Music, Dance and Theatre

Rossey Hall, Room 234
201-200-2025
http://www.njcu.edu/department/music-dance-and-theatre

The Music, Dance and Theatre Department offers two master’s degree programs:

  1. Music Education, M.A.
  2. Performance, M.M.

Master of Arts in Music Education

In addition to the general graduate study admission requirements, an applicant for admission to this degree program is required to satisfy the following pre-requisites:

  • A completed graduate application form, including a $55 non-refundable application fee

  • A 250-500-word essay discussing your goals and objectives for pursuing admission to the degree program to which you are applying
  • Official transcripts from all previous colleges attended or official NACES course-by- course evaluation of any foreign transcripts
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation
  • Professional Resume or CV
  • Official documentation of English Language Proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS) or waiver if applicable

Pre-requisites:

  • An undergraduate degree with a major in music, or in exceptional cases, a proven equivalency in music theory, music history, and music education.

Master of Music in Performance

In addition to the general graduate study admission requirements, an applicant for admission to this degree program is required to satisfy the following:

  1. An undergraduate degree with a major in music or, in exceptional cases, a proven equivalency in music theory, music history, and repertory.
  2. Proficiency in performance as demonstrated by an audition on a major instrument or voice.

Specializations

The six areas of specialization in the Master of Music in performance program include the following:

  1. Classical - Instrumental
  2. Classical - Vocal
  3. Composition
  4. Jazz
  5. Multiple Woodwinds
  6. Multi-Style Strings

Desamparados Fabra Crespo, Chairperson
Associate Professor of Music, Dance, and Theatre
Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Valencia,Valencia, Spain; The Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, New York, M.M.; The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, Ph.D.

Gabriel Alegria
Assistant Professor of Music, Dance, and Theatre
Kenyon College, B.A.; City University of New York, M.A.; University of Southern California, D.M.A.

Gilles Bernard
Assistant Professor of Music, Dance, and Theatre
The Juilliard School, B.M., M.M.; Manhattan School of Music, D.M.A.

Marc G. Dalio
Associate Professor of Music, Dance, and Theatre
Rowan University, B.M., Boston University, M.M.

Stelio Dubbiosi
Professor of Music, Dance, and Theatre
Fordham College, B.S.; Manhattan School of Music, M.M.; New York University, Ph.D.

Min Kim
Professor of Music, Dance, and Theatre
The Juilliard School of Music, B.M., M.M.; Eastman School of Music, D.M.A.

Martha Mooke
Assistant Professor of Music, Dance and Theatre
Coordinator of Strings/Director of Multi-Style Strings
State University of New York, Albany, B.A.; University of Massachusetts, Amherst, M.M.

Robert W. Prowse
Associate Professor of Music, Dance, and Theatre
Rowan University, B.A.; Westminster Choir College, Rider University, M.M.; University of Cincinnati, D.M.A.

Robert Romeo
Assistant Professor of Music, Dance, and Theatre
New Jersey City University, B.A.; New York University, M.A.

Various discipline-specific concentrations that will prepare students for multiple fields of employment or areas of additional graduate study are noted below. Course requirements for each concentration are explained in detail. The requirements for graduation, in addition to completion of the major area, are listed on "Completing a Graduate Program."

 

Music, Dance, and Theatre (MDT)

NOTE: No more than three 500-level courses below can be counted towards a master’s degree.

MDT 500 Louis Armstrong-American Hero (3 Credits)

A study of the development of jazz with Louis Armstrong as the vehicle: who he influenced and how he did it. Comparative analytical studies with his peers and other musicians are explored.

MDT 501 Baroque Music (3 Credits)

This course offers a study of 17th and 18th century music with particular emphasis on the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, Dietrich Buxtehude, Arcangelo Corelli, Francois Couperin, Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli, George Frederick Handel, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Claudio Monteverdi, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti, Gerog Telemann, and Antonio Vivaldi.

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241, 242, and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 502 Classical Music (3 Credits)

This course is a study of the major works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert.

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241,242,and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 503 Romantic Music (3 Credits)

This course is a study of the major orchestral and solo instrument compositions written during the nineteenth century.

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241, 242, and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 504 The Opera (3 Credits)

This course involves the study of some of the major operatic masterpieces from Monteverdi to the modern era.

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241, 242, and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 505 Contemporary Music (3 Credits)

This course involves the study of the major compositional techniques and innovations developed in twentieth century music.

MDT 506 Music in America (3 Credits)

This course engages in an appraisal of American music and its contributions to the cultural, social, and religious life of our country.

