Music

OFFICE: Music 112
TELEPHONE: 619-594-6031 / FAX: 619-594-1692
E-MAIL: music.dance@sdsu.edu

Undergraduate Information

Faculty

Director: Delgado, Kevin M., Associate Professor of Music (B.M., San Diego State University; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles)

Undergraduate Advisers:

Kitelinger, Shannon, Associate Professor of Music (B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania; M.M., D.M.A., University of North Texas, Denton)

Maril, Travis, Lecturer of Music (B.A., University of Southern California; M.M. Rice University)

Graduate Adviser: Rewoldt, Todd H., Professor of Music (B.M., University of Toledo; M.M., D.M.A., Eastman School of Music)

Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty:

Lipscomb, Scott D., Professor of Music (B.M., University of Tennessee; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles)

Rewoldt, Todd H., Professor of Music (B.M., University of Toledo; M.M., D.M.A., Eastman School of Music)

Smigel, Eric S., Professor of Music, (B.M., San Diego State University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Southern California)

Waters, Joseph M., Professor of Music (B.A., University of Minnesota; M.M., Yale University; Ph.D., University of Oregon)

Aziz, Andrew I., Associate Professor of Music (B.A., Brown University; M.A., Ph.D., University of Rochester)

Delgado, Kevin M., Associate Professor of Music (B.M., San Diego State University; M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles)

Khaefi, Arian, Associate Professor of Music (B.A., M.A., University of California, Los Angeles; Ph.D., University of Michigan)

Kitelinger, Shannon, Associate Professor of Music (B.S., Indiana University of Pennsylvania; M.M., D.M.A., University of North Texas, Denton)

Gerdes, Michael, Associate Professor of Music (B.A., B.M., Concordia College; M.M. James Madison University)

Warren, Christopher, Associate Professor of Music and Theatre, Television, and Film (B.A., Brandeis University; M.A., Stanford University; Ph.D., University of California, San Diego)

Chong, Tina, Assistant Professor of Music (B.M., Oberlin Conservatory of Music, M.M., D.M.A., Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University

Gee, Jennifer L., Assistant Professor of Music (B.M., University of Kansas; M.A., University of Missouri, Kansas City; Ph.D., University of Kansas)

Kim, Texu, Assistant Professor of Music (B.S., B.M., M.M., Seoul National University, D.M., Indiana University)

Koner, Karen M., Assistant Professor of Music (B.A., M.M., University of Arizona; M.Ed., University of Phoenix; Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park)

Sherwood, Travis, Assistant Professor of Music (B.M. Westminster Choir College, M.M., D.M.A., University of California)

Additional Faculty:

Follingstad, Karen J., Professor of Music, Emeritus (B.M., Curtis Institute of Music; M.M., Indiana University; D.M.A., University of Texas at Austin)

Thompson, Richard O., Associate Professor of Music, Emeritus (B.M., Edinburgh University, United Kingdom; M.M., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

Yeager, William R., Professor of Music, Emeritus (B.M., M.M., North Texas State University)

Lecturers:

Allen, Isaac, M.M., Music

Allen, Rachel, D.M.A., Music

Bassett, Sean C., M.M., Music

Bolzenthal, Bryan R., D.M.A., Music

Burton, Debbie, M.M., Music

Burger, Markus, M.A., Music

Cohen, Gregory S., M.A.Music

Coto, Nancy, M.M., Music

Erb, Jack A., M.A. Ed., Music

Gerdes, Abigayle L., M.M., Music

Ginsberg, Maya L., M.A., Music

Grinnel-Wilson, Laurel A., M.A., Music

Hicks, Alan E., D.M.A., Music

Kull, Jon, Music

Maril, Travis, M.M., Music

Mei, Lesi, M.M., Music

Nikkel, Laurinda K., M.M., Music

Muñoz, Isaac Garcia, Ph.D., Music

Osmun, Douglas, M.M., Music

Polit, Katherine L., D.M., Music

Ransom, Bryan K., B.A., Music

Schumann, Sonya G., D.M.A., Music

Smith, Anthony, M.M., Music

Soukup, Karl P., M.M., Music

Starr, Eric, D.M.A.

