|
|
 |
-
Program Overview
-
-
Bachelor of Music
-
PERFORMANCE-BASED EDUCATION IN CONTEMPORARY MUSIC
Musicians Institute’s challenging Bachelor of Music in Performance (Contemporary Styles) is a unique degree program combining contemporary music performance with rigorous education in traditional music disciplines. The intensive program emphasizes the development of stylistic depth, creative maturity and professional competence as part of a comprehensive program preparing students to enter the contemporary music industry. Upon completion of all requirements, students are eligible to receive the Bachelor of Music in Performance in one of five major instruments of study: Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboard and Vocals.
Major Area
BACH-PL Private Lesson
BACH-P151-P453 Ensembles
Various Reading
Various Instrument Study (See Below)
BACH-P104-P404 Performance
BACH-P108-P118 Sophomore Jury
BACH-P208-P218 Senior Jury
Supportive Music
BACH-P101-P801 Theory 1-8
BACH-P102-P602 Ear Training 1-6
BACH-P107-P207 Styles Survey 1-2
BACH-P121-P223 Music History 1-4
BACH-P103-P503 Contemporary Arranging 1-5
BACH-P125 Directing and Conducting 2
BACH-P109-209 Studio Recording 1-2
BACH-P124 Music Industry Studies
BACH-P126 Computer Music Applications
BACH-P120 Contemporary Music Instruction
BACH-P113-P313 Keyboard Proficiency (Required for Bass, Guitar, Drums and Voice)
BACH-V107 Diction (Required for Vocal only)
General Education Credits
Various (see “Articulation Agreement” for required credit distribution)
Electives Credits
(Elective requirements vary by instrument) Various
INSTRUMENT STUDY
Playing Techniques 3
Techniques for performing fundamental styles and grooves, including straight eighth-note rock, straight and swing sixteenth-note funk, standard shuffles, and 4/4-meter swing. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Playing Techniques 4
A continuation of Playing Techniques 3 with concentration on styles and grooves, including 3/4 rock, 3/4 swing, odd-meter grooves, standard Brazilian grooves, sixteenth-note funk and standard Afro-Cuban grooves. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Playing Techniques 5
Course applies both finger and slap-style electric bass techniques to a variety of contemporary grooves, including Latin, jazz, odd-meter, funk, swing, shuffles, hip-hop and others. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Playing Techniques 6
Continued application of finger and slap-style electric bass techniques to a variety of contemporary grooves, including Afro-Cuban, jazz ballad, 4/4 swing, blues, cut-time Latin, and funk. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Basics 3
Expand diatonic harmonic components over a wide range of notes, neck area, fingerings and hand positions, including simple intervals, diatonic triads, seventh chords, and inversions over the entire length of the neck. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Basics 4
Expands fingerings taught in Fretboard Basics 3 to cover chromatic harmony. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Improvisation 1
Concentrates on the study of modes and modal playing, major II-V-I’s and building a melodic vocabulary through the analysis of solos by Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Adderly. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Fretboard Improvisation 2
A continuation of Fretboard Improvisation 1, including a concentrated study of minor tonality, soloing over static dominant chords and continued development of a melodic vocabulary through the analysis of solos. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 3
Class covers advanced levels of chart reading through the extensive use of detailed transcriptions in a wide range of styles, including rock, funk, pop and contemporary instrumental. Concentration is on rhythmic accuracy, pitch recognition and song form. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 4
A continuation of Reading 3. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 5
Students learn contemporary chart reading skills through the extensive use of transcriptions and professionally written arrangements. Focus is placed on sight-reading, pitch and rhythm pattern recognition, position playing, and creating a cohesive sound. Class materials correlate with the All-MI Real World Live Performance Workshop. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Reading 6
A continuation of Reading 5. One lecture hour plus one lab hour per week for one quarter.
 
-
Associate of Arts
-
The Associate of Arts in Performance (Vocals) program includes a combination of general and vocal-specific courses designed to produce skilled, knowledgeable, and stylistically versatile contemporary vocalists. Courses are described below (see course catalog for specific course descriptions and other information). Combined with regular seminars, clinics, and small open counseling sessions with internationally-known singers, the AA-Vocals program provides the world's premier contemporary vocal educational experience. The Vocal Program also surrounds you with a supportive network of teachers and students who challenge you to explore your stylistic identity and advance your technological knowledge while enhancing your confidence as a professional.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Degree requirements vary by instrument and include some or all of the following courses. See each emphasis for details on specific requirements.
