2024-2025 Graduate Catalog
Music
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Professor Thomas Keck, Division Director
Professors: Edward Cumming, Jack Delaney, Andrés Díaz, Virginia Dupuy, Stefan Engels, Clifton Forbis, Samuel Holland, David Karp, Thomas Keck, Carol Leone, Barbara Hill Moore, Xi Wang
Associate Professors: Sarah Allen, Christopher Anderson, Robert Frank, Peter Kupfer
Assistant Professors: Kristina Nielsen, Daniel Tague, Margaret Winchell
Artists-in-Residence: Sergei Babayan, Michael Scarola, Alexander Sitkovetsky
Professors of Practice: Aaron Boyd, Chad Hoopes, Derrick Horne, Catharine Lysinger, Julie Scott, Leon Turner
Senior Lecturers: Mark Feezell, Kevin Gunter, Lane Harder, Janice Lindstrom, Michael Lively, Melissa Murray, Jason Smith
Lecturers: Hyae-jin Hwang, Eric Schmidt
Adjunct Professors: Christopher Adkins, Erin Hannigan
Adjunct Associate Professors: Steven Ahearn, George Baker, Kevin Finamore, Barry Hearn, Willa Henigman, David Heyde, Haley Hoops, Ronald Houston, Alexander Kienle, Diane Kitzman, Pierre LaPointe, Emily Levin, Annie Lin, George Nickson, Brian Perry, Andrey Ponochevny, Gregory Raden, James Romeo, Ted Soluri, Barbara Sudweeks, Kara Kirkendoll Welch, Wu Qian
Adjunct Assistant Professors: John Bryant, Bryan Burnes, Kim Corbet, Don Fabian, Lynne Jackson, Brian Jones, Camille King, Jon Lee, Darren McHenry, Naoko Nakamura, Chris Oliver, Jarrod Robertson, Brent Ross, Paul Schmidt
Adjunct Lecturers: Brian Bentley, Jonathon Jones, Drew Lang, Jamal Mohamed, Edward Smith, Rosalyn Story
Mustang Band Director: Charles Aguillon
Concert performances are presented in Caruth Auditorium, a 490-seat concert hall; the 168-seat Robert J. O’Donnell Lecture–Recital Hall; and the Dr. Bob and Jean Smith Auditorium in the Meadows Museum. Opera productions are presented in the 392-seat Bob Hope Theatre. The Jake and Nancy Hamon Arts Library houses a collection of more than 110,000 books and scores, more than 31,000 audio and video recordings, and more than 100,000 items in special collections of research materials such as the Van Katwijk Music Collection.
Facilities available to music students include 45 newly renovated practice rooms in the Jeanne R. Johnson Practice Complex.
Student recitals and faculty and ensemble performances are digitally recorded in formats that are acceptable for auditions, competitions and archival purposes.
The Group and Individual Music Therapy Clinics, connected by an observation room, offer student therapists opportunities for clinical practicum experiences under faculty supervision.
The Division of Music maintains an inventory of 40 Steinway grand pianos, three harpsichords and eight pipe organs, including a celebrated three-manual 51-stop tracker organ built by C.B. Fisk located in Caruth Auditorium.
The Electronic Music Studio is a comfortable, multitrack, MIDI and digital audio facility featuring hardware and software on a Macintosh platform. The studio is well equipped to support algorithmic composition, interactive performance, synthesis, sampling, sequencing, signal processing, video post scoring and digital recording with stereo, quad and 5.1-surround monitoring.
Master of Music students seeking admission to the graduate programs of the Division of Music must have earned a Bachelor of Music degree (or the equivalent) from an accredited institution and must submit complete transcripts of previous college work, along with three letters of recommendation. Any student whose first language is not English must present one of the following:
- TOEFL iBT: A minimum overall score of at least 80 with a minimum score of at least 20 in each of the four sections
- IELTS: A minimum overall score of at least 6.5 with a minimum score of at least 5.5 in each of the four sections
- Computer Based TOEFL: A minimum overall score of 213
Incoming graduate students are required to take the Graduate Music Diagnostic Examinations upon matriculation. The results of these examinations are used to identify any deficiencies in the areas of music history/literature, music theory and aural skills. Students found to be deficient in these areas will be required to take appropriate review courses. Failure to pass required review courses in the first term of study will result in academic probation and a second-term continuation of review. (Financial aid does not cover any review courses.) Failure to pass the review courses during the second term will result in academic suspension from the degree program.
