Students who choose to major in Music may elect to concentrate in Performance. This area of concentration develops the skills, concepts and experience needed for a high level of proficiency in music practice. Additional coursework specific to the chosen area cultivates advanced skills in music performance.
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Performance Concentration Requirements
Core Requirements (42 Units)
Required
Complete three upper division courses:
1. Choose one course among these three:
- Develop compositional and analytical skills focus on tonal and post-tonal contrapuntal practices
- Music 122A: Counterpoint (4 units)
- Learn analytical methods
- Music 122B: Analysis of Tonal Music (4 units)
- Music 122C: Introduction to 20th- Century Composition (4 units)
2. Choose one course among these eight that satisfy the Writing In the Major (WIM) requirement:
- Acquire the capacity to write about music
- Music 140: Studies in Music of the Middle Ages (4 units)
- Music 141: Studies in Music of the Renaissance (4 units)
- Music 142: Studies in Music of the Baroque (4 units)
- Music 143: Studies in Music of the Classical Period (4 units)
- Music 144: Studies in Music of the Romantic Period (4 units)
- Music 145: Studies in Western Art Music Since 1900 (4 units)
- Music 146: Studies in Ethnomusicology (4 units)
- Music 147: Studies in Music, Media, and Popular Culture (4 units)
3. Choose one more course among the remaining nine listed in 1 and 2.
Note: A course cannot be used to satisfy more than one major requirement.
Choose a course or some courses among the following, for a minimum of 3 units
1. Develop proficiency with at least one instrument or voice
- Private lessons (1-3 units)
2. Ensemble
- Play/perform in various acoustical combinations: Solo, Chamber, and Large ensembles.
- Play/perform music with various repertoire
- Ensembles include:
- Music 159: Early Music Singers (1 unit)
- Music 160: Stanford Symphony Orchestra (1 unit)
- Music 160A: Stanford Philharmonia (1 unit)
- Music 161A: Stanford Wind Symphony (1 unit)
- Music 161B: Stanford Jazz Orchestra (1 unit)
- Music 162: Stanford Symphonic Chorus (1 unit)
- Music 163: Memorial Church Choir (1 unit)
- Music 165: Chamber Chorale (1 unit)
- Music 167: University Singers (1 unit)
- Music 171: Chamber Music (1 unit)
3. Acquire conducting skills
- Music 130B: Elementary Instrumental Conducting (2 units)
- Music 130C: Elementary Choral Conducting (2 units)
4. Play/Perform electronic music
- Music 128: Stanford Laptop Orchestra: Composition, Coding, and Performance (3-4 units)
5. Play/Perform improvised music
- Music 126A: Introduction to Thoroughbass, historically informed stylistic improvisation (1-3 units)
- Music 156: [sic] Improvisation Collective (1 unit)
6. Play/perform contemporary music, and collaborate with performers in having your music performed
- Music 160B: Stanford New Ensemble (1 unit)
- Music 161B: Jazz Orchestra (1 unit)
Note: A course cannot be used to satisfy more than one major requirement.
Choose a course or some courses among the following, for a minimum of 3 units
1. MST (Music, Science, and Technology)
- Music 101: Introduction to Creating Electronic Sounds (3-4 units)
- Music 155: Intermedia Workshop (3-4 units)
- Music 192A, B, C: Sound Recording (192A & B: 3 units each, 192C: 1-2 units)
- Music 220A, B, C: Computer Generated Sounds (2-4 units each)
- Music 223: Composition for Electronic Musicians (3-4 units)
- Music 223B: Sonic Experiments in Composition (1-3 units)
- Music 223C: Tradition, Experimentation, and Technology in String Quartet Composition and Performance (1-3 units)
- Music 223D: Sound Practice: Embodiment and the Social (2-3 units)
- Music 250A, C: Design of Digital Sounds for Interactive Performance (3-4 units each)
- Music 256A, B: Music Computing, Design (3-4 units each)
2. Composition
- Music 20C: Jazz Arranging and Composition (3 units)
- Music 112: Film Scoring (3 units)
- Music 113: Introduction to Instrumental Composition (2-3 units)
- Music 123A: Composition seminar: Rhythmic design (1-2 units)
- Music 123B: Composition seminar: Pitch design (1-2 units)
- Music 123C: Composition Seminar: World Music (1-2 units)
- Music 124A: Songwriters Workshop (1-2 units)
3. Orchestration
- Music 127A: Instrumentation and Orchestration (3 units)
- Music 127B: Advanced Orchestration (3 units)
Note: A course cannot be used to satisfy more than one requirement.
