Introduction Applied music study is essential in every music degree program as the avenue for the development of personal musicianship, competence in performance, and pedagogical understanding. In applied music courses, students integrate and apply theoretical, historical, and philosophical music information/concepts learned elsewhere in the curriculum. Applied music is comprised of intensive study of the instrument or voice in private lessons, studio and technique classes, and solo and small ensemble rehearsals and performances. Musical, technical, sight reading and pedagogical issues are addressed in weekly private lessons and studio classes through the study and performance/pedagogical annalysis of solo and small repertoire, etudes, and studies, and related literature. Students are assessed in performance examinations before the music faculty and in public performance. Expectations Books and other materials (mutes, instrument lubricants, etc.) need to be purchased. Dr. Babcock will help determine each individual s necessary books, solos, etudes, and other materials. Instruments need to be kept in good working order. Each week, students are given assignments to work on for the next lesson. Students are expected to practice outside of lessons and ensembles a minimum of six days a week. Advanced players should practice 2 to 4 hours a day. Two hours a day is appropriate for maintaining and improving. More than two hous a day is appropriate for a recital or audition. Less than two hours will only maintain some playing and is not enough for improvement. Students are expected to come prepared to all lessons, studio classes and special presentations. They are expected to perform in studio class and Student Recitals regularly. Most students perform a jury each semester (see Jury ). Things to consider: Take breaks in practice. Don t practice mistakes. Start by practicing SLOWLY. Goals in daily practice: Tone Air Embouchure Flexibility Scales Tonguing Slide Technique High and Low Range Dynamic Range Practice Tools: Metronome Tuner Recording device Mirror Special Practice Techniques: Buzzing Free Buzzing Octave Displacement Singing Changing Rhythms Singing Playing Tunes A good practicer: Knows how not to get discouraged Knows how not to practice mistakes Does attempt to get it the 1 st time Has a purpose for every exercise Sets goals, long term and short term Finds where the hard stuff is Practices the hard stuff Wants to get better at doing the hard stuff Practices without the instrument Practices the breath Thinks about and sings the music while not practicing Looks at the score (piano/orchestra) for insight Lets colleagues listen in for comments Is not afraid to play for people Listens to recordings Sings, dances and conducts themselves during practice Records and listens to their practice Uses a metronome in creative ways Uses a tuner in creative ways Knows that perfect practice makes perfect Feels physically good when playing Figures out the musical path Finds new innovative ways of altering the rhythm and phrase to find the music and practice the music Knows when to stop Knows when to start up again
Please use the following criteria to judge your own development. (based in part on Doug Yeo s What Makes a Good Student? ) Do you have the desire and will to improve? Do you go the extra mile to prepare material? Are you self-motivated? Do you practice 2-4 hours daily at least six days a week? Do you arrive punctually for lessons? Are you warmed up and ready to play for lessons? Do you view each lesson as a performance? Do you listen to recordings or review piano or conductor s scores for assigned music? Do you find out the history and/or story behind assigned music? Do you treat your applied professor with respect? Do you accept suggestions and criticism gracefully and non-defensively? Do you make excuses when you play poorly or simply say that you re unprepared? Do you inspire your peers to be better players? Do you realize that you have lots to learn from ALL your peers, regardless of where they sit in the section? Do you realize that you have lots to learn regardless of where YOU sit in the section? Do you attend your peer s recitals? Do you keep your instrument in good working order? Do you seek out opportunities to play trombone in a variety of musical ensembles? Do you make an effort to hear live professional performances? Do you feel as if you ve been cheated when placed lower than you feel you deserve in ensemble auditions or do you simply say that you must have not play as well as those who place ahead of you and will continue to improve? Do you demonstrate a cooperative, cheerful attitude when working with peers in ensembles? Do you seek out opportunities to compete based on the potential for financial reward or on its educational benefit? Are you willing to delay present pleasures in order to secure future rewards? Do you use technology in your daily practice routine? Do you record yourself? Do you purchase mutes and music when needed or borrow materials from others?
