A wide variety of performance opportunities await our students each year, with orchestras, bands, choirs and opera, jazz nonets and combos, small ensembles, and more.
A variety of programs and initiatives operate continuously or annually to enhance learning experiences and help students prepare for their future in music.
The MSU College of Music supports and challenges students, values innovation and creativity, and helps every community member achieve professional excellence.
While courses do change somewhat from year to year, those highlighted below provide excellent real-life examples of the types of opportunities offered each year.
M, T, W, Th
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
A masterclass chorus for singers and graduate students in choral conducting. The repertoire aligns with music studied in Contemporary Musics for the Global Stage and choral literature and includes music from the Classical and Romantic periods.
Time arranged
Private instruction in piano. Space in this course is limited.
Time arranged
Private instruction in piano for piano minors. Space in this course is limited.
T, Th
11:15 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
Elements of music theory, with emphasis on voice leading and harmonic analysis in diatonic and chromatic music. This remedial course is required for those who do not pass the Orientation Examination in Music Theory. Credit for this course will not count toward a graduate degree.
Time arranged
Private instruction in piano, strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion is specifically designed for graduate students in music education. Space in these courses are limited.
Time arranged
Private instruction in voice specifically designed for graduate students in choral conducting or music education. Placement in each section will be determined by background and skill level. Space in this course is limited.
M, T, W, Th, 3:45 – 5:45 p.m.
F, 1:20 – 3:20 p.m.
Designed to give the student the ability to rehearse and conduct contemporary choral music for the Global Stage with knowledge of specific works from this period appropriate for choirs of varied skill levels, and the ability to write and speak in a clear and concise manner about the music. Enrollment preference will be given to graduate students in choral conducting.
M, T, W, Th, 3:35 – 4:35 p.m. and 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
F | 1:20 – 3:20 p.m.
Conducting masterclass and choral pedagogy, aligning with the choral literature sequence, and including historical musics appropriate to the secondary choral setting. The course consists of daily masterclasses and a one-hour classroom segment. Enrollment preference will be given to graduate students in choral conducting.
T, Th
8:00 – 11:05 a.m.
Psychological foundations of music teaching and learning. Psychological research on problems in music teaching.
M, W, F
8:00 – 10:15 a.m.
Historical, philosophical, and psychological foundations of music education curriculum and methodology. Curriculum development and implementation.
T, W, Th
1:20 – 3:30 p.m.
Intended to help music educators and conductors develop skills that utilize the keyboard as a resource for teaching, demonstration, and music learning. Students will learn to realize open scores (including SATB choir) transpose single-and multi-line music, harmonize melodies, and improvise simple phrases and accompaniments. At least a basic familiarity with the piano is assumed, but the course is not restricted to pianists; non-pianists should the professor for suggestions on how to prepare.
T, W, Th
1:20 – 3:30 p.m.
The study of music of various genres and time periods with an emphasis on the process of analysis—its goals, assumptions, and obligations.
Time arranged
Private composition study specifically designed for graduate students in choral conducting or music
education. Space in this course is limited.
T, Th, 11:15 a.m. – 1:10 p.m.
W, 7:30 – 9:30 pm
This course teaches the fundamental skills of counterpoint: balancing activity among voices, negotiating between horizontal (melodic) and vertical (harmonic) parameters, learning a vocabulary of common idioms, and employing dissonance effectively. But its goals and its repertoire differ from those of most tonal counterpoint courses. Rather than focusing on Baroque music and aiming to mimic its features through model compositions, we will treat counterpoint as an applied discipline, using it to create instrumental and vocal (SATB) arrangements and covers of stylistically diverse compositions that begin with a lead sheet or piano arrangement. Students will learn to manipulate bass voices, primary melodic voices, harmonic and rhythmic support, inner-voice thickeners, and countermelodies using standard contrapuntal techniques (such as suspensions and passing tones) as elements of interest.
M, W, F
10:25 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.
This course will examine the place of music in American society and culture in both historical and contemporary settings. Specific areas of study will consider music from diverse traditions and communities, drawing upon classical, popular, and vernacular practices and forms.
M, W, F
10:25 a.m. – 12:40 p.m.
This course investigates the history, philosophies, techniques, and strategies of great musical teachers. Readings and discussions engage concepts of knowing, learning, and teaching music by studying the lives, writings, and legacies of remarkable pedagogues. Students are invited to consider and explore ways that individual teachers and institutions impact music, society, and culture.
Sa, Sun
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This 2-day workshop focuses on the concepts underlying popular music pedagogy. Participants will explore informal music learning and apply concepts of pop music pedagogy within subgenera of hip-hop, pop/rock, blues, and/or folk. There will be a focus on experiential learning and the development of project-based units applicable to a variety of school music courses.
Sa, Sun
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This 2-day workshop focuses on various methods and approaches educators can utilize to center Black joy in the music classroom. Participants will encounter philosophies and theories surrounding antiblack racism and social justice approaches. This workshop will heavily focus on teacher reflection and learning how to implement culturally affirming classroom practices.
Sa – Sun
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
After years of being the on-stage clinician at festivals, clinics, districts, and music performance assessments, this two-day workshop will give insight on how to make your students feel and sound stronger through connection, context, and choral/vocal technique with a few additional tips thrown in!