All course descriptions include course number, title, number of credit units per quarter (multiply by number of required quarters for total credit amount), prerequisites (where applicable), description of content, and contact hours per week.
MAJOR AREA (All Instruments)
Private Lesson
Weekly instrument lesson with an instructor who guides the student in developing technique, musicianship and style in support of core curricular goals. The instructor and student jointly determine a specific course of study depending on student needs, strengths and experience. One private lesson hour per week per quarter.
Live Performance Workshops 1-6
Students perform regularly throughout the program in a variety of styles and settings. Minimum requirement of ten performances per quarter. One ensemble hour per week per quarter.
Blues
Classic Rock
Country Rock
Modern Rock
Hard Rock
Metal
Classic R&B
Punk
Contemporary R&B
Hip-Hop
Fusion
Funk
Reggae
Latin
Billboard Hot 100
*LPW offerings vary by quarter; check current course schedule for availability
MUSICIANSHIP (Requirements vary by instrument)
Songwriting 1
Fundamentals of contemporary music creation, including song structure, tempo, lyrics, melody, harmony, rhythmic elements and subjective emotional qualities. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Songwriting 2
Continued development of contemporary songwriting skills, including application of fundamental con¬cepts to the creation of original material based on topics and genres provided by the instructor. Includes critique and discussion. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Keyboards for Vocalists 1
This course uses the keyboard as a visual and aural aid to developing musicianship for the vocalist. Topics include: basic reading (including grand staff, treble and bass clefs, and identifying notes), fingering technique, major scales, intervals, major triads, diminished and augmented triads, and simple melodies. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Keyboards for Vocalists 2
Continuation of Keyboards for Vocalists 1 with additional focus on natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales; diatonic major and minor harmonies; inversions; seventh chords; and the use of inverted triads in basic chord progressions. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Harmony and Theory 1
Students perform regularly throughout the program in a variety of styles and settings (see section on Live Playing Workshops for overview of workshop offerings). Minimum requirement of ten performances per quarter. One ensemble hour per week per quarter.
Harmony and Theory 2
A continuation of the study of musical notation and diatonic structures, including rhythmic values, time signatures, natural minor scales and key signatures, harmonized minor scales diatonic seventh chords, and key centers. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 1
An introduction to Ear Training as it applies to popular music. Areas of focus include matching pitch, major scale melodies, and melodic intervals in the context of examples drawn from contemporary popular music. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 2
Topics include meter and rhythm, eighth-note phrases, sightsinging, transcribing melody and rhythm on the staff, harmonic intervals, triad qualities, and diatonic major chord progressions. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
MAJOR AREA
Private Lesson
Twelve credit units required (two per quarter). See “General Requirements” for course description.
Live Performance Workshops 1-6
Six credit units required (one per quarter). See “General Requirements” for course description.
Vocal Performance 1
Students develop fundamental technical approaches to vocal performance via twice-weekly performances in a number of popular genres with a live, three-piece backing band, assisted by extensive curricular materials, including performance notes, vocal charts, and reference audio. Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Performance 2
Continued live-ensemble performing experience, featuring progressively more complex material and additional musical genres. Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Performance 3
Additional live-ensemble performing experience featuring progressively more complex material, additional musical genres and the ability to for students to perform their own material at set points within the course. Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Performance 4
Additional live-ensemble performing experience featuring progressively more complex material, additional musical genres and the ability to for students to perform their own material at set points within the course. Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Performance 5
Students put the skills learned in Vocal Performance 1-4 to use as they perform original songs (or arrangements of existing material) with a keyboard accompanist. Students begin to develop a set list for their final show (at the conclusion of Vocal Performance 6). Emphasis is placed on creating leadsheets; working closely with the accompanist to choose, shape, and perform the most artist relevant material; and understanding specific aspects of small-venue performance (such as: the environment, equipment, techniques, terminology and personnel). Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Performance 6
Students prepare themselves for their final show with the assistance of a four-piece band. Focus includes song choice, chart preparation, set-list order and rehearsal techniques, as well as polishing performance skills (including: pre-production, band dynamics, crowd interactions and communication, stage presence and stylistic interpretation). Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Technique 1
An introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the voice. Topics include: vocal physiological terminologies, breathing (and how it affects the act of singing), effective practice habits, and voice-protection techniques. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Technique 2
