Mission Statement of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music
To educate and inspire exceptional students for successful careers as artists, teachers, and scholars through practical global experiences in a vibrant performance-oriented setting.
Contents
Goals
- Ensure artistic and academic excellence.
- Attract and inspire exceptional students.
- Advance global experiences.
- Provide a dynamic academic and performance environment.
- Engage in community outreach and fundraising.
Objectives
1. Ensure Artistic and Academic Excellence
- Provide academic instruction to prepare students for successful careers as artists, educators, composers, and scholars.
- Prepare students for advanced study.
- Maintain and strengthen our graduate program.
- Foster intellectual and musical expression through research, creative, and scholarly activity.
- Mentor students in performance, teaching, research, and writing.
- Continually develop, review, and revise curricular offerings.
- Maintain curricular currency in educational technology.
- Offer an abundance of performance opportunities in Major Performing Organizations, chamber music, and other opportunities.
- Develop music educators who utilize appropriate pedagogical educational practices.
- Support attendance and participation in performance and research at state, national, and international conferences.
- Invite guest artists, composers, scholars, and educators to campus.
- Provide guidance and timely feedback during the entire process of writing a project report or thesis.
- Provide the foundations required to use basic music technology.
- Empower students to envision and pursue their own careers.
- Provide the foundations required to succeed in the business of music.
- Conduct exit interviews and assess overall conservatory excellence.
2. Attract and inspire exceptional students
- Identify, contact and engage students who demonstrate determination, curiosity, and a strong work ethic.
- Offer competitive scholarships.
- Assess recruitment activities annually.
- Produce appropriate and sufficient recruitment materials for print and digital delivery.
- Ensure that the audition day experience is informative and professional for prospective students and their families.
- Track follow-up contact and admission responses by frequent contact between music office and area directors.
- Attend California All State Music Education Conference and other conferences as appropriate.
- Strengthen the Bob Cole Honor’s Festival for high school students.
- Maintain a current web presence and engagement through social media.
- Invite potential students and their families to performances.
3. Advance Global experiences
- Fund Major Performing Organizations and other ensembles to provide experience with diverse musics.
- Fund Major Performing Organizations to provide outreach and travel experience in the state, nationally, and internationally.
- Seek culturally and professionally diverse performance and academic experiences.
- Offer courses that explore global performance practices.
- Fund student application fees and travel expenses for advanced study and professional development events.
4. Provide a Dynamic Academic and Performance Environment
- Foster a collegial community of students, faculty, and staff.
- Perform in an appropriate state-of-the-art concert venue.
- Maintain suitable state-of-the-art rehearsal, performance, and classroom facilities.
- Acquire and maintain professional equipment, music, resources, and instruments.
- Produce concerts and other musical events of the highest quality for CSULB and the greater community.
- Secure opportunities for students to perform, research, and teach alongside faculty.
- Provide an environment which encourages and supports faculty development through research, scholarly, and creative activity.
- Keep in contact with the conservatory and university communities through a weekly update of announcement and activities, and a weekly email listing performances, master classes, and lectures.
- Nurture an environment of acceptance and safe spaces for students, staff and faculty.
5. Engage in community outreach and fundraising.
- Educate students campus wide to enrich their musical appreciation and understanding of music.
- Offer non-music majors at CSULB the opportunity to perform in an ensemble.
- Maintain and strengthen professional relationships with local school districts.
- Cultivate audiences for our performances.
- Build a cohort of professional alumni with whom new graduates can network.
- Encourage long-term alumni involvement.
- Track alumni employment and activities and assess how skills are transferred to multiple arts-related careers.
- Cultivate donors, patrons, and supporters of the conservatory.
- Support faculty and students to engage with the community.
