information for composers at Wichita State university
Listening is important. Being able to hear a piece of music and observe (understand?) something about it is not only critical to evaluating the music of others, but your own music as well. Furthermore, expressing a relevant musical thought in your music requires at least some understanding of the context—the repertoire your music will contribute to. Listening critically and analytically is not easy, and it requires practice. Do not listen while doing other things. Sit down and focus as you would while reading a book or watching a movie. This will be difficult at first, but I promise that it will get easier and more rewarding as you practice it.
Each week, you will listen to a particular work (or group of works). Listen to the work attentively several times. You may listen to any recording you like, but each prompt will provide a link to Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, or something similar. Occasionally, you will find an extra, optional listening suggestion for added context, or because I just like the piece.
Plan to participate actively in the discussion throughout the week on Discord.
Listen to the assigned work(s) and share your initial thoughts each week before Thursday’s studio class. While there is not a specific word count for Discord discussions, I expect you to contribute meaningful and salient observations. Express your thoughts on the piece. Focus on objective statements about how the work is constructed. Consider addressing the following (not all will apply to every piece):
If you like or do not like a work, you should still be able to address these issues. You don’t have to like everything you listen to, and you should listen to things that you don’t like. A thoughtful and mature musician like you should be able to listen to any piece of music and identify at least one thing that you would want to emulate in your own music and at least one thing you would want to write differently.
Stick around after you’ve shared your initial thoughts throughout the week to continue the conversation. There is no specific number of replies or messages you need to make; I simply expect you to remain engaged and discussing things after you share your initial thoughts. Demonstrate that you’ve read what other people have shared and reflected on it. I’m not here to count up each person’s posts or words. Feel free to question the conclusions of other composers, but be nice!
Composition recitals are a fantastic opportunity for several reasons.
All composition studio members are eligible to present works on composition recitals. Other music majors working on composition may be included if time permits.
Six weeks before the date of the performance, please submit the following information to Dr. MacDonald. A link to a submission form will be sent via email.
Two weeks before the date of the performance, please submit a rehearsal recording of your piece to Dr. MacDonald. It doesn’t have to be fancy. A recording from your phone is fine. Failure to submit this recording will result in your piece being pulled from the program.
“Rehearsal recording” doesn’t mean that it needs to be ready to perform, but it should demonstrate that you are well on your way to a good performance. This should not be a sight-read. Players on this recording should be the same as will appear on the performance.
Writing music is a practice. Getting in a habit of regular writing is just as important for composers as regular practice is for performers. Spending an hour every day writing music for a week will nearly always yield more and better creative work than writing for seven hours on one day. The following are minimum expectations based on the composition course you’re enrolled in.
Each student will have a 50-minute lesson each week, beginning in Week 2 of the semester. Lessons may need to be rescheduled for student events, travel, illness, etc. Make-up lessons will be offered at the instructor’s discretion, and are not available for non-emergency no-shows.
Students must arrive at lessons on time. Students arriving late will be penalized two lesson points after five minutes and four lesson points after ten minutes. Students arriving more than fifteen minutes after their scheduled lesson time will be counted as an unexcused absence. Unexcused absences will result in a zero for the lesson, and these lessons will not be made up. When running late or otherwise unavailable, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the professor as early as possible.
Juries are required for all composition majors and selected non-composition majors (at the discretion of the instructor). Students presenting a degree recital or thesis are exempt from the jury in that semester. The jury panel will consist of at least two members of the the music faculty.
Juries will last 15-20 minutes and be scheduled during the final exams period. During the jury, students will be expected to discuss and answer questions about their compositional process and explain specific creative decisions. At the end of the jury, faculty will discuss with the student the things that they did particularly well, things that they may wish to focus on in future studies, and considerations for further creative and professional endeavors.
Students should submit the following materials in advance of the jury, due the Friday before the final exams period:
Do not submit “project” files from notation applications (.dorico, .sib, .mscz, .musx). Only PDFs, MP3s, or other completed/finished formats. If you’re unsure about a file, format, or whether any particular composition should be included, ask your instructor.
Once you have compiled all the components of the submission, compress them into a single .zip file and upload to Blackboard.
Juries will be evaluated using the same rubric, found in the Applied Composition Rubrics.
To be admitted to upper-division composition lessons (MUSC 560 and above), students must submit a portfolio upon successfully completing MUSC 260 Beginning Composition. The portfolio should consist of composition that the applicant feels represent their best and most mature work, ideally completed through their composition studies at WSU.
In most cases, students should also have completed MUSC 113 Introduction to Music Studies and Professional Skills, piano proficiency, and the music theory and aural skills core. Students are also required to meet jury and other expectations in their primary applied area, according to the guidelines of that area.
The deadline for submitting the portfolio will be announced to students enrolled in MUSC 260, and will usually be the study day (before exams week) of the semester before the student intends to enroll in upper-level composition coursework.
Do not email files directly as attachments.