Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music

Location: 103 Music, Phone: (409) 880-8144

Chair: Brian Shook, brian.shook@lamar.edu

Faculty and Staff Directory

Welcome to the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music at 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ offers four undergraduate degrees and two graduate degrees, in addition to an exciting curriculum designed to inspire you every day. The department fully immerses its students in the cultural study of music, its composition, performance techniques, education, history, and more. Here, you can sing in a chorus, go to a live performance, compose an original piece, enjoy music of various genres and play your instruments, all while refining your natural gifts and talents.

Surrounded by artistic institutions all throughout our area, we strongly encourage our students to participate in Southeast Texas’ cultural life. Some of these facilities include the Symphony of Southeast Texas, Beaumont Interfaith Choral Society, Beaumont Community Players, Beaumont Ballet Theatre and the Beaumont Civic Ballet.

The music unit is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music. Four undergraduate degrees are offered

Bachelor of Music in Performance
Bachelor of Music in Composition
Bachelor of Music (leading to Teacher Certification)
Bachelor of Arts in Music

One graduate degree is offered, with three tracks

Master of Music, Performance Track
Master of Music, Education Track
Master of Music, Kodaly Emphasis

Degrees Offered

Degree Offered (With tracks) and Music Hours/Education Hours

Bachelor of Arts in Music - 124

Bachelor of Music (leading to Teacher Certification)

  • band track - 110/21
  • choral track - 105/21

Bachelor of Music - Composition

Bachelor of Music – Performance

Requirements for Music Majors

  1. Meet the basic requirements for all degree programs.
  2. Complete one of the programs of study listed.
  3. Successfully complete seven semesters (six for B.A. in Music) of MUSI 1170 (Recital Attendance) to be approved for graduation.
  4. A music course with a grade of “D” will not apply toward graduation.
  5. All students must continue to take secondary piano for as many consecutive long semesters as are required for the completion of the piano proficiency exam.
  6. Students whose primary instrument is piano and who are pursuing either the Bachelor of Music in Composition (Band Track), Bachelor of Music in Performance (Band Track), Bachelor of Music (leading to teacher certification - Band Track), or Bachelor of Arts in Music (with an instrumental secondary) are required to achieve proficiency on a secondary instrument. This will be fulfilled by selecting an instrument and registering for the corresponding course (MUAP 1101.xx or MUSI 1181) until proficiency has been achieved.
  7. All majors taking applied music will be enrolled concurrently in their respective degree-required ensemble.

Audition Procedure

To be accepted as a music major at 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳, students, both entering freshmen and transfer, must pass an audition in their major performance area (applied music). Audition dates may be obtained at  or by contacting the 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music. Special audition dates can be arranged if necessary.

Theory Placement Examination

All music major applicants will be given a Theory Placement Examination to determine their level of theoretical knowledge and aural skills.

Music Minor

Core Curriculum Requirement (3 hours): MUSI 1306. All students seeking a minor in music will be required to take MUSI 1306 (Music Appreciation) as the core curriculum requirement in creative arts.

Music Minor Requirements (23 hours):

Lower Level

MUTY - 6 hours

      MUTY 1211 (Music Theory I)

      MUTY 1212 (Music Theory II)

      MUTY 1116 (Sight Singing & Ear Training I)

      MUTY 1117 (Sight Singing & Ear Training II)

MUAP 12XX (2 courses) – 4 hours

MULB 117X (2 courses) – 2 hours

     Choose from (audition required for some ensembles):

         MULB 1175 (Marching Band) and MULB 1177 (Symphonic Band) for instrumental emphasis

         MULB 1170 (A Cappella Choir) and MULB 1172 (Grand Chorus) for choral emphasis

         MULB 1173 (Orchestra) for orchestral emphasis

MUSI 1170 (Recital Attendance), 2 courses – 2 hours

Upper Level

Group I: Choose one course - 2 hours

      MUSI 3250 (Choral Music)

      MUSI 3260 (Instrumental Music)

Group II: Choose one course - 2 or 3 hours

      MUSI 3310 (Elementary Music I)

      MUSI 3270 (Choral Conducting)

      MUSI 3280 (Instrumental Conducting)

Group III:  5 hours

      Upper level music electives - up to 5 hours to bring upper-level total to 9 semester hours

Applied Music Requirements

Music majors must be enrolled in applied music each long semester until the applied music requirement (including the capstone recital, if required) is met, as explained below. The required sequence of courses includes a minimum of four semesters of lower-level (1200 series) courses in applied music.

Students in the teacher certification program must complete three additional semesters of upper-level (3200 series) applied music courses. Students in the performance program must complete four semesters of upper-level (3400 series) applied music courses. Students in the bachelor of arts programs must complete two semesters of upper-level (3200 series) applied music courses.

Completion of the applied music requirement signifies the attainment of a given level of artistic performance rather than the completion of a specific number of semester hours of credit. A student may, at the discretion of the applied music faculty, be required to repeat any course in the applied music sequence. In such a case, the course may be repeated for credit. The applied music requirement is not satisfied until the approval of the faculty is obtained.