Focuses on understanding the nature of human voice production. Topics include learning to recognize different vocal functions through analysis and review. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Technique 3
Focuses on “bridging” the voice into a continuous register without breaks. Vocal exercises to strengthen the voice and allow singing at full power are discussed and practiced. Two lecturelab hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Technique 4
The final Vocal Technique course addresses the formation of vowels and consonants, techniques for connecting with the lyrics and associated emotions of songs, the application of vocal technique to assist in learning songs, and the analysis and imitation of contemporary artists’ voices as a means to develop a deeper awareness and understanding of the vocal instrument. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Sightsinging 1
Introduction to sight-reading and sightsinging for the vocalist. Topics include an overview of music notation, the basic elements of written music, major scales, ties, dotted notes, warm-ups and simple diatonic melodies with whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth note rhythmic patterns. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Sightsinging 2
Continued development of sightsinging skills with emphasis on combining notes and values, an introduction to the bass clef, triplet rhythms, and different time signatures such as cut-time and 6/8. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Sightsinging 3
Expands sightsinging skills to include more complex major and minor diatonic melodies and harmonies and the introduction of mixed rhythms. Topics include: intervals, inversions, major and minor thirds, major melodies, triads, arpeggios, and quarter note triplets. Two lecturelab hours per week for one quarter.
Sightsinging 4
Continued exploration of major and minor melodies and mixed rhythms. Topics include: an introduction to minor scales, seventh chords, and changing meters. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Apple Logic 1
Apple’s Logic Studio is a powerful music production package designed for music creators and producers. This Apple-Certified course, when combined with Apple Logic 2, is equivalent to Apple’s own Logic 101 course. Topics covered include working with MIDI and audio, virtual instruments, effects, drum programming, time stretching and working with loops. This course is equivalent to ARTST-113. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Apple Logic 2
The second level of this Apple-Certified course focuses on using Logic as a mixing and mastering tool. Topics include effects, automation, scoring to picture, third-party plug-ins, and mastering using Logic’s companion program Waveburner. Upon successful completion, students are eligible to take Apple’s Logic Pro Certification Exam. This course is equivalent to ARTST-213. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Studio Recording 1
Learn the art and practical skills of creating your own professional-quality, three-song vocal reel in the recording studio using industry-standard audio equipment. Topics include pre-production, microphone techniques, equipment choice, essential recording studio terminology, preamplification, EQ and effects for lead vocals, as well as other equipment and techniques essential to creating and capturing the best vocal performance. Two lecture-lab-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Studio Recording 2
Building on the knowledge and techniques learned in Studio Recording 1, students complete their three-song reel in the recording studio, including overdubs, backing vocals, final EQ and effects. Students also take turns engineering for each other as a means to understand the needs of the recording staff and the best way to maximize studio vocal performances. Two lecture-lab-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Image Development 1 - 2
This course focuses on image development for the vocalist. Topics include: developing a stage persona, tapping into your unique qualities as a performer, lyrical interpretations, emotional delivery, video shoot terminologies, band communication and appropriate song choices. Two lecture-lab-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Digital Notation & Arranging 1
For the professional vocalist, the ability to create easy-to-understand and easy-to-edit charts and leadsheets is invaluable. This course introduces the popular music notation software Sibelius© as a digital means for creating charts and leadsheets, along with some basic arranging exercises. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Digital Notation & Arranging 2
Students combine notation skills with knowledge gained in musicianship, songwriting, and technology classes to create, edit, and arrange charts for use in their own recordings and performances. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Entertainment Business 1
This course provides the student with an understanding of the entertainment industry as it exists today — essential knowledge for anyone looking to sustain a career as a vocalist in the digital era. Includes an overview of record companies, distributors, representation, contracts, publishing, copyright, viable industry positions, and more. This course is equivalent to ARTST-108. One lecture hour per week for one quarter.
Entertainment Business 2
Further exploration of the entertainment business with a focus on the independent aspects of the industry and how vocalists can best exploit them to their career advantage. Topics include starting your own record company, indie distribution deals; agents, managers, and lawyers; starting your own publishing company, entrepreneurship, fan base management, networking, alternate revenue streams, and more. This course is equivalent to ARTST-208. One lecture hour per week for one quarter.
