Music Minor

The music minor is completed with either an emphasis in performance or an emphasis in music theory or composition.

Minor Requirements:

Emphasis in Performance

Students may be asked to pass an audition to become a music minor. Please contact the director of the music discipline regarding requirements. While on the first semester of applied study, students are considered on probation of the minor and pending approval of the professor for acceptance to the minor.

Fundamentals:
MUS 101 - Fundamentals of Music and Class Piano I
History Survey:
MUS 274 - Western Music History: An Overview
Music Theory
MUS 107 - Music Theory I
MUS 108 - Music Theory II
Other:
MUS 277 - Arts Entrepreneurship
Applied Music: Eight semester hours in the appropriate applied music-instrument (4 semesters of 2 credit hours of private instruction in your instrument of admittance) at or beyond the intermediate level.
- Students who start as beginners in guitar, piano or percussion cannot become music minors at that instrument only after instructor permission. Please contact the director of the music discipline, Devvora Papatheodorou Schreier at dpapatheodorou@dom.edu for details.
- Before vocalists can declare a minor in music with an emphasis in vocal performance, they need the approval of the vocal professor and permission of the discipline director.
- Composition students need to have completed MUS 105, MUS 107, and MUS 108 before starting the four semesters of composition for the minor.
Guitar:
MUS 136 - Private Instruction-Guitar
MUS 228 - Private Guitar Instruction
Students completing the emphasis in guitar performance are required to take MUS 231 - Group Guitar II (or MUS 327 - Guitar Chamber Music Private Instruction ) instead of MUS 178 .
Percussion:
MUS 135 - Private Instruction-Drumset and Percussion
Piano:
MUS 115 - Private Instruction-Piano
MUS 220 - Private Piano Instruction
Private instruction at the 300- and 400-level is reserved for music majors only.
Voice:
MUS 122 - Private Instruction-Voice
MUS 232 - Private Instruction-Voice

Practice and Performance Requirements of Music Minors

Even though they are not majors, music minors are expected to take their preparation for their private instruction classes seriously. The professors will communicate with the students daily practice requirements, which are expected to be followed closely. Lack of proper preparation will result to lower grades or inability to complete the class.

All music minor performance students have to complete each semester of their applied studies with either a performance in the designated Music Discipline Student Fall or Spring Recital. The possibility of completing the semester with a jury exists and the professor will help the student chose if a jury is needed instead of a performance.

Students who study an instrument at Concordia, learning an instrument that Dominican University does not offer, need to complete four semesters of 1 credit hour and follow the same requirement of performance or jury at the end of each semester (Concordia offers only 0.5 or 1 credit hours of instruction in instrumental study). The performances of those students, unless given special permission by the director of the music discipline at Dominican, have to take place at Dominican University.

Additional Information:

Students should consider completing MUS 178 - Fundamentals of Music and Class Piano II in addition to MUS 101 - Fundamentals of Music and Class Piano I .

Students who do not have formal training in music will need to complete MUS 105 - Rudiments of Music Theory before enrolling in MUS 107 - Music Theory I .

Emphasis in Music Theory or Composition

MUS 101 - Fundamentals of Music and Class Piano I
MUS 105 - Rudiments of Music Theory
MUS 107 - Music Theory I
MUS 108 - Music Theory II
MUS 274 - Western Music History: An Overview
Depending on their interests and needs, students will be asked to add courses from the Concordia College offerings or an independent study course from Dominican professors. This will be decided in a meeting with the director of the music discipline.
Emphasis in Music Theory

Two additional courses in music history and/or theory. including ear training. Classes can be independent study or directed study with one of Dominican’s professors or can be chosen from Concordia University’s catalog, in consultation with the director of the music discipline.

Emphasis in Composition

In order for a student to concentrate in composition, they have to have completed MUS 105 , MUS 107 and MUS 108 , or be able to test out of them.

Subsequently, the student has to take 6 semester hours in composition private instruction, selected in consultation with the director of the music discipline:

MUS 130 - Private Instruction-Composition
MUS 200 - Private Instruction: Composition
MUS 230 - Composition and Music Software Private Instruction

All students who concentrate in composition are required to have their work performed in the Dominican University recitals, once a semester.