Graduate Student Handbook

general information

advising

Graduate students are advised by the Graduate Coordinator, who is the first point of contact for program planning, course sequencing, advancement to candidacy, and the two culminating requirements (the capstone and the comprehensive examination). Meet with the Graduate Coordinator before registering each semester, and at any point when a question about the degree comes up.

Day-to-day administrative questions (registration mechanics, forms, room and key access) are handled by the music office. University-level processes that sit outside the Department (admission, advancement to candidacy, graduation clearance) run through the Office of Graduate Studies, described below. BayAdvisor shows your degree progress and lets you schedule appointments.

facilities

Full details on all department facilities are available at the facilities page.

Instruments, lockers, and other equipment may be checked out free of cost by music students and faculty. Equipment is due the last day of finals of the semester during which it is checked out, and may be renewed if needed for the following semester. A checkout agreement form must be signed for all borrowed equipment, and the signer assumes responsibility for any damage, theft, or loss.

Lockers are available to music students through the Equipment Office. Lockers must be renewed at the end of each semester. Unrenewed lockers will be cleared and reassigned. Contact the Equipment Office by the end of finals week to renew.

Students, faculty, staff, and eligible alumni may check out up to 5 scores or sets of parts at one time. Recordings may be checked out on a limited basis. Orchestra and choral library materials are restricted to faculty for use by departmental performance groups. All borrowed materials are due the last day of finals. Late fees of up to $10 per item may be assessed after 30 days overdue. Lost or damaged materials are the responsibility of the borrower.

practice rooms

Practice rooms on the first floor and select rooms on the second floor are available on a first-come, first-served basis to music students, and to approved non-majors enrolled in select music courses. These rooms are unlocked from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. MB 2052 and MB 2524 are reserved for piano students only.

At 6:00 PM a student assistant comes through and locks the empty rooms. If you are already practicing, you keep the room: nobody will ask you to leave.

Access outside those hours requires contacting the music equipment office with the room number and requested time, at least 36 hours in advance.

computer music studios

The Department's electronic music studios provide facilities for music synthesis, electronic composition, and digital recording, editing, processing, and mixing. There are two studios. The Computer Music Lab (MB 2525) is the primary space for students working with processed and sample-based sound, and serves as the classroom for the introductory music technology courses; it holds 20 iMac workstations running Ableton Live, Logic Pro, VCV Rack, Amadeus Pro, and Finale. The Synthesis and Recording Studio (MB 2508) is the primary space for upper-division and graduate composition majors; it adds Max/MSP, a modular synthesis station built around the Department's restored Buchla 100, and a Pro Tools recording station connected to a dedicated recording room. Full equipment lists and routing diagrams are at the music studios page.

office of graduate studies

The Office of Graduate Studies administers University-wide graduate policy and the milestones that sit outside the Department: graduate admission, advancement to candidacy, the culminating-experience framework, and graduation clearance. The University Graduate Student Handbook, which this Handbook supplements, is published by that office and is the authority on those policies.

scholarships

The Department awards scholarships across the program, several open to graduate students. The Glenn Glasow and Yoshiko Kakudo Endowment in Music Composition goes each year to a composer, undergraduate or graduate, who premieres a new work at the Glasow Memorial Concert in the spring. None of these requires a formal application: recipients are selected from the materials submitted with the program application and from their work in the Department. Two forms of support are specific to graduate students, the Graduate Teaching Associate and Instructional Student Assistant appointments. The University offers its own graduate scholarships and financial resources separately. Current awards and eligibility are on the music scholarships page.

the m.a. in music

overview

The Master of Arts in Music is a 32-unit graduate degree completed across four semesters of full-time study. It pairs a shared graduate seminar core with private study and ensemble work in a chosen area of emphasis, and it culminates in two requirements: a public capstone and a comprehensive examination.

The seminar core is common to every emphasis and spans analysis and post-tonal practice, the history and theory of jazz, interdisciplinary collaboration, advanced conducting, the social and ecological dimensions of music, entrepreneurship in the arts, and teaching music in higher education. The emphasis study, four semesters of applied lessons and four semesters of ensemble, is where students concentrate in performance, conducting, or composition. The capstone (MUS 693) is taken across the final three semesters, preparing the recital, conducting performance, or lecture that ends the degree.

areas of emphasis

Students declare one area of emphasis at admission:

• Performance (Classical or Jazz): concentrated applied study and ensemble work on the student's instrument or voice, in either the classical or the jazz track, building to a public capstone recital.
• Choral Conducting: advanced conducting study and podium work with the Department's choral ensembles, building to a capstone conducting performance.
• Composition: the creation of a body of original acoustic and electroacoustic work, building to a public capstone lecture on the student's portfolio.

music education certificate

M.A. students may earn the Single Subject Matter Preparation Certificate in Music alongside the degree. Admission to the M.A. carries automatic eligibility to begin the certificate, which covers the coursework that streamlines students into the California Single Subject Teaching Credential in Music. The credential authorizes instruction in any area of music from kindergarten through high school. Requirements are on the music education program page and the Single Subject Teaching Credential page, and the Graduate Coordinator can advise on fitting it to the graduate sequence.

degree at a glance (32 units)

roadmap

The standard sequence runs eight units per semester across four semesters. Applied study and ensemble recur every semester; the capstone (MUS 693) begins in the second semester.

