Guidelines for Guitar Principals
Welcome to the UALR Department of Music! We are pleased that you have chosen to pursue your musical education here. This guide is designed to acquaint you with the standards and procedures that are expected of Guitar principals in the BA program.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. ADMISSION TO THE BA MUSIC DEGREE AS A GUITAR PRINCIPAL
General Description of the BA Program in Applied Music
The Bachelor of Arts in Music is a flexible program designed to allow students to pursue the study of music within the confines of a liberal arts education. The Department of Music recognizes that not all students will enter this program with the same goals and aspirations, and strongly encourages the student to take an active part in the design and structure of his/her curriculum. All students should familiarize themselves with the degree requirements as described in the UALR Undergraduate Bulletin and the course descriptions. The student’s assigned departmental advisor or the department chairperson will assist the student in preparing a degree plan that is consistent with UALR’s degree requirements and the student’s particular interests. The chairperson is Dr. Victor Ellsworth, (501) 569-3294.
I. ADMISSION TO THE BA MUSIC DEGREE AS A GUITAR PRINCIPAL
An audition is required for admission. Auditions are scheduled each semester and by appointment during the Fall and Spring semesters. Students should contact Mr. Michael Carenbauer, Fine Arts Room 201B, (501) 569-8437, for specific guidelines prior to arranging an audition. A general guide to audition requirements for students intending to pursue the Bachelor of Arts degree follows:
Students applying for admission to the Department of Music as a Bachelor of Music Major with Classical Guitar as the principal instrument should be able to:
1) demonstrate the ability to read music at or above the level achieved by receiving a grade of B in MUAP 1201 (01), Guitar Reading I, (this involves reading melodies consisting of quarter note and eighth note rhythm patterns in a variety of keys and positions on the guitar fretboard);
2) perform 2 contrasting works from different style periods. One of these works should demonstrate competency in the performance of arpeggios, (for example Leo Brouwer Etude #6 from Etudes Simples, or Matteo Carcassi Etude #2 from Opus 60).
Students applying for admission to the Department of Music as a Bachelor of Music Major with Jazz Guitar as the principal instrument should be able to:
1) demonstrate the ability to read and prepare music at or above the level achieved by receiving a grade of B in MUAP 1201 (01), Guitar Reading I, (this involves reading and preparation of melodies consisting of quarter note and eighth note rhythm patterns in a variety of keys and positions on the guitar fretboard);
2) Be able to play scales in the II position in the following keys: C, G, D, A, and F Major;
3) Be able to read a simple chord chart;
4) Perform a piece that demonstrates melodic and improvisation ability.
Students who are unable to meet these audition requirements may be admitted to the university and advised to enroll in MUAP 1254, (Pop Guitar), MUAP 1201, (Guitar Reading 1), and MUPR 1150 or MUPR 1250, (Classical Guitar), or MUPR 1178 or MUPR 1278, (Jazz Guitar), prior to formal acceptance into the Bachelor of Arts music degree program.
II. DEPARTMENTAL ADVISING
Students who have been accepted as Guitar principals into the music major or minor should meet with the Music Dept. adviser, Dr. Victor Ellsworth, (501) 569-3294, each semester prior to registration. In addition, each student is responsible for carefully reading the Music Dept. entry in the UALR Undergraduate Bulletin and the semester Schedule of Classes. Expedient completion of the BA music degree depends upon the student being organized and staying well-informed at all times.
III. COURSE NUMBERS FOR APPLIED GUITAR STUDY
(Classical Guitar - MUPR xx50)
BA music majors must complete 8 credit hours of applied study, at least 4 hours each of MUPR 2X78 and 3X78. In addition, BA music majors must perform at least once per year in a UALR sponsored concert event such as Student Recital Hour or a Guitar Ensemble recital.
MUPR 1150; 1250 - Minor or Elective Study, repeatable as often as desired. Should be used by students who desire to major in music but are unable to complete the applied music audition requirements as outlined above, Placement availability is limited and dependent on instructor workload.
