Department of Music

Department Coordinator

C. Weatherford

Faculty

Cockerham, Rawls, Weatherford

Louisiana College’s Department of Music offers students a music education rooted in the liberal arts tradition.Courses are taught by established Christian educators who are also active performers, published authors, church musicians and pedagogues. The department’s purpose is to lead students to an understanding of themselves through the development of God-given talents. Committed to preparing a new generation of well-rounded musicians, Christian educators, performers and music ministers, the department offers a unique slate of degree programs designed to fit the career goals of each student. Recent graduates of Louisiana College have either become teachers,or have pursued further study in performance, conducting and church music at well-known institutions and seminaries.

The department also is involved in service. A wide variety of musical performances provides the Central Louisiana area with exposure to cultural, spiritual, and intellectual stimulation. Community members are welcomed by the department as performers in both instrumental and vocal ensembles.

Educational Objectives

To fulfill its purpose, the Department of Music aims at the following objectives:

1. To enable each student to develop self-awareness and fulfillment through an understanding and appreciation of the music experience, reflective of human experience; to increase awareness that participation in musical activities engages the total person, to promote intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social and physical growth in a simultaneous and cohesive experience; and to establish a clear understanding that the music experience is uniquely capable of assisting and enhancing spiritual awareness and growth.
2. To encourage each student to acquire a high level of knowledge, understanding and skill in music theory, history, and literature; to provide opportunities for thorough training for each student in a chosen area of performance and to awaken an understanding of the lifelong discipline necessary for continued performance; to equip each student to be a teacher and leader; and in addition to these core objectives, to equip each student in:

• Music/worship leadership with the musical, spiritual, and social skills to successfully develop and oversee a worship ministry.
• Performance with the solo and ensemble training, and social awareness necessary for a successful career in Christian performance in either voice or piano.
• Music education with the educational skill set necessary for successful teaching of secondary-school bands or choirs.

3. To assist music majors in relating music to the other disciplines, while assisting non-music majors in their understanding and appreciation of music as an essential ingredient of a complete education and philosophy of life.
4. To enrich the spiritual, cultural, and intellectual life of the college, community, and denomination by providing frequent opportunities to participate in music as performers or listeners; to offer performing experiences in vocal and instrumental ensembles for the college and community, with emphasis on excellence of literature and performance.
5. To maintain a high standard of faculty achievement, both in artistic performance and scholarly presentations.
6. To provide personal attention to each student’s needs in matters of academic concern, vocational objectives, and personal or spiritual matters.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Music is a liberal arts degree designed to offer students the opportunity to pair their studies with training in another discipline, be it a minor or double major. Such pairings result in tailored degrees that meet individual student needs. Some more conventional pairings would include: Minor in Worship Studies for the student interested in the application of music in church and other worship settings, Minor in Business for the student interested in pursuing a career in music business, Minor in Theatre for the student interested in pursuing a career in musical theatre, and Minor in Psychology for the student interested in pursuing a career in music therapy.

The Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music with concentrations in specific areas of music (Worship Leadership, Vocal Studies and Piano Studies) combine the breadth of curriculum of the liberal arts degree with the rigor of intensive training in career-specific programs. The concentrations in Vocal Studies and Piano Studies are designed to give students specialized training and opportunities for performance on their chosen instrument, in addition to that of the major coursework associated with the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree. The Bachelor of Arts degree in Music (Music/Worship Leadership) is designed for those students who feel called to leadership in music and ministry.

The Bachelor of Music degrees are professional degrees with curricula fashioned to provide excellent training in the specialization of each degree. Students graduating with these degrees are amply prepared to excel in their chosen careers as educators at the elementary or secondary level, including the education of choirs or bands. The curriculum in music education is approved by the Louisiana Department of Education for teacher certification.

The Minor in Music is designed to offer a series of music classes to equip the student for vocational participation in music. All music classes are open to elective students who meet the prerequisite requirements.

The Minor in Music/Worship Studies is offered to music majors who wish to learn applications of their musical training in the church or other worship settings. As a pre-requisite for this minor, students must demonstrate basic knowledge of fundamentals of music and music notation, either by passing a placement exam, or by passing Music Fundamentals (MU 140 ).

Admission as a Major or Minor in Music

Early in the process of applying for admission to the college, prospective music students should schedule an audition by contacting the Department of Music. No student may officially declare music as a major or minor without audition. Deficiencies may warrant special non-credit or remedial study. A student who, at the time of the audition, does not meet entrance requirements for a projected degree but who demonstrates potential may, at the recommendation of the music faculty, be accepted to the Department of Music on a “provisional” basis. Provisional students must fulfill all deficiencies within a specified time which will be stated in the initial letter of acceptance. Failure to correct the deficiencies within the specified time period will automatically terminate the student’s acceptance to the music degree plan.