Students admitted through the FAST 4+1 program follow the FAST 4+1 roadmap, which runs the first two graduate semesters alongside the last two of the B.A.

first semester (8 units)

• MUS 601Analysis of Musical Styles: Birth and Death of Tonality2 units
• MUS 603Entrepreneurship in the Arts3 units
• MUS 661–668Applied Music2 units
• MUS 351–355, 360–369Ensemble1 unit

second semester (8 units)

• MUS 605History and Theory of Jazz2 units
• MUS 606Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Music2 units
• MUS 661–668Applied Music2 units
• MUS 351–355, 360–369Ensemble1 unit
• MUS 693Capstone1 unit

third semester (8 units)

• MUS 602Analysis of Musical Styles: Post-Tonality and Beyond2 units
• MUS 630Advanced Conducting2 units
• MUS 661–668Applied Music2 units
• MUS 351–355, 360–369Ensemble1 unit
• MUS 693Capstone1 unit

fourth semester (8 units)

• MUS 631Teaching Music in Higher Education2 units
• MUS 604Sounding Justice: Unveiling the Ecological and Social Dimensions of Music2 units
• MUS 661–668Applied Music2 units
• MUS 351–355, 360–369Ensemble1 unit
• MUS 693Capstone1 unit

advancement to candidacy

Advancement to candidacy is the status that recognizes substantial progress toward the degree and clears the student to complete the culminating requirements. It is one of the four University requirements for the master's degree, set out in the University Graduate Student Handbook.

A classified graduate student becomes eligible for advancement in the M.A. in Music after completing the following with a grade point average of at least 3.0:

• 2 units from MUS 601 or MUS 602
• 2 units from MUS 604, MUS 605, or MUS 631
• 4 units of applied music
• 2 units of ensemble

On the standard sequence these are met by the end of the first year. The Graduate Coordinator prepares the advancement with the student and files it with the Office of Graduate Studies; it must be on record before the final semester, when the capstone and the comprehensive examination fall.

graduation requirements

The M.A. in Music is awarded when a student has met the University's requirements for the master's degree and the Department's requirements for the program. The University requirements, set out in the University Graduate Student Handbook, are advancement to candidacy, completion of the required units in residence and within the currency limit, an approved program of study with a culminating experience, and a 3.0 grade point average with a minimum grade of C in every course counted toward the degree.

For the M.A. in Music these come to:

• the 32 units of the degree, with a 3.0 grade point average (see degree at a glance)
• advancement to candidacy (see advancement to candidacy)
• the capstone (see the capstone)
• the comprehensive examination (see the comprehensive examination)

All units counted toward the degree must be earned within five years of its conferral; older work loses currency and is governed by the rules in the University Graduate Student Handbook. The University also requires demonstrated writing proficiency for graduation; the Graduate Coordinator can tell you how the M.A. in Music satisfies it.

Graduation is not automatic. A student files to graduate with the Office of the Registrar by the published deadline for the intended term, and a graduation evaluator reviews the record against the catalog requirements; final clearance runs through the Office of Graduate Studies. File early, and confirm the timing with the Graduate Coordinator, since the capstone and the comprehensive examination both fall in the final semester.

graduate coursework

graduate seminars

Eight graduate seminars form the shared academic core of the M.A., common to all three emphases and accounting for 17 of the program's 32 units. They run across the four semesters alongside applied study and ensemble; the roadmap in section 02 gives the standard sequence. Seminars are offered on a rotation, so take them as scheduled in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator.

