School of Music

One of the first and most distinguished centers of classical music training in the American west, Brigham Young University has long devoted itself to the teaching of composition. Now in its second century, the School of Music offers aspiring composers Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. Students in composition have the opportunity to study in the Harris Fine Arts Center, which houses all university departments in the arts as well as an array of concert and recital halls, theaters, and galleries, first-rate analog and digital equipment (known as the ALMA lab and EMS), computers and software for score preparation, and a fine music library committed to constant acquisition of scores and recordings of the music of our time.

Beyond the broad preparation for professional musicianship provided by the School of Music core requirements, the BM in Music Composition readies its graduates to:

• write in a variety of contemporary "art music" musical vocabularies for the purpose of modern and post-modern artistic expression
• write in a variety of historic vocabularies (e.g. eighteenth-century counterpoint) for the purpose of accompanying theatrical or cinematic productions (as well as to understand the traditions and structures that link past and present western music)
• orchestrate (and compose for orchestra as well as smaller mixed ensembles) in various idioms
• recruit, organize, and rehearse players to perform new music for concerts or recordings
• proceed to deeper and more rigorous compositional study in a university graduate program

In addition to classes and private lessons that hold forth current scholarship in theory, aesthetics, and compositional techniques, the composition program also offers a weekly composition seminar for performance of student works and aesthetic discussions, and recitals by the Group for New Music and Group for Experimental Music.

The Barlow Endowment for Music Composition Education Grant provides strong support for student scholarships, guest composers, guest soloists and ensembles, and four Barlow Internships that directly benefit composition students.    For a more detailed description of the Barlow Education Grant and the activities it supports visit its page on this website (click here) or visit the Education Report on the Barlow Endowment homepage.

Students interested in applying to the MM in Music Composition degree program are expected to have completed a batchelors degree in composition, or to have completed the equivalent work and training through some other means, as evidenced in their transcripts and portfolio.  Admittance into the program is highly competitive.  Once admitted, graduate students work closely with their graduate advisor and two additional committee members to design a curriculum that best suits their needs and interests.  This course of study will include graduate courses in music history, music theory and analysis, orchestration, and library research, in addition to private composition lessons with the student's advisor and other members of the composition faculty.

The MM degree is expected to take two years and consists of a total of 32 credit hours, which translates into roughly three classes per semester (including composition seminar/lessons).  Students generally complete a majority of the academic classes during their first year of study, so that more time is available to focus on their Masters Composition—a mature and ambitious work that is the culminating requirement of the degree.  There is a final oral exam, conducted by the student's committee, in which the student's composition and performance in coursework are evaluated and judged. 

Successful graduates of the program are prepared to teach music theory and composition at private high schools, high-school level music academies, or Junior Colleges.  Some graduates pursue careers in freelance composition, while most continue on to prestigious Doctoral programs in music composition.

Application Process:

• Apply for admission to the university.
  Note: Often students do not find out whether they have been accepted to the university until after their audition with the School of Music.

• Complete and submit a School of Music Undergraduate Admission and Scholarship Application by the appropriate deadline.
  Note: To complete this application, you will need a NET ID user name (not a BYU ID number) and password, which are assigned when you apply to BYU for general admission (see above).

• Prepare for your audition by reviewing the Composition audition requirements.
  Please note that composition students still must complete an audition for a specific instrument. To see the requirements for your specific instrument, please see the following page:
  • Brass
  • Percussion
  • String
  • Vocal
  • Woodwind
  • Keyboard

• Take the Aural Skills Exam.

• Submit a portfolio of three original compositions.

• Audition by doing one of the two options:
  1. Live audition at BYU on the last Saturday in January
     1. Your online application must be completed before you can schedule an audition. If you have completed your application materials, you may schedule your audition on your online application page. Please be sure to schedule your time before the week of the audition.
         
     2. Auditions are held in the Harris Fine Arts Center. For driving directions and hotel information, click here.
  2. Recorded audition DVD mailed in to the School of Music by the appropriate deadline (if you are unable to come to BYU for a live audition)Send DVDs to:
     School of Music Admissions
     Brigham Young University
     C-550 Harris Fine Arts Center
     Provo, UT 84602
• Composition students are required to audition with a specific instrument. Please return to the main Application Process page to review the audition requirements and deadlines for your specific instrument.

