Department of Music

Robert L. Elliott, D.M.A., Department Chair
104 Performing Arts Center
Telephone 615-963-5341

Faculty: M. Crawford, S. Daniels, T. Davis, R. McDonald, D. Nettles, L. Rasmussen, P. Reeves, J. Tackett, R. Todd.

Mission Statement

The Department’s mission is to contribute to the comprehensive formation of all university students through multi-faceted engagement with music. By facilitating expansion of the general student’s aesthetic perspective and by nurturing the music major’s development in performance, music education, scholarly inquiry into both western and world music, and technological innovation, the Department aids students in becoming highly motivated, life-long learners.

Goals:

Provide both undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare majors for successful futures as elementary and secondary educators, performers, graduate students, researchers and music industry professionals.
Serve the university as a whole by 1) enhancing its cultural life with a wide array of musical performances; and 2) providing non-majors with numerous opportunities to learn about and participate in the making of music.
Establish and develop professional relationships with other musicians at the local, regional, national and international levels in order to provide students with an accurate perspective on and opportunity to interact with the global community of musicians.

Objectives:

By the end of their course of study, students will:

possess a fundamental understanding and mastery of the practical skills necessary in order to successfully pursue a music career, whether it be in education, performance or the music industry.
have contributed significantly to the cultural and aesthetic welfare of both the university and of the community at large by providing a broad variety of musical performances.
be able to demonstrate critical thinking skills in both written and verbal format, within both a Western and a global context.
have developed into self-motivated, life-long learners who are fully capable of making valuable contributions to society.

Degree Programs: The Department offers the Bachelor of Science in Music Degree with concentrations in 1) Instrumental/General Music Education, 2) Vocal/General Music Education, 3) Liberal Arts, and 4) Commercial Music with emphases in Business, Technology and Performance. In cooperation with the College of Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning, the Department of Music also offers the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in Music. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for more information.

Accreditation: The Department of Music is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the official accrediting agency for schools of music in the United States. The teacher certification programs in Music are approved by the Tennessee Department of Education. In addition, the National Council on the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has extended national accreditation to the teacher certification program of the University.

General Education Core: Specific requirements for the General Education Core, which consists of 41 credit hours plus Orientation, vary for each of the above-mentioned Degree Programs. These requirements are available at www.tnstate.edu/music.

Music Core: Specific Music Core requirements for each of the above-mentioned Degree Programs are available at www.tnstate.edu/music.

Additional Requirements for Music Majors: Each student must declare a primary applied area of performance and focus in this area as indicated in each degree plan. Students must present recitals as noted in the specific degree program.

A piano skills diagnostic test will be administered upon admission and the student will be advised as to the best manner of meeting the required piano proficiency. Each music major is encouraged to experience a variety of additional ensembles, whether enrolled for credit or for zero credit.

Teacher Certification for Music Education Majors

Music Education majors who seek teacher certification in Music must make official application for admission to the Teacher Education Program, located in the College of Education. They must have a minimum 2.75 cumulative grade point average at the time of application and must pass the Core Academic Skills Test. Students who have earned a 22 or better on the ACT or a 1020 or better on the SAT are exempt from the Core Academic Skills Test. Formal admission to the Teacher Education Program is a prerequisite to enrolling in all upper-level certification courses. A year-long practicum of Residency 1 and Residency 2 is required of all candidates for certification. For a complete list of requirements for admission to and retention in the Teacher Education Program, see College of Education section of this Catalog.

Students are required to seek advisement regarding their licensure programs during their Freshman year at Tennessee State University to ensure that all prerequisite courses and teacher licensure exams are completed as required.

It is mandatory that students confer with departmental advisors prior to registering each semester.

Programs

Major

Minor

Music Minor

Post-Baccalaureate Certification

Music, K-12 Post-Baccalaureate Certification

Courses

Applied Music Courses

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