Any student registered for an applied music course (except 1101 and 1181) will be required to perform in a major ensemble and pass a jury examination each long semester. With permission from the private instructor, a student may be exempt from a jury examination in the semester during which the degree recital is to be performed.

Recital Performance Requirements

Bachelor of Music (leading to Teacher Certification)

Each Bachelor of Music (leading to Teacher Certification) major will perform a senior recital 30 minutes in length. Upon completion of four semesters of lower-level applied music, the student must pass a performance jury examination to be eligible to advance to upper-level (3200 series) applied music courses. The senior recital may be performed jointly with another student and will take place in the senior year. The student must be enrolled in applied music during the semester in which the recital is to be performed.

Bachelor of Music (in Performance)

Upon completion of four semesters of lower-level applied music, the student must pass a performance jury examination to be eligible to advance to upper-level (3400 series) applied music courses; 2) during the second semester of upper-level instruction, the performance major must perform a junior audition recital. This recital must be 30 minutes in length and may be given jointly with another student. A satisfactory Junior Audition Recital is a prerequisite for proceeding to a Senior Performance Recital; 3) during the fourth semester of upper-level study, a Senior Performance Recital will be given. See the general policies below.

Bachelor of Music (in Composition)

Junior year: Public presentation of at least one original composition for any medium. Minimum length: 5 minutes. The student is responsible for recruiting and rehearsing the performer(s). Senior year: Presentation of a recital of original compositions. Generally, the requirement is for at least four compositions, for differing media, although if one or more compositions are unusually long, exceptions may be made. Minimum length: 25 minutes of music (excluding time between movements, set-up time between pieces, etc.). The student is responsible for recruiting and rehearsing the performers, as well as coordinating the performance. Part of the grade for the recital will be dependent on the success of these efforts.

Bachelor of Arts

The Bachelor of Arts major will perform on regular recitals as required by the faculty. The Bachelor of Arts major will not be required to perform the capstone recitals.

General policies for performance major auditions and recitals

A performance major MUST make a formal application for admission to upper-level applied music, junior audition recital and senior recital at least two weeks prior to the jury or recital. The application forms are available from the chair of the music department and should be submitted to the applied teacher; 2) to advance to upper-level applied music, the performance major must have two-thirds approval of the sophomore jury panel; 3) junior audition recitals and senior recitals will be graded on a pass/fail basis by a faculty panel of three, chosen by the chair of the music department and the private teacher. Two-thirds approval of the faculty panel is necessary to pass. The student must be enrolled in applied music during the semester in which the recital is to be performed.

Ensemble Participation

Participation in a major ensemble is required of full-time music students each long semester, except when student teaching. Major ensembles are as follows:

  1. For vocal and keyboard (vocal emphasis) students: MULB 1170, 3170 (A Cappella Choir, A Cappella Choir II) or MULB 1172, 3172 (Grand Chorus, Grand Chorus II) (Placement by audition)
  2. For wind, keyboard (instrumental emphasis) and percussion students: Fall semesters - MULB 1175, 3175 (Marching Band, Marching Band II) and Spring semesters - MULB 1177, 3177 (Symphonic Band, Symphonic Band II)

Applied Music Courses (MUAP)

(Refer to Applied Music Requirements in preceding Music Department materials for complete explanation and requirements for Applied Music courses)

0200 Developmental Applied Music

1101 Beginning Band Instruments

1217, 3217, 3417 Flute

1221, 3221, 3421 Oboe

1225, 3225, 3425 Bassoon

1229, 3229, 3429 Clarinet

1233, 3233, 3433 Saxophone

1237, 3237, 3437 Trumpet

1241, 3241, 3441 French Horn

1245, 3245, 3445 Trombone

1249, 3249, 3439 Euphonium

1253, 3253, 3453 Tuba

1257, 3257, 3457 Percussion

1254. 3264. 3464 Guitar

1269, 3269, 3469 Piano

1281, 3281, 3481 Voice

1283, 3483 Composition

Graduate Program

The Mary Morgan Moore Department of Music offers the Master of Music degree with tracks in Music Education and Performance. The degree is designed to help music educators and performers advance musicianship and develop new concepts that may be applied to their particular fields of endeavor.

Admission Requirements

1. University Requirements

All persons seeking admission to any graduate degree in music must meet the university’s minimum general requirements for admission. Minimum university admissions requirements, deadlines, and other information can be found in the Graduate Admissions section of this catalog.

2. General Requirements

All applications will be evaluated in full by the music department’s graduate admissions committee. Note: Students meeting minimum university and department requirements are not guaranteed admission.

All graduate applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in music (either a B.M. or a B.A./B.S. with a major in music) from a nationally-accredited program. Applicants who do not have such a degree should apply to one of our undergraduate music degrees and then reapply for our graduate degree upon completing their undergraduate major in music.

Applicants for the music education track who do not possess a state-level teaching certificate will only be admitted on a conditional basis, with the expectation that state-level certification will be acquired before the end of their first year of graduate studies. In the event that state-level certification is not received within the first year, continued enrollment will be determined by special permission of the music department’s graduate admissions committee.