Entry Dates and Deadlines

Students may enter the music graduate programs only during fall semester. An exception is made for those in the MM and MA programs with a specialization in music education, who enter only during the summer term but who specify fall entry on the application. The deadline for submission of all application materials for U.S. citizens is February 1; the deadline for international students is January 15. Failure to submit all required materials by the deadline may prevent review of the application. Students are urged to apply for admission as early as possible. All applicants are considered for financial awards and assistantships without additional application.

Tuition and Fees

Consult the current Graduate Studies Catalog for information regarding graduate tuition. For information regarding private lesson fees, please consult the School of Music.

Financial Assistance and Awards

The School of Music offers four types of graduate awards to both new and continuing students: assistantships, internships, performance awards, and scholarships. Please see your advisor for details. A student receiving a graduate assistantship may be expected to attend orientation meetings held during the latter part of the week preceding the start of fall semester.

Departmental Application Requirements

Supplemental Application Materials (MM)

1. A portfolio of four compositions in various media.
2. A recording of two or more of these compositions.

Conducting (MM)

1. Programs of concerts presented and lists of pieces rehearsed as a conductor.
2. A videotape recording of a representative performance of a group trained and conducted by the applicant.
3. (a) Choral Emphasis
   A personal audition or recorded performance that demonstrates the applicant's ability to play four-part homophonic and polyphonic music at the keyboard.
   (b) Instrumental Emphasis
   Audio or video recording showing proficiency on the applicant's major instrument.

Music Education (MA and MM)

1. A current resume.
2. Verification by a school administrator of successful public school teaching experience as a certified teacher (1 year minimum or equivalent required before beginning the program).
3. A video recording of :
   a. a representative rehearsal or music class taught by the applicant;
   b. a representative performance of a group trained and conducted by the applicant;
   c. a representative solo performance of the applicant on his/her major instrument.
4. Two 800- to 1200-word essays on the following topics:
   a. Discuss what you perceive to be one of the most important problems in public school music education today and propose a possible solution(s).
   b. Reflect on an area of personal interest in music teaching/learning--one that has direct connection with your own teaching--and propose how you might explore it further given the time and opportunity to do so.

Musicology (MA)

1. A sample scholarly research paper.
2. A list of publications, if any.

Performance (MM)

1. Recital programs and repertoire lists from undergraduate study and professional work.
2. A personal performance audition at Brigham Young University (preferred), or a recording of the senior recital or equivalent performance.

Click here for specific information about the MM Piano Performance audition.

Click here for specific information about the MM Vocal Performance audition.

Evaluation of Applicants

Customarily, applicants will be notified by March 15 of admission status after a review of their application files. The student's application and supporting material are reviewed by the faculty of the student's area of specialization and the Graduate Coordinator. The applicant is then either recommended to the Office of Graduate Studies as acceptable for admission to regular or provisional degree-seeking status or as unacceptable for admission. If the applicant is approved for admission, notification is sent from the Office of Graduate Studies. Each student is initially assigned an advisor from the School of Music Graduate Studies Council. If you have questions regarding scholarships or teaching assistantships, contact your advisor following admission.

Provisional Status

All provisions placed on a student's admission to the program must be fulfilled and removed by the end of the second semester of enrollment or continuance in the graduate program will be terminated.

For more detailed information or questions about scholarships, contact:
Mark Ammons
Assistant Director, BYU School of Music
801-422-4824
mark_ammons@byu.edu

The Barlow Endowment Education Grant represents a portion of the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at BYU that directly supports the Composition Division within the BYU School of Music. A majority of the funds support students directly through the following scholarships, awards, and other activities and programs:

• Milton A. Barlow Scholarship — one-year, full-tuition scholarship for an outstanding graduate student pursuing the MM in Music Composition
• Barlow Student Composition Award — yearly award given to a composition student in recognition of excellence in composition and citizenship within the area; includes a $500 cash prize and a commission for a new work
• Barlow Lecture Series — each semester a distinguished guest composer visits campus to present a lecture and work with composition students in lessons and master classes
• Barlow Interns — each summer four BYU composition students are selected to work as interns for the yearly judging of the Barlow Prize and additional Barlow Commissions during the first week of August; includes room and board and an honorarium

In addition to the specifically named scholarships and awards mentioned above, the Education Grant helps cover student travel expenses and other fees for participation in conferences and workshops, provides additional scholarship support, and sponsors residencies and reading sessions by visiting performers and ensembles. Remaining funds may be used to support composition faculty projects directly related to creative work and teaching.

Since its inception in 1986, BYU’s Group for New Music has featured student and faculty performers and conductors presenting the prominent works of our time. The concerts frequently include World and US premieres of BYU faculty compositions, and provide students with an excellent opportunity to experience music at the cutting edge. The group currently presents one concert per semester, and has recorded faculty works that appear on Bridge Records, Capstone Records, and BYU’s Tantara Records.

Faculty composer Michael Hicks, the Group’s founder, describes the ensemble as follows:

Group for New Music is an informal, occasional coalition of players who like to play unusual things written by living people. The name suggests

--a subject or object with an implied indefinite article: “[a] group for new music”

--an imperative: “group for new music [!]”

The poster on the left reveals the broad repertoire typically included on GFNM concerts, and also encapsulates one of the ensemble’s primary aims: to PROVOKE its members (both performers and those in the audience) to examine and broaden their definition of music.

GEM (Group for Experimental Music) is BYU’s student ensemble dedicated to the performance of collaboratively created and improvised music. GEM also performs experimental, conceptual, and graphic scores by its members and from the repertoire, including such composers as John Zorn, John Cage, Sun Ra, and others. The group has recently performed with or under the direction of Christian Wolff, Stuart Dempster, and Malcolm Goldstein.

The Advanced Lab for Music Applications (ALMA), located in C-485 of the HFAC, contains 20 work stations that each have an electronic keyboard connected to an iMac computer. The lab is available for use by students and faculty and is open during the day and on some evenings, up to 50 hours per week. The computers are equipped with the music notation programs Finale and Sibelius, the ear-training software Practica Musica, and various other music and non-music applications. Two TAs work in the lab and are available at various times throughout the day to assist lab patrons and assist with faculty projects. The lab is also used as a multi-media classroom for selected music courses, including Introduction to ProTools and Jazz Piano.

The Electronic Music Studio (E-329 HFAC) is devoted to the creation of new compositions that extend and continue to explore the sound worlds introduced by classical electronic music. In addition to an analog synthesizer and reel-to-reel tape machines, the studio is equipped with eight-channel sound and a ProTools HD system, and with a Power Mac G5 tower that is equipped with the latest electronic music software: Max 5, Native Instrument’s Komplete package, Logic Pro, and a KYMA X system.

The studio is directed by Steven Ricks and is used by composition faculty and graduate and undergraduate students for composition projects and audio editing. Former studio users have gone on to study electronic music at several distinguished institutions, including Dartmouth, the University of Illinois, Indiana University, NYU, the CUNY Graduate Center, and the Center for the Composition of Music Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX) in Alfortville, France.

Recent music composition graduate and EMS TA Lance Montgomery won Second Prize in the 2009 SEAMUS Student Commission Competition.

Pieces created in the BYU EMS are frequently heard at the conferences of SEAMUS, ICMA, and on the Utah Crosstalk concert series. The Utah Crosstalk series was begun by Steven Ricks of BYU and Miguel Chuaqui of the University of Utah and is a forum for the exchange of music and ideas between the two universities.

This page contains links to sites which may be helpful to both faculty and student composers. It is an ongoing project and will be updated periodically, so if you have any suggestions for the addition of links, please send them to steve.ricks@byu.edu.

• American Composers Forum
• American Music Center
• ASCAP
• The ASCAP Foundation (list of awards to compete for)
• BMI
• ICMA (International Computer Music Association)
• NACUSA (National Association of Composers, USA)
• SCI (Society of Composers Incorporated)
• SEAMUS (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the US)

• Aspen Music Festival (composition master class)
• Carnegie Hall Professional Workshops
• CCMIX (Center for Composition of Music Iannis Xenakis)
• Composers Conference (at Wellesley College)
• May in Miami
• June in Buffalo
• Music 2006 at Cincinnati Conservatory

• American Composers Forum
• Barlow Endowment
• Fromm Foundation
• Gaudeamus Foundation
• Guggenheim Foundation
• Koussevitzky Foundation
• Meet the Composer

• New Music Box
• Sequenza 21

For questions about undergraduate composition study please contact:
Michael Hicks
801-422-2275
michael_hicks@byu.edu

For questions about graduate composition study please contact:
Steven Ricks
801-422-6115
stevericksmusic@gmail.com