Degree Requirements

Voice & Opera

MM • Voice Literature & Pedagogy

Overview

The two-year Master of Music (M.M.) degree in Music Performance trains students as informed artist-performers. In addition to demonstrating technical mastery of their instrument or voice, students are expected to exhibit a thorough understanding of the theoretical, pedagogical, and historical aspects of the major, as well as a knowledge of the literature of their performance area.

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Contacts
Degree Requirements
Advising & Registration
Graduation Timeline
Important Links

Contacts

Administrative Contacts

Graduate Advisor | Director of Graduate Studies

Hannah Lewis

Scholarships & Assistantships

Lynda Oh

Graduate Admissions Coordinator

Daniel Seriff

HR Coordinator

Theresa Orendain

Graduate Coordinator

Marina Martinez

Operations & Scheduling

Page Stephens

Division Contacts

Division Head, Voice & Opera

J.D. Burnett

Area Counselor, Voice

Donnie Ray Albert

Area Counselor, Opera

Tamar Sanikidze

Faculty

Donnie Ray Albert

Senior Lecturer in Voice
Steven Brennfleck

Lecturer in Voice
Garnett Bruce

Resident Stage Director, Butler Opera Center
J.D. Burnett

Director of Choral Activities
Director, Concert Chorale
Division Head, Voice & Opera
Carlos Capra

Lecturer in Opera
Leah Crocetto

Lecturer in Vocal Arts
Liliana Verónica Guerrero

Assistant Professor of Voice
Douglas Kinney Frost

Principal Conductor, Butler Opera Center
William Lewis

Professor of Voice
James Maverick

Lecturer in Collaborative Piano
Cynthia Morrow

Assistant Professor of Practice in Voice
Suzanne Pence

Director, Treble Chamber Choir
Associate Professor of Music and Human Learning, Choral Conducting
Rick Rowley

Associate Professor of Practice
Vocal Coaching & Collaborative Piano
Tamar Sanikidze

Director, Butler Opera Center
Professor of Opera
Principal Opera Coach
Mikhail Smigelski

Lecturer in Voice

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Degree Requirements

The M.M. in Music Literature & Pedagogy requires 33 hours of registered coursework, a comprehensive examination, a recital, and a master’s report.

Major Coursework

Major Coursework for the M.M. in Literature/Pedagogy for Strings; Brass, Woodwinds & Percussion; and Voice Divisions
Hours	Course Number	Course Title/Description
6-9	MUS 387L or MUS 380	Advanced Studies in Music Literature or History & Culture of Music (2-3 semesters)
3	MUS 398M	Master’s Report
4	MUS 281P	Pedagogy (2 semesters)
6	MUS 698RA and MUS 698RB	Master’s Recital (2 semesters) The recital may be performed at any time during the third or fourth semester.

A comprehensive examination is required of all master’s degree candidates, usually in the final semester.

Supporting Work

Supporting Coursework for the M.M. in Literature/Pedagogy for Strings; Brass, Woodwinds & Percussion; and Voice Divisions
Hours	Course Number	Course Title/Description
3	MUS 398T MUS 388T MUS 388M 3	Pedagogy of Music Theory or Analytical Techniques or Contemporary Styles and Techniques
6	Inst. 380 or Inst. 280/480	Graduate Performance (2 semesters)
2	ENS 18x	Problems in Performance Practice (2 semesters)

Master’s Recital

Students must perform a public degree recital in their second year.

Find recital scheduling procedures on the Butler School Operations website.

Juries

Master’s students in Vocal performance/Literature and Pedagogy and Opera Performance must perform a 10-minute jury for during the first two semesters of study. Repertoire should consist of advanced art songs and arias, chosen in collaboration with the student’s instructor. All jury repertoire must be memorized.

Students should provide a “jury sheet” for all of the faculty with the repertoire they have prepared. Students are required to give minute synopsis for each selection from the stage.

Postponements are allowed for extenuating circumstances (injury, death in the family, etc.). No-shows are considered a failure. If a jury is postponed, the student must perform the jury within the first twelve class days of the following semester.

Jury comments from faculty will be shared with students.

Find more information about this semester's juries, including FDFJ forms and deadlines.

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Advising & Registration

For information about course registration, deadlines, adding and dropping courses and other policies, visit the Graduate School Academic & Registration Policies webpage.

Students who wish to take an independent study course need to fill out a Consent Form. Once the faculty member and Graduate Coordinator have approved your request, the bar to register for the course will be lifted.

To be eligible for fellowships, scholarships and assistantships, graduate students are required to be enrolled full-time (at least 9 hours).

All international students are also required to be enrolled full-time during each long semester, regardless of whether they receive funding from the Butler School of Music.

View a List of Upcoming Courses offered by Musicology & Ethnomusicology

Transferring Coursework

A new master’s student may petition to transfer up to six credits of graduate level coursework completed at another institution, subject to approval by both the Butler School of Music Graduate Studies Committee chair and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Detailed transfer regulations and forms for master’s students are maintained by the Graduate School.

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Graduation Timeline

Semester-by-Semester Overview

Prior to 1st semester

All students must take the diagnostic examinations in music history and music theory. Additional diagnostic exams are administered for students in composition, voice, jazz and music theory.

Semester 3

Registration for the following if required – MUS 698RA, 698A.
M.M. Piano Performance students take their group comprehensive exam.
With the approval of their studio teacher, some performance area students may perform their thesis recital.

Semester 4

Students must submit a completed M.M. degree check form to verify their completion of coursework.
Students must apply to graduate – check graduate school website for deadline.
Registration for the following if required – MUS 698RB, 698B, 398M.
M.M. String students take their group comprehensive exam.
All other students take individual comprehensive exams as arranged by their studio teacher (for performance area students) or their supervising professor (for academic area students).
Most performance area students perform their thesis recital.
M.M. Music & Human Learning – Non-Thesis Track complete their master’s project.
M.M. Music Theory, M.M. Music & Human Learning – Thesis Track and M.M. Composition students complete their master’s thesis or master’s report and submit it to the Graduate School.
M.M. Ethnomusicology and M.M. Musicology students complete their master’s report and submit it to the Graduate School.