Music Education (K-12) (BS)
Students who choose to major in Music Education become prepared to teach and supervise vocal, instrumental, and general music from kindergarten through grade 12. The Educator Preparation programs at Plymouth State University are approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education. The University is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE). New Hampshire participates in the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement and, although additional requirements may apply, this agreement makes it possible for a Plymouth State graduate who holds a teaching certificate in New Hampshire to earn a certificate in another state. For further information, please see the Holmes Center for School Partnerships and Educator Preparation section. Requirements for certification may change, subject to changes made by the New Hampshire Department of Education. Teacher candidates can find the most current New Hampshire Department of Education standards at education.nh.gov/index.htm.
The knowledge, skills, and dispositions of teacher candidates shall be assessed regularly by the faculty. One semester prior to the internship semester, the student will receive faculty approval to intern if the student has
- earned a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average at the end of the third year;
- earned a minimum grade of C in all required ME/MU courses; and
- completed all departmental program requirements through the third year.
During the semester prior to the internship, students in this program are required to present a senior solo recital. Students who do not meet these requirements may withdraw from the BS in Music Education and complete a BA Music, Contract Option.
All teacher candidates who interact with students in public school settings through course-related field experiences, including the Internship in Elementary Music Teaching and the Internship in Secondary Music Teaching, are subject to New Hampshire state legislation that requires a full disclosure criminal records check. This may include fingerprinting. The processing of the criminal records check is conducted at the site school before the clinical experience begins. The fee for this processing is the responsibility of the teacher candidate and is paid directly to the school district. Each new site will require a separate fingerprinting and background check. Inquiries should be directed to the Holmes Center for School Partnerships and Educator Preparation.
In order for teacher candidates to participate in clinical experiences in diverse settings that are essential for their development as teachers and required for accreditation, teacher candidates must be willing and able to travel outside of the Plymouth area beyond walking distances. All Internship in Teaching candidates should plan for and be able to secure their own transportation by the junior year.
Check all course descriptions for prerequisites before planning course schedule. Course sequence is suggested but not required.
To complete the bachelor’s degree in 4 years, you must successfully complete a minimum of 15 credits each semester or have a plan to make up credits over the course of the 4 years. For example, if you take 14 credits one semester, you need to take 16 credits in another semester. Credits completed must count toward your program requirements (major, option, minor, certificate, general education or free electives).
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| ME 1105 | Foundations of Music Education | 2 |
| ME 1110 | Early Field Experience in Music Education | 1 |
| ME 1200 | Voice Class I 1 | 1 |
| ME 2020 | Instrumental Lab | 0 |
| ME 2150 | String Methods | 1 |
| ME 3010 | Choral Lab | 0 |
| ME 3110 | Elementary School Music Methods | 3 |
| ME 3130 | Woodwind Methods I | 1 |
| ME 3140 | Woodwind Methods II | 1 |
| ME 3160 | Percussion Methods | 1 |
| ME 3210 | Upper Brass Methods | 1 |
| ME 3220 | Lower Brass Methods | 1 |
| ME 3500 | Technology for Music Educators (TECO) | 3 |
| ME 4200 | Secondary School Music Methods | 3 |
| ME 4500 | Senior Recital: Music Education | 0 |
| MU 1150 | Piano Class I 2 | 1 |
| MU 1160 | Piano Class II 2,3 | 1 |
| MU 1210 | Musicianship I | 4 |
| MU 1220 | Musicianship II 4 | 4 |
| MU 2210 | Musicianship III 5 | 3 |
| MU 2220 | Musicianship IV 6 | 3 |
| MU 2230 | Piano Class III 2,7 | 1 |
| MU 2240 | Piano Class IV 2,8 | 1 |
| MU 2260 | Basic Conducting | 2 |
| MU 3250 | Global Jazz (DICO,GACO) | 3 |
| MU 3310 | History and Literature of Music I | 3 |
| MU 3320 | History and Literature of Music II (INCO,INCP,WRCO) | 3 |
| MU | Ensembles (not MUDI) | 7 |
| MU | Performance Studies (two enrollments each at the 1000, 2000, 3000 levels; one enrollment at the 4000 level; not MUDI) | 7 |
| Conducting Elective | ||
| ME 3250 | Choral Conducting | 2 |
| or ME 3260 | Instrumental Conducting | |
| Literature and Techniques Elective | ||
| ME 3340 | Choral Literature and Techniques | 2 |
| or ME 3350 | Instrumental Literature and Techniques | |
| Internship in Teaching | ||
| ME 4865 | Internship in Elementary Music Teaching | 5 |
| ME 4875 | Internship in Secondary Music Teaching | 5 |
| ME 4880 | Music Education Internship Seminar | 2 |
| Psychology | ||
| ED 2400 | Child and Youth Development in Context (WECO) | 4 |
| Special Education Elective | ||
| ED 2800 | Inclusive Education and Technology (TECO) | 3-4 |
| or SE 3090 | Introduction to Special Education: Middle and Secondary | |
| Quantitative Reasoning in the Discipline Connection | ||
| Complete one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Mathematics and the Humanities (QRCO) | ||
| Finite Mathematics (QRCO) | ||
| Statistics I (QRCO) | ||
| General Education | ||
| EN 1400 | Composition | 4 |
| IS 1115 | Tackling a Wicked Problem | 4 |
| MA | Mathematics Foundations | 3-4 |
| PPDI | Past and Present Direction | 3-4 |
| SIDI | Scientific Inquiry Direction | 3-4 |
| SSDI | Self and Society Direction | 3-4 |
| Directions (choose from PPDI, SIDI, SSDI) 10 | 4-8 | |
| Electives (4 of these credits will be replaced with the "true INCP" requirement in the 24-25 catalog) | 7 | |
| Total Credits | 124 | |
- 1
Voice majors (students taking Voice Performance Studies) substitute Voice Pedagogy for Majors (MU 4280) for Voice Class I (ME 1200).