• MUS 601Analysis of Musical Styles: Birth and Death of TonalityTraces the evolution of tonality from the Renaissance through the Romantic era, developing musicological research method and analytical skill through comparative analysis of selected works.2 units
• MUS 602Analysis of Musical Styles: Post-Tonality and BeyondA research and analysis seminar on music from the turn of the century to World War II, working across the period's divergent styles within an evolving theoretical framework.2 units
• MUS 603Entrepreneurship in the ArtsEntrepreneurship in the arts and music industry: power and social identity in arts careers, the business and logistics of the field, personal branding, and a marketing plan built toward a chosen path.3 units
• MUS 604Sounding Justice: Unveiling the Ecological and Social Dimensions of MusicThe intersection of music, environment, and social justice, approached through critical analysis, ethical reflection, and applied projects that put music to work for change.2 units
• MUS 605History and Theory of JazzAn in-depth study of jazz history and theory: key movements, influential figures, harmonic and improvisational practice, and the cultural forces that shaped the genre.2 units
• MUS 606Interdisciplinary Collaboration in MusicComposers, conductors, and performers collaborate on projects that fuse music with other arts, adapting traditional practice for multidimensional, interdisciplinary performance.2 units
• MUS 630Advanced ConductingEnsemble conducting technique covering gesture, score analysis, and ear training across genres and periods, with advanced rehearsal technique and program building.2 units
• MUS 631Teaching Music in Higher EducationPreparation for post-secondary teaching: learning theory, curriculum development, assessment, and materials for teaching music at the college level.2 units

applied study and ensembles

Applied study and ensemble run together every semester. Applied lessons (MUS 661–668) carry 2 units, with a 60-minute weekly lesson; ensemble is one unit alongside, enrolled concurrently. Applied study is at Level 6: every student begins at 6a and works through one stage in each of the four semesters. The numbering continues the undergraduate ladder, which ends at Level 4; Level 5 stands for the professional and creative activity assumed between the degrees, and graduate study begins at Level 6.

Each semester ends with a jury before the area faculty. Levels 6a, 6b, and 6c are progress juries, held in the last week of classes. Level 6d is the capstone jury, held about four weeks before the capstone event it clears: a recital, a conducting performance, or a public lecture.

requirements by area

Requirements for the nine areas follow. The eight performance areas each list the 6a technical foundation, the repertoire at each progress jury, and the capstone program; the area faculty set exact tempos and octave counts with the student. Composition, the ninth, is juried on a portfolio.

woodwinds and brass

level 6a progress jury

technique

• The full scale-and-arpeggio roster (all major, all minor, all augmented and diminished, and chromatic scales), across the full practical range of the instrument, slurred and tongued, at a brisk tempo. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

Two to three substantial pieces by different composers and a variety of style periods, not previously juried, at least two from memory. Two movements of one work may stand in for two, and at least one additional piece by a different composer is still required. Fifteen minutes minimum.

level 6b progress jury

technique

• Carried forward: the full scale-and-arpeggio roster across the full range, with chromatic scales. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

Two to three substantial pieces by different composers and a variety of style periods, not previously juried, at least two from memory. Two movements of one work may stand in for two, and at least one additional piece by a different composer is still required. Eighteen minutes minimum.

level 6c progress jury · capstone program approved

technique

• Carried forward: the full scale-and-arpeggio roster across the full range, with chromatic scales. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

By this jury the capstone program is largely set and is presented to the area faculty for approval. Perform at least half of it, with at least two pieces from memory.

level 6d capstone recital jury

• Five to seven pieces, approximately one hour, at least 50 minutes of music.
• At least three works from memory.
• At least two multi-movement works.
• At least one chamber piece with other performers.
• Accompanied by a pianist where the repertoire calls for it, at most one unaccompanied piece unless the applied instructor approves more.
• Submitted with the capstone paper (see the capstone).

percussion

level 6a progress jury

technique

• Mallets: the full scale-and-arpeggio roster across the full range, four-mallet, with chromatic scales, at a brisk tempo, and the snare and timpani fundamentals carried forward. The jury asks for four scales.
• Orchestral excerpts: several short excerpts prepared on each of timpani, mallets, and snare; the jury asks for two.

repertoire

Three contrasting pieces by different composers, not previously juried, at least one a four-mallet solo performed from memory. Fifteen minutes minimum.

level 6b progress jury

technique

• Mallets: carried forward, the full scale-and-arpeggio roster across the full range with chromatic scales, and the snare and timpani fundamentals. The jury asks for four scales.
• Orchestral excerpts: several short excerpts prepared on each of timpani, mallets, and snare; the jury asks for two.

repertoire

Three contrasting pieces by different composers, not previously juried, at least one a four-mallet solo performed from memory. Eighteen minutes minimum.

level 6c progress jury · capstone program approved

technique

• Mallets: carried forward, the full scale-and-arpeggio roster across the full range with chromatic scales, and the snare and timpani fundamentals. The jury asks for four scales.
• Orchestral excerpts: several short excerpts prepared on each of timpani, mallets, and snare; the jury asks for two.

repertoire

By this jury the capstone program is largely set and is presented to the area faculty for approval. Perform at least half of it, including a four-mallet solo from memory.