Applied Lessons Grading Policy Breakdown of Applied Lessons Semester Grade (2-4 credits)* 50% = Weekly Progress Students will be graded upon preparedness on assigned etudes, exercises and/or solos. 25% = Scales/Technique Each week students will be expected to work on assigned scales and technique. Students will be graded on assigned scales each week at assigned tempos. Scales and technique performed correctly must be continuous (no stops) and with good rhythm, intonation, tone quality and articulation. Scales not performed at a passing level (C or higher) will need to be repeated before the end of the semester. 25% = Jury At the end of each semester, all students taking 2 or more credits of lessons must perform a jury. Students performing a recital or other major performance on campus may have the jury requirement waived for the semester. In this case, the recital will be graded and take the place of the jury grade (see Jury ). *Students taking 1 credit lessons will be graded 66% weekly progress and 33% scales/technique. Attendance Students should attend as many music events as possible. Attendance is required at all lessons, studio classes and special presentations. Special presentations will be posted on Dr. Babcock s office door and web page throughout the semester. It is the student s responsibility to check the door/web page regularly for recent changes. When a student knows that he/she has a conflict with a required event (lesson, studio class, special presentation) it is the student s responsibility to contact Dr. Babcock in advance in person, phone or e-mail. Simply contacting Dr. Babcock does NOT grant an automatic exemption from a required event. Dr. Babcock must approve of the conflicting event and grant exemption. Each unexcused absence of a studio class or special presentation will lower the semester grade by one full letter grade. Three or more unexcused absences of a studio class or special presentation will result in failing applied lessons for the semester. A missed, unexcused lesson will be recorded as an F for that lesson s portion of the semester weekly progress grade and cannot be made up. Three or more unexcused lessons will result in failing applied lessons for the semester. Students will be allowed to reschedule one excused lesson. No unexcused lessons will be made up. If the conflict originates with Dr. Babcock, the lesson certainly will be made up. However, whether the conflict originates with Dr. Babcock or the student, it is the responsibility of the student to reschedule the lesson in a timely manner. Lessons that are preempted because of university-wide holidays or ensemble tours are not figured into the applied lessons grade. Student Recital Performance Each student is encouraged to perform in a Student Recital once each semester. Scheduling needs to happen during the first lesson of the semester. Music Performance majors are required to perform once a semester, and all other majors once a year. Students are to select and prepare a suitable piece/etude with help from Dr. Babcock. They should be prepared to discuss any musical, technical or formal aspects of the piece including knowledge of the composer. Students performing a recital or other major performance on campus may have the Student Recital requirement waived for the semester. Jury All MEDI, MPRF, MUTR and MUSC students are required to perform a jury before a faculty jury panel at the end of every semester except where indicated (see jury requirements below). Juries are graded and written comments provided. Each jury panel member will assign a grade that will be averaged for a final jury grade which will count toward 25% of the final semester grade. A gateway jury, to determine whether a student will be approved for upper-level study (400-level), will normally be held at the end of the fourth semester of study, provided that the student has met the minimum proficiency requirements as determined by each applied studio. Students who have not met the minimum proficiency requirements will repeat the fourth semester of applied music until the minimum proficiency requirements have been met, but the additional lower-level applied music credits will not count towards their applied music requirement. Students who are denied upper-level applied