DIY Music Marketing
This course focuses on understanding essential self-marketing and promotional techniques for the modern vocalist in preparation for creating a personal promotional media package. This course is equivalent to ARTST-109. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Promotional Media
Vocalists learn to generate the audio/visual materials necessary to promote themselves as artists, performers, or songwriters. These include professional photographs, websites, electronic press kits (EPKs), CD covers (using Photoshop©) and biographies. Two lecture- lab hours per week for one quarter.
MUSICIANSHIP
Harmony and Theory 1–2
Three credit units required (one and one-half per quarter).See “General Requirements” for course descriptions.
Ear Training 1-2
Three credit units required (one and one-half per quarter).See “General Requirements” for course descriptions.
Keyboards for Vocalists 1
This course uses the keyboard as a visual and aural aid to developing musicianship for the vocalist. Topics include: basic reading (including grand staff, treble and bass clefs, and identifying notes), fingering technique, major scales, intervals, major triads, diminished and augmented triads, and simple melodies. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Keyboards for Vocalists 2
Continuation of Keyboards for Vocalists 1 with additional focus on natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales; diatonic major and minor harmonies; inversions; seventh chords; and the use of inverted triads in basic chord progressions. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Songwriting 1
Fundamentals of contemporary music creation, including song structure, tempo, lyrics, melody, harmony, rhythmic elements and subjective emotional qualities. This course is equivalent to ARTST-112. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Songwriting 2
Continued development of contemporary songwriting skills, including application of fundamental concepts to the creation of original material based on topics and genres provided by the instructor. Includes critique and discussion. This course is equivalent to ARTST-212E. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
ELECTIVES
Live Background Vocals
Accent Reduction
Stagecraft
Blues Vocals
Extreme Vocals 1
Gospel Vocals
Jazz Vocals
Rock Vocals
Studio Background Vocals 1
Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance 1
Vocal Interpretation
Voiceover Workshop
The Art of Success 1
Vocal Teacher Training 1
Vocal Teacher Training 2
Extreme Vocals 2
Studio Background Vocals 2
Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance 2
The Art of Success 2
Sightsinging 5
Sightsinging 6
Keyboards for Vocalists 3
Keyboards for Vocalists 4
-
AA Degree Emphasis
-
-
Certificate
-
The Certificate in Performance (Vocals) is a unique four-quarter, 60 credit-unit program for contemporary vocalists. The proven curriculum develops your vocal technique and individual stylistic identity through a combination of structured classes and weekly private lessons. Explore contemporary styles or showcase your original material on stage in a wide range of performance workshops. Learn not only to sing, but to communicate with your audience and your fellow musicians. The Vocal Program surrounds you with a supportive network of teachers and students who challenge you to explore your stylistic identity and advance your technological knowledge while enhancing your confidence as a professional.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Degree requirements vary by instrument and include some or all of the following courses. See each emphasis for details on specific requirements.
All course descriptions include course number, title, number of credit units per quarter (multiply by number of required quarters for total credit amount), prerequisites (where applicable), description of content, and contact hours per week.
MAJOR AREA (All Instruments)
Private Lesson
Weekly instrument lesson with an instructor who guides the student in developing technique, musicianship and style in support of core curricular goals. The instructor and student jointly determine a specific course of study depending on student needs, strengths and experience. One private lesson hour per week per quarter.
Live Performance Workshops 1-4
Students perform regularly throughout the program in a variety of styles and settings. Minimum requirement of ten performances per quarter. One ensemble hour per week per quarter.
Blues
Classic Rock
Country Rock
Modern Rock
Hard Rock
Metal
Classic R&B
Punk
Contemporary R&B
Hip-Hop
Fusion
Funk
Reggae
Latin
Billboard Hot 100
*LPW offerings vary by quarter; check current course schedule for availability
MUSICIANSHIP (Requirements vary by instrument)
Songwriting 1
Fundamentals of contemporary music creation, including song structure, tempo, lyrics, melody, harmony, rhythmic elements and subjective emotional qualities. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Songwriting 2
Continued development of contemporary songwriting skills, including application of fundamental con¬cepts to the creation of original material based on topics and genres provided by the instructor. Includes critique and discussion. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Keyboards for Vocalists 1
This course uses the keyboard as a visual and aural aid to developing musicianship for the vocalist. Topics include: basic reading (including grand staff, treble and bass clefs, and identifying notes), fingering technique, major scales, intervals, major triads, diminished and augmented triads, and simple melodies. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Keyboards for Vocalists 2
Continuation of Keyboards for Vocalists 1 with additional focus on natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales; diatonic major and minor harmonies; inversions; seventh chords; and the use of inverted triads in basic chord progressions. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Harmony and Theory 1
Students perform regularly throughout the program in a variety of styles and settings (see section on Live Playing Workshops for overview of workshop offerings). Minimum requirement of ten performances per quarter. One ensemble hour per week per quarter.