level 6d capstone recital jury

• Five to seven pieces, approximately one hour, at least 50 minutes of music.
• Include a multiple percussion solo, a four-mallet marimba or vibraphone solo from memory, and a timpani solo.
• At least two multi-movement works.
• At least one chamber piece with other performers.
• A variety of composers, eras, and styles.
• Submitted with the capstone paper (see the capstone).

strings and guitar

level 6a progress jury

technique

• The full scale-and-arpeggio roster in three octaves (chromatic scales in two), connected without stops, at a brisk tempo. String players add two-octave double-stop scales; guitarists cover the full fingerboard with the modes and diatonic arpeggios. The jury asks for four.
• Two etudes or technique pieces, prepared from memory.

repertoire

Two to three substantial pieces by different composers and a variety of style periods, not previously juried. Two movements of one work may stand in for two, and at least one additional piece by a different composer is still required. Fifteen minutes minimum.

level 6b progress jury

technique

• Carried forward: the full scale-and-arpeggio roster in three octaves (chromatic in two), with double-stop scales for strings and the full fingerboard for guitar. The jury asks for four.
• Two etudes or technique pieces, prepared from memory.

repertoire

Two to three substantial pieces by different composers and a variety of style periods, not previously juried. Two movements of one work may stand in for two, and at least one additional piece by a different composer is still required. Eighteen minutes minimum.

level 6c progress jury · capstone program approved

technique

• Carried forward: the full scale-and-arpeggio roster in three octaves (chromatic in two), with double-stop scales for strings and the full fingerboard for guitar. The jury asks for four.
• Two etudes or technique pieces, prepared from memory.

repertoire

By this jury the capstone program is largely set and is presented to the area faculty for approval. Perform at least half of it.

level 6d capstone recital jury

• Five to seven pieces, approximately one hour, at least 50 minutes of music.
• At least three works from memory.
• At least two multi-movement works.
• At least one chamber piece with other performers.
• String players are accompanied by a pianist where the repertoire calls for it, at most one unaccompanied piece unless the applied instructor approves more. The guitar's solo repertoire is performed unaccompanied.
• Submitted with the capstone paper (see the capstone).

voice

level 6a progress jury

• Four memorized selections, not previously juried, in at least three languages, including one aria.

level 6b progress jury

• Four to five memorized selections, not previously juried, in at least three languages, including an aria.

level 6c progress jury · capstone program approved

• By this jury the capstone program is largely set and is presented to the area faculty for approval. Perform at least half of it.

level 6d capstone recital jury

• The recital program should total approximately one hour, at least 50 minutes of music.
• Four different languages must be represented.
• At least one advanced aria.
• Submitted with the capstone paper (see the capstone).

piano

level 6a progress jury

technique

• All major and minor scales and arpeggios, four octaves, in parallel and contrary motion, at a brisk tempo, with scales in thirds, sixths, and octaves, and chromatic scales. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

• Three selections by three different composers, about fifteen minutes total, at least two memorized.
• Selections may not repeat from the previous jury; individual movements are permissible.

level 6b progress jury

technique

• Carried forward: all major and minor scales and arpeggios, four octaves, in parallel and contrary motion, with scales in thirds, sixths, and octaves, and chromatic scales. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

• Three selections by three different composers, about eighteen minutes total, at least two memorized.
• Selections may not repeat from the previous jury; individual movements are permissible.

level 6c progress jury · capstone program approved

technique

• Carried forward: all major and minor scales and arpeggios, four octaves, in parallel and contrary motion, with scales in thirds, sixths, and octaves, and chromatic scales. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

• By this jury the capstone program is largely set and is presented to the area faculty for approval. Perform at least half of it, with at least two selections memorized.

level 6d capstone recital jury

• The recital program should total approximately one hour, at least 50 minutes of music, all memorized, with exceptions for complex 20th- and 21st-century repertoire.
• The Baroque selection must be a Well-Tempered Clavier prelude and fugue, or four movements of a suite (allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue).
• A complete Classical sonata, all movements.
• Submitted with the capstone paper (see the capstone).

jazz melodic instruments

The saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and the other wind, brass, and string instruments played in jazz. Jazz uses its own scale language, complete by this level; the jury asks for four from it. A transcribed solo and tunes played melody-and-improvisation make up the repertoire, building to the capstone.

level 6a progress jury

technique

• The complete jazz scale ladder in all twelve keys, applied over the changes: the Level 1 scales (major scale and modes, blues, minor pentatonic), the bebop scales, the melodic-minor and harmonic-minor scales (the altered scale and Phrygian dominant), and the symmetric scales (diminished, half-whole and whole-half, and whole-tone). The jury asks for four.

