a senior thesis on a topic from the field, or some other form approved by the department.
Work included in the junior or senior recital/project must be approved by the TIMARA department 30 days in advance of the presentation date. Junior and senior recitals/projects may not be given in the same academic year, other than in exceptional cases with departmental approval.
Major Status
Freshman Major Status is attained upon being accepted in the Conservatory as a TIMARA major.
Sophomore Major Status is attained upon completion of TECH 201 and 202, the First Major Committee Examination, and the Performance Requirements.
Junior Major Status is attained upon completion of TECH 203, 204, 291, 292, the Second Major Committee Examination, and the Performance Requirements.
Senior Major Status is attained following completion of twelve credits of TIMARA private study and the Junior Recital or Project.
Music Theory and Aural Skills Requirement
All BM students complete a core of music theory and aural skills classes, which includes the following: Music Theory I-II (MUTH 131 and 132), which prepares students to hear, perform, and communicate about multiple aspects of music in diverse repertoires; two additional music theory courses at the 200 level (MUTH 250-299), which include topic- and repertoire-based classes that are chosen in consultation with academic advisors; Aural Skills I-IV (MUTH 101, 102, 201, 202). Students are expected to register for one Music Theory and one Aural Skills course each semester until they have completed the core requirements.
A music theory placement test score of 80 or higher is a prerequisite for MUTH 131. Students with lower scores must successfully complete MUTH 120 before taking MUTH 131. The placement exam may be taken five times.
Conservatory Writing Requirement
All entering Conservatory and Double-Degree students must complete a writing assessment administered by the Conservatory Writing Committee. Generally, this assessment takes place during Orientation week. Students who enter the Conservatory midway through the academic year must complete this assessment by the end of the second week of classes of the Spring semester.
This assessment is graded on a Pass/No Pass basis. Students who receive a passing grade on this initial assessment will have satisfied the Writing Requirement. Students who receive a No Pass on this initial assessment must successfully complete a second writing assessment by the end of their second year, which they can do in one of two ways: (1) Students may compile and submit to the Conservatory Writing Committee a portfolio comprising two pieces of persuasive writing and one reflective piece. Types of writing that might be submitted include (but are not limited to) essays submitted for Oberlin courses (College or Conservatory), artistic statements, program notes, personal statements, and grant proposals. The Conservatory Writing Committee will award each portfolio a grade of Pass or No Pass. Students who receive a Passing grade will have successfully completed the Writing Requirement. Students who receive a No Pass on this second assessment may revise and resubmit their portfolio one more time. Students must receive a Pass upon resubmission in order to satisfy the Writing Requirement. (2) Students also may fulfill the Writing Requirement with successful completion of Oberlin courses designated as Writing-Intensive (W-Int) or Writing-Advanced (W-Adv). Students should contact the Chair of the Conservatory Writing Committee for writing course review.
Students are expected to complete the Conservatory Writing Requirement by the end of their second year of study at Oberlin. Students may not schedule their Junior Recitals until they have completed the Writing Requirement. Conservatory students enrolled in degree programs that do not require Junior Recitals will not be permitted to enroll in upper-division courses (taken during the Junior year or later, according to the advising grids) until they have successfully completed the Writing Requirement.
Numerous campus resources are available to help students develop their writing skills and fulfill the Conservatory Writing Requirement. These include Oberlin’s Writing Center and writing-oriented courses offered through the College of Arts & Sciences. Additionally, it is expected that Conservatory students develop as writers as they progress through the first years of the Conservatory curriculum, in particular their musicology and music theory coursework. To this end, students are encouraged to work closely with their Conservatory teachers to hone their writing skills as they progress through these courses. Students enrolled in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) sequence will fulfill the Conservatory Writing Requirement as part of their ESOL coursework.
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