Performance Concentration Requirements by Area (20 Units)
CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS (STRINGS) 20 UNITS:
- Music 122D: Analysis for Performance (2 units)
- Music 171: Chamber Music * (6 units)
- --Music 160B or C may also apply toward the Chamber Music requirement
- Music 174/274: Applied Instruction (6 units)
- Music 198: Concentration Project (2 units)
- --Music 198 should be a Senior Recital (solo) for String Concentrators (2 units)
- Music 129: Advanced Ear Training (2 units)
- Music 160/160A: SSO/SPO** (2 units)
- Music 199: Independent Study (Junior Recital) (1 unit)
*Chamber Music refers to a small, unconducted ensemble
** Large, conducted ensemble
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES
1. Develop Solo and Ensemble Techniques
- Music 171: Chamber Music (additional quarters) (1 unit)
- Music 155S: String Literature* (weekly 50-minute class) (1 unit)
- Music 160/160A: SSO/SPO (additional quarters) (1 unit)
- Music 160B: Stanford New Ensemble (1 unit)
- Music 160C: Stanford Baroque Soloists (1 unit)
- Music 120D/E: Jazz Improvisation, Advanced Jazz Improvisation (1-3 units)
- Music 156C: [sic] Improvisation Collective (1 unit)
2. Develop aural and analytical skills especially pertinent to performance
- Music 113: Introduction to Instrumental Composition (2 units)*
- Music 122A: Counterpoint (4 units)*
- Music 122B: Analysis of Tonal Music (4 units)*
- Music 122C: Introduction to 20th-Century Composition (4 units)*
- Music 269: Research in Performance Practices (1-5 units)
3. Develop awareness of repertoire and cultural history
- Music 11N: Harmonic Convergence: Music’s Intersections with Science, Mathematics, History, and Literature (3 units)
- Music 11Q: Art in the Metropolis (3 units)
- Music 13N: Music and Politics: From Mozart to Miranda (3 units)
- Music 14N: Women Making Music (3 units)
- Music 33N: Beethoven (3 units)
- Music 80: Russian Modernists: Stravinsky & Shostakovich (3 units)
- Music 140-147 Any of these courses* (3-5 units)
- Music 155S: String Literature (1 unit)
- Music 223C: Tradition, Experimentation, and Technology in String Quartet Composition and Performance (1-3 units)
- Music 223D: Sound Practice: Embodiment and the Social (2-3 units)
- Music 244M: Robert Schumann and the Interpretation of Music Romanticism (3-4 units)
- Music 251: Psychophysics and Music Cognition (1-5 units)
4. The business of music: Entrepreneurship and Technology
- Music 6F: Arts is My Occupation (1 unit)
- Music 39B: Music and Healing (3 units)
- Music 132: Music Education: Then, Now, and Then Again (3 units)
- Music 153: Online Jamming and Concert Technology (2-4 units)
- Music 153B: Internet Ensemble Task Force (1 unit)
- Music 192A: Foundations of Sound-Recording Technology (3 units)
- Music 192B: Advanced Sound-Recording Technology (3 units)
- Music 192C: Session Recording (1-3 units)
- Music 196: Music Outside the Concert Hall (1 unit)
*If not already taken to fulfill the Core Requirements
Beyond the major:
- Take lessons and participate in chamber music for as many quarters as you can.