music study will remain in lower-level study, and the additional lower-level applied music credits will not count towards their applied music requirement. A second and final gateway jury may be performed in the subsequent semester (fall or winter). If the student does not pass the second gateway jury, the student will not be allowed to continue as a music major. At the discretion of the applied faculty member, the jury requirement, in whole or in part, may be waived or modified during the semester of a half or full solo recital. All juries except for the gateway jury will be 8 10 minutes in length. The gateway jury will be approximately 20 minutes in length. Failure to perform a required jury will result in failure of the course. LOWER-LEVEL JURY REQUIREMENTS Minimum requirements for Semester 1 Repertoire as determined by the applied faculty. Sight-reading as determined by the applied faculty. Minimum requirements for Semester 2 Technical studies, including scales, as determined by individual applied studios. Etude or unaccompanied solo. Sight-singing as determined by the applied faculty. Minimum requirements for Semester 3 Repertoire as determined by the applied faculty. Sight-reading as determined by the applied faculty. Minimum requirements for Semester 4 ( Gateway Jury ) [effective Winter, 2010] Repertoire: one or more etude(s) or solo movement(s) as approved by the applied professor; accompaniment is required where indicated by the musical score. Technical studies, including scales, as determined by individual applied studios. Sight-reading as determined by the applied faculty. NOTE: Students must pass each element of the jury, i.e., repertoire, technical requirements and sightreading, in order to advance to upper-level applied study. UPPER-LEVEL JURY REQUIREMENTS Minimum requirements for Semester 5 Repertoire as determined by the applied faculty. Sight-reading OR playing by ear as determined by the applied faculty. Minimum requirements for Semester 6 Technical studies, including scales, as determined by individual applied studios. Etude or unaccompanied solo. Sight-singing as determined by the applied faculty. NOTE: This jury may be waived for MPRF students performing a junior recital. Minimum requirements for Semester 7 Repertoire as determined by the applied faculty. Sight-reading OR playing by ear OR improvisation demonstration as determined by the applied faculty. Minimum requirements for Semester 8 This jury may be waived for students performing a senior recital. All others will be determined by individual applied faculty.
Solo/Joint Recitals Students are encouraged to perform solo or joint recitals. Students must perform in a Student Recital (or equivalent, as approved by Dr. Babcock) at least twice before the solo/joint recital whether or not the recital is required of the student s degree program. Degree recitals will be graded and may take the place of a jury, at the discretion of Dr. Babcock. Semester Assignments Fall and Winter: Students will randomly be chosen to perform at the beginning of studio class. All students will participate in trombone choir. Students will be required to complete announced assigments. Fall: Students will be expected to collect and turn in a file of past programs/information sheets from musical events (recitals, master classes, etc.) in which they participated during their college career. They may also wish to include, in a separate space, materials they feel would be good musical reference for their intended career. Winter: Students may participate in trios and quartets. Improvisation Elements of basic jazz improvisation (scales, ear training, and creating new music) will be addressed during the course of applied lesson study. Additionally, students may choose to conduct a more intense the study of improvisation with Dr. Babcock during one semester of applied lesson study. Concert Attire For any performance event, students are NOT permitted to wear jeans or t-shirts or tennis shoes. Students are expected to perform in at least business casual attire. Recitals must be even better dressed. More specific concert attire information will be given before a major performance. Additional Important Grading Information 1. Students must receive a C or better in EACH (12/24/36) scale in the assigned pattern(s) within the semester in order to get a C or better applied grade. 2. Failure to complete a specific assigned task/project, e.g. perform a solo/etude/duet in studio class, complete a listening assignment, etc., will lower the semester grade by one full letter. 3. Students must receive a C or better applied semester grade in order for it to count toward the gateway jury. 4. A semester grade of I will only be given under the most extreme circumstances. If it is given, the very next lesson(s) taken by the student, no matter when they are scheduled, will serve to resolve the incomplete grade. The student is responsible to make up lessons that count toward changing a grade of I in a timely manner.