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241,242,and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 507 Computer Music (3 Credits)

This course is a study of tape techniques, manipulation and modification. It includes terminology of electronic synthesis and electronic music repertory.

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241,242,and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 508 Woodwind Literature and Performance (3 Credits)

This course is a survey of the most important Western European Classical literature written for woodwinds from the Baroque to the present. These works will be analyzed in detail and examined within the context of instrumental development. Class performances involving students and faculty will occur throughout the semester.

MDT 509 Advanced Jazz Improvisation (3 Credits)

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241,242,and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 510 Latin American Music (3 Credits)

A course in the music of selected Latin America countries offering music and Spanish-language majors and educators perspectives into the musical traditions of this multifaceted region. Analysis of the music will be discussed in terms that accommodate non specialists, and all lyrics will be supplied with English translations.

MDT 511 Vocal Pedagogy (3 Credits)

This course is to provide the student of singing a deeper understanding of the vocal process, physiology, and synergistic nature of the vocal mechanism. We will explore the anatomical construction of the voice as well as its function in order to enlighten the performer, pedagogue and scholar. Each student will learn to codify a practical knowledge of, and skill in, teaching voice.

MDT 512 Technology in Music Performance and Composition (3 Credits)

This course introduces the fundamentals of music technology geared to the needs of today's professional musician. To cultivate a successful music career, musicians today must have an understanding of incorporating technology in their work. This course provides tools to enable the student to explore, perform and create using technology.

UG , MDT 123, MDT 131, MDT 132, and MDT 135.

MDT 515 Community Music Education (3 Credits)

This course in the Music Education program examines music education practices outside of the K-12 environment, referred to as informal learning or community music, such as community bands and choirs, jam bands, drum circles, etc. Strategies specific to informal learning and adult learning will be examined as well as studio teaching and management. Participation in a community ensemble will provide skill building.

MDT 520 Musical On B'Way&Hollywood I (3 Credits)

This course offers an analysis of current Broadway musicals with special seminars with those connected with one or two productions. Major movie musicals are analyzed which may include the “golden oldies” and the transfer from Broadway to Hollywood. Special attention is directed toward key people such as: George and IRA Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rogers, Moss Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Jerry Herman, Alan Jay Lerner, and Frederick Lowe. This course requires a lab fee to cover the cost of the theatre tickets. Students should not register for another course on the same evening that “the musical” is scheduled as that is when the class must attend plays and other field trips.

MDT 521 Musical On B'Way&Hollywood II (3 Credits)

A continuation of MDT 520. This course offers an analysis of current Broadway musicals with special seminars with those connected with one or two productions. Major movie musicals are analyzed which may include the “golden oldies” and the transfer from Broadway to Hollywood. Special attention is directed toward key people such as: George and IRA Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rogers, Moss Hart, Oscar Hammerstein II, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Jerry Herman, Alan Jay Lerner, and Frederick Lowe. This course requires a lab fee to cover the cost of the theatre tickets. Students should not register for another course on the same evening that “the musical” is scheduled as that is when the class must attend plays and other field trips.

MDT 524 Jazz Pedagogy (3 Credits)

This course examines the rationale for a jazz curriculum, reviews the methodologies and materials currently used throughout the country for presenting this curriculum, and explores how to implement a jazz program as part of high school and college music department offerings. This course is designed for music educators who will be working in secondary education.

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241,242 and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and MDT 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 525 Application of Theory in Performance (3 Credits)

Students analyze and examine music of the standard repertory utilizing various analytical techniques and thus discover how a piece of music has been constructed. Students then relate this knowledge to the style of the composition they are studying. Students demonstrate their findings in a lecture-recital format.

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241,242,and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 526 Jazz Arranging (3 Credits)

This course offers a study of small and large ensemble arranging techniques. Students produce scores and parts in conjunction with weekly assignments and conduct rehearsals of their works with the University’s jazz ensembles.

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241,242,and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 527 Vocal Literature (2 Credits)

This course is dedicated to the study and performance of the standard art song repertoire. Emphasis is on style, diction, text interpretation, and program building. Languages addressed include English, Italian, German, French, and Latin, as well as some extended languages, such as Spanish and Russian. Students are required to research and perform assigned literature in class.

MDT 528 Diction for Singers (1 Credit)

This course for performers and educators covers the four main singer’s languages, English, Italian, German, and French. Emphasis is on transcription skills using the International Phonetic Alphabet and the various rules of diction as they apply to each respective language. The course stresses performance-based application of concepts through live and recorded song presentations.

