Music majors develop skills in musicianship and performance, while increasing their knowledge and curiosity about music. The music program offers broad opportunities to perform and create music, through ensembles, music technology, composition, improvisation, solo performance, and major productions. Students may pursue the general BA in Music degree, with possible concentrations in performance, choral music, sacred music, or composition, or a BA in Vocal Music Education with K–12 certification. Music students may also choose to pursue a double major at Centenary College. The music degree makes an excellent partner with a number of other disciplines.
Proficiencies: Music majors at Centenary have many opportunities to improve their skills in performance, presentation and leadership. The School of Music requires all its graduates to be proficient in performance, music history and literature, music theory, sight-reading, and piano. Final performance juries each semester require students to sight-read and to answer questions about the musical literature they have studied that semester. At the end of the fourth semester of study, all music majors are tested in performance, sight-reading, and piano skills before a full faculty panel. At the conclusion of their degree program, seniors are tested again in music history and literature, music theory, sight-reading, and piano during Senior Seminar. Students gain confidence in their skills as they practice them repeatedly under pressure.
Ensembles: All full-time students pursuing a music degree must enroll in at least one ensemble for each semester in which they are at Centenary. Although the Hurley School of Music wishes to encourage enrollment in all of its music ensembles, students pursuing a music degree must enroll in particular ensembles, according to their primary applied area.
Recital Hour: As part of the School of Music's emphasis on performance and synthesis of learning, all music students are required to enroll in the weekly recital hour class every semester (MUS 001-002). This class brings together all music majors from every specialization for a performance class once a week. Students are assigned at least one performance date each semester; and at least one date each semester when they will serve as part of a student peer-review panel for Student Recital Hour. Students perform for each other, ask each other questions about their performances and the background of their music, and discuss the context of their pieces.
All Bachelor of Arts in Music students will complete the music core curriculum and 8 hours of electives. Students wishing to pursue a concentration within the BA will substitute the elective courses that comprise a particular area of concentration.
Ensemble courses may be taken for zero or one credit.
Electives chosen from: 101 Introduction to Music Education, 143 Music Appreciation, 305 Music Technology II, 327-328 Conducting, 335 Keyboard Pedagogy, 360-460 Sacred Music I & II, 395-396 Special Topics, 401 Advanced Theoretical Concepts, 428 Advanced Conducting, 443S Music Literature, 449 Vocal Pedagogy, and 491 Independent Study. Applied lessons, MUS 190 Centenary in Paris, and MUS 111 Introduction to Music Threory may not count toward the eight hours. At least 4 hours of elective credit must be from courses numbering 300 or above.
Students wishing to take the 180-280 series of applied lessons may request permission from the Dean of Hurley.
Electives (8 hours): 327-328 Conducting, 401 Advanced Theoretical Concepts, 428 Advanced Conducting, or 443 Music Literature.
Students wishing to take the 180-280 series of applied lessons may request permission from the Dean of Hurley.
Electives: Any Ensemble (4hrs maximum) or 112/122 Music Theory, and any 300-level or above.
Approved by the College and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the National Association of Schools of Music
Teaching is both a science and an art. At its core, the study of education is interdisciplinary, always intertwining the mastery of content knowledge with the practice of pedagogy. The Department of Education and the Hurley School of Music offer an innovative program that effectively prepares students to teach in elementary and secondary schools as well as other education-related careers. Students are afforded opportunities to extend their liberal arts learning through inquiry into theory, the science of human learning, and applied teaching research. The Centenary College Department of Education is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. The Hurley School of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
Education Core
Music Education Methods
Music Courses
Supportive courses chosen from Centenary College core curriculum
Clinical Practice