Minor in Conducting: Music Education Track
The conducting minor is an organized program of courses for students interested in conducting. The minor in conducting will consist of 10–12 credit hours, including core courses in conducting, orchestration, and specialized advanced electives, as well as opportunities for individual instruction through COND-498 Directed Study in Conducting. Students will decide on one of four tracks: contemporary (i.e., orchestral), theater music direction, choral, or music education.
The music education track is focused specifically for students who plan to be music educators as conductors of secondary school concert bands, orchestras, and choruses. Many of the courses will be taken through the Music Education Department.
The repertoire studied will be appropriate to secondary school levels. Students will learn the accepted international standard of grading literature by difficulty in order to prepare future teachers for appropriate repertoire selection. Specific conducting techniques in preparing young musicians in ensembles, such as preparation, rehearsal etiquette, stage presence, and sectional and private practice routines, will be addressed. Students in this track will take specific conducting classes as well as additional studies in instrumentation and scoring for strings.
There are no entrance requirements for this minor. Students must follow the regular declaration of minor procedure as outlined in the Registration Guide. This minor is managed by the Composition Department.
- analyze and transcribe music scores in a variety of styles for a variety of ensembles (e.g., chamber orchestra, chorus);
- demonstrate the ability to prepare a score for rehearsal;
- demonstrate the ability to rehearse common secondary school ensembles (e.g., wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, chorus, marching band);
- conduct public performances and recording sessions;
- develop concert programs of appropriate difficulty for secondary school students;
- synthesize and apply knowledge of orchestration techniques to score preparation, rehearsal, and performance; and
- teach concert etiquette, rehearsal technique (individual and sectional), and other performance skills to secondary school students.
Required Courses (12 credits)
- COND-221 Choral Conducting for Music Education Majors (2 credits)
- COND-222 Instrumental Conducting for Music Education Majors (2 credits)
- COND-321 Choral Rehearsal Techniques for Music Education Majors (2 credits)
- COND-322 Instrumental Rehearsal Techniques for Music Education Majors (2 credits)
- CM-231 Instrumentation and Score Preparation (2 credits)
- CM-341 Scoring for Strings (2 credits)
Six courses are required for completion of the minor.