MAJOR
All students pursuing a Music major must complete the following courses:
| MUSC 151 | Theory and Practice of Music I | 4 units |
| MUSC 250 | Theory and Practice of Music II | 4 units |
| MUSC 490 | Senior Seminar | 4 units |
When MUSC 490 is not offered, students must then complete two semesters of MUSC 474.
In addition to these 12 units required of all Music majors, students majoring in Music must pursue one of the following tracks: Music Composition, Instrumental Performance, Vocal Performance, Ethnomusicology/Popular Music, Music History, or Music Theory & Analysis. At the present time, students interested in a Music Production track need to contact the Chair to devise their curriculum.
Music Composition
| MUSC 230 | Topics in Electronic Music | 2 units |
| MUSC 261 | Western Music and Culture: 1600-1789 | 4 units |
| MUSC 272 | Instrumental Conducting | 2 units |
| MUSC 351 | Theory and Practice of Music III | 4 units |
| One MUSC 200-level or above popular or non-Western music course (must satisfy Second-Stage Writing) | 4 units |
| Two semesters of ensemble participation (MUSC 120-130) | 2-4 units |
| Four semesters of MUSC 257 | 16 units |
Instrumental Performance
| MUSC 114 | Introduction to the Orchestra | 4 units |
| MUSC 261 | Western Music and Culture: 1600-1789 | 4 units |
| MUSC 272 | Instrumental Conducting | 2 units |
| One MUSC 200-level or above popular or non-Western music course (must satisfy Second-Stage Writing) | 4 units |
| A minimum of five semesters of private lessons on one's principal instrument (MUSA courses 2xx and above) | 5 units |
| A minimum of five semesters of ensemble participation (MUSC 120-130) | 10 - 16 units |
Vocal Performance
| MUSC 115 | Topics in Opera | 4 units |
| MUSC 261 | Western Music and Culture: 1600-1789 | 4 units |
| MUSC 273 | Choral Conducting | 2 units |
| One MUSC 200-level or above popular or non-Western music course (must satisfy Second-Stage Writing) | 4 units |
| A minimum of five semesters of private lessons on one's principal instrument (MUSA courses 2xx and above) | 5 units |
| A minimum of five semesters of ensemble participation (MUSC 120-130) | 10 - 16 units |
Ethnomusicology or Popular Music
| MUSC 245 | Music Business | 2 units |
| MUSC 261 | Western Music and Culture: 1600-1789 | 4 units |
| Two 100-level popular or non-Western music courses | 8 units |
| Four MUSC 200-level or above popular or non-Western music courses (one must satisfy Second-Stage Writing) | 16 units |
| Two semesters of participation in MUSC 123, MUSC 124, or MUSC 127 | 2 units |
| Two semesters of private lessons (a MUSA 200-level course) | 2 units |
Music History or Musicology
| MUSC 114 | Introduction to the Orchestra | 4 units |
| MUSC 115 | Topics in Opera | 4 units |
| MUSC 261 | Western Music and Culture: 1600-1789 | 4 units |
| MUSC 263 | Western Music and Culture in the 20th Century | 4 units |
| MUSC 351 | Theory and Practice of Music III | 4 units |
| Two MUSC 200- or 300-level history or culture electives chosen in consultation with one's Music major advisor, one of which must be a popular non-Western music course and one of which must fulfill the second-stage writing requirement. | 8 units |
| Two semesters of ensemble participation (MUSC 120-130) | 2-4 units |
| Two semesters of private lessons (MUSA courses) | 2 units |
Music Theory and Analysis
| MUSC 113 | Learning to Compose | 4 units |
| MUSC 261 | Western Music and Culture: 1600-1789 | 4 units |
| MUSC 263 | Western Music and Culture in the 20th Century | 4 units |
| MUSC 351 | Theory and Practice of Music III | 4 units |
| One MUSC 200- or 300-level analysis-rich course that fulfills the second-stage writing requirement | 4 units |
| Two semesters of MUSC 350 | 4 units |
| Two semesters of ensemble participation (MUSC 120-130) | 2-4 units |
| Two semesters of private lessons (MUSA courses) | 2 units |
SECOND-STAGE WRITING REQUIREMENT
Students majoring in Music will satisfy the second-stage component of Occidental College's college-wide writing requirement by successfully completing a designated writing-intensive 200-level course in the sophomore or junior year with a grade of B- or better and receiving a notation of "Satisfactory" for its writing component. Students not achieving a "satisfactory" notation by either of these means will be required to undertake additional coursework in academic writing during the final two semesters of study. Students should familiarize themselves with the departmental requirement at the time of declaring the major.
COMPREHENSIVE REQUIREMENT
Senior music majors complete a senior project related to the student's area of interest. All senior projects involve both a written and an oral component. The written component (thesis; or analytic, argument-driven essay plus recital program notes) must be completed by the end of MUSC 490, which is offered in the fall semester. Each component is graded High Pass (HP), Pass (P), or Fail (F). A final grade of Pass with Distinction (PD) on the senior comprehensive will be awarded if all components (written, oral, and performance, if applicable) are graded High Pass.
In the Fall semester of their junior year, students submit a proposal for their senior project to the Music Department faculty for approval. Students pursuing tracks in Ethnomusicology/Popular Music, Music History/Musicology, or Music Theory & Analysis will propose a senior thesis of 6500 words or more in length (excluding footnotes and bibliography). Students with a particular interest in composition will prepare a portfolio of original compositions, including both acoustic and electro-acoustic music, some of which will be presented in a composition recital during the senior year. Composers will write an argument-driven analytic paper of 2500 words or more in length, focusing on the work of a composer whose work has influenced their styles. Students with a demonstrated ability in performance will propose a junior and a senior recital, and will write an argument-driven analytic paper of 2500 words or more in length on a piece or pieces of music on the senior recital. Students pursuing a music production will complete a project designed with their advisor and in consultation with the Music faculty.
All seniors will present their work in a public forum during the spring semester. If the Music faculty determines that the senior has not sufficiently prepared to complete the project in time, the senior must take a written examination in lieu of the recital or thesis submission/presentation in order to fulfill the senior comprehensive requirement. The faculty will supply questions drawn from the material of that senior’s course of music study at Occidental.
HONORS
Students who have achieved at least a 3.25 average in their music courses and have demonstrated exceptional potential their Music sub field of study (one of the tracks listed above) may apply for the Honors Program at the beginning of their junior year. For information about the Honors Program, students should consult with their Music Department faculty advisor. See the Honors Program for additional information.