Majors/Minors
The music program at Muskingum offers a cutting-edge curriculum that represents the forefront of innovation in music studies not just in Southeastern Ohio but across the United States and beyond. The program integrates the conventional study of European classical music with jazz, art, folk, and commercial traditions from around the world. Students explore the theory and history of music from an interdisciplinary perspective: classes like Music and Politics juxtapose European composers like William Byrd and Dmitri Shostakovich with Mexican folk music and popular artists like Lady Gaga to consider the political significance of music across a diverse landscape. Foundational classes in Western art music and jazz similarly combine the study of music theory, history, and literature to facilitate clearer understandings among subjects that are traditionally separated. Many courses simultaneously fulfill music major, minor, and general education requirements, leading to class participation across a range of disciplinary perspectives.
Across the music program, students learn conventional skills in music performance, analysis, and pedagogy, but also contemporary skills in music recording, song writing, and entrepreneurship. Students interested in performing with the campus rock/pop band can enroll in Muskie Rocks, while the minor in Popular Music allows students to focus on the commercial music industry. The Popular Music minor can be combined with a major in Media Production for students interested in working in music recording, producing, or engineering or with a major in Business Management for students interested in working in music publishing, management, or marketing.
- Music Major/Minor
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The Bachelor of Arts in Music is a broad liberal arts degree, emphasizing the study of music through performance (participation in lessons and ensembles), coursework developing musical skills and analysis, the creation of music through audio/recording, song writing, conducting, composition, and/or entrepreneurship, and a final capstone experience. This program prepares you for a career in music performance, commercial music, nonprofit organizations, instrument tuning/repair, and more.
The minor in Music provides an introduction to the study of music through performance (participation in lessons and ensembles), coursework establishing basic musical skills and analysis, and the creation of music through audio/recording, song writing, conducting, and/or composition.
With the addition of EDUC 315: The Arts in Early Childhood or MUSC 382: Teaching General Music, a Music minor can serve as a concentration within the Early Childhood Education major.
- Music Education Major
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The Bachelor of Arts in Music Education degree combines a sequence of courses in education and in music, including a foundation in performance (participation in lessons and ensembles), coursework developing musical skills and analysis, the creation of music through conducting and composition, an emphasis on music-specific methods and pedagogy, education courses, a final capstone project, and a student teaching experience. The program prepares you to become a caring, competent, and collaborative educator and leads to licensure for teaching grades pre-K through 12.
The Music Education program provides opportunities for students to observe and participate in public-school classrooms from their very first year of study. Music education faculty have years of experience working in the public schools and bring this wealth of knowledge and skills to the university classroom. While we welcome students from all backgrounds and prepare majors to teach across the state of Ohio and beyond, the Muskingum program is particularly primed to serve students from rural communities and train teachers to return to and address the unique challenges within these same rural schools. Our placement record is impeccable: Muskingum graduates consistently find employment in public and private schools throughout the region.
- Musical Theatre Minor
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The interdisciplinary minor in Music Theatre combines coursework in the departments of both music and theatre to provide an introduction to the study of musical theatre through performance in voice lessons, the Musical Theatre Ensemble, and acting classes, and coursework establishing basic skills and analysis of music theory, theatrical auditioning, and the history of U.S. American musical theatre.
- Popular Music Minor
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The minor in Popular Music provides an introduction to the study of commercial music through performance in Muskie Rocks or one of our other popular ensembles (Jazz Ensemble, Spirit Band, Steel Drum Band, or Guitar Ensemble), coursework establishing basic musical skills and analysis of popular music, and the creation of music through audio/recording, song writing, and entrepreneurship.
- Music and Culture Minor
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The minor in Music and Culture provides an introduction to the study of music through analysis of the history and cultural context of music from around the world, across genres, and throughout time. Performance and creation of music are not a part of this program and no experience playing an instrument is necessary.
In addition to the Music and Music Education majors, interested students can create a wide range of professional opportunities by combining a music major or minor with a second major or minor offered at Muskingum.
- Music Business: Students interested in working in music publishing, artist, venue, or tour management, entertainment law, and/or music marketing and distribution should pursue one of the following:
- Double-major in Music and Business Management
- Major in Business Management with a minor in Music OR Popular Music
- Arts Management: Students interested in working in community-based arts organizations, nonprofit cultural institutions, and/or public arts agencies should pursue one of the following:
- Double-major in Music and Business Management
- Major in Music with a minor in Business Management
- Major in Business Management with a minor in Music, Music Theatre, OR Music and Culture
- Music Production: Students interested in working in music recording, producing, and/or engineering should pursue one of the following:
- Double-major in Music and Media Production
- Major in Media Production with a minor in Popular Music
- Music Therapy: Students interested in using music to address the needs of individuals in hospitals, nursing homes, and/or public schools should pursue one of the following before completing a master’s degree or equivalency program in music therapy:
- Double-major in Music and Psychology
- Major in Music with a minor in Psychology