Curriculum
Arrangers, songwriters, symphonists, copyists, and digital audio creators are in higher demand than ever before in history. Music pervades almost every aspect of our lives, and someone has to write it! A successful musical composition does not emerge from a cookie-cutter, institutional approach to music. It comes from a combination of rich life-learning experiences and expert musical guidance. The Composition Concentration offers one-on-one faculty mentorship that starts immediately after students demonstrate a solid basis in music theory. This one-on-one training typically lasts throughout the degree program, providing students a level of customization and detailed guidance that is unparalleled by most institutions.
If you would like to have a conversation with a professor about the Composition Concentration, please contact:
Dr. Tom Mueller
[email protected]
(949) 214-3651
- Composition Concentration
- 17 Units
-
Composition concentration students must select MUS 303 in the music major. Applied units in this concentration are in addition to the Musical Collaboration and Applications core of the music major.
-
- MUCO 101: Private Lessons: Composition I
- 2
-
N/A
OR
-
- MUCO 201: Private Lessons: Composition II
- 2
-
N/A
-
- MUCO 301: Private Lessons: Composition III
- 4
-
N/A
OR
-
- MUCO 401: Private Lessons: Composition IV
- 4
-
N/A
-
- MUS 222: Intermediate Conducting
- 2
-
As a continuation of MUS 221, students will build upon their conducting skills with more advanced study in expressive gestures, left-hand independence, cueing, psychological conducting, and score preparation. Prerequisite: MUS 221.
-
- MUS 306: Music Theory III: Commercial
- 3
-
An introduction to modern harmonic relationships found in jazz, contemporary pop and worship music, focusing on chord structure and function, plural interior chords, scalar relationships, and jazz and pop notation. Students will apply these concepts through improvisation, arranging and composition. Prerequisite: MUS 202; concurrent enrollment in MUS 323 is strongly recommended.
-
- MUS 316: Music Technology II
- 2
-
Building on the skills attained in Music Technology I, this course is focused on the creation of music, utilizing state of the art music technology with an emphasis on preparing the student for vocation in the classroom, studio or stage. Prerequisite: MUS 216 or permission of instructor.
-
- MUS 392: Practicum: Composition
- 1
-
Projects in music composition guided by a faculty mentor.
-
- MUS 403: Instrumentation and Orchestration
- 3
-
The course focuses on the practical and artistic aspects of scoring for large instrumental and choral ensembles. A significant portion of the class will be devoted to a study of the tonal and technical characteristics of band and orchestral instruments. Through class readings, score study, and composition-oriented projects, students will build competence in arranging and composing for large ensembles. Prerequisite: MUS 303.
Current students, please note: The requirements listed here may not reflect the most current courses for this major and may not be the requirements for the catalog year you are following to complete your major. Please refer to the Academic Catalog for official requirements you must meet to qualify for a degree.