Harmony and Theory 2
A continuation of the study of musical notation and diatonic structures, including rhythmic values, time signatures, natural minor scales and key signatures, harmonized minor scales diatonic seventh chords, and key centers. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 1
An introduction to Ear Training as it applies to popular music. Areas of focus include matching pitch, major scale melodies, and melodic intervals in the context of examples drawn from contemporary popular music. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
Ear Training 2
Topics include meter and rhythm, eighth-note phrases, sightsinging, transcribing melody and rhythm on the staff, harmonic intervals, triad qualities, and diatonic major chord progressions. One lecture hour and one lab hour per week for one quarter.
MAJOR AREA
Private Lesson
Twelve credit units required (two per quarter). See “General Requirements” for course description.
Live Performance Workshops 1-4
Six credit units required (one per quarter). See “General Requirements” for course description.
Vocal Performance 1
Students develop fundamental technical approaches to vocal performance via twice-weekly performances in a number of popular genres with a live, three-piece backing band, assisted by extensive curricular materials, including performance notes, vocal charts, and reference audio. Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter. Vocal Performance 2
Continued live-ensemble performing experience, featuring progressively more complex material and additional musical genres. Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Performance 3
Additional live-ensemble performing experience featuring progressively more complex material, additional musical genres and the ability to for students to perform their own material at set points within the course. Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Performance 4
Additional live-ensemble performing experience featuring progressively more complex material, additional musical genres and the ability to for students to perform their own material at set points within the course. Two ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Technique 1
An introduction to the anatomy and physiology of the voice. Topics include: vocal physiological terminologies, breathing (and how it affects the act of singing), effective practice habits, and voice-protection techniques. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Technique 2
Focuses on understanding the nature of human voice production. Topics include learning to recognize different vocal functions through analysis and review. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Technique 3
Focuses on “bridging” the voice into a continuous register without breaks. Vocal exercises to strengthen the voice and allow singing at full power are discussed and practiced. Two lecturelab hours per week for one quarter.
Vocal Technique 4
The final Vocal Technique course addresses the formation of vowels and consonants, techniques for connecting with the lyrics and associated emotions of songs, the application of vocal technique to assist in learning songs, and the analysis and imitation of contemporary artists’ voices as a means to develop a deeper awareness and understanding of the vocal instrument. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Sightsinging 1
Introduction to sight-reading and sightsinging for the vocalist. Topics include an overview of music notation, the basic elements of written music, major scales, ties, dotted notes, warm-ups and simple diatonic melodies with whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth note rhythmic patterns. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Sightsinging 2
Continued development of sightsinging skills with emphasis on combining notes and values, an introduction to the bass clef, triplet rhythms, and different time signatures such as cut-time and 6/8. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Sightsinging 3
Expands sightsinging skills to include more complex major and minor diatonic melodies and harmonies and the introduction of mixed rhythms. Topics include: intervals, inversions, major and minor thirds, major melodies, triads, arpeggios, and quarter note triplets. Two lecturelab hours per week for one quarter.
Sightsinging 4
Continued exploration of major and minor melodies and mixed rhythms. Topics include: an introduction to minor scales, seventh chords, and changing meters. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Apple Logic 1
Apple’s Logic Studio is a powerful music production package designed for music creators and producers. This Apple-Certified course, when combined with Apple Logic 2, is equivalent to Apple’s own Logic 101 course. Topics covered include working with MIDI and audio, virtual instruments, effects, drum programming, time stretching and working with loops. This course is equivalent to ARTST-113. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Apple Logic 2
The second level of this Apple-Certified course focuses on using Logic as a mixing and mastering tool. Topics include effects, automation, scoring to picture, third-party plug-ins, and mastering using Logic’s companion program Waveburner. Upon successful completion, students are eligible to take Apple’s Logic Pro Certification Exam. This course is equivalent to ARTST-213. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Studio Recording 1
Learn the art and practical skills of creating your own professional-quality, three-song vocal reel in the recording studio using industry-standard audio equipment. Topics include pre-production, microphone techniques, equipment choice, essential recording studio terminology, preamplification, EQ and effects for lead vocals, as well as other equipment and techniques essential to creating and capturing the best vocal performance. Two lecture-lab-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Studio Recording 2
Building on the knowledge and techniques learned in Studio Recording 1, students complete their three-song reel in the recording studio, including overdubs, backing vocals, final EQ and effects. Students also take turns engineering for each other as a means to understand the needs of the recording staff and the best way to maximize studio vocal performances. Two lecture-lab-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Image Development 1 - 2
This course focuses on image development for the vocalist. Topics include: developing a stage persona, tapping into your unique qualities as a performer, lyrical interpretations, emotional delivery, video shoot terminologies, band communication and appropriate song choices. Two lecture-lab-ensemble hours per week for one quarter.