repertoire

• A transcribed solo, performed along with the recording.
• At least three tunes, not previously juried: play the melody and improvise over the form.

level 6b progress jury

technique

• Carried forward: the complete jazz scale ladder in all twelve keys. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

• A transcribed solo, performed along with the recording.
• At least four tunes, not previously juried: play the melody and improvise over the form.

level 6c progress jury · capstone program approved

technique

• Carried forward: the complete jazz scale ladder in all twelve keys. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

• A transcribed solo, performed along with the recording.
• By this jury the capstone program is largely set and is presented to the area faculty for approval. Perform at least half of it.

level 6d capstone recital jury

• Eight tunes, all memorized, each arranged with at least an intro, an outro, and an ending. Approximately one hour, at least 50 minutes of music.
• A boppish tune with a difficult melody (for example, Donna Lee, Anthropology, or Conception).
• A John Coltrane tune: Giant Steps, 26-2, or Countdown.
• Two standards, one of them a Latin tune.
• A standard arranged in an odd meter.
• An original tune.
• A tune of the student's choice.
• Submitted with the capstone paper (see the capstone).

jazz rhythm section

Guitar, bass, and piano. Rhythm-section players prepare the same scale ladder and tunes as the melodic instruments, and in addition comp the changes (guitar and piano) or walk a chorus (bass) on the jury's tunes.

level 6a progress jury

technique

• The complete jazz scale ladder in all twelve keys, applied over the changes (as for the melodic instruments). The jury asks for four.

repertoire

• A transcribed solo, performed along with the recording.
• At least three tunes, not previously juried: play the melody and improvise over the form.
• Comp the changes (guitar and piano) or walk a chorus (bass) on the jury's tunes.

level 6b progress jury

technique

• Carried forward: the complete jazz scale ladder in all twelve keys. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

• A transcribed solo, performed along with the recording.
• At least four tunes, not previously juried: play the melody and improvise over the form.
• Comp the changes (guitar and piano) or walk a chorus (bass) on the tunes.

level 6c progress jury · capstone program approved

technique

• Carried forward: the complete jazz scale ladder in all twelve keys. The jury asks for four.

repertoire

• A transcribed solo, performed along with the recording.
• By this jury the capstone program is largely set and is presented to the area faculty for approval. Perform at least half of it, comping or walking throughout.

level 6d capstone recital jury

• Eight tunes, all memorized, each arranged with at least an intro, an outro, and an ending. Approximately one hour, at least 50 minutes of music.
• A boppish tune with a difficult melody (for example, Donna Lee, Anthropology, or Conception).
• A John Coltrane tune: Giant Steps, 26-2, or Countdown.
• Two standards, one of them a Latin tune.
• A standard arranged in an odd meter.
• An original tune.
• A tune of the student's choice.
• Comp the changes (guitar and piano) or walk a chorus (bass) throughout the program.
• Submitted with the capstone paper (see the capstone).

jazz drums

The drum set. In place of the instrumental scale requirement, drummers prepare a keyboard requirement: on piano, demonstrate major and minor scales, ii–V–I voicings, and play a jazz tune with a walking bass line or comping. On the kit they play the head, solo over the form, trade fours, and cover the required styles and tempos.

level 6a progress jury

technique

• Keyboard: on piano, all major and minor scales, ii–V–I voicings in several keys, and a jazz tune played with a walking bass line or comping.

repertoire

• A transcribed solo, performed along with the recording.
• At least three tunes, not previously juried: play the head on the kit and solo over the form, trading fours, across contrasting styles and tempos.

level 6b progress jury

technique

• Carried forward: the keyboard requirement.

repertoire

• A transcribed solo, performed along with the recording.
• At least four tunes, not previously juried: play the head on the kit and solo over the form, trading fours, across contrasting styles and tempos.

level 6c progress jury · capstone program approved

technique

• Carried forward: the keyboard requirement.

repertoire

• A transcribed solo, performed along with the recording.
• By this jury the capstone program is largely set and is presented to the area faculty for approval. Perform at least half of it.

level 6d capstone recital jury

• Eight tunes, all memorized, each arranged with at least an intro, an outro, and an ending. Approximately one hour, at least 50 minutes of music.
• A boppish tune with a difficult melody (for example, Donna Lee, Anthropology, or Conception): play the melody on the kit and trade fours with the band.
• A John Coltrane tune, Giant Steps, 26-2, or Countdown: solo over the form.
• Two standards, with at least one very up-tempo tune and one Latin tune, leading the band in with a solo intro, in or out of time, without a count-off.
• A standard arranged in an odd meter.
• An original tune.
• A tune of the student's choice.
• Submitted with the capstone paper (see the capstone).