Strom, Yale, M.A., Music

Wang, Yiting, M.M., Music

Whitman, David R., D.M.A., Music

Emeritus: 

Almond, Frank W., Ph.D., 1968-2003, Professor of Music

Barra, Donald P., Ed.D., 1983-2000, Professor of Music

Chambers, Martin, Ph.D., 1986-2010, Professor of Music

Conaty, Donna M., M.M., 2007-2020, Associate Dean, College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, Professor of Music

Dutton, Brenton P., M.M., 1981-2016, Professor of Music and Dance

Friedrichs, Charles J., Ed.D., 1983-2018, Associate Professor of Music

Helzer, Richard A., M.F.A., 1986-2014, Professor of Music

Kolar, Jane M., Ph.D., 1975-2012, Professor of Music

Liebowitz, Marian, D.M.A., 1984-2015, Professor of Music

McDonald, Nan L., Ed.D., 1985-2014, Professor of Music

Meadows, Eddie S., Ph.D., 1972-2001, Professor of Music

Mitchell, Danlee G., M.S., 1964-2000, Professor of Music

O’Donnell, Terry L., D.M.A., 1975-2008, Professor of Music and Theatre, Television, and Film

Peterman, Lewis E., Jr., Ph.D., 1978-2005, Professor of Music

Stauffer, Thomas D., M.A., 1984-2008, Professor of Music

Applied Music Instruction:

Bassoon: Martchev, Valentin

Cello: Greenbaum, Alex; Zhao, Yao

Chamber Music: Hausmann Quartet

Clarinet: Renk, Sheryl

Classical Guitar: Bassett, Sean; Bassett, Ian

Composition: Kim, Texu; Osmun, Douglas; Warren, Christopher; Waters, Joseph

Double Bass: Kurtz-Harris, Jeremy; Magnusson, Robert

Euphonium: Starr, Eric

Flute: Martchev, Pamela

Harp: Mashkovtseva, Elena

Horn: McCoy, Mike

Jazz Guitar: Valenzuela, Louis

Jazz Studies: Burger, Makus; Soukup, Karl; Smith, Anthony; Thompson, Richard

Non-Western Instruments: Specialists from specific cultures as available each semester

Oboe: Skuster, Sarah

Percussion: Cohen, Greg; McMahon, Tim; Smith, Anthony; Whitman, David

Piano: Chong, Tina; Follingstad, Karen; Schumann, Sonya

Saxophone: Hollyday, Christopher; Rewoldt, Todd

Trombone: Starr, Eric; Esposito, Kevin

Trumpet: Cannon, Derek; Wilds, John

Tuba: McCalla, Aaron

Viola: Chen, Chi-Yuan; Maril, Travis

Violin: Allen, Isaac; Tsai, Pei-Chun

Voice: Bolzenthal, Bryan; Nikkel, Laurinda; Polit, Katherine; Sherwood, Travis

The Major

Music serves to enhance the lives of all people and provides a challenging avenue of creative expression for those who wish to pursue its serious study.

The Bachelor of Music program is for those students who have professional ambitions in music performance, public school teaching, composition, jazz studies, as a music generalist or seek a foundation for graduate study leading to college or university teaching or research positions. This program strongly emphasizes the professional aspects of music. The Bachelor of Music degree with a specialization in Music Education leads to the California Single Subject Teaching Credential.

Performance is the most obvious and frequent use of the musician’s skill. However, graduates may also teach, compose, review, sell, and record music. In addition, inventing, constructing, tuning, and repairing instruments requires skills that are based on understanding the fundamentals of music. Some of the positions that a music graduate might hold include studio instructor; teacher in public or private schools; researcher for libraries, publishers, and museums; music therapist; recording artist, composer, or arranger, professional musician with an orchestra, band, or opera company, or arts management professional.

The Bachelor of Arts degree is a liberal arts degree for those students who seek broad understanding of and an intimate orientation to the discipline of music without professional goals.

Several Music Minor options are available for those students whose primary interest is in another department.

Advising

All music majors are required to consult with their music faculty adviser as soon as possible; they are required to meet with their faculty adviser within the first two semesters after acceptance or transfer into the major.

Impacted Program

The music major is an impacted program. To be admitted to the music major, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Complete preparation for the major;
2. Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units;
3. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
4. For professional studies (e), track 1, music entrepreneurship and business specialization, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.9 or better. MUSIC 205B  and ACCTG 201  must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better. These courses cannot be taken for credit/no credit (Cr/NC).

To complete the major, students must fulfill the degree requirements for the major described in the catalog in effect at the time they are accepted into the premajor at SDSU (assuming continuous enrollment).

