Bachelor of Arts in Music
The B.A. in Music is designed to prepare the practicing musician for the 21st century cultural economy. Students will learn to capitalize on their artistic product through courses in entrepreneurship, and nonprofit management. They will learn to prepare a deliverable for various sectors of the industry through courses in music technology, studio production, song writing, scoring and arranging. The degree also provides ample space for electives, allowing students to tailor the degree to their career goals.
The B.A. in Music has three tracks: industry, performance, and production. The industry track will help students as they prepare for work in the music business, ranging from arts advocacy to the arts nonprofit sector. The performance track includes a choice between two concentrations: classical and commercial. All students will study standard technique through classical repertoire for the first two years. The final two years, students can choose to remain in a classical concentration, or transition to a commercial concentration, where they apply their technical study to various genres ranging from country to R&B to gospel. Consequently, students will acquire an omnicultural musical
language that will equip them to move between various cultural marketplaces, and serve a rapidly expanding entertainment sector in Georgia. The production track includes courses in studio recording and mixing. When combined with music courses such as piano and music theory, the production majors will have a music-based foundation for superior work in the studio.
All students enter the Music program through the music industry track. For the first two semesters, there are minimal curriculum differences between the three tracks. Students seeking admission to the performance track will begin applied study in their first semester. At the end of the second semester, students can gain admission to the performance track with a C or better in MUSC 1103 a B or better in MUSA 1112, and the recommendation of their applied instructor. Students seeking admission to the performance track must successfully complete MUSC 1103
and 1104, semester two of the music theory aural skills sequence within the first two attempts. Students seeking admission to the production track must have a B or better in MUSC 1500 and MUSC 2500.
Students who have earned a scholarship via an audition may gain entry to the performance track upon admission to the University.
*Applied music encompasses the areas of instrumental and vocal performance requiring individual studio instruction. Studio instruction is offered in applied music performance courses for two (2) hours of credit. Students must be enrolled in the appropriate ensemble course as well. Students will work toward continued mastery of technique and appropriate literature that meet or exceed standards for current level of study. Students are expected to practice daily and will come prepared for weekly 60-minute lessons. Enrolled students are also expected to attend and participate in music studio programming and performances throughout the semester. A juried performance completes the semester.