Entrance and Exit Requirements Requirements for Admission into Trombone Applied Lessons A personal audition with Dr. Babcock or a tape recording will serve to determine the student s ability and to make appropriate level placement. Students enrolled in trombone study are expected to complete the minimum requirements as outlined below in order to attain a proficiency level necessary to complete each level of study and to meet graduation requirements for each degree program. Each semester of study is considered to be a prerequisite for continuing study. However, a passing grade does not necessarily mean an automatic advancement to the next level. The true exit requirement for promotion in level, or for graduation, is the approval of Dr. Babcock and the jury panel. Levels of Study for Trombone Since no two students will enter the program at exactly the same level, the following is a general indication of MINIMUM achievement at each level. Many students will enter the program with greater levels of ability than is shown in the first few course numbers. Nevertheless, all students will proceed through all the course numbers required by their particular degree. NON-MAJOR Semester 1 115A 115B (1 credit - non-major elective study) (2 credits - non-major elective study) Fundamentals of tone production, embouchure, breath and articulation All major scales one octave in quarter notes mm=60 Warm-up, flexibility and range Semester 2 and subsequent semesters 115A (1 credit - non-major elective study) 115B (2 credits - non-major elective study) Improve range, slide technique and fundamentals Basic legato technique Introduction to tenor clef Pedal tones All major scales and arpeggios, one octave in eighth notes mm=60
MAJORS (MEDI, MUTR, MPRF, MUSC) Semester 1 116A (1) (2 credits - normal incoming level for MUSC, MEDI and MUTR) 116B (1) (4 credits - MPRF degree) Semester 2 116A (2) 116B (2) All students entering at this level must be able to perform all major scales one octave (up and down) in quarter notes at quarter = 120, from memory. Tone, breathing, flexibility, articulation, range, clefs, F-attachment, multiple tonguing Continued technique through etudes Tenor: Rochut, Blazhevich or Fink, Arbans, Mueller or McGregor, Bona Bass: Bordogni, Ostrander or Raph, Blume-Fink, Blazhevich Possible Solos Tenor and Bass: Barat Andante et Allegro, Galliard or Vivaldi or Telemann sonatas, Blazhevich Concert Piece #5, Handel From Celestial Seats and Ev ry Valley, Faure Apres un reve, Fox Andante and March, Guilmant Morceua Symphonique, Ropartz Andante and Allegro Various Orchestral Excerpts and Jazz Concepts Semester 3 116A (3) 116B (3) Semester 4 116A (4) 116B (4) Second year level for all majors except MPRF. Review fundamentals Intermediate level clef, articulation, range and F-attachment Play by ear Continued technique through etudes Tenor: Freshman list plus Tyrell and Sauer Bass: Freshman list plus Ostrander Shifting Meter Possible Solos Tenor: Grafe Concerto, Saint-Saens Cavatine, Marcello Sonata in a minor, Hindemith Sonata, Croce-Spinelli Sonata, vonkreisler Sonatina, Handel sonata in f minor, Novarski Concerto, Glen Eden Polka, Jones Sonatina, Nestico Reflective Mood Bass: Bach Air and Bouree, Hindemith Drei Leichte Stucke, Lieb Concertino Basso, McCarty Sonata, Sache Concertino, Jacob Cameos Various Orchestral Excerpts and Jazz Concepts A Gateway Jury is typically performed at the end of this 4 th semester
Semester 5 416A (5) 416B (5) Semester 6 416A (6) 416B (6) (4 credits - normal incoming level for MPRF) Ability-wise, the entrance level for MPRF degree; Junior year for all students Graduating level for MUSC degree MPRF majors typcally prepare and perform a junior recital Range, flexibility, and sight-reading Solo music (for recital) and chamber music Required work on F-attachment and clefs (if deficient) Etudes Tenor: Sophomore list Bass: Sophomore list plus Gillis and Fink (tenor clef) Possible Solos Tenor: David Concertino, Davidson Sonata, Gouinguene Concerto, Handel Adagio and Allegro, Grondahl Concerto, Larsson Concertino, McKay Sonata, Serocki Sonatina, Shostakovich Four Preludes, Hogberg Su Ba Do Be Bass: Bach Cello Suite 2, Bozza Allegro et Finale, Prelude et Allero, Theme Varie, Hartley Suite, Lebedev Concerto in One Movement, Tcherepnine Andante, Defaye Duex Dances, Telemann