Majoring in MUSIC
Near the end of his long life, the great naturalist Charles Darwin was asked if he had any regrets. He answered that he was sorry he had never learned to enjoy music, for he was sure that he had missed an important part of life. Indeed, human beings have long found in music the harmony and order and solace that they can find nowhere else.
Whether your interest in music is to listen intelligently or to perform brilliantly, UNLV's Department of Music has a program for you. Courses in music are offered for the cultural benefit and enjoyment of all university students as well as for the training of those seeking a professional career.
The Curriculum
The main qualification for a music major at UNLV is a background in music skills and a strong interest in performance. Prospective music majors working toward the bachelor of music degree may choose one of four special interest areas: applied music, composition, music education, and jazz studies.
In addition to a special interest area, each music major declares a specific instrument or voice, and may declare a secondary subject as well, depending on interest.
While taking applied music subjects, students perform regularly in a studio or repertory class; upper-division students must appear in scheduled student recitals at least once each semester. The department offers private instruction on every instrument.
Students pursuing the composition emphasis study music from theoretical and historical perspectives while experiencing the satisfaction of formal composition study with a private teacher.
The music education curriculum amply prepares students for teaching careers with either a vocal or instrumental emphasis. Along with a core program in music history and theory, the student receives training in all aspects of music education, including student teaching.
In addition to these requirements, all students must fulfill all university and College of Fine Arts general education core curriculum requirements. The Music Department is one of the most visible to the Las Vegas community, and its impact is felt in all aspects of the city's cultural life. The department serves as a headquarters for , Chamber Music Southwest, the Mariposa Trio, and the Sierra Winds. The combination of a strong faculty and active programs makes UNLV a center for a wide range of musical activities.
All students are eligible to participate in the Department's ensembles, which include the Chorus, Jazz Ensemble, Las Vegas Chamber Players, the UNLV Orchestra, the Wind Ensemble, and many smaller groups. Undergraduates often play next to more advanced graduate students in these groups. The Department hosts an annual concerto competition for its full-time students. The winners perform with the orchestra in the spring.
Students also enjoy the opportunity to play for the Department's opera productions, for the Theatre Department's musicals, and for resident dance ensembles.
The UNLV jazz program offers a unique internship program in which students have the opportunity to work with professional musicians at Las Vegas Strip hotels.
Career Opportunities
Degree requirements and elective courses are designed to give students the best possible preparation to enter the music profession or music graduate schools. Some of the department's graduates are working here in Las Vegas, while others are professional musicians or teachers in other parts of the country. The department's reputation for excellence has attracted students from throughout the United States and enhanced job opportunities for graduates.
The Career Services Office in Room 301 of the Student Services Complex has an extensive career library. Check with them early. This office will also arrange campus interviews with organizations interested in hiring music majors. It also will establish and maintain a lifetime placement file for UNLV graduates.
Faculty and Facilities
The music faculty represents a blend of extensive professional experience and impressive formal music education. Faculty academic backgrounds include outstanding schools such as the University of Illinois, Peabody Conservatory of Music, the University of Michigan, and Columbia University. Professional experience ranges from the Boston Symphony to recording studios; the Los Angeles Monday Evening Concerts to the Las Vegas Strip hotels; International operatic venues; and New York's Lincoln Center recitals to Broadway shows.
The Department of Music is housed in the Alta Ham Fine Arts Building and the Beam Music Center. The Alta Ham Fine Arts Building is a multi-million dollar facility offering jazz/percussion ensemble rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, studio offices, piano studio repertory rooms, an organ studio, and a small recital hall. The new Beam Music Center offers a state-of-the-art recording studio and MIDI lab, band/orchestra and opera/choral rehearsal rooms, new teaching studios,a modern Music Library which houses all scores, all recorded materials, and current reference resources, and the 300-seat Dr. Arturo Rando-Grillot Recital Hall.