composition

Composition is juried on a portfolio rather than a performed program. The composition faculty review the portfolio at the end of every semester; these reviews are the 6a through 6c progress juries, and the portfolio's growth and quality determine advancement. The portfolio is kept in one organized folder, every file labeled and ordered, and submitted on Canvas at the end of each semester as a single zip file named with the student's last name, the word portfolio, and the semester. It holds PDF master scores (a PDF technical document in place of the score for an electronic work), recordings in lossless audio (a MIDI realization stands in only until a performance recording exists), a current CV, and a short biography. Every work is publicly performed and recorded. Full detail is in the composition portfolio guide.

The portfolio is built from six works:

• Two chamber works of ten minutes or longer, recorded by the professional ensemble the area brings in each spring to perform and record student work.
• A sound piece for fixed electronics, with or without visuals.
• An electroacoustic piece for a student performer, ideally a graduate colleague, with fixed or live electronics.
• A choir piece, written for a CSUEB choir.
• A chamber orchestra piece, written for the CSUEB chamber orchestra.

Only the chamber works carry a length minimum; the choir and chamber orchestra pieces may run shorter than ten minutes.

level 6d capstone jury

• About four weeks ahead, the student presents the capstone lecture to the composition faculty and submits the capstone paper. Once cleared, the lecture is scheduled as a public presentation (see the capstone).

ensembles

One unit of ensemble runs with applied study every semester (MUS 351–355, 360–369), four units in total. Offerings and meeting times vary by semester; current information is on the ensembles page. Auditions and placement take place at the first meeting of each semester: register for the course and attend the first class. The ensembles below are grouped by the area they primarily serve, and the groupings overlap.

choirs and vocal ensembles

The home for choral conducting students and for voice.

East Bay Singers (MUS 351B): the primary choral ensemble, 32 voices of majors and non-majors, performing on campus, in the community, and on annual tours, with repertoire spanning 600 years of choral music.

Chamber Singers (MUS 369B): a small vocal ensemble performing choral repertoire from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary works, with emphasis on blend, intonation, and expression.

Vocal Repertory Ensemble (MUS 369A): art song and repertoire for solo voice and small and large vocal combinations, with peer review and collaborative assessment of performance practice.

A Cappella Ensemble (MUS 369D): classical, jazz, pop, and world music without accompaniment, developing aural skill, rhythmic precision, and stylistic range.

East Bay Jazz Singers (MUS 369C): a 12-voice ensemble chosen by audition, specializing in vocal jazz and a cappella arrangements, often performing alongside the jazz combos and orchestra.

instrumental ensembles

The large and chamber ensembles for instrumentalists.

East Bay Wind Symphony (MUS 353): the primary ensemble for winds, brass, and percussion, a large ensemble of majors and non-majors performing on campus, across the East Bay, and on tour.

Chamber Orchestra (MUS 365): open to strings, performing repertoire from the classical canon through film, video game, pop, and rock, with guest-artist collaborations.

Percussion Ensemble (MUS 363): traditional and contemporary percussion literature, with a campus performance each semester.

Chamber Ensemble (MUS 361): repertoire for small instrumental combinations, developing ensemble communication and interpretation across periods and styles.

Piano Ensemble (MUS 367): piano duet and duo repertoire, with weekly partner rehearsal, coaching, and an end-of-semester recital.

Rock Band (MUS 360): open to singers, guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, and drummers, covering performance, stage presence, gear, and rock composition across genres.

jazz ensembles

For jazz performers.

East Bay Jazz Orchestra (MUS 355): the flagship big band, with a touring history in Europe and Brazil, balancing the oral and aural jazz tradition with contemporary work. Jazz guitar, bass, piano, and percussion students may perform in the Jazz Combo if a seat in the orchestra does not open at auditions.

Jazz Combo (MUS 368): small-group jazz built on improvisation, interaction, and personal voice, with standards and contemporary pieces and chances to arrange and compose.

composition

Composers may elect any ensemble that suits their work, in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator and the ensemble directors. The Electronic Music Ensemble is open to all and sits especially close to composition and production:

Electronic Music Ensemble (MUS 366): undergraduate and graduate students extending composition and performance through analog and digital technology, live electronics, fixed media, and performance-installation.

the capstone

The capstone has two parts, and both are required to graduate: the public event the applied levels build toward, and a written paper. The event is a recital for performers, a conducting performance for choral conducting students, or a public lecture for composers. The per-area requirements are in applied study and ensembles above.

