Applied Music (BM)
The Bachelor of Music Degree in Applied Music is designed for students who want a career as performers.
The study program foments experiences of intense artistic creativity under the personal attention of a specialized faculty, successful in facilitating the access to professional connections that may define the career of the future performer. In addition, the participation in ensembles and individual classes that allow the development of performance skills in a broad variety of musical styles is promoted.
A musical formation is obtained by means of the constant study of the process of the creation of music, its history, literature, analysis techniques, conducting and performance. Under the supervision of a faculty member of applied music, who will also be their academic adviser, students will have the opportunity to take individualized classes in their main instrument, in piano, and in another secondary instrument. Students will appear as soloists in recitals, will participate in chamber ensembles, and in larger ensembles, be they choral or instrumental.
Students entering the program will take a placement test in rudiments of music and in their instrument. This test must be approved more with a minimum of 70 percent; otherwise students must take preparatory courses. Preparatory courses exist for those students who need them.
The San Germán Campus is authorized to offer this Program.
Competencies Profile of Graduates
The programs are designed to develop the competencies that will enable students to:
Knowledge
Demonstrate knowledge of and understand:
- The theoretical foundations and appropriate auditory skills to harmonize music on the keyboard or on the guitar.
- The elements of music as they have evolved through different historical and cultural periods: tempo, melody, harmony, tone, texture and form.
- The diverse techniques of musical arrangements.
- The process of musical composition solving arguments on the esthetic properties and style of an ample selection of representative literature of the main eras and genres.
Skills
- Develop their musical quality and the technical skills necessary to obtain an expressive musical execution, by presenting repertoire of varied styles as a soloist, and in sets.
- Improvise harmonies on the piano or guitar, with transpositions when necessary.
- Develop skills and apply necessary techniques in conducting, to take a score and to prepare it for a practice, by located indicators that will allow it to give form to an appropriate interpretation.
- Demonstrate the use of advanced auditory skills that will allow them to read and sing the parts of a musical score for instrumental or vocal groups, for analysis, preparation for a practice or conducting.
- Interpret music at first sight with the necessary exactitude to:
- contribute successfully to the development of the sets in which they participate.
- use this knowledge as a learning tool.
- select and prepare a repertoire for a practice.
- Demonstrate capacity to use their conducting technique as a means to communicate an interpretation that is musical and aesthetically convincing.
- Develop skills to take rhythmical, melodic and harmonic dictation.
- Develop skills in applications of technology to: prepare simple Web pages, improvise on MIDI keyboards, compose using sequencers, record and edit sequences in MIDI format, record and edit audio, write and edit musical annotation in a computer.
Attitudes
- Demonstrate discipline and commitment towards the practice of their instrument by participating effectively as a soloist in recitals, and in sets of several sizes.
- Voluntarily attend recitals, concerts, classes, theatrical works and other productions.
- Form a good documented judgment on the capacity that the historical and cultural context has to influence the musical production of a country.
- Value Puerto Rican and Latin American music in the planning of their concerts, by demonstrating knowledge of its history and musical genres.
- Value technology as a process, a tool capable of extending their musical and creative capacities.
Requirements for the Bachelor of Music Degree in Applied Music
| General Education Requirements |
48 credits |
| Major Requirements |
62 credits |
| Prescribed Distributive Requirements |
6 credits |
| Elective Courses |
6 credits |
| Total |
122 credits |
General Education Requirements - 48 credits
Forty-eight (48) credits are required as explained in the section “General Education Requirements for Bachelors’ Degrees.”
Major Requirements - 62 credits
Note:
Students of violin, viola, cello and contrabass must take courses MUSI 1251-4251.
Course MUSI 1401 requires courses MUSI 1111 and 1112 or passing a placement test.
Prescribed Distributive Requirements - 6 credits
Six (6) credits chosen from the following courses:
Note:
A maximum of 6 credits Courses in French, Italian, German and Portuguese.
For courses 1701-1892 and 2701-2892, it must be an instrument other than student’s principal instrument.