VOICE AREA POLICY AND INFORMATION (5-2-07)
This policy sheet is in addition to the information in the student handbook. The student is responsible for understanding both the handbook and this policy.
Applied Voice Studio Assignments
Students are assigned to applied faculty studios by the Voice Area Head (Bill Shomos) in consultation with individual faculty members. New students may request a specific teacher assignment by contacting the Coordinator of Records and Student Affairs (Colleen McDonald) or by putting the request in writing to the Area Head. Students pursuing voice study as a minor or as an elective are given lowest priority for applied study studio assignments.
All majors and minors must audition before any studio assignment can be considered. Electives may simply sign up with Coordinator of Records and Student Affairs. Elective voice students are assigned on a first come, first serve basis and may only study if there is adequate studio space after all majors and minors have been assigned.
Semesters of Voice Study at UNL
Please refer to the student handbook to determine the number of semesters of applied voice required for each vocal music degree. Once the degree-required semesters of applied voice are completed, students are no longer entitled to take lessons with a voice faculty member. The School of Music requires undergraduate students to be enrolled in applied voice during the semester a degree-required recital is performed; therefore, students must complete their degree recital(s) during their degree-required semesters of applied voice. If a student wishes to take applied voice in semesters beyond their degree's requirements, it will be at the sole discretion of the instructor involved.
Applied Lessons
The applied teacher is required to meet with the student 1 hour per week, with at least 30 minutes being an individual lesson. Each studio is a little different and there are a variety of scenarios including, but not limited to the following:
1 individual 30-minute lesson per week plus one hour-long group lesson.
2 individual 30-minute lessons per week.
Any time given to the student, above and beyond one hour per week, is extra, and completely at the discretion of the applied teacher.
Ensemble Requirements
All voice majors and minors should refer to the student handbook for ensemble requirements.
ALL students taking elective voice are required to participate in a vocal ensemble. Should the elective student fail to pass their ensemble in the semester of voice study, they will be given an incomplete in voice study until they take and pass an ensemble in a subsequent semester. The student will not be allowed to enroll in applied voice again, until the outstanding ensemble requirement is fulfilled.
Juries
All voice majors, minors and electives are required to take juries.
Exceptions: DMA students are not required to take juries.
Other “students may be exempted from jury examinations only if they have performed a recital during the last seven weeks of that semester in fulfillment of degree requirements.” (UG Handbook, p. 10; MM Handbook p. 10)
If a student is unable to perform a jury for any reason, that student or his/her applied teacher must submit, in writing, a letter explaining why he/she is not taking a jury. The jury must be rescheduled at the convenience of the voice area.
All students must arrange to take their jury on the prescribed date and time. Majors must take juries on days set aside for majors. Minors and electives must take juries on days set aside for minors and electives. Only the most exceptional circumstances will be considered for a change and must be approved of by the voice area. Students should not assume any more flexibility with voice jury scheduling than they would expect to have from general education classes outside the School of Music. Major juries occur at the beginning of finals week (Monday through Tuesday or Monday through Wednesday). Minor/Elective juries occur on the Wednesday or Thursday of finals week. The specific schedule is posted on the area head’s door no later than one week prior to finals week.
Grading for the semester of a degree recital
Every undergraduate degree recital must be attended by the student’s teacher, plus one additional faculty member of the voice area.. The student must arrange the date of the recital in consultation with the applied teacher, the accompanist(s), and the additional faculty member. This additional faculty member will be of the student’s own choosing, in consultation with the applied teacher. The additional faculty member’s grade of the recital will constitute 1/3 of the recital grade.
Minimum Repertoire Requirements Repertoire requirements for each semester of study are as follows:
MUAP 101.1 |
2 songs/aria, no language requirement |
MUAP 101.2 |
3 songs/arias, 1 Foreign Language |
MUAP 201.1 |
4 songs/arias, 1 Foreign Language |
MUAP 201.2 |
4 songs/arias, 2 Foreign Language |
MUAP 301.1 |
5 songs/arias, 2 Foreign Language |
MUAP 301.2 |
5 songs/arias, 2 Foreign Language |
MUAP 401.1 |
5 songs/arias, 2 Foreign Language |
MUAP 401+ |
5 songs/arias, Teacher’s Discretion |
MUAP 901 |
4 songs/arias, Teacher’s Discretion |
MUAP 801 |
Teacher’s Discretion |
MUAP 100A/800A |
Teacher’s Discretion |
Other |
Teacher’s Discretion |
Any student not meeting the minimum repertoire standards may not receive any grade above a B+ in applied voice for that semester. Should the student fail to meet the above repertoire requirements, each juror will also make a 10-point deduction in their respective score. It is assumed that required repertoire never duplicates that of any previous semester.
Individual studio teachers may intensify their repertoire requirements for the student.
SUDQE (Sophomore Upper Divisional Qualifying Exam)
At the end of the 4th semester, all voice majors must pass a qualifying exam in order to continue as a major at the 300-level. The exam is in two parts, both of which the student must pass.
Part I: Skills--The applied teacher determines skill competency.
Part II: The Jury--For the student to pass, a majority of faculty scores must be at 80 or above. (If a student scores in the 70s or lower in 1st - 3rd semester juries, this should be considered a serious warning.)
Should the student fail either or both sections, he/she may take an incomplete and retest. The voice area will determine number of retests allowed. Should the student ultimately not pass both sections of the SUDQE, the grade will revert to an F and the student will not be allowed to continue at the junior level as a voice major.
Departmentals
The voice area holds frequent departmental recitals on Tuesdays at 2:30pm. All voice majors are required to attend all departmentals. All voice majors are required to sing on one departmental per year. Individual studio teachers may intensify this requirement..
Accompanists
The Coordinator of Accompanying in the SOM makes accompanist assignments for
each studio. Students are NOT guaranteed an accompanist from the SOM. Students may ask their instructor for suggestions on private accompanists.
Change of Studio Policy
1. If a student has a concern about the studio assignment, the student is required to discuss those concerns with the current applied teacher or to send the current applied teacher a letter regarding those concerns. The student should not approach a new teacher.
2. The student provides a letter in writing (NOT EMAIL) to the area head requesting a change of studio.
3. Students requesting a change of studio are neither guaranteed the change, nor are they guaranteed a spot in a specific studio.