Digital Notation & Arranging 1
For the professional vocalist, the ability to create easy-to-understand and easy-to-edit charts and leadsheets is invaluable. This course introduces the popular music notation software Sibelius© as a digital means for creating charts and leadsheets, along with some basic arranging exercises. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Digital Notation & Arranging 2
Students combine notation skills with knowledge gained in musicianship, songwriting, and technology classes to create, edit, and arrange charts for use in their own recordings and performances. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Entertainment Business 1
This course provides the student with an understanding of the entertainment industry as it exists today — essential knowledge for anyone looking to sustain a career as a vocalist in the digital era. Includes an overview of record companies, distributors, representation, contracts, publishing, copyright, viable industry positions, and more. This course is equivalent to ARTST-108. One lecture hour per week for one quarter.
Entertainment Business 2
Further exploration of the entertainment business with a focus on the independent aspects of the industry and how vocalists can best exploit them to their career advantage. Topics include starting your own record company, indie distribution deals; agents, managers, and lawyers; starting your own publishing company, entrepreneurship, fan base management, networking, alternate revenue streams, and more. This course is equivalent to ARTST-208. One lecture hour per week for one quarter.
DIY Music Marketing
This course focuses on understanding essential self-marketing and promotional techniques for the modern vocalist in preparation for creating a personal promotional media package. This course is equivalent to ARTST-109. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Promotional Media
Vocalists learn to generate the audio/visual materials necessary to promote themselves as artists, performers, or songwriters. These include professional photographs, websites, electronic press kits (EPKs), CD covers (using Photoshop©) and biographies. Two lecture- lab hours per week for one quarter.
MUSICIANSHIP
Harmony and Theory 1–2
Three credit units required (one and one-half per quarter).See “General Requirements” for course descriptions. Ear Training 1-2
Three credit units required (one and one-half per quarter).See “General Requirements” for course descriptions.
Keyboards for Vocalists 1
This course uses the keyboard as a visual and aural aid to developing musicianship for the vocalist. Topics include: basic reading (including grand staff, treble and bass clefs, and identifying notes), fingering technique, major scales, intervals, major triads, diminished and augmented triads, and simple melodies. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Keyboards for Vocalists 2
Continuation of Keyboards for Vocalists 1 with additional focus on natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales; diatonic major and minor harmonies; inversions; seventh chords; and the use of inverted triads in basic chord progressions. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Songwriting 1
Fundamentals of contemporary music creation, including song structure, tempo, lyrics, melody, harmony, rhythmic elements and subjective emotional qualities. This course is equivalent to ARTST-112. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
Songwriting 2
Continued development of contemporary songwriting skills, including application of fundamental con¬cepts to the creation of original material based on topics and genres provided by the instructor. Includes critique and discussion. This course is equivalent to ARTST-212E. Two lecture-lab hours per week for one quarter.
ELECTIVES
Live Background Vocals
Accent Reduction
Stagecraft
Blues Vocals
Extreme Vocals 1
Gospel Vocals
Jazz Vocals
Rock Vocals
Studio Background Vocals 1
Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance 1
Vocal Interpretation
Voiceover Workshop
The Art of Success 1
Vocal Teacher Training 1
Vocal Teacher Training 2
Extreme Vocals 2
Studio Background Vocals 2
Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance 2
The Art of Success 2
Sightsinging 5
Sightsinging 6
Keyboards for Vocalists 3
Keyboards for Vocalists 4
-
Non-Certificate
-
-
Pictures
-
|
|