MUPR 2150; 2250 - Lower Level Study for Music Major/Guitar Principal; minimum of 4 hours required for degree. By audition only.
MUPR 3150; 3250 - Upper Level Study, typically taken in 3rd Year of Major Study, 2 semesters. Eligible for this and MUPR 4150, 4250 only after passing upper level qualifying jury.
MUPR 4150; 4250 - Eligible after successful jury for MUPR 3250 only.
BA music majors must complete 8 credit hours of applied study , at least 4 hours each of MUPR 2X50 and 3X50. In addition, BA music majors must perform at least once per year in Student Recital Hour.
MUPR 1150; 1250 - Minor or Elective Study, repeatable as often as desired. Should be used by students who desire to major in music but are unable to complete the applied music audition requirements as outlined above, Placement availability is limited and dependent on instructor workload.
MUPR 2150; 2250 - Lower Level Study for Music Major/Guitar Principal; minimum of 4 hours required for degree. By audition only.
MUPR 3150; 3250 - Upper Level Study, typically taken in 3rd Year of Major Study, 2 semesters. Eligible for this and MUPR 4150, 4250 only after passing upper level qualifying jury.
MUPR 4150; 4250 - Eligible after successful jury for MUPR 3250 only.
Students beginning the study of the Classical Guitar should consider the purchase of the following materials.
Pumping Nylon, Scott Tenant; Matteo Carcassi - Complete Guitar Method, - Mel Bay Publications Complete Sor Studies, compiled by David Grimes - Mel Bay Learning the Classic Guitar, Parts 1 and 2 - Aaron Shearer - Mel Bay Second Lessons for Guitar - Julio Sagreras - Ricordi Publications Frederick Noad Guitar Anthology - Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic Ariel Publications Villa Lobos Solo Guitar - Amsco Publications J.S. Bach, Complete Lute Works, edited Frank Koonce
(Jazz Guitar - MUPR xx78)
BA music majors must complete 8 credit hours of applied study , at least 4 hours each of MUPR 2X78 and 3X78. In addition, BA music majors must perform at least once per year in Student Recital Hour.
MUPR 1178; 1278 - Minor or Elective Study, repeatable as often as desired. Should be used by students who desire to major in music but are unable to complete the applied music audition requirements as outlined above, Placement availability is limited and dependent on instructor workload.
MUPR 2178; 2278 - Lower Level Study for Music Major/Guitar Principal; minimum of 4 hours required for degree. By audition only.
MUPR 3178; 3278 - Upper Level Study, typically taken in 3rd Year of Major Study, 2 semesters. Eligible for this and MUPR 4178, 4278 only after passing upper level qualifying jury.
MUPR 4178; 4278 - Eligible after successful jury for MUPR 3278 only.
Guitar Electives
All beginners will be placed in Pop Guitar I (MUAP 1254) or 1 credit hour private lessons (MUPR 1150, 1179 or 1178.). All guitar students are advised to also enroll in Guitar Reading I, II, (MUAP 1201, MUAP 1202). Only non-beginner elective students or music minors should register for MUPR 1250, 1279 or 1278.
All guitar majors play a jury at the end of each semester. All jury selections must be approved by the student’s principal applied teacher. Classical Guitar principals must play a jury after MUPR 2250 which will be graded “Pass/Fail”. The MUPR 2250, (Classical Guitar), jury will consist of 10-15 minutes of prepared music that will demonstrate the student’s technical and interpretative development from a variety of musical periods. Jazz Guitar principals play an upper level qualifying jury after study in MUPR 2278 which is graded “Pass/Fail”. The MUPR 2278, (Jazz Guitar), jury will consist of 10-15 minutes of prepared music that will demonstrate the student’s technical and interpretative development. In addition, there is a general skills proficiency component that evaluates the students ability to perform scales, arpeggios, and chords. The following may be useful as a general guide for this jury:
ETUDE LITERATURE Selected scale, arpeggio, and chord studies in the jazz style.
REPERTOIRE Jazz tunes from a variety of style periods. This may include performance of transcriptions of works by jazz/rock/pop artists in addition to improvisation by the student.
