The Onondaga Music degree program offers a two-year sequence designed to parallel the first two years of a typical four-year music degree program in music education, music business or music therapy. Completion of the two-year music curriculum will provide you with an A.S. degree, which includes a well-rounded liberal arts education. It also provides the options of transfer to a four-year degree program or direct entry into work as a private studio music teacher, professional musician, or any of a variety of positions in music merchandising.
Admission into the music major program requires adequate pre-college training and preparation, which is tested through audition prior to entry. If your audition suggests insufficient training in music theory, ear-training and/or your major instrument (or voice) and you nevertheless wish to enter the music degree program as a music major, a one-or two-semester sequence of proficiency courses is available. These courses generally cannot be applied to the degree requirements for the MUS A.S. degree; therefore, students in this situation may require an additional semester or two to complete the program. Those students whose audition results suggest a more serious level of under-preparation will be referred back to the Office of Recruitment and Admission for possible admission to an alternate academic program.
A curriculum specialization in Music Merchandising is available if your career plans include the fields of music and business. The format of this specialization would follow the same requirements as the MUS A.S. with the addition of courses in Economics (ECO 203 ), Business (two of BUS 105 , BUS 121 or BUS 243 ) and Music as a Business (MUS 182 ).
Elective courses include Ethnic Music, Music Composition, MIDI, Music Business, improvisation, and applied music as well as performing ensembles.
The Music department has developed a basic electronic music laboratory located in the Music Resource Center. The use of the Electronic Music Lab is incorporated into a number of the Music department’s course offerings. The lab features MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) equipped state-of-the-art pianos. In addition, a complete computer-controlled MIDI studio has been established featuring Kawai, Roland, and Yamaha synthesizers. This comprehensive digital synthesis studio is supported by an extensive library of the best music software programs.
The Music department presents many public concerts during each semester, including regular performances by student ensembles that are featured on the Arts Across Campus calendar as well as many featured artists from outside the campus. Such student ensembles normally include the Onondaga Singers, Concert Choir, Wind Ensemble, Brass Quintet, Flute Choir, Clarinet Choir, Saxophone Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, Latin Band, and Jazz Ensembles. Membership in Music department ensembles is decided by audition and is open to all Onondaga students.
A convocation for music students is scheduled every Friday during College Hour and features concerts by students, student ensembles, faculty members, and/or visiting musicians featured in Arts Across Campus.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate proficiency on their instrument or voice in the areas of tone production, technique and musicality.
- Understand how to recognize, distinguish and interpret various musical styles and performance practices.
- Analyze musical works and demonstrate an understanding of the compositional techniques endemic to the style of music studied.
- Demonstrate keyboard and aural skills, including sight-singing and rhythmic reading.
Specialization: Music Merchandising
The Merchandising specialization will prepare you for music business careers including music publishing; the manufacture and sales of instruments; music reproduction, promotion or management; music retailing and wholesaling. This will also provide the option of transferring into a four-year music merchandising program. The course content in the specialization includes those music and liberal arts courses required for the degree, with the addition of MUS 182 Music as a Business , and selected business and economics courses. This specialization is open to music majors only. Specific requirement: audition.
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