- Participate in large ensembles (ie., the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, Stanford Philharmonia) for as many quarters as you can.
- Participate in Departmental Awards and Concerto Competition auditions, and the Friends of Music Showcase performances
- Take advantage of the variety of ensemble opportunities offered in our department by participating in, for example, the Stanford New Ensemble and Stanford Baroque Soloists.
- Be part of the community: Expand existing music communities or create a new one. (See the new course, Music 196 – Music Outside the Concert Hall.)
- Attendance at enriching summer music programs is crucial. You will meet future collaborators and learn about graduate programs and teachers. Seek funding to support your attendance.
- Perform a Junior Recital.
- Develop collaborations with fellow musicians.
- Use the library and online resources to expand and diversify your knowledge of contemporary composers.
- Attend concerts and rehearsals on campus and throughout the Bay Area. Follow the contemporary music scene.
- Take advantage of the Stanford Overseas Study Program.
- Take advantage of the available funding during your Sophomore summer to develop and carry on your research.
- If you are considering graduate studies in performance, select target programs and study their entrance requirements and exams.
CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS: 20 UNITS
Private Voice Lessons - 2 Units/6 Quarters 12
- Music 173, Music 273: Voice concentrators are required to enroll in studio lessons for at least 6 quarters. Lessons are 3 units per quarter; 2 units will count toward the concentration.
The repertoire of voice concentrators may include works from multiple genres chosen in collaboration with voice teachers.
Music 198 Concentration Project (2 units) 2
- Adjudicated solo recital/project
- Dress rehearsal
- Program preparation
- Program notes (supervised by musicology faculty member) and translations
Vocal Repertoire (1 Unit Each Class – 3 of 4) 3
- Music 182: Diction for Singers (1 unit)
- Music 183A: German (Art) Song Interpretation (1 unit)
- Music 183B: French (Art) Song Interpretation (1 uint)
- Music 183C: Interpretation of Music Theater Repertoire (1 unit)
Vocal Pedagogy 1
- Music 60: Singing: How it is done, how to learn to do it, and how to work with people who do it (1 unit)
Vocal Stage Performance (Choose 1) 2
- Music 184B: Topics in Opera Stagecraft (2 units)
- Music 184C: Dramatic Vocal Arts: Songs and Scenes Onstage (2 units)
- Music 184A: Editing and Performing Early Music (2 units)
TOTAL UNITS: 20
BEYOND THE MAJOR (Examples of Courses for further study)
- Language study and competency (coordinated with university graduation requirements - additional language(s) in consultation with advisor)
Acting and Dance Classes
- Taps 120A: Acting I: Fundamentals of Acting (4 units)
- Dance 114: Movement for Actors]/Acting for Dancers: Techniques for the Contemporary Performer (1 unit)
- Dance 102/MUS 184E: Musical Theater Dance Styles (1 unit)
Further Music Courses
- Music 129 Advanced Ear-Training/Musicianship (1-2 units)
- Music 6F: Art is My Occupation: Professional Development in Music (1 unit)
- Music 2C: Introduction to Opera (3 units)
- Music 34N: Performing America: The Broadway Musical (3 units)
- Music 144M: Robert Schumann and the Interpretation of Musical Romanticism (3-4 units)
- Music/Taps 183E: Singing for Musicals (2 units)
Poetry/Literature
- English 92: Reading and Writing Poetry (5 units)
- English 40N: Theatrical Wonders from Shakespeare to Mozart (3 units)
- English 48N: The American Songbook and Love Poetry “A study of performances of songs by classic American composers” (3 units)
- English 160: Poetry and Poetics (5 units)
Philosophy/Aesthetics
- Phil 194F: Capstone seminar: Beauty and Other Forms of Value (4 units)
- Phil 335: Topics in Aesthetics (4 units)
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
- Pursue additional vocal study at summer festivals; participate in local singing workshops and masterclasses
- Foreign language intensive/immersion study (Overseas study, Middlebury, etc.)
CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS (KEYBOARD) 20 UNITS:
Develop solo and ensemble techniques.
- Music 172/272: Harpsichord, Organ, Fortepiano, Piano * (6 units)
- Music 171: Chamber Music (1 unit) ** (3 units)
- Music 126A: Thoroughbass Accompaniment (1 unit) (1)
- Music 160C: Stanford Baroque Soloists (1 unit) *** (1)
- Music 170: Collaborative Piano (1 unit) *** (1)
- Music 183A: German Art Song Interpretation (1 unit) *** (1)
- Music 183B: French Art Song Interpretation (1 unit) *** (1)
- Music 183C: Musical Theater Interpretation (1 unit) *** (1)
Develop aural and analytical skills especially pertinent to performance.
- Music 122D: Analysis for Performance (2 units) (2)
- Music 129K: Advanced Ear-Training / Musicianship for Keyboardists (2 units) † (2)
Develop awareness of repertoire and cultural history.
- Music 155A: Keyboard Literature (1 unit) ** (3)
Create a capstone project.
- Music 198: Concentration Project (2 units) (2)
TOTAL UNITS: 20
* Keyboard concentrators are required to enroll in studio lessons for at least 6 quarters. Lessons may be taken for up to 3 units, but only 1 unit will count toward the concentration each quarter.
** Keyboard concentrators are required to enroll in three quarters of Music 171 and three quarters of MUSIC 155A.
*** Keyboard concentrators are required to enroll in either Music 160C, 170, 183A, B or C.
† Note: Music 129K, which includes score reading and transposition in addition to ear training, is offered in alternate years for 1 or 2 units, but must be taken for 2 units to fulfill the Keyboard Concentration requirement
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES (KEYBOARD)
- Music 6F: Art is My Occupation: Professional Development in Music (1 unit)
- Music 11N: Harmonic Convergence: Music’s Intersections with Science, Mathematics, History, and Literature (3 units)
- Music 13N: Music and Politics: From Mozart to Miranda (3 units)
- Music 33N: Beethoven (3 units)
- Music 34N: Performing America: The Broadway Musical (3 units)
- Music 39B: Music and Healing (3 units)
- Music 80: Russian Modernists: Stravinsky & Shostakovich (3 units)
- Music 112: Film Scoring (3 units)
- Music 113: Introduction to Instrumental Composition (2-3 units)
- Music 122A: Counterpoint (4 units)*
- Music 122B: Analysis of Tonal Music (4 units)*
- Music 122C: Introduction to 20th-Century Composition (4 units)*
- Music 140-147 Any of these courses (3-5 units)*
- Music 148: Studies in Performance Practice (3 units)
- Music 192A: Foundations of Sound-Recording Technology (3 units)
* If not already taken to fulfill the Core Requirements
BEYOND THE MAJOR – RECOMMENDATIONS
The 62-unit structure is designed to provide a basic foundation in keyboard performance.
Students intending to delve deeper, and, in particular, those interested in professional careers and graduate studies should work with their advisor in order to be prepared to meet the anticipated expectations and requirements. This can be achieved by taking additional courses from the electives listed above, as well as others offered occasionally or by visiting artists. The following practices are also recommended:
- Be active in the Stanford music community.
- Seek opportunities for collaboration with fellow musicians.
- Serve as keyboardist with Stanford ensembles.
- Use the library and online resources to expand and diversify your knowledge.
- Attend Stanford keyboard and ensemble concerts and rehearsals, as well as professional keyboard performances and ensembles in the Bay area.
- Participate in workshops, masterclasses, summer institutes, and training programs, and find out about available partial funding (including possible assistance from Stanford).
- Develop a particular personal focus in keyboard performance.
- If relevant to that focus, attain competency in additional language(s).
- Take advantage of available funding during your Sophomore summer to carry out research.