All Guitar principals must also play a jury after 2 semesters of study in MUPR 3X50 or MUPR 3X78. This jury is considered part of the Capstone Experience for the degree, and is outlined below.
All BA music major Guitar principals must pass a final performance jury after completing 4 hours of applied study in MUPR 3X50, 4X50 or 3X78, 4X78. This final jury should be 15-20 minutes in length and should include a broad survey of the student’s performance experiences at UALR.
Piano Proficiency Exam:
All BA music majors must pass the piano proficiency exam in scales, chord progressions, harmonization and sight-reading. See Dr. Hakatani (FA 101F) for further information.
Recital:
Sufficiently advanced majors may elect to go on for further applied study in MUPR 4250, and may subsequently apply to present a full or half-recital by playing a recital permission jury. A recital is not a requirement for the BA degree. However, students who wish to go on for graduate study in music are advised that a full-length undergraduate recital is a requirement for admission to most Master”s degrees in Guitar.
Guitarists have the opportunity to work with a vast array of state of the art hardware and software. The Department of Music currently has available 2 nylon string Godin Multiac Guitar Controllers and 2 Fender Guitar Controllers, a Johnson Amplification J-Station as well as 2
Roland GR-1 Guitar Synthesizers, 1 Roland GR-09 Guitar Synthesizer, 2 Roland GR-30 Guitar Synthesizers and one Roland VG-8 Guitar System. These are used in conjunction with many of the most highly regarded software programs including sequencing software such as Mark of the Unicorn’s Digital Performer, performance software such as Band in a Box and the Jazz Guitarist, and notation software such as Finale. All guitarists are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the capabilities of these products. Our keyboard lab features Roland digital pianos, Macintosh computers, and the latest sequencing, transcription, and theory software. There are 8 practice modules located on the 2nd floor of the Fine Arts Building. Practice modules are generally available on a “first come-first served” basis during regular building hours, 7:30 a.m.- 9:30 p.m. daily. Students should take individual responsibility for the care of all university-owned equipment and facilities, such as: proper care of instruments, turning off lights, closing practice room doors, etc. Any damage or misuse of facilities should be reported in writing to the Music Office (FA151) immediately. Music materials in Ottenheimer Library are cataloged on computer. Scores, books, periodicals, and recordings in various formats are available to all registered university students. Remember that library materials are for temporary use. Students should expect to purchase musical scores for assigned lesson repertoire.
The Music Department seeks to promote musical excellence and offers numerous scholarships and awards, Awards are based on competitive auditions held during the Fall and Spring semesters. Inquiries about scholarship application procedures should be discussed with your Guitar teacher, or directly with Dr. Bevan Keating head of the Scholarship Committee. Information about outside music competitions ranging from local to international often reaches the UALR Music Dept. Interested students should discuss competition applications directly with their Guitar teacher. Instructor approval is required for participation.
VIII. SELECTED FACULTY PROFILES
Dr. Rolf Groesbeck FA 109B 569-3101 Associate Prof. of Music; Musicology, Ethnomusicology, Music Appreciation, Indian Music, Indian Drumming
Michael Carenbauer FA218 569-3301 Professor Prof. of Music Pop Guitar, Guitar Reading, Applied Guitar, Guitar Ensemble
Dr. Naoki Hakutani, FA 101-F 683-7230 Coordinator of Group Piano Studies
Tom Cox 569-3294 Instructor Jazz Piano, Jazz Combo, Jazz Composition
Dr. Robert Boury FA 201A 569-3096 Music Theory, Composition
Michael Heavner FA 109C 569-3294 Digital Audio, MIDI, Piano
Tom Richeson FA 109A 569-8941 Intro to Music, Improvisation
The UALR Student Guitar Society has been active for 20 years and supports guitar related concerts and workshops on the UALR campus. With the assistance of the Student Activity Fee it has annually sponsored the appearance on the UALR Campus of the winner of the Guitar Foundation of American’s annual international competition, the most important classical guitar competition in the world