Dear Miami Music Student!

Welcome to the Music Department of Miami University. We are delighted that you have elected to seek your college education with us and are confident that the four years you will be spending in Oxford will be richly rewarding, intellectually and musically stimulating, and of indelible importance in your career as a musician. The faculty of this department are all dedicated to the ideals of student learning and are eager to work closely with you to help you achieve your academic goals. Remember, please, that just as the responsibility for your education ultimately rests with you, so also does the responsibility for knowing the requirements for your specific degree and the relevant University regulations. We encourage you to seek our advice and to meet with your advisor often, especially before each semester’s registration. Be certain also to check often for important announcements on the various bulletin boards located throughout the Music Department. 

Ask questions. Be curious. Attend all classes, lessons and rehearsals. Study and practice often and diligently. Stay healthy. You will be an undergraduate student only once in your life (we hope!), but the education you earn at Miami will serve you for the rest of your professional career. Make the most of your time with us.  We greatly look forward to working and learning with you!

The Music Faculty

Nota Bene: The information contained in this Handbook is intended as a useful guide, a vade mecum, for our undergraduate students. This information is subject to change. In cases where this information may differ from or contradict other Miami University publications, such as The Miami Bulletin, it is the University publications that reflect official University policies in all cases.

The University’s Student Handbook may be found on the University’s website by clicking here.

FACILITIES

The Center for the Performing Arts, first occupied in 1969, houses the Music Department and the Theatre Department.

Building Hours
7:00am-11:00pm

Sidney W. Souers Recital Hall (150 CPA) is used for student and faculty recitals, lecture classes and rehearsals for the choral organizations. Use of the Recital Hall for recitals and rehearsals must be scheduled in the Music Office.

The Green Room adjoining the Recital Hall may be scheduled for receptions connected with musical and theatrical activities. Use of the Green Room may be scheduled in the Music Office.

The Instrument Rehearsal Hall (142 CPA) is used for band and orchestra rehearsals as well as classes.

Classrooms (101, 104, 114, 142) may be used for sectionals, ensembles, and meetings by scheduling such activities in the Music Office. If you move anything in the room, please restore the room to its proper condition upon leaving.

Practice Rooms-Available on a first-come first-served basis under the following rules:

Lockers are available downstairs in the practice room area. If you wish to keep your locker during the summer, you must report your locker number to the Music Office before the end of classes in May.

Be careful of your personal property when in the building.  Instruments, handbags, coats, etc., should not be left unattended. Our building is not theft proof and a word to the wise must be sufficient. If you should lose or misplace something, please report a loss to the Music Office or to the Security Office without delay.

The Music Office (119 CPA) is located on the first floor. Two full-time secretaries assist with administrative details. The office is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday.

A campus phone is adjacent to the Music Office.  Students may use this phone to call on campus and local numbers.

Student and faculty mailboxes are adjacent to the Music Office.  Students are requested to check their mailboxes regularly.

Bulletin boards are located throughout the building.  Check them daily for notices of special events and meetings.  The principal bulletin board for music majors is by the mailboxes.

 
THE MUSIC LIBRARY

 Established in 1969, the Amos Music Library serves the entire University community by making available music, books on music, and recordings, and by providing reference services for those who would like to have aid in the use of facilities and holdings. The library contains about 47,000 bound volumes, 80 periodical titles and ca. 45 more available on-line, and about 19,300 recordings.

Hours for the Music Library and Listening Center are as follows:

Phone Number:  529-2299

ACADEMIC ADVISING

In addition to your freshman adviser living in your residence hall, students are also assigned a music faculty Advisor, who offers counseling and advice on academic programs, advised the student of the scope and opportunities inherent in his or her particular field, and assists in the registration process.  The Chief Departmental Advisor is Mr. Lee; you or your faculty advisor may consult him about special circumstances or questions.  If you are a commuting student, your freshman advisor will be the commuter advisor, located in the Commuter Center in Shriver Center.

The ultimate responsibility for fulfilling University and departmental requirements rests with the student. Advisors assist the student in understanding the requirements and guide the student in fulfilling-filling the field of concentration.

PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS

Any matriculated student may obtain credit or advanced placement, or both by examination in the subject area in which s/he has had adequate preparation.  Students may take proficiency examinations during any term in which they are enrolled for course work, provided they have been accepted for enrollment in the University.  See the Miami Bulletin for further information.

ENSEMBLES

Music majors are required to be in one major performing organization each semester of classes except when student teaching. Students are encouraged to participate in small ensembles. All groups are open by audition to music and non-music majors.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The University has established a number of music scholarships for which students in all divisions of the University are eligible to apply.  The awards are not cash stipends; they are waivers of Instruction and Music Lesson Fees.

A scholarship is not automatically renewed. You must apply each year.  The music scholarship committee comprised of members of the music faculty considers each application.

The following regulations are being used as guidelines in awarding scholarships to freshmen and in renewing awards to sophomores, juniors and seniors.

SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

Several special scholarships and awards are available each year for music students.  Check the bulletin board for audition information. The department’s Awards Convocation is held at the end of the second semester each year.

PROFESSSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Pi Kappa Lambda, National Music Honor Society. A society dedicated to the furtherance of music in education. Juniors, seniors and graduate students who have demonstrated superior achievement are elected to membership.

 Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi are national honorary organizations for promotion of and service to the band program.

Delta Omicron and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia are the women’s and men’s professional fraternities for musicians. The groups participate in a wide range of projects determined by the interest of the members and the Music Department.

MENC (Music Educators National Conference) is an organization open to all music education students. Membership fees include subscriptions to two monthly magazines (Music Educators Journal and the Triad) and make students eligible to attend the Ohio Music Educators Association Convention. The Chapter holds monthly meetings with topics pertaining to music education.

American Choral Directors Association

Information meetings for professional organizations are held in the fall. Notices are posted on the music bulletin boards.

 
ADMISSION AUDITIONS, PERFORMANCE EXAMINATIONS AND RECITALS

RECITAL ATTENDANCE

Music majors in all undergraduate music degree programs, including the Bachelor of Arts in Music, must fulfill the recital attendance requirement to graduate.

RECITAL SCHEDULING

UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS

Attendance

The University’s Student Handbook, Part VII, section 01.701, states:

01.701.B. There are no University-recognized excused absences except for religious observances that require absence from a class session and other required class activities. Students must give written notification to their instructor within the first two weeks of class of the religious event that prohibits class attendance and the date that will be missed, if officially known. Instructors will, without prejudice, provide such students with reasonable accommodations for completing missed work. However, students are ultimately responsible for material covered in class, regardless of whether the student is absent or present...

01.701.E. Whenever a student is absent from class to such an extent as to make the student’s work inefficient or to impair the morale of the class, the instructor may direct the University Registrar to drop the student from that course with a grade of F. The instructor shall notify the student of this action no later than the time he or she notifies the Registrar.

Three (3) unexcused absences are permitted per student for the semester (i.e., the equivalent of one full week’s absence during a fifteen-week semester). Additional unexcused absences will be penalized one-half of a letter grade per absence (e.g., if you have B average, an unexcused absence will lower the grade to B-). Attendance will be taken at ten-minutes past the hour. Those arriving after that time will be marked absent.  Excused absences are permitted if verified. Excused absences include illness requiring medical attention, family emergencies, concert trips, student teaching, etc.

Academic Misconduct

From the University’s Student Handbook:

Section 01.501: Introduction

01.501.A. The rights and responsibilities that accompany academic freedom are at the heart of the intellectual integrity of the University. Students are therefore expected to behave honestly in their learning. Cheating and other forms of academic misconduct undermine the value of a Miami education for everyone, and especially for the person who cheats. Violations of the Academic Misconduct Policy can result in penalties ranging from grade reductions to suspension, dismissal, or expulsion from the University.

01.501.B. Misunderstanding of the appropriate academic conduct will not be accepted as an excuse for academic misconduct. If a student is in doubt about appropriate academic conduct in a particular situation, he or she should consult with the instructor in the course, the department chair, or the academic dean in the appropriate division so as to avoid the serious charge of academic misconduct.

Section 01.502: Criteria

Academic misconduct is defined as any activity that tends to compromise the academic integrity of the institution or subvert the educational process. Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:

01.502.A. Conduct with respect to and during a quiz, examination, or similar evaluation

01.502.B. Written and other assignments

01.502.C. Cooperation with another person in academic misconduct, either directly or as an intermediary agent or broker.

01.502.D. Theft, attempted theft, malicious defacement, mutilation of library materials, or other academic resources.

SPECIAL FEES

Lesson Fees.  Because of the high cost of individual instruction, special fees are charged for applied music lessons.  Fees are currently set at $150 each semester for one-hour lesson per week, whether two or four credit hours.

Recording of Recitals. If you wish to have your performance recorded, please complete the form “Recording Service” (found in this Handbook) and deposit it in the music office (CPA 119) no later than two weeks prior to the date of your recital.  You will be billed by the Bursar’s Office for the cost of labor and materials for the recording. 

CURRICULA

The Department of Music offers curricula leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts (Field of Concentration, Music) and the degree of Bachelor of Music in Music Education (Choral/General and Instrumental), and the Bachelor of Music in Performance. The department also offers curricula leading to the degree Master of Music in Music Education and the Master of Music in Performance.

Department requirements and course descriptions are listed in the Miami Bulletin.  Click on the appropriate titles below for a pdf file of the Four-year music degree plans for each of the programs.

SFA Policy on Independent Study

The purpose of independent studies in the School of Fine Arts is to allow students to pursue an area of study that is not a part of regular courses under the guidance of a faculty member in the discipline. Normally, independent studies are taken by advanced level students wishiing to pursue a topic of interest tht is not available in the curriculum. The number of independent studies in a student's prgram should be limited. SFA faculty should also limit the number of independent studies they supervise in a single semester. Following are specific guidelines: