BA in Music
The bachelor of arts (B.A.) in music program provides experiences across the liberal arts with a focus on music. Real-world internship opportunities, guest lecturers and performers, access to cutting-edge technology, and an outstanding and dedicated faculty provide majors with opportunities to develop strong musicianship skills and broad music knowledge.
The BA in Music has three available concentrations: General, Music Industry, and Performance. Please see below for information about each concentration.
Music, B.A., General Concentration
The bachelor of arts (B.A.) in music General Concentration provides experiences across the liberal arts with a focus on music. Real-world internship opportunities, guest lecturers and performers, access to cutting-edge technology, and an outstanding and dedicated faculty provide majors with opportunities to develop strong musicianship skills and broad music knowledge.
General Concentration students are required to complete at least four semesters of one-on-one vocal or instrumental study, supplemented by six semesters of participation in a major performance ensemble.
A culminating capstone project requires all B.A. candidates to design their own individualized study or performance, in conjunction with a faculty mentor, which may comprise a recital, internship, senior thesis, or special project.
Learn more about the General Concentration
Music, B.A., Music Industry Concentration
The Music Industry program at Buffalo State offers a comprehensive education that blends the creative and business aspects of today’s evolving music landscape into a new and progressive industry program. Students will gain insight into the music industry through a myriad of course offerings designed to foster the creation and promotion of a professional portfolio, a key focus of our program.
Our curriculum prepares students to become well-versed in the needs of a 21st-century music maker and includes courses that explore copyright law, music licensing, digital distribution, live performance, social media, artist management and private instrument instruction. Our curriculum emphasizes hands-on experience with industry-standard tools like digital audio workstations (DAWs), internships, studio time with professional-grade equipment, and portfolio-building opportunities.
The program also offers robust internship opportunities in areas like record labels, recording and sound design, nonprofit organizations, and other music business-related fields, providing students with real-world experiences to further enrich their portfolios. These internships also offer critical networking opportunities, helping students build professional connections that can launch their careers.
If you do not yet play an instrument, have formal training, or read music, please contact Evan Drummond.
Music, B.A., Performance Concentration
This concentration provides differentiated curricula for students wishing to pursue a more performance-focused program and prepares students for applied graduate study or careers in music performance.
Students enrolled in the performance concentration take lessons for all 8 semesters of study, participate in additional primary and chamber ensemble opportunities, and are required to perform both a junior (half) and senior (full) recital.
Music majors may apply for the performance concentration when they have enrolled in MUS 273: Applied Music. Learn more here about Performance Concentration Admission Procedures.
Entrance Audition
For New and Returning Students
All prospective music B.A. students must audition for admission to the Music Department. Prospective students are afforded two opportunities to audition for admission, a third audition is not permitted. Admission to the B.A. in music is based on the outcome of the audition and interview.
Students who have taken a leave of absence exceeding one academic year will be required to audition and interview for readmission to the Music Department.
NASM Competencies
Consistent with the mission, goals, and objectives of the Buffalo State College Music Department, the music faculty expects all B.A. in Music degree candidates to demonstrate the following competencies:
BA.1. General Education
BA.1.1. The ability to think, speak, and write clearly and effectively, and to communicate with precision, cogency, and rhetorical force.
BA.1.2. An informed acquaintance with the mathematical and experimental methods of the physical and biological sciences; with the main forms of analysis and the historical and quantitative techniques needed for investigating the workings and developments of modern society.
BA.1.3. An ability to address culture and history from a variety of perspectives.
BA.1.4. Understanding of, and experience in thinking about, moral and ethical problems.
BA.1.5. The ability to respect, understand, and evaluate work in a variety of disciplines.
BA.1.6. The capacity to explain and defend one’s views effectively and rationally.
BA.1.7. Understanding of and experience in one or more art forms other than music.
BA.2. Musicianship
BA.2.1. The ability to hear, identify, and work conceptually with the elements of music -- rhythm, melody, harmony, structure, timbre, texture, and so forth.
BA.2.2. An understanding of and the ability to read and realize musical notation.
BA.2.3. An understanding of compositional processes, aesthetic properties of style, and the ways these shape and are shaped by artistic and cultural forces.
BA.2.4. An acquaintance with a wide selection of musical literature, the principal eras, genres, and cultural sources.
BA.2.5. The ability to develop and defend musical judgments.
BA.3. Performance and Music Electives
BA.3.1. Ability in performing areas at levels consistent with the goals and objectives of the specific liberal arts degree option being followed.
BA.3.2. Understanding of procedures for realizing a variety of musical styles.
BA.3.3. Knowledge and/or skills in one or more areas of music beyond basic musicianship appropriate to the individual's needs and interests, and consistent with the purposes of the specific liberal arts degree option being followed.
BA.3.4. The ability to read at sight with fluency demonstrating both general musicianship and, in the major performance area, a level of skill relevant to professional standards appropriate for the particular music concentration.
BA.4. Composition and Improvisation
BA.4.1. Students must acquire a rudimentary capacity to create derivative or original music both extemporaneously and in written form.
Additionally, B.A. in Music students are evaluated and assessed utilizing 11 different key competency assessments as follows:
- Applied Music Juries
- Music Theory Assessment
- Aural Perception Assessment
- General Education Courses/Electives
- Music History Assessment
- Composition, Improvisation, and Arranging (CIA) Assessment
- Capstone Project Assessment
- Introduction to Music Studies and Careers Assessment
- Professional Disposition Reports
- Small/Large Ensemble Participation
- Concert Attendance
This map shows the relationship between the competencies expected for the degree and the 11 assessments listed above. Furthermore, the map shows in which courses the competency is addressed and assessed.