Sophomore Proficiency

At the end of the second year of study, all students majoring or minoring in music must successfully complete a series of proficiencies before enrolling in applied music courses numbered 300 or above. The proficiencies incorporate a review of the student’s progress, overall academic record and potential for success in the chosen major. If, in the opinion of the music faculty, the student has not made satisfactory progress nor shown the potential for successful completion of upper level courses in his/her chosen area, the student will be advised to change degree programs.

In applied study, the student will be allowed one semester for remedial study and successful completion of the failed portion of the proficiency. If the proficiency in question is not completed at that time, the music faculty will determine what, if any, remedial study is indicated and whether continuation toward completion of the degree is recommended.

A student who transfers to Louisiana College as a junior or senior will be allowed one semester before taking the proficiencies and will register for applied instruction at the 200 level until the proficiencies are successfully completed.

Keyboard Proficiency

All music majors are expected to demonstrate an adequate proficiency in piano. For music students whose major or principal applied area is not piano or organ, this proficiency will normally take place during the course of the second or fourth semester of study. Students with adequate keyboard studies may take this proficiency at an earlier time. Each student will continue uninterrupted keyboard study until the required proficiency is passed. This means all piano lab credits must be earned in consecutive semesters regardless of the number of accumulated credits in keyboard. This requirement must be successfully completed by music education majors before enrolling for student teaching.

Applied Music

Instruction in piano, guitar, voice, organ, composition, woodwind and brass instruments is available to all Louisiana College students, provided all music majors and minors have been accommodated. Applied music instruction extends beyond the actual lesson and includes (and is evaluated on) individual practice, performance on recital-hour programs, and observation of other performers in recital hour, studio classes, and departmentally sponsored concerts and recitals. Applied lessons for electives (1 cr-hr) entail a 25-minute lesson/week, 30 minutes/week (average) of studio class attendance, and minimum 5 hrs/week of practice time (6 total hours/week for 1 cr-hr); applied lessons for music majors, including secondaries, (1 cr-hr) entail a 50-min/week lesson and minimum 5 hrs/week of practice time (6 total hours/week for 1 cr-hr); applied lessons for music majors in the B.A. Music (Vocal Performance or Piano Performance) degree programs (2 cr-hrs) entail a 50-min/week lesson, 30 minutes/week (average) of studio class attendance, and minimum 10.5 hrs/week of practice time (12 total hours/week for 2 cr-hrs). Practice time requirements are minimum benchmarks; students are obligated to spend whatever time is needed to meet the learning outcomes of the degrees.

Performance in recital-hour programs provides essential performing experience for all music majors in their major or principal performing areas. In addition, secondary, minor, and elective students may perform at the discretion of their instructor. Freshman majors and concentrations are expected to perform on Recital Hour once each semester. All other majors and concentrations perform at least twice each semester of applied study. Those students who are not music majors but are studying at the 300 level should also perform twice each semester. Minors, secondaries, and electives may elect to perform on Recital Hour at the teacher’s discretion. Failure to perform, unless exempted in writing by the Chair of the Department of Music after consultation with the applied instructor, will result in the applied music grade being lowered one letter grade. Students who do not complete the Senior Recital in the eighth semester must continue to enroll for enroll in applied lessons at the senior (400) level until the recital is completed.

Applied Music Instruction

These fees are in addition to tuition and do not include cost of practice facilities.

Programs

• Bachelor of Arts in Music
• Bachelor of Arts in Music (Piano Studies)
• Bachelor of Arts in Music (Vocal Studies)
• Bachelor of Arts in Music and Worship Leadership
• Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education
• Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education

• Music Minor
• Music/Worship Leadership Minor

Courses

• MU 395 Louisiana College Chorale
• MU 396 Voices of LC
• MU 396 Voices of LC
• MU 397 Louisianians
• MU 398 Gracenotes of LC
• MU 399 Elevate Worship
• MU 400 Senior Recital
• MU 410 Praxis Preparatory Seminar
• MU 432 Piano Literature (Piano Pedagogy V)
• MU 433 Song Literature
• MU 434 Piano Literature II (Piano Pedagogy VI)
• MU 436 Music Literature for Worship
• MU 437 Choral Literature (Performance Practices and Styles)
• MU 438 Band and Literature for Schools
• MU 439 Special Studies in Music
• MU 441 Orchestration
• MU 442 Twentieth-Century Music: Materials and Techniques
• MU 453 Vocal Pedagogy
• MU 462 Senior Worship Project
• MU 463 Worship Ministry Internship
• MU 471 Red River Wind Symphony
• MU 472 Louisiana College Wind Ensemble
• MU 473 Louisiana College Marching Band
• MU 474 String Orchestra
• MU 477 Jazz Ensemble
• MU 480 Brass Methods II
• MU 481 Woodwind Methods II
• MU 485 Piano Ensemble
• MU 487 Opera Workshop
• MU 495 Louisiana College Chorale
• MU 497 Louisianians
• MU 498 Gracenotes of LC
• MU 499 Elevate Worship