Music Curricula

General Basic Requirements

1. All new students and transfer students who wish to enroll as music majors or minors are given placement examinations in music theory and piano and auditions on their major instru- ment. (Students wishing to be considered for global compo- sition must submit a portfolio of compositions. Please con- tact the composition faculty directly for the contents of the portfolio. Students wishing to be considered for professional studies: music recording technology and audio design must submit a portfolio of audio projects. Please contact the com- position faculty directly for the contents of the portfolio.) As a result of these placement examinations, students will be directed to enroll in one or more of the following: MUSIC 105  , MUSIC 106A  , MUSIC 106B  , MUSIC 205A  , MUSIC 205B  , MUSIC 206A  , MUSIC 206B  , MUSIC 305A  , MUSIC 305B  , MUSIC 405A  , MUSIC 405B  ; MUSIC 250A  , MUSIC 250B  , MUSIC 250C  , MUSIC 250D  , MUSIC 250E  , MUSIC 250F  , MUSIC 250G  , MUSIC 251A  , MUSIC 251B  , MUSIC 251C  , MUSIC 251D  , MUSIC 251E  , MUSIC 251F  , MUSIC 251G  , MUSIC 251I  , MUSIC 251L  , MUSIC 450A  , MUSIC 450B  , MUSIC 450C  , MUSIC 450D  , MUSIC 450E  , MUSIC 450F  , MUSIC 450G  , MUSIC 451A  , MUSIC 451B  , MUSIC 451C  , MUSIC 451D  , MUSIC 451E  , MUSIC 451F  , MUSIC 451G  , MUSIC 451I  , MUSIC 451L  ; and MUSIC 110A  -MUSIC 110B  , MUSIC 210A  -MUSIC 210B  .

2. Each semester of private instruction concludes with a solo performance before a faculty jury.
3. To qualify for upper division study, music majors must pass a Junior Level Examination.
4. A final grade of C (2.0) or better is required in each semester of the CM courses in order to advance to the next higher course.
5. Students must participate in at least one major ensemble each semester of enrollment. Please see each degree program and specialization for specific unit requirements. Refer to the Music Student Handbook for specific requirements.
6. Attendance at and performance in recitals is a requirement of all music majors. Freshmen must meet ushering requirements. Refer to the Music Student Handbook for detailed information.

Statement on Computers

Students must become competent in the operation of personal computers to include word processing software, presentation software, web-based applications, and music notation software. Students, especially those planning to pursue Global Composition are encouraged to own a Macintosh laptop computer capable of running sophisticated music notation/composition software. For additional information regarding suggested platform and software, contact the School of Music and Dance.

Electives in Music - Nonmajors

The School of Music and Dance offers certain courses for students who are interested in music as an elective study area for the enrichment of their cultural background. Courses particularly suited for these needs are MUSIC 102 , MUSIC 151 , MUSIC 345 , MUSIC 351 , and the music ensemble courses numbered MUSIC 170  through MUSIC 189  and from MUSIC 370  to MUSIC 389 . Some students will be musically prepared to elect courses which may or may not be included in this group. Enrollment by qualified students who wish to elect these courses is encouraged.

Opportunities to participate in instrumental and vocal ensembles are also available to non-music majors. Music ensemble courses may be repeated. A maximum credit of 14 units of ensemble courses (MUSIC 170 -MUSIC 189 , MUSIC 370 -MUSIC 389 , MUSIC 570 -MUSIC 589 ) may be counted toward a bachelor’s degree for nonmajors.

Major Academic Plans (MAPs)

Visit http://www.sdsu.edu/mymap for the recommended courses needed to fulfill your major requirements. The MAPs website was created to help students navigate the course requirements for their majors and to identify which General Education course will also fulfill a major preparation course requirement.

Graduate Information

Scholarships

Information on music scholarships may be obtained by writing to the chair, Music Scholarship Committee, School of Music and Dance, San Diego State University.

General Information

The School of Music and Dance offers graduate study leading to the Master of Arts degree in music and the Master of Music degree. The school also offers advanced coursework in dance that may be used toward fulfilling advanced degree requirements in Interdisciplinary Studies and in other departments with the approval of the student’s graduate adviser.

With approval of the school, students electing to pursue the Master of Arts degree may specialize in one of the following fields: musicology and music theory. Ethnomusicology and piano pedagogy are currently not accepting new graduate students. Master of Music students may specialize in composition, conducting, jazz studies, or performance.

Graduate students are prepared for careers that encompass scholarly research, teaching, performing, or creating new works.

Composition: Individual composition studies integrated with an awareness of global music practices.

Conducting: Literature and score analysis, hand techniques, rehearsal techniques, general preparation and performance in both the choral and instrumental areas.

Ethnomusicology: Study of global music with emphasis on cultural context, representation, ethnography, fieldwork, and performance. (Currently not accepting new graduate students.)

