Departmental Mission Statements and Student Learning Goals

Department of Music

Music Assessment Report 2005-2006

Music Assessment Plan

Mission Statement

Music is the arrangement of sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, through melody, rhythm, harmony, and timbre. Education in the discipline of music includes the study of music theory, music history and literature, performance, and composition.

The Music Department educates music majors in the university setting through concentrations in Liturgical Music, Music Composition, Music Studies, and Performance, and with professional programs in Choral and Instrumental Music Education. Music majors should attain understanding of the historical, theoretical, pedagogical and cultural principles that have contributed to the art music tradition, as well as competence in performance. The department educates all students (music majors and minors, and the general student of any major), both individually and collaboratively, through appropriate courses in:

• music history, theory and appreciation
• applied instrumental and vocal instruction
• choral and instrumental ensembles

The Music Department seeks to "attend to the distinctive developmental needs of all students, and deliberately shape the entire campus environment so as to support the full creativity and development of men and women" (CSB/SJU Coordinate Mission Statement).

Goals

Goal 1: Applied music students will be able to satisfactorily perform a composition at their own individual technical levels.

Objective A: Applied music students (majors, minors and non-music majors) will perform repertoire on their instrument or voice at the appropriate level for their sequence in the music curriculum. The performance should reflect the following expressive and musical elements: phrasing, dynamics, tempo, pitch, tone quality, voicing, rubato, and articulation as they apply to the style and historical time of the composition. Students will also complete a self-assessment form.

Objective B: Non-keyboard music majors will demonstrate competency at the piano according to the Piano Proficiency document.

Goal 2: Student ensembles will satisfactorily perform music at levels appropriate to the ensembles' course descriptions.

Objective A: Ensemble performances will demonstrate understanding of expressive and historical aspects of the repertoire, and correct execution of musical aspects such as pitch, phrasing, dynamics and tempo.

Goal 3: Students, particularly through the music theory curriculum, will understand and apply the musical elements of melody, harmony, and rhythm as evidenced in an evolving historical context.

Objective A: Over a four-semester sequence, students will demonstrate understanding of the written aspects of melody, harmony, and rhythm as defined in the various course syllabi.

Objective B: Over a four-semester sequence, students will demonstrate the ability to sight-sing at the appropriate level as defined in the various course syllabi.

Objective C: Over a four-semester sequence students will demonstrate the ability to hear and identify intervals, chords, and rhythms at the appropriate level as defined in the various course syllabi.

Objective D: Over a four-semester sequence, students will demonstrate the ability to use the piano keyboard at the appropriate level as defined for the various course syllabi.

Goal 4: Students, particularly through courses in music history and literature (including Music History for majors and music appreciation courses for minors and non-majors), learn to understand music in various traditions.

Objective A: Music majors, minors and non-majors, will demonstrate understanding of the periods of music. Elements included are analytical, stylistic and expressive characteristics of representative works of music literature.

Goal 5: Students, particularly in the techniques and pedagogy courses, will understand strategies for conducting, teaching and performing.

Objective A: Students will demonstrate skills of conducting, teaching and performing.

Objective B: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the music and related literature in their particular field.

Goal 6: Composition students will be able to compose a well-crafted piece of music.

Objective A: Students will demonstrate skills in notation by hand and with computer, control of musical materials, knowledge of the compositional styles of historical periods and the arrangement of acoustically and electronically generated sounds.

Goal 7: Liturgical music students will be able to plan and perform music for the liturgy.

Objective A: Students will demonstrate organ, vocal, guitar and conducting skills for their concentration in this sequence.

Objective B: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history and literature of liturgical music.