Music, an option of the Associate of Arts degree program in Liberal Arts, provides a full complement of General Education requirements for a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) transfer as a generalist liberal arts major to certain four-year liberal arts colleges and universities, such as Rutgers University, Rowan University and Montclair University. This curriculum also provides a basic foundation in music with two semesters each of Theory and Musicianship, Keyboard Proficiency, Applied Music Lessons and Performance Ensembles. Possible career paths may include integration of the music concentration with studies in media and communications, advertising, music therapy, sociological studies, or business in the music industry.
It is recommended that the music major, who anticipates a professional career in performance, jazz, theory and composition and/or music education and who hopes to transfer to a Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.), Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music (B.F.A.), a Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) or a Bachelor of Arts: Music (B.A.Music) degree program, consider our Associate of Fine Arts in Music degree, which offers a significantly more comprehensive concentration of specialized music requirements.
For both of our Associate degrees, it is mandatory that a music major applicant contact the Visual and Performing Arts Department for an interview, placement testing and advisement with a member of the music faculty. It is recommended that this be done before May if a student is requesting September enrollment as an approved major in either degree program. Students without adequate precollege background in music and who are not adequately prepared for the theory/musicianship sequence may be required to enroll in Fundamentals of Music as a prerequisite in a Summer Session.
The primary Music Rehearsal Studio is used for performing ensemble rehearsals, music classes and small recitals. A second Classroom-Studio is equipped with electronic pianos for keyboard proficiency and theory study. A third Electronic Music Lab is equipped with computer/keyboard stations with MIDI-equipped synthesizers and selected music technologies and software programs for notation and ear-training skills.
On-campus ensemble experiences include the RVCC Chorale, the RVCC Jazz Ensemble and Ensemble Collaborations. Arrangements may be made for participation off-campus with the Raritan Valley Symphonic Band or with the Central Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
The Department’s concerts, faculty and student recitals and musical theatre productions are held in the College’s Edward Nash or Welpe Theatre.
Graduates are able to:
- understand the role of a musician as a creative, disciplined and performing artist
- display general musicianship skills
- analyze and apply certain theoretical concepts in music
- display a fundamental level of solo and ensemble performance skills
- apply basic computer skills and selected music technologies and software to practical and educational musical applications
Raritan Valley Community College Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (AS) degree programs are designed to comply with the New Jersey Community Colleges General Education Foundation which supports transfer of courses to NJ Public four-year colleges and universities. Students who intend to transfer to a NJ college or university can further improve the transfer of courses by using the Recommended Transfer Program (RTP) feature in NJTransfer.org.
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