School of Music

Music Building Room 101
Telephone: 512-245-2651 Fax: 512-245-8181
Email: music@txstate.edu
http://www.music.txstate.edu/

Mission Statement

The Texas State University School of Music prepares a diverse student population within a positive and inclusive environment for personal success and evolving careers in music, promotes creative and scholarly activity, and nurtures supportive communities.

We aspire to the highest levels of inclusivity, diversity, excellence, and student success. We nurture curiosity, creativity, passion, and collegiality, while supporting and respecting each other. Our music community strives for excellence and innovation in music making, teaching, and research.

In pursuing excellence, the School of Music strives to be an innovative community that embraces musical and cultural diversity of students, faculty, and curriculum. We seek to become a destination school, while maintaining our student-centered focus.

Faculty

The music faculty of over 90 individuals includes internationally active performers, conductors, composers, scholars, and teachers. Collectively, they have presented concerts and clinics in more than 30 countries on virtually every continent. Individual faculty members have been recognized through such prestigious prizes as Grammy Awards and the Atlanta Steinway Society Competition, as well as honors and publications in prestigious journals and encyclopedias, such as the  Grove Music Online, Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, Grove Dictionary of American Music, Theoria, MusikTheorie, Musicological Annual, New Sound, Music in Society, Computer Music Journal, Facta Universitatis, Journal of Research in Music Education, Philosophy of Music Education Review, and Journal of Musicological Research. Their artistry can be heard in various movie soundtracks and hundreds of commercial recordings.

Departmental Policies

Upon review of a candidate's transcript, additional background courses may be required beyond the degree's 36 credits. Students who score less than 70% on the music theory placement test will take a free online course. Students who score less than 70% on the music history placement test will take a free online course.

Vocal and choral applicants: Students who score less than 70% on the diction placement exam will take MU 5130B.

Vocal and Choral applicants: If diction courses were not part of the undergraduate degree program, students must fulfill these requirements by the end of their master's studies. In addition, vocal applicants must have one year each of two of the standard singing languages (French, German, and Italian) at the college level or proof of language proficiency at the Beginner Level I and II as determined by the CLEP test.

Composition/Music Theory applicants: Counterpoint and Orchestration are required background knowledge; if these subjects have not been studied in an undergraduate degree program, or equivalent course of study, students will work with a music theory or composition faculty member to determine a path to study the required content.

These courses would be in addition to the degree requirements listed below. 

Financial Assistance

Scholarships, which may include a waiver of the out-of-state portion of the tuition, and graduate assistantships (with potential teaching duties in the School) are available to qualified applicants. For further information about financial assistance and the degree programs, please contact the coordinator of graduate studies in music.   

Facilities

As the music program has grown into a large, comprehensive School of Music, so too have the facilities expanded to keep pace with its diversity of ensembles, programs, and students. 

Music Buildings

The Music Building includes classrooms, faculty studios and rehearsal halls. There are separate rehearsal facilities for bands, orchestra, choirs, jazz, and Latin music ensembles, chamber groups, and opera. The facility also contains the 149-seat Music Building Recital Hall, the Schneider Music Library, a black box theater, over thirty practice rooms, an electronic piano laboratory, a multi-station music computer lab, two instrument checkout rooms, faculty offices, and the administrative office suite.

Performing Arts Center

The Performing Arts Center includes an acoustically superb 312-seat recital hall. Equipped with two Steinway D concert grand pianos and a beautiful custom-built Flemish replica harpsichord, the hall hosts performances by international guest artist, music faculty, and some student ensembles. It is a learning laboratory for student degree recitals. Another venue, the Patti Strickel Harrison Theater, provides a state-of-the art theater with orchestra pit for TXST Opera Theatre productions.

Evans Auditorium

Evans Auditorium is the largest performance hall on campus with a seating capacity of 933. The university's wind bands, orchestra, and University Arts events utilize Evans as a performance site. The venue also contains two Steinway concert grand pianos.

Fire Station Studio

The Fire Station Studio, located near campus is available for both Texas State and non-Texas State persons to rent for commercial purposes. The studio houses the School of Music's sound recording technology program and contains a multipurpose recording facility and television/film sound stage housing four control rooms, three tracking spaces, a large-format fully automated SSL mixing console, CD mastering gear, and numerous professional microphones and outboard devices. 

Colorado Building 

Colorado Building houses the TXST Gamelan Lipi Awan (a Balinese ensemble) and sixteen additional practice rooms with digital pianos.

Lampasas Hall

Offering music an additional five offices and three teaching studios, Lampasas Hall is the second oldest building on campus and was beautifully renovated in 2012. 

Marching Band Field/Storage

The Bobcat Marching Band field includes a standard 100+ yard field, multi-level director's tower, and newly completed equipment storage facility.

Schneider Music Library

The Schneider Music Library, centrally located in the Music Building, provides convenient access to scores, sound recordings, DVDs, music education materials, and music reference sources.

Music Computer Center

The Music Computer Center located in the Music Building features twenty-four high-end Mac workstations with MIDI controllers, a teacher station, a scanner workstation, and two administrator stations.

YouStar Studios

The YouStar Studios, located in the Alkek Library, include a suite of multimedia technologies that enable users to create video and audio content. The YouStar Studios consist of a video recording studio and two audio recording studios.

Master of Music (M.M.)

Minors

Certificate

DeBow, Faith, Professor of Instruction, Music, M.M., Eastman School of Music

Hale, Daris W, Professor of Instruction, Music, M.M., University of Texas at Austin