Fantasies, Mueller Preludium Chorale and Variations, Vaughn-Williams Six Studies Various Orchestral Excerpts and Jazz Concepts Semester 7 416A (7) 416B (7) Intermediate level for MPRF Graduating level for MUTR degree More clef reading, difficult etudes, solo and chamber literature, orchestral literature Solidify extreme ranges Semester 8 416A (8) 416B (8) Graduating level for MPRF; advanced for all others Emphasis on degree recital Etudes Tenor & Bass: Junior lists Possible Solos Tenor: Pryor Blue Bells of Scotland, Bach cello suites, Bozza Ballade, Caserede Sonatine, Defaye Deux Danses, Dutilleux Choral Cadence et Fugato, Jacob Concerto, Albrechtsberger Concerto, Berio Sequenza V, Bloch Symphony, Creston Fantasy, Druckman Animus I, Marin Ballade, Milhaud Concertino d hiver, Serocki Concerto, Stevens Sonata, Wagenseil Konzert, Rabe Basta, White Sonata. Bass: Bach Cello Suite 1, Vaughn-Williams Tuba Concerto, Tomasi Etre ou ne pas etre, Bitsch Impromptu, Bozza New Orleans, Casterede Fantaisie Concertante, Hartley Sonata Breve, Lebedev Concert Allegro, Spillman Concerto, Two Songs, Stevens Sonatina, White Tetra ergon, Wilder Sonata, Casterede Sonatina for Tuba, Ross Prelude Fugue and Big Apple, Thom Ritter George Concerto, Uber A Delaware Rhapsody Various Orchestral Excerpts and Jazz Concepts
GRADUATE STUDENTS 551, 553 (1 credit - elective) 552, 554 (2 credits - open to all majors) These course numbers are typically for graduate students who are unclassified, or who are pursuing a Master s degree in Composition, History, Education, or a non-music degree. This level will entail review and solidification of technique. It will give extensive familiarity with literature. The emphasis will be on both recital literature and pedagogy. 651, 653 (1 credit - continuing education or secondary instrument minor) 652, 654 (2 credits - performance) These courses are at the master of music performance entrance level. 661, 663 (1 credit - continuing education or elective study) 662, 664 (2 credits - performance) These courses are for the second year of graduate study at the performance level.
Length of Private Lessons: 1 credit = 1/2 hour per week 2 or 4 credits = 1 hour per week Applied Lessons Policies Students should self-register for applied lessons except for first semester past a Gateway Jury. Students taking a Gateway Jury will need the signatures of the jury panelists to advance to the next level of applied lessons. The instructor reserves the right to group students into semi-private or class lessons up to two times a semester. Often group lessons prove to be advantageous. Any student who leaves the program (does not take applied music) for one year or more is required to reaudition to return. Such students may have to wait for a space to open in the studio, even though they reaudition successfully. Cell phones need to be in silent mode for lessons and studio class. They need to be off for performances. Only emergency calls should be answered during lessons and studio class. Please step outside class to answer them. Official communication is through emich email. The professor will make every attempt to answer email within a 48 hour window during the semester. If after 48 hours no response is received, please resend the email. In addition to the articulated instructor course specific policies and expectations, students are responsible for understanding all applicable University guidelines, policies, and procedures. The EMU Student Handbook is the primary resource provided to students to ensure that they have access to all university policies, support resources, and student s rights and responsibilities. Changes may be made to the EMU Student Handbook whenever necessary, and shall be effective immediately, and/or as of the date on which a policy is formally adopted, and/or on the date specified in the amendment. Please note: Electing not to access the link provided below does not absolve a student of responsibility. For questions about any university policy, procedure, practice, or resource, please contact the Office of the Ombuds: 248 Student Center, 734.487.0074, emu_ombuds@emich.edu, or visit the website: www.emich.edu/ombuds. Student Handbook Link: https://www.emich.edu/studenthandbook/index.php Graduate School Policies: http://www.emich.edu/graduate/policies/index.php