- 2
Piano majors (students taking Piano Performance Studies) substitute Piano Pedagogy I (MU 3070)/Piano Pedagogy II (MU 3080) for Piano Class I (MU 1150)/Piano Class II (MU 1160) and Piano Class III (MU 2230)/Piano Class IV (MU 2240).
- 3
Requires a minimum grade of C in Piano Class I (MU 1150).
- 4
Requires a minimum grade of C in Musicianship I (MU 1210).
- 5
Requires a minimum grade of C in Musicianship II (MU 1220).
- 6
Requires a minimum grade of C in Musicianship III (MU 2210).
- 7
Requires a minimum grade of C in Piano Class II (MU 1160).
- 8
Requires a minimum grade of C in Piano Class III (MU 2230).
- 9
The Internship in Elementary Music Teaching and the Internship in Secondary Music Teaching require a minimum grade of C in all required ME/MU courses and a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00.
- 10
Directions should total 16-17 credits because CTDI is waived for BS Music Education.
- Performing as a soloist and as a member of a musical ensemble accurately and expressively from notation either vocally or instrumentally:
- Improvising to a structured harmonic accompaniment, in a variety of styles, including but not limited to jazz;
- Playing and transposing on piano and guitar;
- Conducting representative musical literature;
- Researching, planning, and presenting a musical performance.
- Hearing and correcting individual parts;
- Aurally recognizing a variety of historical and contemporary musical forms and genres;
- Sight-singing;
- Notating music from listening;
- Reading and writing music in
- traditional notation using a variety of clefs; and
- non-traditional notation;
- Making common transpositions;
- Analyzing formal and expressive elements in written music;
- Composing and arranging music.
- Describing the development of Western art music beginning with the Middle Ages;
- Analyzing the role of music in a variety of cultures;
- Describing the music of a variety of cultures.
- Developing in students the ability to read and write music in traditional and non-traditional notation;
- Guiding students to express themselves musically through singing, playing instruments, moving purposefully, improvising, composing and arranging;
- Developing in students the ability to describe, analyze and evaluate music and musical performances through a variety of methods including guided listening;
- Creating sequential instruction in music history, its role in culture, and its relationship to other disciplines;
- Designing standards-based curriculum, planning and instruction and assessments including modifications to meet the needs of all learners;
- Using competency-based assessment strategies to determine and communicate student progress and achievement;
- Working with colleagues to provide inter-disciplinary instruction;
- Describing and advocating for a comprehensive K-12 music program;
- Using current technologies and multimedia to
- plan and prepare instruction;
- deliver instruction;
- provide opportunities for music students to create, perform, and respond; and
- amplify and augment performance.
- Developing in students the ability to sing and perform expressively alone and with others at a beginning level in healthy, age appropriate ways including:
- tone production in the general and extended ranges of the voice including the changing voice;
- vocal techniques, including, but not limited to diction, breathing, and posture; and
- varied repertoire;
- Developing in students the ability to play and perform expressively alone and with others at a beginning level on classroom instruments, band instruments, and orchestral instruments in healthy, age appropriate ways including:
- tone production;
- articulation;
- fingerings; and
- transposition for commonly used instruments; THE FOLLOWING (3 & 4) IS AN AND/OR COMPETENCY
- Instructing, rehearsing, assessing and refining vocalists throughout their school career and in performances of choral music with knowledge of advanced techniques of:
- tone production in the general and extended ranges of the voice including the changing voice;
- vocal techniques, including, but not limited to diction in English and in foreign languages; and
- varied repertoire, including music of four or more parts, accompanied or a cappella; AND/OR
- Instructing, rehearsing, assessing and refining instrumentalists throughout their school career in performances including advanced techniques of:
- tone production;
- articulation;
- fingerings, including alternate fingerings; and
- transposition for less commonly used instruments.
- Music teacher (classroom or private studio at a variety of levels, with specific certification to teach in K-12 public schools)
- Arts administrator
- Educational administrator
- Conductor/music director
- Composer/creator
- Performer
- Music scholar
- Music therapist (with additional graduate training/certification)