Major in Music Performance (BM)

A bachelor’s degree in music performance offers you intensive training with an award-winning, welcoming community of faculty who possess a wealth of experience in both performance and teaching. We provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to make you real-world ready in today’s competitive musical world. Students study voice, piano, organ, all symphonic instruments (winds, brass, percussion, strings), and jazz.

90 credits

Music Core Classes for All Performance Majors

Required Courses, 31.5 credits

Students complete MUSC 499 for 0.5 credit and MUSP 498 for 2 credits.

MUHI 200	Gateway to Music History	3
MUHI 330	Music History to 1800	3
MUHI 331	Music History from 1800	3
MUSC 499	Recital	.5-1
MUSP 290	Introduction to Conducting	2
MUSP 498	Senior Recital/ Project	1-2
MUSP 397	Junior Recital	1
MUST 101	Sight Singing and Ear Training	1
MUST 102	Sight Singing and Ear Training	1
MUST 111	Music Theory	2
MUST 112	Music Theory	2
MUST 201	Sight Singing and Ear Training	1
MUST 202	Sight Singing and Ear Training	1
MUST 211	Music Theory	2
MUST 212	Music Theory	2
MUST 311	Music Theory: Form and Analysis	2
CFA 111	Introduction to the College of Fine Arts	1
CFA 222	Creating Your Career: Essential Skills and the Arts	1
CFA 333	Transition to the Profession: Careers In, Around, and Beyond the Arts	1

Upper Level MUST and MUHI electives (5 credits) - chosen from:

Students choose one MUST and one MUHI course from the following list.

MUHI 441 may only count if the student is pursuing the Jazz concentration below.

MUHI 435	Music in the Baroque Era	2
MUHI 436	Music in the Classical Era	2
MUHI 437	Music in the Romantic Era	2
MUHI 438	Opera History from 1780 to 1980	2
MUHI 441	Jazz History	2
MUHI 491	Independent Study in Music History	1-3
MUHI 492	Special Topics in Musicology	1-3
MUST 412	Compositional Practices of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries	2 TO 3
MUST 416	Theory of Nineteenth-Century Music	3
MUST 417	Theory of Twentieth-Century Music and Twenty-First-Century Music	3
MUST 420	Sixteenth-Century Counterpoint	3
MUST 421	Analytical Technique	3
MUST 491	Independent Study in Music Theory	1 TO 3

2 credits of Piano or other secondary instrument:

Students take 2 credits of piano either from MUSP 325 (Secondary Study) or 2 credits from the Group piano sequence (MUSP 140, 141, 240, 241) according to where they are placed by the department.

Pianists pursue a different secondary instrument than piano (MUSP 202), depending on their skill set. Organists must take either harpsichord or voice lessons (MUSP 202). All other instruments must complete 2 credits of piano study.

MUSP 140	Group Piano 1	1
MUSP 141	Group Piano 2	1
MUSP 240	Group Piano 3	1
MUSP 241	Group Piano 4	1
MUSP 325	Secondary Study (Piano)	1
MUSP 202	Secondary Study	1 TO 4

Applied Lessons (20 credits, 16 credits for voice students)

Voice students take 16 credit hours of MUSP 200 and/or 400.

MUSP 200	Major Study	1 TO 4
	or
MUSP 400	Major Study	1 TO 4

MUSP 202	Secondary Study	1 TO 4
	or
MUSP 204	Jazz Study	1 TO 2

4-12 credits from Large Ensembles, depending on the instrument.

Student ensemble participation must be in compliance with the Large Ensemble Policy as articulated in the School of Music Undergraduate Handbook.

Guitar, organ, and piano students are required to enroll in 4 credit hours.

Jazz, Strings, and Voice students are required to enroll in 8 credit hours.

Winds, Brass, and Percussion students are required to enroll in 12 credit hours.

MUSC 374	Ball State Symphony Orchestra (BSSO)	.5-3
MUSC 342	Wind Ensemble	.5-3
MUSC 343	Wind Symphony	.5-3
MUSC 344	Symphony Band	.5-3
MUSC 375	Chamber Choir	.5-3
MUSC 352	Concert Choir	.5-3
MUSC 347	The Pride of Mid-America Marching Band	.5-3
MUSC 360	Jazz Ensemble 1	.5-3
MUSC 361	Jazz Ensemble 2	.5-3
MUSC 369	University Singers Instrumental Ensemble	.5-3
MUSC 370	University Singers	.5-3
MUSC 357	Ball State Opera Theatre Role	.5-3
MUSC 373	Campus Orchestra	.5-3
MUSC 349	Basketball Band	.5-3
MUSC 362	Jazz Ensemble 3	.5-3
MUSC 345	Campus Band	.5-3
MUSC 353	Vox Anima	.5-3
MUSC 354	Cardinal Chorus	.5-3
MUSC 356	Ball State Opera Theatre Chorus	.5-3
MUSC 355	University Choral Union	.5-3