- Take advantage of the Stanford Overseas Study Program.
- If interested in graduate study in keyboard, select target programs, study their audition requirements, and prepare during your junior and senior years.
CONCENTRATION REQUIREMENTS (WOODWIND, BRASS, PERCUSSION) 20 UNITS
1. Develop solo and ensemble techniques
- Music 175/275: Instrument Lessons * (6 units)
- Music 160/161: Major Instrumental Ensemble** (6 units)
- Music 171: Chamber Music (3 units)
2. Develop analytical skills especially pertinent to performance.
- Music 122D: Analysis for Performance (2 units)
- Music 6F: Art is My Occupation (1 unit)
3. Create capstone project.
- Music 198: Concentration Project (2 units)
TOTAL UNITS: 20
*Students are required to enroll in studio lessons for at least 6 quarters. Lessons may be taken for up to 3 units, but only 1 unit will count toward the concentration each quarter.
** List of Major Instrumental Ensembles
- Music 160: Stanford Symphony Orchestra (1 unit)
- Music 160A: Stanford Philharmonia (1 unit)
- Music 160B: Stanford New Ensemble (1 unit)
- Music 161A: Stanford Wind Symphony (1 unit)
- Music 161B: Jazz Orchestra (1 unit)
- Music 161D: Stanford Brass Ensemble (1 unit)
RECOMMENDED ELECTIVES
- Music 11N: Harmonic Convergence: Music’s Intersections with Science, Mathematics, History, and Literature (3 units)
- Music 13N: Music and Politics: From Mozart to Miranda (3 units)
- Music 31N: Behind the Big Drums: Exploring Taiko (3 units)
- Music 33N: Beethoven (3 units)
- Music 34N: Performing America: The Broadway Musical (3 units)
- Music 80: Russian Modernists: Stravinsky & Shostakovich (3 units)
- Music 112: Film Scoring (3 units)
- Music 113: Introduction to Instrumental Composition (2-3 units)
- Music 122A: Counterpoint (4 units)
- Music 122B: Analysis of Tonal Music (4 units)*
- Music 122C: Introduction to 20th-Century Composition (4 units)*
- Music 123A: Composition seminar: Rhythmic design (1-2 units)
- Music 130B: Elementary Instrumental Conducting (2 units)
- Music 140-147 Any of these courses (3-5 units)*
- Music 148: Studies in Performance Practice (3 units)
- Music 156: [sic] Improvisation Collective (1 unit)
- Music 161E: Stanford Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (1 unit)
- Music 161F: Ottoman Music Ensemble (1 unit)
- Music 169: Stanford Taiko (1 unit)
- Music 183D: Musical Theater (TAPS 115) (1-3 units)
- Music 192A: Foundations of Sound-Recording Technology (3 units)
- Music 199: Independent Study (Junior Recital) (1 unit)
* If not already taken to fulfill the Core Requirements
BEYOND THE MAJOR – RECOMMENDATIONS
The 62-unit structure is designed to provide a basic foundation in performance.
Students intending to delve deeper, and, in particular, those interested in professional careers and graduate studies should work with their advisor in order to be prepared to meet the anticipated expectations and requirements. This can be achieved by taking additional courses from the electives listed above, as well as others offered occasionally or by visiting artists. The following practices are also recommended:
- Be active in the Stanford music community.
- Seek opportunities for collaboration with fellow musicians.
- Develop a particular personal focus in your instrument performance.
- Attend concerts and rehearsals of major instrumental ensemble and chamber music.
- Study the instrument at summer workshops and festivals or take summer courses.
- Use the library and online resources to expand and diversify your knowledge.
- Participate in the Stanford Overseas Study Program.
- Take advantage of the available funding during your Sophomore summer to develop and carry on your research.
- If relevant to that focus, attain competency in additional language(s).
- If interested in graduate study in your instrument, select target programs, study their audition requirements, and prepare during your junior and senior years.