MDT 530 Music in the Elementary School (3 Credits)

This is a methods course for the general classroom teacher of the techniques and principles for teaching music in the elementary schools. Available for MAT music concentration and MA Music Education (elective).

UG Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 241,242,and 337 for Classical Track courses or MDT 327 and 339 for Jazz Track courses.

MDT 601 Graduate Musicianship (3 Credits)

A review of traditional harmony and 18th century counterpoint, as well as ear- training (dictation and sight-singing), this course also includes the study of musical analysis and composition.

MDT 602 Curriculum Development in Music Education (3 Credits)

This course offers a study of music curriculum construction, the development of goals and objectives, and the consideration of various approaches and strategies for the development of concepts and skills through participation in musical experiences in grades K-12.

MDT 603 Administration and Supervision in Music Education (3 Credits)

This course offers a study of current practices and techniques of music supervision with an emphasis on the problems relating to specific administrative positions and music programs.

MDT 604 Res.In Music Education (3 Credits)

This course prepares students to undertake research on their own, to interpret the research of others, and to understand how research fits into advanced training in music education and into professional life in general.

MDT 605 Thesis Seminar in Music Education (3 Credits)

Registration is limited to matriculated students who are ready to graduate. Each Candidate completes a thesis based on the techniques and skills learned in Music 604 Research in Music Education. In addition, the student is required to pass the Graduate Comprehensive Exam as part of this course's requirements.

MDT 610 Performance Seminar (3 Credits)

This Graduate course/project is for M.M candidates in performance. This seminar calls for a significant paper (20 pages minimum) on an approved topic. The final evaluation will include an oral presentation, a performance, and a Question and Answer forum before three MDT faculty members.

Co-Requisite(s): MDT 623

MDT 611 Woodwind Doubling Laboratory (3 Credits)

This course will prepare multi-instrumentalist woodwind performers for the demands of today’s music business. Students will perform excerpts from a wide variety of commercial styles which involve switching music, between saxophones, clarinets, flutes, oboes, and bassoons Classroom recordings and performances with faculty members will occur throughout the semester.

MDT 612 Early Jazz to the Swing Era (3 Credits)

This course explores the sociological and cultural conditions that led to the origins of jazz in the United States. Extensive listening and analysis during and outside the class is required. An in-depth study of the major composers and performers serves as the basis for defining the stylistic periods.

MDT 613 Jazz History II (3 Credits)

This course offers a study of the development of the post-World War II jazz style periods, the major innovators, and their masterpieces. Comparative analytical studies of selected works from different eras are used to emphasize the changes that have occurred during the second half of the 20th century.

MDT 614 Jazz Compostion (3 Credits)

This course engages in an analysis of jazz compositions with regard to harmonization techniques, chord progressions, melodic, and rhythmic aspects. These works serve as a basis for students’ original compositions that will then be performed by student ensembles.

MDT 616 Graduate Applied Music Minor I (1 Credit)

This introductory course involves performance studies in an area other than a student’s major instrument or voice. A half semester’s work (about eight weeks) is involved.

MDT 617 Grad Applied Music Minor II (1 Credit)

This course involves performance studies in an area other than a student's major instrument or voice. A half semester's work (about eight weeks) is involved.

MDT 618 Graduate Applied Music Min III (1 Credit)

This advanced course involves performance studies in an area other than a student’s major instrument or voice. A half semester’s work (about eight weeks) is involved.

MDT 619 Pedagogy of Music Theory (3 Credits)

This is a hands-on required graduate course in music education that provides instruction in music theory and the instructional approaches to teaching music theory in music education settings. Topics include: defining music theory, standards, musical time and space, harmonic analysis, form and the incorporation of these elements of music into.

MDT 620 Jazz Compositional Styles (3 Credits)

This course examines jazz compositions and arrangements for ensembles of all sizes. Students will study, in detail, the great works of many of the foremost jazz composers and arrangers. Students will hear and see music that, in some cases, is no longer in print or has never been published (provided by the instructor). Course Pre-requisites: Jazz Arranging MDT 526; Early Jazz to the Swing Era MDT 612; Jazz History II (Bebop to Contemporary) MDT 613.

Pre-Requisite(s): MDT 526 Jazz Arranging; MDT 612 Early Jazz to the Swing Era; and MDT 613 Jazz History II (Behop to Contemporary).

MDT 621 Grad Applied Music Major I (3 Credits)

This course involves the study of a major instrument or voice and a performance requirement in final jury exam.

MDT 622 Graduate Applied Music Major II (3 Credits)

This course involves the study of a major instrument or voice and a performance requirement in final jury exam.