Jazz Studies: Education, research, performance, and composition in all styles of jazz.

Musicology: With the approval of the faculty, students may select a topic in medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, twentieth century music, or American music.

Performance: Performance studies are offered on all instruments and voice.

Piano Pedagogy: Preparation of the teacher of the child, adolescent, or adult students. (Currently not accepting new graduate students.)

Theory: Comprehension of and facility with historical analytic techniques. 

The 78,000 square-foot music building, completed in 1970, includes a 300-seat recital hall, rehearsal rooms for instrumental and choral organizations, an electronic music studio, two class-piano laboratories, 71 individual practice rooms, and approximately 160 pianos and 800 other musical instruments. The university library contains an extensive collection of over 75,000 music books and scores.

The School of Music and Dance has a 24-station student computer laboratory that provides facilities for computer assisted instruction in music theory and ear training, software programs for graphics, music composition, and notation.

The electronic music composition studio includes the latest electronic music equipment available.

The School of Music and Dance houses numerous ethnic instruments including Balinese and Javanese Gamelans and numerous other musical instruments of the world.

Statement on Computers

Students must become competent in the operation of personal computers to include word processing software, presentation software, web-based applications, and music notation software. Students, especially those planning to pursue the composition or electro-acoustic composition track, are encouraged to own a Macintosh laptop computer capable of running sophisticated music notation/composition software. For additional information regarding suggested platform and software, contact the School of Music and Dance.

Admission to Graduate Study in Music

Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a major in music including preparation in performance, theory, music history, and literature, or hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and present sufficient evidence of study and experience in music to demonstrate the equivalency of a bachelor’s degree with a major in music.

All domestic students must demonstrate a minimum 2.85 GPA. All foreign students must demonstrate a minimum 3.0 GPA and in cases where the primary instruction was in a language other than English, a minimum English language score of 550. Foreign applicants taking the computer-based English language test must achieve a minimum score of 213 or 80 or higher using the Internet version.

After taking placement examinations in Western music theory, aural skills, and performance (where applicable), applicants will be admitted to the program with conditional graduate standing. Normally, one semester will be allowed to remove deficiencies indicated by these placement examinations.

Students applying for admission should electronically submit the university application available at http://www.calstate.edu/apply along with the application fee.

All applicants must submit admissions materials separately to SDSU Graduate Admissions and to the School of Music and Dance.

Graduate Admissions

The following materials should be submitted as a complete package directly to:

Graduate Admissions
Enrollment Services
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182-7416

1. Official transcripts (in sealed envelopes) from all postsecondary institutions attended;
   
   NOTE:
   • Students who attended SDSU need only submit transcripts for work completed since last attendance.
   • Students with international coursework must submit both the official transcript and proof of degree. If documents are in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by a certified English translation.
2. GRE scores (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682);
3. English language or the computer-based English language score for foreign students, if instruction was in a language other than English (http://www.ets.org SDSU institution code 4682).

School of Music and Dance

The following admissions materials must be submitted electronically:

1. Two letters of reference;
2. One-page statement of personal aims and goals.
3. M.A. applicants: Refer to special requirements for Admission to Master of Arts Degree in Music in the next section.

Consult the School of Music and Dance website at http://musicdance.sdsu.edu for further information concerning admission. If necessary, materials may be sent directly to:

Director of Graduate Studies
School of Music and Dance
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-7902

Programs

• Artist Diploma Advanced Certificate
• Classical Music Minor
• Critical Studies in Music, M.A.
• Electro-Acoustic Music Minor
• Elementary Music Education Minor
• Jazz Instrumental Minor
• Music, B.A. in Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Music, Composition Specialization, M.M.
• Music, Conducting, M.M.
• Music, General Track, B.M. in Applied Arts and Sciences
• Music, Global Composition Specialization, B.M. in Applied Arts and Sciences
• Music, Jazz Studies Specialization, B.M. in Applied Arts and Sciences
• Music, Jazz Studies, M.M.
• Music, M.A.
• Music, M.M.
• Music, Music Education Specialization, B.M. in Applied Arts and Sciences
• Music, Music Entrepreneurship and Business Track, B.M. in Applied Arts and Sciences
• Music, Music Recording Technology and Audio Design Track, B.M. in Applied Arts and Sciences
• Music, Music Theory, M.A.
• Music, Musicology, M.A.
• Music, Performance Specialization, B.M. in Applied Arts and Sciences
• Music, Performance, M.M.
• Music, Piano Pedagogy, M.A.
• Performance Certificate