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Music Minor

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If you love music and want to be involved in more than a casual way, the minors in music could be a good fit for you. Regardless of your career aspirations, music can remain an important and enjoyable part of your life for decades to come.

Which way to go?

The Music Division offers three minors:

  • Collaborative Music - designed for students involved in band, choir, or orchestra
  • Music Composition - intended for people who wish to write music
  • Music Performance - intended for people who would like to pursue musical performance or further their study of an instrument or voice

What classes will I take?

Please see the UTC Course Catalogs on the University Registrar site for more details:

NOTE: the Performance minor requires an audition for placement in Applied music lessons (individual lessons for vocalists and instrumentalists). Information on the audition can be found here.

The minors in Music Composition and Music Performance include one to two semesters of Musicianship class (MUS 1710 and 1720), which have co-curricular Labs (MUS 1730 and 1740). These classes are designed to help students become fluent and confident in various musical skills related to performing and composing. The Lab also builds basic piano skills for students who have little to no prior experience with piano lessons. Composition minors may use the Lab as a substitute for taking applied music lessons.

Are there any qualifications I need to do a Music minor?

In order to enroll in these courses, students must pass a Musicianship Proficiency test. An online, self-paced Musicianship Prep program is available through the UTC website which will help students be prepared to do well with the Proficiency test, and be better prepared to succeed in Musicianship I and its co-curricular Lab. The Musicianship Prep program utilizes the same Music Theory software that is used in each semester of Musicianship classes. Instructional videos and clear instructions are provided in the Musicianship Prep program.

Additionally, the Music Composition minor requires two semesters of Aural Skills. In Aural Skills, students build acuity in music listening, music reading, music notation, and using their voices to make music.

The Music Prep Program

The Music Prep program covers the following:

  • Simple meters (2/4, 3/4, 4/4): recognizing the meter of a rhythm; rhythmic notation; beaming 8th and 16th notes together
  • Note reading in treble and bass clefs, including ledger lines above and below the staff
  • Enharmonic notes
  • Basic intervals
  • Major scales through five sharps and five flats
  • Solfege syllables for the scales
  • Names for the degrees of the scale
  • Major Key signatures through five sharps and five flats
  • The layout of the piano keyboard

Students must score at least 80% on the Proficiency exam in order to enroll in Musicianship I and Musicianship Lab I (and Aural Skills I for Music Composition minors). Students with significant background in music may be able to pass the Proficiency exam without completing each unit of the Prep program.

How Do I Begin?

Before declaring Music as your minor, we strongly encourage you to contact the Music Division to set up a time to talk with a Music advisor about your musical background and interests, and to help you to plan how to incorporate the Music courses into your schedule. You may also communicate via email by contacting the appropriate advisor: Dr. Lee Harris ([email protected]) for Music Performance minors; Dr. Jonathan McNair ([email protected]) for Music Composition minors.

Still Have Questions?

Contact the Music Division office at (423) 425-4601.

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