Course Requirements
For course requirements for the Technology in Music and Related Arts Major, 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
The Conservatory Writing Requirement is designed to help students develop the ability to do the following: communicate effectively in writing, understand writing as a process, engage in writing as a form of critical thinking, demonstrate rhetorical flexibility by addressing various audiences and purposes in their writing, and demonstrate awareness of the conventions and forms of writing in particular disciplines.
As noted in the Bachelor of Music Degree Requirements section of this catalog, the writing requirement is as follows:
Students are required to complete one writing course, either Writing-Intensive (WINT) or Writing-Advanced (WADV). It is strongly advised that students complete this course by the end of the second year of study. The course must be completed at Oberlin, with the exception that transfer students may petition to count a transferred course with a comparable focus on writing toward this requirement. The petition to request transfer of credit toward the writing requirement can be accessed here. Taking a second writing course during studies at Oberlin is strongly recommended.
Courses carrying the Writing-Intensive (WINT) designation involve explicit instruction in writing, are generally limited in size to allow such instruction, and require multiple writing assignments. These courses are designed to help students develop, compose, revise, organize, and edit prose appropriate to the discipline or course. Courses carrying the Writing-Advanced (WADV) designation are associated with the major and aim at helping students develop as writers within a discipline, employing the conventions and styles appropriate to that field and demonstrating the depth and engagement with disciplinary issues and practices typical of knowledgeable practitioners.
Numerous campus resources are available to help students develop their writing skills, including Oberlin’s Writing Associates Program and the Writing Center. Conservatory students are encouraged to work closely with their Conservatory teachers to hone their music-specific writing skills as they progress through their degree requirements, with particular encouragement to engage in writing artistic statements, program notes, and grant proposals. Students enrolled in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) sequence will fulfill the Conservatory Writing Requirement as part of their ESOL coursework, specifically with the successful completion of ESOL 140 .