The standard required for admission is a cumulative minimum GPA of 3.000 (on a 4.000 scale) in all undergraduate work. Under rare circumstances, acceptance on probation may be granted to a student whose cumulative GPA is less than 3.000. In such instances, seven credit hours in approved coursework must be completed during the first term of residence and a GPA of 3.000 must be achieved. A student who does not meet these criteria will be dropped automatically from the University and may not enroll in the following term. The student may reapply after a lapse of one term.
No more than six hours of transfer credit may be applied to any degree program other than the Master of Sacred Music program. Such credits must have been earned in graduate-level courses and cannot have been taken in order to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements. The acceptance of transfer credits is subject to the approval of the student’s adviser, the chair of the department offering the comparable SMU course if it is a required course, and the Director of the Division of Music.
Applicants to the Master of Sacred Music program may apply up to nine hours of transfer credits of nonperformance music or theological study. Approval by the Division of Music is required if such hours are in music, and approval by the Perkins School of Theology Committee on Academic Procedures is necessary if such hours are in theology.
Applicants should consult the Meadows Graduate Admissions Office for material beyond the following guidelines:
- A performance audition is required in each field except music education, music composition, music theory pedagogy and musicology. Applicants in these fields may elect to audition for placement in ensembles. Musicology, music education, music theory pedagogy and music composition applicants are required to submit evidence of competency and creativity in the form of term papers, analyses or compositions. Musicology majors are expected to have a reading ability in at least one world language. Music education applicants are required to submit a sample term paper and video-recorded teaching examples, and to complete a personal interview with the music education faculty.
- Piano performance and pedagogy majors are strongly encouraged to audition and interview in person. In addition to a graduate performance audition, applicants to this program are required to present a live or video-recorded teaching demonstration.
- Choral and instrumental conducting majors are required to submit a video recording of a recent conducting rehearsal. A video recording of a performance will be accepted if a rehearsal is not available. Video recordings should be DVD format.
Note: Information on admission to the M.S.M. program is found in the Master of Sacred Music section of this catalog.
When a student enrolls with the Meadows School of the Arts Division of Music for participation in a music course – whether as a music major, music minor or through elective study – by the act of enrollment and in consideration of the right to participate in such course, the student 1) acknowledges their willingness to accept and comply with the standards and policies set forth in the Division of Music Handbook and all other University rules and regulations; 2) assigns to the University the exclusive right to use the proceeds from any curricular or extracurricular promotional, publicity or entertainment activities associated with the course, including but not limited to photographs, television, recordings, motion pictures, concerts and theatrical productions, and any right the student may have to receive any royalties and/or other sums that may be due to the student from such activities; 3) releases the University, its trustees, officers, agents, employees and assigns from any obligation to pay any proceeds, royalties and/or other sums that may be due to the student in connection with the course; and 4) agrees, on request of the University, to periodically execute all documents necessary to acknowledge the assignment and release set forth herein.
Any required remedial work in music history/literature and/or music theory must be completed before students may enroll in graduate courses in those areas. MUHI 6335 - Introduction to Graduate Studies should be taken during the first year of graduate study. Music education majors must take MUED 6340 - Research in Music Education instead of MUHI 6335 . Piano performance and pedagogy majors may take either MUED 6340 or MUHI 6335 .
No electives outside of music or below the 5000-level will be counted toward the degree without prior written approval of the Meadows Academic Services Office. Such courses will be examined for their professional relevance to the student’s course of study.
During the first term of residency, each student must file a proposed course of study with the Meadows Academic Services Office. The proposal should be prepared in consultation with the student’s adviser. It may be altered subsequently if circumstances warrant a change. To change a proposal, the student should make a written request, obtain the adviser’s signature and submit the request to the Meadows Academic Services Office for approval.
