Music

As a liberal arts college, Earlham offers multiple disciplinary and interdisciplinary majors and minors in which you will cultivate deep and specific knowledge and experience. Equally important, the College expects you to develop broad, general skills and proficiencies across the curriculum.

As part of your general education, you will complete six credits in each academic division of the College: humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and visual and performing arts. In addition, you will meet requirements for first-year courses, analytical reasoning, perspectives on diversity and wellness.

All courses satisfy the Arts Requirement. One course meets the International component of the Perspectives on Diversity Requirement, MUS 161. One course meets the Domestic component of the Perspectives on Diversity Requirement, MUS 353. One course meets the Analytical Reasoning Requirement, MUS 371. Three courses meet the Wellness Requirement, MUS 121, 124 and 229. The Department also offers Earlham Seminars.

Learn more about general education at Earlham.

The Earlham Music Department offers three majors and five tracks:

1. Music studies major: for students looking for foundational training in music (often done in combination with another major).
2. Music education major: offered  in conjunction with Earlham’s M.A.T. Program, this provides you with the opportunity to complete a masters degree in music education in four years.
3. Music major:  for students expecting to go on to advanced study in the field of music. These include the following tracks:
   • Composition track (must be declared by the sophomore year)
   • Computer music track
   • Conducting track
   • Ethnomusicology track
   • Performance track (must be declared by the sophomore year)

To earn a Bachelor of Arts in music studies, you must successfully complete the following:

Theory and Musicianship

• MUS 271 Music Theory and Musicianship 2: Modes, Harmony and Counterpoint
• MUS 371 Music Theory and Musicianship 3: Analysis and Composition
• MUS 372 Making Music with Computers

Musicology

• MUS 201 Writing About Music: Issues of Representation
• MUS 460 Ethnomusicology: Methods and Issues
• Three additional musicology courses — each course will be designated as emphasizing one or two of the following:
  • Western classical music (WC)
  • Traditional music that has developed outside the Western tradition (non-Eurogenic music) (NE)
  • Mass-mediated music (MM)
  • At least one course emphasizing each of these three broad repertoires is required of all music majors. In some cases a single course will count for two of these.

Applied

• Eight additional credits of applied music, with a minimum of four being ensemble credits and two being applied lesson credits (up to 1 credit of MUS 481 – Internship may be used as one of the eight applied credits).

Cross-Disciplinary

• One course in visual arts or theatre arts

Senior Seminar and Senior Capstone Project

View a full list of music courses and their descriptions.

To participate in the 3+1 program in music education, you must successfully complete the following in preparation for the Master of Arts in Teaching program:

Theory and Musicianship

• Mus 271 Western Music Theory and Musicianship 2: Modes, Harmony and Counterpoint
• Mus 371 Western Music theory and Musicianship 3: Analysis and Composition
• Mus 376 Conducting
• Mus 472 Orchestration and Arranging

Musicology

• Mus 201 Writing about Music
• Mus 460 Ethnomusicology: Methods and Issues
• Three musicology courses:
  • One course in Western Classical Music
  • One in non-Eurogenic musics (Music that has developed outside of the Western tradition)
  • One additional course as advised, based on the student’s areas of interest and need

Applied (12 credit hours)

For instrumental students:

• A minimum of four semesters in the study of 1) the string group, 2) the woodwind group, 3) the brass group, 4) the percussion group.
• Participation in Orchestra for a minimum of three semesters and Rhythm Project for a minimum of one. Adjustments possible depending on student background.
• Four semesters of study on a primary instrument.

For choral students:

• Four semesters of voice.
• A minimum of four semesters participating in choral ensembles.
• A minimum of 2 additional semesters of piano study, ideally 4.

Capstone (3)

View a full list of music courses and their descriptions.

To earn a Bachelor of Arts in music, you must successfully complete the following coursework. In addition to the requirements of the music studies major, above, the music major will require the following, based on area of concentration:

Composition

• Admission to the composition track is by audition. An initial sampling of works will be evaluated and an assessment of compositional ability will be determined by the faculty prior to admission.
• Six additional credits in applied composition lessons above the two stipulated in the basic track.
• An additional Western classical music seminar specifically in music after 1900 or an Independent Study survey of some aspect of contemporary composition.
• A portfolio evaluation of works produced during the student’s time at Earlham will be required before graduation.

Computer Music

• MUS 472 Orchestration and Film Scoring
• MUS 473 Programming Music for Computers
• One computer science course in programming for three or four credits OR ideally, a somputer science minor.

Conducting

• A combination of Independent Studies and Teaching Assistantships in ensemble direction, designed in consultation with the appropriate ensemble director, for nine credit hours.

Ethnomusicology

• Two additional courses in musicology for six credit hours. Note: at least two of the five total musicology courses should have a geographical focus.
• One course in sociology/anthropology for three or four credit hours OR ideally, a sociology/anthropology minor.

Music Performance

• Admission to the performance track is by audition in the primary performing medium.
• An additional six credits of applied lessons, above the two stipulated in the basic track.
• One elective for three credit hours in an area of musicology closely related to the student’s performance instrument.
• Performance evaluations (“juries”) will occur at the end of selected semesters.

View a full list of music courses and their descriptions.

Yes! To earn a minor in music, you must successfully complete the following:

• MUS 201 Thinking and Writing About Music
• MUS 271 Music Theory and Musicianship 2
• Two more 3-credit classes, one of which must be in musicology
• Four credits of applied courses, of which at least one credit must be an ensemble.
• Three additional credits of either applied or classroom courses.

View a full list of music courses and their descriptions.

Yes! Earlham offers a variety of off-campus study options.

Learn more about available programs via our Center for Global and Career Education.

Through our 3+1 Education Program, you can earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) and teaching license—all in just nine semesters.

You’ll leave Earlham with two degrees, licensed to teach grades 5-12 in Indiana. (And it’s easy to transfer your license to other states—many of our graduates do!)

Learn more about our 3+1 program.

The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, which was completed in 2014, provides state-of-the-art facilities, featuring separate rooms for rehearsing jazz, percussion and Javanese gamelan.

There’s also an acoustically superb recital hall, which doubles as rehearsal space for orchestra and choir, as well as sonically isolated practice rooms and teaching studios equipped with Steinway pianos.

Yes! The Rariden Scholarship is awarded annually to a student entering Earlham who is interested in pursuing an area within the visual and performing arts — art, music or theatre. Preference is given to a student from Wayne County, Indiana, although the selection committee will consider Indiana students from outside the county as well. The scholarship is $5,000 for each of a student’s four years at Earlham, totaling $20,000.

Earlham’s admissions counselors will screen applications from Wayne, Fayette, Randolph, Union and Franklin counties. The convener of the Visual and Performing Arts Division will send eligible applicants a letter and an information form in March. The form should be promptly returned to the Admissions Office.

Candidates will be contacted in April for interviews, and the winner will be notified by May 1.

In addition to this scholarship, there is financial assistance available through the Len Holvig and Anna Morrisett awards for singers and pianists, and numerous awards for private lessons.

If you hold a deep appreciation for the role music plays in life—for the individual, for society and globally and aspire to pursue graduate programs in ethnomusicology, music education, composition and performance, this program will be a great fit for you.

You might also find yourself among our graduates who have used their grounding in music to complement other majors and interests, like computer science and computer-generated music, languages and nonprofit work, and psychology and therapy.