MDT 623 Grad Applied Music Major III (3 Credits)

This advanced level course involves the study of a major instrument or voice. There is a performance requirement in final jury exam.

MDT 624 Graduate Music Ensemble I (1 Credit)

The student is required to register in a music ensemble in which he/she is qualified to participate.

MDT 625 Graduate Music Ensemble II (1 Credit)

This course is a continuation of MDT 624. The student is required to register in a music ensemble in which he/she is qualified to participate.

MDT 626 Grad Music Ensemble III (1 Credit)

This course is a continuation of MDT 625. The student is required to register in a music ensemble in which he/she is qualified to participate.

MDT 627 Vocal Literature (3 Credits)

This is a required course for all Performance majors in the Classical-Vocal area of specialization; the course surveys the standard art song repertory that covers a variety of styles and languages. Emphasis is on song research and study that includes class lectures and performances.

MDT 628 Diction for Singers (3 Credits)

This is a required course for all Performance majors in the Classical-Vocal area of specialization; this course addresses the basics of English, Italian, German, and French diction specifically as they apply to the singer’s art. Emphasis is on the International Phonetic Alphabet and performance-based applications of diction rules.

MDT 629 Grad Applied Music Major IV (3 Credits)

This course is a continuation of MDT 623. This advanced level course involves the study of a major instrument or voice. There is a performance requirement in final jury exam.

MDT 630 Music Entrepreneurship 2: Monetizing Your Ecosystem (3 Credits)

This is a hands-on required graduate course that provides instruction to effectively monetize a musician’s career by putting into practice the tools developed in Entrepreneurship 1. The course puts into actual practice the online funnel-building theories learned in Entrepreneurship 1 to actually launch a working funnel. Specific topics include: Using audience identification techniques to build audiences using online tools, deploying of an online audience development funnel, budgeting for online advertising, deploying and split- testing effective offers, capture pages and promotional videos.

MDT 631 Independent Study (1 Credit)

This course involves the completion of a previously approved project under the supervision of a qualified faculty member. The student may register for independent study as an elective or, in special circumstances, to fulfill a course requirement (e.g., if a course is cancelled). In all cases, registration for this course must have prior approval of the graduate coordinator or the department chairperson.

MDT 632 Independent Study (2 Credits)

This course involves the completion of a previously approved project under the supervision of a qualified faculty member. The student may register for independent study as an elective or, in special circumstances, to fulfill a course requirement (e.g., if a course is cancelled). In all cases, registration for this course must have prior approval of the graduate coordinator or the department chairperson.

MDT 633 Independent Study (3 Credits)

This course involves the completion of a previously approved project under the supervision of a qualified faculty member. The student may register for independent study as an elective or, in special circumstances, to fulfill a course requirement (e.g., if a course is cancelled). In all cases, registration for this course must have prior approval of the graduate coordinator or the department chairperson.

MDT 634 Grad Music Ensemble IV (1 Credit)

This course is a continuation of MDT 625 and 626. The student is required to register in a music ensemble in which he/she is qualified to participate.

MDT 642 Orff Schulwerk (3 Credits)

This course focuses on the unique aspects of the Orff-Schulwerk approach that includes speech, echoing, body percussion, playing pitched/unpitched instruments, singing, movement, reading notation, and improvisation. Offered Summer II only – one-week intensive; serves on-campus residency component.

MDT 649 Sociology and Cultural Responsiveness in Music Education (3 Credits)

The purpose of this course is to critically examine sociological and cultural concepts as they relate to music and education. Topics include key issues and concepts in sociology; cultural responsiveness as related to music education; problems encountered in the sociology of music education; and cultural influences that impact the classroom.

MDT 650 Philosophical Foundations of Music Education (3 Credits)

This course will focus on the nature and value of music, the historical and philosophical foundations of music education, and will enable the student to develop and refine a personal teaching philosophy.

MDT 651 Integrating Technology in Music Education (3 Credits)

This is a hands-on elective graduate course in music education that provides instruction in the available technologies for today’s music education. Topics include: defining music technology, standards, SAMR Model, Learning Management Systems, technology tools for general music, technology tools for ensembles, needs assessment, inventory, technology integration plan, and unit plans.

MDT 652 Assessment Strategies in Music Education (3 Credits)

Assessment is an essential component of teaching that all music educators and supervisors must continuously revisit and refine. Hence, this course will explore how devising assessment strategies is integral to determine student ability and/or progress; is integral in curriculum development; is integral in differentiating instruction and communicating with students, parents.