Department of Music & Performing Arts
Program
Overview
The
Music program at the University of St. Francis
is focused primarily on Choral-Vocal music; students
can choose which program is right for them, including
the Bachelor of Arts in Music, non-teaching or
teaching (with State of Illinois certification,
Type 10, K-12) or the Bachelor of Music program
(Piano or Voice). This degree is more performance
oriented and may be appropriate for pianists or
singers who wish to perform, become accompanists,
or who might consider post-graduate degrees. The
University offers a variety of performance ensembles
to students, including a Concert Choir (the Schola
Cantorum), a Chamber Choir, Music Theatre, and
an Orchestra.
Faculty
Faculty
in USF's Music Department are musicians who are
actively involved in performance, research and
teaching and who bring a variety of talents to
the classroom, rehearsal hall, and teaching studio.
This dedicated group will immerse students in
music theory, music history and performance to
help them prepare for lifelong careers.
Career
Outlook
The
BA (non-teaching program) requires relatively
few hours and may easily be combined with another
degree program or minor (business or theology,
for example). A graduate with these combined degrees
might look at music business or church music as
a career.
The BA in Music (Certification in Music Education, Type 10, K-12) will prepare the musician to be a general music teacher or choral director in an elementary, middle, or high school. This program will be overseen jointly by the Fine Arts Department and the College of Education. State accreditation for this program is pending.
The BM is a more professional and performance-oriented degree which requires considerable hours in applied piano or voice. It would be most appropriate for the student who wishes to establish a strong foundation for a career in performance or pedagogy, accompanying, church music or other professional music fields. It is ideal for a student planning to go on to graduate school in music.
What
are the requirements to enter the USF Music Major
program?
All
entering freshmen and transfer students must do
a performance audition in Voice or Piano and take
a music fundamentals exam before being admitted
to the program. Please consult your admissions
counselor for more information about these requirements.
Can
students transfer into the music major?
We
encourage students to transfer into our program,
particularly those from NASM (National Association
of Schools of Music) accredited programs. Talk
to one of our transfer counselors about transfer
options.
Performance Opportunities
- Schola Cantorum: 35-40 voice choral ensemble performing works from all historical eras. Has performed Handel's Messiah, Vivaldi's Gloria, Gregorian Chant, Spirituals, and contemporary works by well established composers as well as student composers.
- Chamber Singers: Small, mostly a capella choral group (12-16 voices); focuses on Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque works for chamber choir; also sings Jazz and contemporary works.
- The Joliet Orchestra of the University of Saint Francis: New in fall 2005, the Joliet Orchestra is comprised of members of the Joliet community as well as USF students and staff; will perform twice each year.
- Music Theatre/Opera Theatre: After great success with Cabaret and Anything Goes in past years, we will continue this spring with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Will perform a musical or light opera every spring.
- Honors Recital: Selected students from each teaching studio perform in a special recital at the end of each semester.
Participation in one or more of the University performance ensembles is required each semester.
USF Music Department Mission Statement
The USF Fine Arts Department's Music Division strives to develop musicians artistically, intellectually, and technically, to prepare student musicians for careers as performers, teachers, and administrators, and to instill in students a lifelong passion for music. The study of and engagement in music affords the student the opportunity to ponder the greater questions about the nature of our humanity and our place in the universe. These endeavors --however difficult they may be to assess-- have an effect on the human spirit and are in keeping with the USF Mission Statement "to provide a forum for a consideration of the transcendent and the ultimate questions of human existence."