The Freshman Year
While most students enter the music program with a background of private instruction plus some experience with music notation and ear training, the department offers a number of non-credit courses for those without this training. All entering music majors take a theory placement examination and are placed according to their demonstrated proficiency. The examination consists of written harmony, dictation, keyboard, and sight-singing. A typical first-year schedule is shown below.
First Semester Music Education
- MUS 100
- MUS 201E
- MUS 201F
- MUS 109
- MUS 131
- MUS 272 (instrumental majors)
- MUS 273 (vocal majors)
- MUSA XXX-section 3, first-semester applied lessons
- (call Music Dept. 895-3332, for call number)
- MUSE XXX, music ensemble
- ENG 101
- POS 101 or HIS 100
Second Semester Music Education
- MUS 100
- MUS 202E
- MUS 202F
- MUS 110
- MUS 271
- MUS 272 (instrumental majors)
- MUS 273 (vocal majors)
- MUSA XXX-section 3, second-semester applied lessons
- (call Music Dept. 895-3332, for call number)
- MUSE XXX, music ensemble
- ENG 102
First Semester Applied Music
- MUS 100
- MUS 201E
- MUS 201F
- MUS 109
- MUS 131
- MUSA XXX-section 2, first-semester applied lessons
- (call Music Dept. 895-3332, for call number)
- MUSE XXX, music ensemble
- ENG 101
Second Semester Applied Music
- MUS 100
- MUS 202E
- MUS 202F
- MUS 110
- MUSA XXX-section 2, second-semester applied lessons
- (call Music Dept. 895-3332, for call number)
- MUSE XXX, music ensemble
- ENG 102
- PSY 101 or HIS 100
First Semester Composition
- MUS 100
- MUS 201E
- MUS 201F
- MUS 109
- MUS 131
- MUS 113
- MUSA XXX-section 3, first-semester applied lessons
- (call Music Dept. 895-3332, for call number)
- MUSE XXX, music ensemble
- ENG 101
Second Semester Composition
- MUS 100
- MUS 202E
- MUS 202F
- MUS 110
- MUS 113
- MUSA XXX-section 3, second-semester applied lessons
- (call Music Dept. 895-3332, for call number)
- MUSE XXX, music ensemble
- ENG 102
- PSY 101 or HIS 100
First Semester Jazz Studies
- MUS 100
- MUS 201E
- MUS 201F
- MUS 109
- MUS 131
- MUS 258
- MUSA XXX-section 4, first-semester applied lessons
- (call Music Dept. 895-3332, for call number)
- MUSE XXX, music ensemble
- ENG 101
Second Semester Jazz Studies
- MUS 100
- MUS 202E
- MUS 202F
- MUS 110
- MUS 358
- MUSA XXX-section 4, second-semester applied lessons
- (call Music Dept. 895-3332, for call number)
- MUSE XXX, music ensemble
- ENG 102
- PSY 101 or HIS 100
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is committed to academic excellence in each of its more than 150 undergraduate and graduate programs. Following a decade of unprecedented growth in enrollment and facilities, the campus is now focusing its resources on those qualities which make a university great: its academic offerings, its faculty and staff, and its students.
The university's commitment to learning is reflected in the core curriculum required of every student. The core provides a solid background in the humanities, fine arts, mathematics, science, English, and social sciences. Its purpose is to broaden the knowledge of all students, regardless of major.
Approximately 22,000 students attend classes at UNLV's 335-acre campus, located in the nation's fastest growing city. While most students are Nevada residents, a lively mixture of international and out-of-state students adds to the cosmopolitan quality of the campus.
Residence halls on the UNLV campus are the home of more than 1,000 students. Each double-room arrangement shares a full bathroom. The complex is complete with meeting rooms, recreational facilities, mail services, fitness rooms, and computer labs.
All academic programs at UNLV are fully accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, and many programs have received further accreditation from independent national accrediting bodies.
Additional information is available in the Undergraduate Catalog or from:
College of Fine Arts
Department of Music
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
4505 Maryland Parkway
Box 455025
Las Vegas, NV 89154-5025
Phone: (702)895-3332