Student Learning Outcomes
Undergraduate
I. Bachelor of Arts In Music
Students will demonstrate:
- a junior-level of performance ability on a primary instrument or voice
- a working understanding of tonal and chromatic harmonies, and musical form and analysis
- knowledge of Western Art music history including popular music history and world musics
- collaborative competence and knowledge of repertoire through participation in large or small ensembles
- basic keyboard competency as determined by departmental standards
- an understanding of music within the broader context of interdisciplinary studies, diversity, and contemporary thought
- an ability to think and write clearly and effectively at a college-level
- synthesis of learning objectives and research skills culminating in a comprehensive senior paper
II. Bachelor of Music—Core Student Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate:
- a knowledge of Western musical theory including tonal and chromatic harmonies, counterpoint and contemporary musical styles
- the ability to analyze important musical forms from each era of Western music history
- the ability to read at sight with fluency and notate advanced aural dictation
- basic keyboard competency as determined by departmental standards
- the capacity to create original or derivative music either through musical composition and/or improvisation
- collaborative competence and knowledge of important repertoire in both large and small ensembles
- advanced knowledge of Western Art Music history and literature from all eras
- ability to recreate performance styles from each era of music history
- entry-level professional performance skills on a primary instrument or voice
- an ability to think and write clearly and effectively at a college-level
- synthesis of important learning outcomes through the performance of a capstone public Senior Recital on the major instrument or voice
- knowledge and skills sufficient to work as a leader and in collaboration with others on matters of musical interpretation
BM Music Education (in addition to the Core BM SLOs above)
Students will demonstrate:
- rehearsal and conducting skills sufficient to work effectively as a leader in musical interpretation and pedagogy
- the ability to arrange music in various genres for K-12 school ensembles
- teaching skills appropriate for K-12 music education including beginning vocal and instrumental methods
- knowledge of pedagogy appropriate for all levels of K-12 music education
- developing professional competencies appropriate to all levels of the K-12 classroom including methodologies, philosophies, materials, technologies, and curriculum development
- the ability to inspire students’ imagination and respect for music as a art form
- a personal commitment to the art of music
BM Music History & Literature (in addition to the Core BM SLOs above)
Students will demonstrate:
- A sophomore performance level on a major instrument of voice
- a variety of historical methodologies with critical interpretations for each era of music history
- interdisciplinary connections between music history and music theory, ethnomusicology, and the humanities
- language skills in French, German or Italian at the sophomore. level
- advanced knowledge of Western musical styles from medieval repertories through contemporary musics
- a variety of scholarly approaches and research skills appropriate to the discipline
- Advanced research capabilities and synthesis through the preparation of an original Senior Thesis project
BM Composition (in addition to the Core BM SLOs above)
Students will demonstrate:
- a sophomore performance level on a major instrument of voice
- achievement of entry-level professional skills in the use of advanced compositional techniques to develop original works in diverse genres from conception to completed works
- advanced knowledge of contemporary repertoire
- skills in composing for acoustic instruments as well as electronic media
- development toward a unique creative compositional voice
- advanced compositional capabilities and synthesis through the preparation of a public Senior Composition Recital project of all original music
BM Performance Concentrations (in addition to the Core BM SLOs above)
Students will demonstrate:
- ability to act as a leader in collaborative musical interpretation and conduct at a beginning level
- the ability to prepare and successfully perform a full junior recital during the term of study
- advanced knowledge of Western music history including performance practices and styles, appropriate to their instrument or voice
Voice Concentration (in addition to BM Performance SLOs above)
Students will demonstrate:
- foreign-language speaking and diction skills in French, German and Italian at the sophomore level
- a knowledge of song repertoire and vocal pedagogy
Opera Concentration (in addition to BM Performance SLOs above)
Students will demonstrate:
- foreign–language diction skills in French, German and Italian at the sophomore level
- a knowledge of opera repertoire and vocal development
- the ability to move on stage to an entry-level professional standard
Jazz Studies Concentration (in addition to BM Performance SLOs above)
Students will demonstrate:
- advanced skills in jazz arranging and composition
- advanced skills in jazz improvisation
- knowledge of jazz history and literature
- skills in jazz ensemble performance including pedagogy, styles and repertoire
- jazz piano proficiency equivalent to the standard set by the department
Graduate
I. Master of Arts in Music
Music Education
Candidates have advanced critical thinking and writing skills. Candidates have substantial knowledge of:
- History and philosophies of music education
- Music education learning theories
- Current educational issues in the schools
- Teaching methodologies and means of assessments
- Multicultural issues and resources
- Research skills and scholarship in the field
- The use of technology as a teaching tool
Musicology
Candidates have advanced critical thinking and writing skills. Candidates have substantial knowledge of:
- Modes and approaches to scholarly inquiry
- Current issues in musicology
- Publications in the discipline
- Multicultural musics and resources
- Research and evaluative skills
- Use of technology in the classroom
Music Theory
Candidates have advanced critical thinking and writing skills. Candidates have substantial knowledge of:
- Modes and theoretical approaches to music
- Current issues in the field
- Publications in the discipline
- Cross-cultural theoretical skills
- Research and evaluative skills
- Teaching methodologies, including the use of technology
II. Master of Music
Composition
Candidates have in-depth understanding of:
- Contemporary musical styles and techniques
- Aesthetics of contemporary music
- Notational practices in music
- Use of technology as a compositional tool
- Approaches to teaching theory/composition
- Research and writing in the discipline
Conducting
Candidates have in-depth understanding of:
- Diverse musical styles
- Breadth of repertory in the field
- Performance practice issues in the discipline
- Aesthetic issues relating to performance
- Cross-discipline issues in conducting
- Research and writing in the discipline
Performance
Candidates have in-depth understanding of:
- Diverse musical styles
- Breadth of repertory in the field
- Performance practice issues in the discipline
- Aesthetic issues relating to performance
- Pedagogical issues relating to the instrument
- Research and writing in the discipline
Opera
Candidates have in-depth understanding of:
- Diverse musical styles
- Breadth of repertory in the field
- Stage movement and acting
- Aesthetic issues relating to performance
- Pedagogical issues relating to the instrument
- Research and writing in the discipline