All music performance majors, with the exception of guitar, piano and organ majors, are required to enroll in large ensemble (wind ensemble, orchestra or choral ensemble) each term of residence. Wind and percussion students are required to perform in both Meadows Symphony Orchestra and Meadows Wind Ensemble at the discretion of the ensemble directors.
Exemptions may be granted by written approval of the ensemble director and the Director of the Division of Music. Transfer students will not be exempted from the large ensemble requirement based on transfer credits. Exceptions for music education majors may be considered.
Students completing multiple music programs or majors may do so with abbreviated course requirements. The following are approved combinations of programs and the abbreviated credit hour requirements for each:
- Completion of a second major within the master’s degree will result in a program of studies containing a minimum of 10 additional credit hours beyond those required for the first major.
- Master of Music students who have received the Artist Diploma or Performer’s Diploma from SMU apply 10 credit hours from the Artist Diploma or Performer’s Diploma toward the master’s degree, which results in an abbreviated program of study containing a minimum of 20 credit hours.
- Performer’s Diploma students who have received the Master of Music degree from SMU apply 10 credit hours from the master’s degree toward the Performer’s Diploma, which results in an abbreviated program of study containing 10 hours.
- Artist Diploma students who complete a master’s degree or Performer’s Diploma from SMU apply 10 credit hours from the master’s degree or Performer’s Diploma to the Artist Diploma, which results in an abbreviated program of study containing 10 hours.
No more than five credit hours in directed studies will be permitted for any degree program.
Specific courses of study leading to the Master of Music and Master of Sacred Music degrees will be determined by the results of the Graduate Music Diagnostic Examinations and the student’s educational and professional objectives. Requirements for master’s degrees are stated in terms of minimums.
The Division of Music requires attendance at all scheduled class meetings, lessons and ensemble rehearsals. In all instances, the instructor determines the extent to which absences affect a student’s grade. Students should become thoroughly acquainted with the class attendance policy established by their teachers and ensemble directors. Instructors are not obligated to make special arrangements for the student to accommodate any absence. All reasons for absence should be submitted in advance to the instructor. Failure to do so may result in a student being dropped from a course with a grade of W (before the calendar deadline to drop) or receiving a grade of F for the course.
All graduate degree programs require the completion of a Graduate Comprehensive Review that includes, but is not limited to, a recital, composition, thesis, professional project or formal examination. A committee of no fewer than three faculty members will supervise and evaluate the work for this requirement. This committee must be appointed before work on the recital, composition, thesis or professional project has begun.
Specific guidelines for the preparation of a thesis or project may be obtained from the Meadows Academic Services Office. Following initial enrollment for thesis credit, graduate students are required to enroll for thesis each term until the thesis has been completed and accepted.
Required recitals must include a cross-section of the repertory in the student’s major performance area. The performance of contemporary works is encouraged. Incomplete recitals require enrollment in private study during the term in which they are completed.
The policies and procedures regarding the Graduate Comprehensive Review are outlined in the Division of Music Handbook, which is available on the Division of Music CANVAS site and on the Division of Music homepage. Students may not complete their comprehensive review before their last term of residency and the successful completion of all required review work.
All courses attempted for credit must average a grade of B (3.000) or better, with no grade lower than a grade of C (2.000) applying toward the degree.
Candidates are required to complete all degree requirements within seven years of the initial date of matriculation.
Graduate degree programs in music are designed to provide increased specialization in the major field beyond the baccalaureate level and, at the same time, to assure that students continue to develop the breadth of competencies required to function as well-rounded musicians. Although specific degree requirements will vary according to the major field pursued, all Master of Music degree programs include in some demonstrable form, performance, research, pedagogy, music history and music theory. Detailed degree plans are presented on the following pages.
