Master of Music
The degree, which takes one or two years of full-time study to complete, prepares students to be professional performers, conductors, and composers, according to their area of specialization.
MM students typically complete applied studies, such as lessons with a professor, and take courses within their area of specialization.
Some institutions permit MM students to do a sub-specialization in a field outside music that contributes to their professional and academic goals.
In some schools, students are required to give a lecture for one or both of the recitals, in which they explain the historical context or music theory or compositional issues involved in the pieces.
This approach, called a lecture-recital, is designed to give students experience explaining and contextualizing the pieces or songs they perform.
This skill is important for performers because many also teach or coach students, and some will go on to become professors, where they may be required to give lectures on music history, theory, or composition.
MM programs in performance usually require a live audition that includes advanced pieces (or for singers, songs) from a wide range of styles, typically ranging from the Baroque era (1600-1750), the Classical music period (1750-1800), the Romantic music era (1800-1910) to the 20th and/or 21st century.
Auditionees are typically told which pieces and movements to prepare; some schools even give the bar numbers or rehearsal letters (e.g., Beethoven Symphony no.
Applicants are typically asked for official transcripts from all post-secondary programs and letters of recommendation from music professors and teachers.
Some programs may also request a statement of intent/statement of purpose or another type of essay, in which the candidate explains why she wishes to be admitted, and sets out her professional, performance or career goals.
Admission to MM programs in conducting often requires a video recording of a live rehearsal and performances as a pre-screening element.
The MMus degree is usually undertaken to prepare students to be professional performers (typically either singers or instrumental musicians), conductors, and composers.
The MMus is typically the minimum credential that allows them to teach instrumental or vocal performance at universities, colleges, and conservatories.
MMus graduates who wish to pursue graduate studies in an area that is not directly connected with music may be conditionally admitted to PhD programs in areas such as women's studies or sociology, subject to the condition that they complete a list of qualifying courses.