Applicants for the music performance track will perform an audition for the applied committee in his or her performance area as a part of their application. Prospective students on the performance track in voice must additionally show proficiency in German, French, and Italian diction prior to acceptance in the program. The performance audition requirement will be evaluated by a committee comprised of applied faculty in the area of the applicant’s major instrument/voice.

3. GRE Requirements

For domestic students (U. S. citizens and permanent residents), application, official transcripts, and Graduate Records Examination (GRE) scores are due to the Graduate Office at least 30 days before registration for the semester in which the student is entering.

  • The GRE requirement will be waived for applicants with a completed undergraduate degree in music with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on their undergraduate transcript.
  • Applicants who score lower than 150 on either the Verbal or Quantitative sections of the GRE will be accepted for admission only by special permission of the music department’s graduate admissions committee. Additional leveling requirements or special enrollment status may be made as a condition of acceptance into the program.

4. Requirements for International Students

Applicants who are non-native English speakers must demonstrate minimum English proficiency at the time of application as noted on the table below.

Regular Admission 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Pathway Program Conditional Admission
TOEFL Internet-based Total 79 61 Below 61
Toefl Paper-based total 550 500 Below 500
IELTS Total 6.5 6.0 Below 6.0

Regular admission entails no additional language requirements. The Pathway Program requires study in a university-approved ESL curriculum as a corequsite to all graduate courses in music education, history/literature, and theory. Applicants whose scores fall under the “conditional admission” may not enroll in graduate-level courses in music education, history/literature, and theory until their scores meet the “Pathway Program” minimum scores.

5. Leveling Courses and Remediation

At about the time of application, the music department’s graduate admissions committee may recommend or require remedial coursework in those areas deemed deficient in the student’s educational background. Students with an undergraduate major in music will not generally have leveling requirements, however, deficiencies in one or more areas may be determined by entrance examinations or transcript evaluation. Upon evaluation by the heads of the music education, music history/literature, and music theory faculty, all leveling course requirements (as well which courses will be required as prerequisite(s) or corequisite(s) to graduate-level courses) will be communicated to the applicant. In the event leveling courses are required, no more than 6 credit hours of audited remedial work will be allowed (with completion of the requirement signified by written approval of the faculty teaching the audited course). If more than 6 hours of remedial work is required, the student must enroll for course credit on their transcript and receive a minimum C grade to complete the requirement.

6. Other Information and Non-course Graduation Requirements

The director of graduate music will serve as the general adviser for all graduate students in music. A committee of three graduate faculty members will serve in an advisory capacity and administer the final oral examination. The student will select his or her own committee, in consultation with the graduate adviser. For students on the Performance track, the oral examination committee will also be the recital committee. For students on the Music Education track with a thesis option, the oral examination committee will also be the thesis committee.

The music department’s graduate admissions committee will be comprised of no fewer than three graduate faculty members with the three minimum members being (1) either the music education area head (for applicants in music education) and/or applied faculty member (for applicants in applied music), (2) either the music history/literature or the music theory area head, and (3) either the director of bands or the director of choral activities. An optional fourth admissions committee member chosen from the music faculty may be included in the admissions committee.

Music Degree Requirements

Candidates for the master's degree in music must meet all general degree requirements of the College of Graduate Studies as listed elsewhere in this catalog.

Performance Track: 30 hours.

The Performance track of the Master of Music degree requires 30 semester hours as listed below. In addition, a public recital and either a research paper or lecture recital are required.

1. Applied -- 12 hours (3 semesters, 4 credit hours each semester)

2. Music History -- 6 hours (two 3-hour courses)

3. Music Theory -- 6 hours (two 3-hour courses)

4. Music Education -- 6 hours (two 3-hour courses) MUED 5320, Music Reference, Research, and Writing, is required of all master's students.

5. Public recital -- 50 minutes of music

6. Lecture recital -- performance-related, based on research or research paper

7. Oral examination

Music Education Track: 36 hours

The Music Education track of the Master of Music degree requires 36 semester hours, and thesis and non-thesis options are available. Two additional courses in music education may be substituted for the thesis, and six hours of applied music may replace two music education courses.

1. Music Education

              a.  MUED 5320, Music Reference, Research & Writing, is required of all master's students.

              b.  MUED 5330, Basic Concepts in Music Education, is required on the Music Education track.

              c.  12 hours of music education courses

2. Music History -- 6 hours (two 3-hour courses)

3. Music Theory -- 6 hours (two 3-hour courses)

4a. Thesis option -- 6 hours of thesis enrollment

4b. Non-thesis option -- 6 hours of additional music education courses

Students may substitute 6 hours of applied lessons (3 semesters, 2 credit hours each semester) for 6 hours of music education. They do not have to be in the same applied area.

5. Oral examination

The director of graduate music studies will serve as the general adviser for all graduate students in music. A committee of three graduate faculty members will also serve in an advisory capacity and administer the final oral examination. For students on the Performance track, the oral examination committee will also be the recital committee. For students on the Music Education track with thesis option, the oral examination committee will also be the thesis committee.

Updates to the Music Education Track for Spring 2021

Effective January 2021, the Music Education track will be reduced from 36 to 30 hours.

Brian.Shook@lamar.edu