the performance and lecture

A failed capstone recital/lecture jury postpones graduation to the following fall. The recital or lecture is rescheduled for September, about the fourth week of the fall semester. A second failed capstone recital/lecture jury removes the student from the program. The Office of Graduate Studies administers the removal, as degree program declassification, and any petition for reinstatement; both are set out in its University Graduate Student Handbook.

the capstone paper

Every capstone is accompanied by a written paper of eight to twelve pages, submitted at the 6d jury. For a recital or conducting performance, it makes the case for the program as a designed whole: why these works, in this order, and what holds them together, whether a line of style, technique, history, or idea, placing the repertoire in context and engaging the questions the music raises. For a composition portfolio, it gives a statement of process in place of that case, with the public lecture as its spoken complement. Program notes for each work follow, covering form and context with full citations.

the comprehensive examination

The comprehensive examination is oral, taken in the final semester of study, and administered by the area faculty together with the Graduate Coordinator. It ranges across the area of emphasis and the seminar core.

The examination is scored in three categories:

• Area of emphasis: the masterworks and major composers of the area, and its major movements, isms, techniques, and genres. For performers, the principal repertoire and the literature and technique of the instrument; for choral conducting students, the choral literature, score study, and rehearsal and conducting method; for composers, the methods and techniques of composition and the masterworks behind them.
• Analysis and musical styles: the analysis of tonal and post-tonal styles and jazz harmony and theory, covering how music across periods and idioms is built and the reasoning to account for it.
• The profession and its contexts: entrepreneurship and the music industry, the social and ecological dimensions of music, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

A pass means all three categories were passed. A student who does not pass may retake the categories not passed, one time. The retake moves the degree to the summer term: graduation is delayed from spring to summer automatically, and the retake is held during finals week of the summer term, on the dates in the University academic calendar. A student who does not pass the retake should meet with the Graduate Coordinator, who advises on options with the Office of Graduate Studies.

applied study policies

applied lesson policies

Entering M.A. students audition as part of the application; no separate applied area placement is required. The Graduate Coordinator registers each student for applied lessons automatically, from the graduate plan and the area of emphasis declared at admission. The student then arranges the lesson day and time directly with the instructor. Lessons are held on the CSUEB campus and meet weekly throughout the semester.

Certificate students not enrolled in the B.A. or M.A. are eligible for applied lessons after a successful placement audition, on the same terms as undergraduates. The Undergraduate Handbook sets out the placement.

absence policy

Instructors are not obligated to reschedule lessons a student misses, except when the absence is for a required university activity. If an instructor misses a lesson, it is rescheduled: the instructor notifies the student and the music office as soon as possible and arranges the makeup. A student who misses a lesson for a university activity (an ensemble tour, for instance) and notifies the instructor in advance is given a makeup, and coordinating the makeup is the student's responsibility. Lessons that fall on regular school holidays will be rescheduled. A student more than ten minutes late may be counted absent, and more than one unexcused absence in a semester may lower the applied grade.

applied leave of absence

A student who returns to applied study after an absence of more than one semester may be required to audition to confirm current level placement.

secondary applied area

A student may add a second applied area after completing one semester in the primary area. A second area requires a placement audition, which can place the student anywhere across Levels 1 through 4 or at Level 6. A placement at Levels 1 through 4 carries 1 unit of applied study; a placement at Level 6 carries 2 units. The primary applied instructor is consulted to confirm that a second area is compatible with progress in the first, and requests are subject to studio space and department finances. Direct the request to the Graduate Coordinator.

change of applied instructor or area

Applied study at this level depends on an extended relationship with one teacher, so changing studios is discouraged. Changing the area of emphasis is a heavier step than changing instructors, closer to a new admission than a transfer.

change of applied instructor

1. The student raises the difficulty with the current instructor, preferably in person. This conversation often resolves it. If it does not:
2. The student submits a written account to the coordinator of the applied area, detailing the difficulty and proposing solutions. The coordinator discusses it with the instructor.
3. A meeting is scheduled among the student, the coordinator, and the instructor to work through the difficulty and possible solutions.
4. The student studies with the current instructor for one more full semester to attempt a resolution. The coordinator or the instructor may waive this semester if either judges the situation irreparable.
5. If, after juries, the student has stopped progressing (as judged by the coordinator) or the difficulty is irreparable, the coordinator reassigns the student to a new studio. The student may request, but is not guaranteed, a specific teacher.

change of area of emphasis

The student resubmits the emphasis-specific materials required for admission to the new area (the audition recording, conducting video, or portfolio of scores and audio, as the area requires) and must be accepted into the new emphasis before the change takes effect. The new area's requirements for units, juries, and benchmarks then apply.

