Eastman School to offer B.M.A. degree

T he Eastman School will offer a new undergraduate degree this fall. The bachelor of musical arts degree will be an alternative to ESM's traditional bachelor of music degree, which the school continues to offer.

"The new B.M.A. degree recognizes that the future of music presentation, production, and teaching is sure to be very different from the past. As a professional music school, we must prepare students both for careers of the present as well as careers of the future," said Douglas Dempster, ESM dean of academic affairs. The new program will make it easier for students to follow their unique artistic and intellectual passions, he added.

Academically, the first two years of the B.M.A. and B.M. degrees are identical. Students take private lessons, study music history and theory, develop aural and keyboard skills, and perform in ensembles. At the end of the sophomore year, qualified students may elect the B.M.A. track.

B.M.A. students map out an individualized major with an advisor for their second two years. They must choose a coherent group of courses from the humanities and natural and social sciences. In their final year, they complete a senior project with a research component relating to performance projects, outreach programs, teaching projects, or internships. B.M.A. students also take two Eastman Initiatives courses, learning more about the place of music and musicians in the larger culture and marketplace.

In contrast, students preparing for graduate study in music or well-defined careers as professional musicians or music teachers will probably select the traditional B.M. track's clearly defined four-year curriculum.