The Performer’s Diploma program is a two-year program for exceptional performers who already hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent conservatory or professional qualifications and who are preparing for a career in performance. The Performer’s Diploma is available in piano, strings, voice, organ, woodwinds, brass or percussion. By their performance and credentials, applicants must demonstrate that they have the potential to become professional performers and are well on the way to realizing that potential. The program provides intensive studio instruction in performance along with ensemble experience, chamber music and repertoire coursework related to the major. The Performer’s Diploma program normally encompasses a four-term residency. Extensions are rarely granted, and funding is limited to four terms. A minimum of 20 credits is required for completion of the diploma. Any student whose first language is not English must present one of the following:
- TOEFL iBT: A minimum overall score of at least 64 with a minimum score of at least 20 on the speaking and listening sections and a minimum score of at least 12 on the reading and writing sections
- IELTS: A minimum overall score of at least 6.0 with a minimum score of at least a 5.5 in each of the four sections
- Computer Based TOEFL: A minimum overall score of 193
Applicants who do not attain the minimum score outlined above have the option to complete a 6-week summer Intensive English Program offered by SMU before they begin their music studies. The cost of the program is not covered by any scholarships that may be awarded by the Meadows School of the Arts.
The Artist Diploma program is a two-year program for a small number of extraordinary performers who already hold a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or equivalent conservatory or professional qualifications and who are on the threshold of a solo career in performance. By their performance and credentials, applicants must demonstrate that they are in the final stages of preparation to enter major competitions and/or to begin a professional solo career. Candidates for the Artist Diploma must possess not only great talent, but also the ability and determination to realize that talent in the contemporary musical world. Students who apply are required to present an initial DVD recording of a recital and to provide a curriculum vitae and undergo an interview. If they are admitted to the final round, applicants must perform a recital at the Meadows School of the Arts for a faculty committee that governs admission standards. Any student whose first language is not English must present one of the following:
- TOEFL iBT: A minimum overall score of at least 64 with a minimum score of at least 20 on the speaking and listening sections and a minimum score of at least 12 on the reading and writing sections
- IELTS: A minimum overall score of at least 6.0 with a minimum score of at least a 5.5 in each of the four sections
- Computer Based TOEFL: A minimum overall score of 193
Applicants who do not attain the minimum score outlined above have the option to complete a 6-week summer Intensive English Program offered by SMU before they begin their music studies. The cost of the program is not covered by any scholarships that may be awarded by the Meadows School of the Arts.
Assistantships for Artist Diploma students will consist of service as an artistic ambassador of the Meadows School. As such, an Artist Diploma student may be asked to perform in concert without additional compensation for special events, for donor events and/or in competition.
ProgramsMaster
- Brass, Percussion, and Woodwind Instruments Performance, M.M. majors in Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute, French Horn, Oboe, Percussion, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba
- Choral Conducting, M.M.
- Guitar Performance, M.M.
- Instrumental Conducting, M.M., (Orchestral Emphasis)
- Instrumental Conducting, M.M., (Wind Emphasis)
- Music Composition, M.M.
- Music Education, M.M.
- Musicology, M.M.
- Organ Performance, M.M.
- Piano Performance and Pedagogy, M.M.
- Piano Performance, M.M.
- Sacred Music, M.S.M.
- Strings Performance, M.M. majors in Cello, Double Bass, Harp, Violin, Viola
- Theory Pedagogy, M.M.
- Voice Performance, M.M.
Diploma
- Brass, Percussion or Woodwinds Performance, Artist Diploma (Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute, French Horn, Oboe, Percussion, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba)
- Brass, Percussion or Woodwinds Performance, Performer’s Diploma (Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute, French Horn, Oboe, Percussion, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba)
- Guitar Performance, Artist Diploma
- Guitar Performance, Performer’s Diploma
- Organ Performance, Artist Diploma
- Organ Performance, Performer’s Diploma
- Piano Performance, Artist Diploma
- Piano Performance, Performer’s Diploma
- Strings, Artist Diploma (Cello, Double Bass, Harp, Violin, Viola)
- Strings, Performer’s Diploma (Cello, Double Bass, Harp, Violin, Viola)
- Voice Performance, Artist Diploma
- Voice Performance, Performer’s Diploma
CoursesMusic EducationMusic PedagogyMusic RepertoireMusicologyOboeOrganPercussionClass Instruction for Performance
Performance Ensembles
PianoPiano PedagogyPage: 1
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