coaching

Vocal Coaching (MUS 660A) and Instrumental Coaching (MUS 660B) are 2-unit courses in which a student works with a faculty coach on repertoire that calls for a collaborative pianist. Coaching is distinct from applied lessons: it carries its own syllabus, expectations, and attendance, and does not count as applied lesson units. Eligibility depends on instructor workload, applied progress, and department finances. A student is free to arrange a collaborative pianist independently and is not required to enroll in coaching to secure one for the capstone.

individual practice expectations

The Department recommends a baseline of 3 to 4 hours of practice a day, five days a week, with more as the work and the area demand; performance students in particular should expect to practice well beyond that baseline. Practice room availability and procedures are in section 01 and on the Music Department website. Composition students are expected to give equivalent time to composing, producing, and working in the electronic music studios; contact the Studio Director (Inés Thiebaut, MB 2012) to arrange studio access.

academic policies

academic integrity

As a member of the academic community you are expected to act with integrity and to avoid plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, and other forms of cheating. By enrolling you agree to uphold the University's standards of academic integrity. In graduate music study this also means presenting your own work at juries, recitals, and the capstone, crediting arrangements, editions, and sources, and disclosing any use of generative AI in courses that permit it. The full policy is at csueastbay.edu/aps/academic-services/academic-policies/academic-dishonesty.html.

grades and academic standing

A graduate student must maintain a 3.0 grade point average in all units attempted after admission to remain in good standing, and must earn a grade of C or better in every course counted toward the degree; a course graded C– or below has to be repeated. Applied study and ensemble grades follow from the jury outcome and the relevant syllabus.

A grade point average below 3.0 places a student on academic probation, at which point they consult the Graduate Coordinator before registering again. Continued work below 3.0, failure to meet the Department's academic standards, or conduct contrary to the profession can lead to disqualification or to removal from the program. The full standing, disqualification, and reinstatement process is administered by the Office of Graduate Studies and set out in its University Graduate Student Handbook.

appeals and grievances

A student who wishes to contest a course grade should first discuss it with the instructor. If the matter is unresolved, grade appeals and academic grievances follow the University process: Grade Appeal and Academic Grievance.

To contest a jury, capstone, or examination outcome, submit a written request to the Department Chair within ten business days of being notified, stating the grounds. The Chair convenes the available area faculty to review the recording and the relevant materials, and responds in writing. Where the outcome determines a course grade, it may afterward be carried through the University grade-appeal process above.

accommodations

For disability and other learning-related needs, including assistance during an emergency evacuation, communicate with your instructor as early as possible, and contact Accessibility Services at csueastbay.edu/accessibility to meet with a counselor about your options, including rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Accommodations apply to lessons, juries, and the capstone as much as to seminars. Arrange any performance-related accommodation with your instructor and the MRC in advance.

health, safety, and student support

The CSU East Bay Department of Music, as required by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), is obligated to inform students, faculty, and staff of the health and safety issues, hazards, and procedures inherent in music practice, performance, teaching, and listening, both in general and as applicable to their specific specializations. This includes basic information on the maintenance of hearing, vocal, and musculoskeletal health and injury prevention. It also includes instruction on the use, proper handling, and operation of potentially dangerous materials, equipment, and technology as applicable to specific program offerings or experiences.

The Department gives health and safety high priority throughout its policies and operations, but the primary factor in your health and safety is you, and it depends largely on your own decisions. You are personally responsible for avoiding risk and preventing injury to yourself before, during, and after your study at the CSU East Bay Department of Music. The policies the Department follows do not shift the consequences of an individual's decisions or actions to the University.

The Health and Safety page on the Department's website lists resources on hearing, vocal, and musculoskeletal health, along with other resources for the study of music.

nondiscrimination and title ix

Title IX and CSU policy prohibit discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, including sex discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. For confidential support, contact the Confidential Advocate at 510-885-3700 or the Student Health and Counseling Center. For 24-hour crisis services, call the BAWAR hotline at 510-800-4247. More information is at csueastbay.edu/titleix and csueastbay.edu/riskmanagement/complaint.html.

student conduct

The University is committed to a safe and healthy living and learning environment. Expectations for student conduct, and the process that follows when they are not met, are at csueastbay.edu/studentconduct.

emergency information

Guidance for emergencies (earthquake, electrical outage, fire, extreme heat, severe storm, hazardous materials) is at csueastbay.edu/riskmanagement. Review it at the start of each semester, and note the exits nearest the practice rooms, studios, and recital spaces.

student support services

Cal State East Bay's student services are reachable through MyCompass, the one-stop hub for academic advising, tutoring, financial aid, the library, the Student Health and Counseling Center, technology support, career counseling, basic-needs and food-pantry resources, and campus life.