Music, B.A.

The program offers courses that fulfill general education and university requirements, lead to the Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Music Minor, and provide opportunities for all students interested in music to explore and develop critical and creative skills. 

Educational Objectives

Our robust curriculum is designed to empower you to achieve a comprehensive range of outcomes, including historical and theoretical analysis, community issues analysis, comparative analysis, and moral and ethical analysis that includes ethical considerations within the field of music.

Our extensive hands-on learning opportunities will enable you to engage in internships and other high-impact practices through community partnerships and mentorship with exceptional industry practitioners. 

Our opportunities for independent study will position you to develop high-level, specialized music skills through regularly scheduled, hands-on learning sessions and activities under the guidance of a faculty mentor-performer-director.

Our highly individualized student experience means you’ll craft a personal, inquiry-driven degree emphasis in response to a chosen research and creative agenda, leading to a scholarly-creative capstone thesis project that will set you apart in the job market.

Complete all of the following courses:

• MPA 100 - Music Fundamentals Units: 3
• MPA 101 - Diatonic Harmony Units: 3
• MPA 102 - Chromatic Harmony Units: 3
• MPA 104 - Musicianship I Units: 2
• MPA 105 - Musicianship II Units: 2
• MPA 106 - Musicianship III Units: 2
• MPA 108 - Introduction to Music Production Units: 2
• MPA 110 - Keyboard I Units: 1
• MPA 114 - Introduction to Music Business Units: 3
• MPA 210 - Keyboard II Units: 1
• MPA 300 - Proseminar I Units: 1
• MPA 303 - Proseminar II Units: 1
• MPA 304 - Writing About Music Units: 3
• MPA 305 - Measuring Music Units: 3
• MPA 317S - Community Involvement Service Learning Units: 3
• MPA 340 - Music Production & Artistic Development Units: 1
• MPA 475 - Senior Capstone Units: 2 (to be taken twice, once each semester of the senior year)

Complete one of the following Acoustics and Music Technology courses:

• MPA 307 - Recording in the Studio Units: 4
• MPA 308 - Mixing & Mastering Units: 4

Complete two units from the following Composition courses:

• MPA 316 - Sound Art Practicum Units: 1
• MPA 340 - Music Production & Artistic Development Units: 1
• MPA 346 - Free Improvisation Ensemble Units: 1
• MPA 368 - Songwriting Units: 2
• MPA 370 - Acoustic Composition Units: 2
• MPA 371 - Composition Seminar Units: 2

Complete three units from the following Performance courses:

• MPA 110 - Keyboard I Units: 1
• MPA 209 - African Drumming Units: 1
• MPA 210 - Keyboard II Units: 1
• MPA 211 - Beginning Guitar Units: 1
• MPA 212 - Intermediate Guitar Units: 1
• MPA 213 - Advanced Guitar Units: 1
• MPA 214 - Guitar Ensemble Units: 1
• MPA 225 - Ballet Folklorico Units: 2
• MPA 229 - African Dancing Units: 1
• MPA 261 - String Ensemble Units: 1
• MPA 309 - Global Percussion Units: 1
• MPA 310 - Gospel Choir Units: 1
• MPA 320 - Chorale Units: 1
• MPA 330 - Voice Training I Units: 2
• MPA 332 - Voice Training II Units: 2
• MPA 340 - Music Production & Artistic Development Units: 1
• MPA 345 - Jazz Improvisation Units: 1
• MPA 346 - Free Improvisation Ensemble Units: 1
• MPA 347 - Latin Jazz Ensemble Units: 1
• MPA 390 - Musical Theater Production Units: 2
• MPA 401 - Conducting Units: 2
• MPA 402 - New Music Ensemble Units: 1
• MPA 405 - Ensembles Units: 1
• MPA 416 - Folklorico Ensemble Units: 1
• MPA 417 - Jazz Ensemble Units: 1

Complete one of the following Musicology courses:

• MPA 306 - History of Electronic Music Units: 4
• MPA 321 - Monterey Jazz Festival Units: 3
• MPA 336 - Jazz History Units: 4
• MPA 337 - Music History I: 500-1750 Units: 4
• MPA 338 - Music History II: 1750-1900 Units: 4
• MPA 364 - Music of Mexico Units: 4
• MPA 365 - Survey of Global Music Units: 3
• MPA 367 - Music of Latin America and the Caribbean Units: 4

MUSIC ELECTIVES

Complete twelve (12) units of major electives, not previously taken.

Students may select from the following list, or from any of the course lists found on the Music, B.A. page.

• MPA 103 - Advanced Chromatic Harmony Units: 3
• MPA 107 - Musicianship IV Units: 2
• MPA 301 - Music for Children Units: 4
• MPA 302 - Popular Music Seminar Units: 4
• MPA 312 - Music in Film Units: 4
• MPA 314 - Arts Management and Music Business Ethics Units: 4
• MPA 318 - Tonal Analysis Units: 4
• MPA 319 - Post-Tonal Analysis Units: 4
• MPA 325 - Video Game Music Units: 3
• MPA 335 - Reflections on American Music Units: 3
• MPA 369 - Post-Production Audio Units: 2
• MPA 396 - Field Studies Units: 1-6
• MPA 408 - Advanced Audio Production Units: 4
• MPA 418 - Live Sound Units: 2
• MPA 419 - MIDI, Synthesis, & Digital Signal Processing Units: 2
• MPA 498 - American Musical Theatre Units: 4

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY CONCENTRATION

Complete one of the following courses, not previously taken:

• MPA 307 - Recording in the Studio Units: 4
• MPA 308 - Mixing & Mastering Units: 4

Complete all of the following courses:

• MPA 340 - Music Production & Artistic Development Units: 1
• MPA 369 - Post-Production Audio Units: 2
• MPA 408 - Advanced Audio Production Units: 4
• MPA 418 - Live Sound Units: 2
• MPA 419 - MIDI, Synthesis, & Digital Signal Processing Units: 2

Our location will place you center-stage in terms of extracurricular opportunities. Every spring semester, students in the program are invited to apply for a fall semester mentored internship with the Monterey Jazz Festival, which is the second longest running jazz festival in the country. Our partnership with the Monterey Jazz Festival also includes a series of educational activities and events, as well as a master class featuring jazz leaders.

As a student in the program, you’ll take the course Community Involvement Service Learning which fosters the development of arts education in local communities. You’ll employ a combination of community organizing skills and arts teaching strategies to facilitate arts education programs at specific sites, providing one-on-one or group tutoring in arts education.