Guitar Concentration - 27.5 credit hours

Additional Secondary Study (4 credits) chosen from:

4 credit hours of either MUSP 202 (must be lute study) or MUSP 204 (Jazz guitar)

MUSP 202	Secondary Study	1 TO 4
MUSP 204	Jazz Study	1 TO 2

Required courses for guitar concentration (7 credits):

5 credits of MUSP 439 are required.

MUSP 439	Small Ensemble (Guitar)	1 TO 2
MUSP 427	Guitar Literature and Pedagogy	2

Electives in Music - 16.5 credits

Any course with a MUHI, MUSC, MUSE, MUSP, or MUST prefix

Jazz Concentration - 23.5 hours

Jazz students take 4 credits of jazz combo MUSP 231

MUSE 465	Jazz Pedagogy	2
MUST 250	Jazz Theory	2
MUST 414	Jazz Arranging	2
MMP 135	Introduction to Recording Technology	3
MUSP 231	Jazz Combo	1 TO 4
MUSP 456	Jazz Improvisation 1	2
MUSP 457	Jazz Improvisation 2	2
MUSP 494	Senior Recording Project	3

Electives in Music - 3.5

Any course with a MUHI, MUSC, MUSE, MUSP, or MUST prefix

Organ concentration, 27.5 credits

Required Courses

Organ majors take 4 credit hours of MUSP 437 and 2 credit hours of MUSP 477.

MUHI 496	History of Organ Literature and Design	2
MUHI 498	Choral Music and Hymnody of the Church	3
MUSP 377	Church Practicum and Philosophy 1	2
MUSP 391	Choral Conducting and Rehearsal Techniques	2
MUSP 425	Elementary Piano Pedagogy and Literature	3
MUSP 437	Small Ensemble (Organ and Church Music)	1 TO 2
MUSP 477	Church Practicum and Philosophy 2	1-2

Additional Secondary Study, 2 credits

MUSP 202

Secondary Study

1 TO 4

Electives in music - 7.5 credits

Any course with a MUHI, MUSC, MUSE, MUSP, or MUST prefix

Piano concentration, 27.5 credits

Piano students take 4 credits of MUSP 435 as collaborative piano.

MUSP 425	Elementary Piano Pedagogy and Literature	3
MUSP 426	Intermediate Piano Pedagogy and Literature	3
MUSP 435	Small Ensemble (Piano)	1 TO 2

Electives in Music (17.5 credits)

Any course with a MUHI, MUSC, MUSE, MUSP, or MUST prefix

Symphonic instruments: Strings concentration, 23.5 credits

Required courses

String students take 6 credits of MUSP 433 for chamber music.

MUSP 423	String and Harp Literature and Pedagogy	2
MUSP 424	Advanced String and Harp Literature and Pedagogy	2
MUSP 433	Small Ensemble (Strings)	1 TO 4

Electives in music (13.5 credits)

Any course with a MUHI, MUSC, MUSE, MUSP, or MUST prefix

Symphonic Instruments: Winds, Brass, and Percussion concentration, 19.5 credits

Winds, Brass, and Percussion students take 4 credits of MUSP 431 as chamber music.

MUSP 420	Wind and Percussion Literature and Pedagogy	2
MUSP 424	Advanced String and Harp Literature and Pedagogy	2
MUSP 431	Small Ensemble (Brass)	1 TO 4

Electives in music - (11.5 credits)

Any course with a MUHI, MUSC, MUSE, MUSP, or MUST prefix

Voice concentration, 27.5 credits

Voice students take 16 credit hours of MUSP 200/400, as noted above.

Required courses - 27.5 credits

Voice students take 2 credits of MUSP 348 Opera Workshop and 2 credits of MUSP 438 Vocal Coaching.

FR 101	Beginning French 1	3
FR 102	Beginning French 2	3
GER 101	Beginning German 1	3
GER 102	Beginning German 2	3
MUSP 348	Opera Workshop	1
MUSP 398	Vocal Diction I	2
MUSP 429	Vocal Pedagogy	2
MUSP 438	Vocal Coaching	1-2
MUSP 440	Vocal Diction II	2
MUSP 441	Vocal Solo Repertoire	3

Electives in Music (2.5 credits)

Any course with a MUHI, MUSC, MUSE, MUSP, or MUST prefix

Total Credit Hours: 90