Program Description
The Music Department at CSUEB integrates rigorous academic training with a driving passion for the making of great music: the classics from the European-American tradition, great jazz, the new ‘classics’ of our own time, world music, experimental music and more. With a rich variety of opportunities for performing and composing and a deep commitment to teacher education, the Music Department offers something for all students seriously committed to pursuing a life in music.
Student performance groups are open to all qualified students and one need not be a music major to participate. There are more than twenty active ensembles including Symphonic Band, Jazz Workshop, University Singers, Orchestra, Opera Workshop, New Music Ensemble, Chorus, Oratorio Society, Percussion Ensemble, Chamber Singers, and many small vocal and instrumental ensembles.
The Department of Music offers Music, B.A. and Music, M.A. majors which are fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. All music majors have the advantage of continuous applied lessons with instrumental, vocal, or composition teachers on the faculty. A Music Minor is also offered.
The Music Department occupies a large, fully-equipped, modern facility with a number of special resources: a Media Center for Music Technology; Music Resource Center, with thousands of scores and recordings; Choral Music Education Student Resource Center, with thousands of choral octavos and conducting resources; large musical equipment collection for student use; Recital Hall with custom acoustical design; and professional recording facilities.
The Music curriculum is designed to serve the needs of students who have career goals in performance, composition, music technology, jazz, public school or private teaching, or graduate study, as well as those who are pursuing other fields of study and choose music as an elective.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a Music, B.A. from Cal State East Bay will be able to:
- Quickly identify rhythms and pitches and maintain pitch accuracy for application in performance or composition;
- Bring an enriched tone production with improved technical skills to the performance of their primary instrument;
- Apply critical and creative thinking and analytical reasoning to address complex challenges in music theory and history;
- Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with other musicians in a performance context; and
- Integrate musical ideas, methods, theory, and practice, and communicate them to others clearly and persuasively, in classroom and performance settings.
Career Opportunities
- Choral Director
- Composer
- Arranger
- Music Professor/Teacher
- Concert Artist
- Symphony Member
- Jazz Musician
- Conductor
- Film/Video Composer
- Musical Theater Director
- DJ
- Freelance Performer
Scholarships
The Music Department annually awards a number of scholarships to entering and returning music majors. For more information, contact the Music Department office at (510) 885-3135.
Preparation
For Advanced Placement course equivalencies, see Registration.
Admission
Students wanting to select music as a major are expected to have had a variety of pre-college cognitive and affective experiences, such as high school performance, high school theory programs, individual private instruction with music professionals, or music professional experiences. Admission to the major in music is determined by audition. Students must complete this audition and be accepted to the department prior to being accepted in the major.
Transfer students will be placed at the appropriate applied lesson level determined by their successful audition. Transfer students will also be subject to a proficiency examination as described under “Special Requirements of the Department of Music, Section IV. Proficiency Examinations.”
Standards and guidelines for auditions may be found on the Department of Music website.
