About
The Bachelor of Music in Music Performance degree provides skilled musicians with opportunities to develop expertise as professional performers or composers of solo, chamber and large ensemble music; as directors and performers of church music; or as university-level faculty following graduate study.
Each concentration of the Music Performance degree has special courses or features. In Music Performance (BM) - Composition and Theory, students participate in a weekly composition seminar with all theory/composition majors. They also receive weekly private composition lessons and take upper-division courses designed for composers and music theorists. A capstone experience is a recital of original works presented on campus.
Students also take the Hayes School of Music’s core curriculum: private instrument/voice study, ensemble participation, music theory and aural skills, music history, world music and other musicianship classes. Faculty members for this degree include experts in all individual conservatory instruments, including woodwinds, brass, strings (including guitar and harp), piano and organ, and percussion.
After Graduation
Composition and Theory students typically pursue further study in some of the finest graduate schools in the United States, including the University of Maryland, Peabody Conservatory and Florida State University.
Courses
Visit the department homepage for more information, including Program of Study and Four Year Guide.
Minors
Engagement Outside the Classroom
- College Music Society (student chapter)
- Music service fraternities: Phi Mu Alpha, Sigma Alpha Iota, Kappa Kappa Psi
Global Learning
Appalachian is committed to introducing students to different cultures and teaching them how to live and interact in a global society.
All Hayes School of Music students take MUS 2018 World Music as a requirement within their degree programs. Additionally, Music students are eligible to participate in international programs, including recent course-related activities in Ireland, South Africa and Cuba.
Admission Requirements
All students must audition to be accepted into the Hayes School of Music. Composition/Theory applicants also submit a portfolio of compositions to be reviewed by the Hayes School of Music faculty.
Why Appalachian?
- The Hayes School of Music prepares young musicians for professional lives as performers, composers, music educators, music therapists, conductors and music industry professionals, ensuring the next generation of musical leadership for the state, region and nation.
- With employment and graduate school placement record of nearly 100 percent, our students typically move into professional music careers, including performing, teaching, clinical work, research and business, as well as other career fields that value collaboration, logical reasoning and creative thinking.
- The Hayes School of Music engages the local and regional community with more than 190 concerts each year, giving students valuable performance experience.
Number of Students
Approximately 470 students in the Hayes School of Music
Method of Delivery
On campus only
Contacts
Dr. Ben Hjertmann
Area Coordinator
Rm 223, Broyhill Music Center
828-262-6443
hjertmannba@appstate.edu