EIU Master of Arts in Music

Graduate Program Capstone Project

The organization of the Performance Project will vary, depending on the repertory of music on the program, and the career goals and interests of the student. The Project must include program notes between 1000 and 1500 words. The student’s primary applied teacher/advisor is responsible for approving the program notes.

The Graduate Committee for each student will include the primary advisor and three Unit A faculty. The primary advisor may be one of the three Unit A faculty members. The student will meet with the Grad Coordinator to select the Grad Committee. The student will meet with each committee member at the beginning of the final semester to discuss their topic for the Oral Exam, and each committee member and student will agree upon a topic. A maximum of three topics will be covered at the Oral Exam. (Appropriate topics might include performance practice, pedagogical, historical, or interpretive approaches to music.)

Other guidelines:

• The Oral Exam should take no more than an hour and can be scheduled through the end of finals week.
• The primary teacher/advisor will provide a written evaluation for the program notes and provide a copy to both the student and Graduate Coordinator. The program notes must receive at least a 9 (Good in each category) or they must be revised and re-submitted.
• The committee members will provide a written assessment of the oral exam to both the student and Graduate Coordinator.
• Applied teachers and faculty will complete standard preview Graduate assessment forms before the Graduate recital or the Graduate Lecture-Recital is presented in public.
• The Graduate recital should include approximately 50 minutes of music.
• The Graduate Lecture-Recital must reach a graduate level of competency in both performance and speaking/presentation. The applied teacher may use the Oral Presentation Rubric.