Department of Music and Instrumental Studies
FACULTY
VERNON M. WHALEY, Associate Provost of Program Development and Dean, School of Music and Worship; Professor of Music, 2020—
BA, Welch College; MCM, Luther Rice Seminary; MA, Middle Tennessee State University; DMin, Luther Rice Seminary and Bible College; DWS, Liberty University; PhD, University of Oklahoma.
DAVID J. DIEHL, Chair, Department of Music and Instrumental Studies, Professor of Music, 1997—
BS, Trevecca Nazarene University; MEd, Trevecca Nazarene University; MM, Austin Peay State University; DA, Ball State University.
STEPHEN C. ADAMS, Director, Center for Commercial Music, Assistant Professor of Music and Worship, 2021—
BM, Trevecca Nazarene University; MA, Trevecca Nazarene University.
ANGELA B. CARR FORSYTHE, Coordinator of Vocal Studies, Assistant Professor of Vocal Studies, 2022—
BA, Eastern Nazarene College; MM, Longy School of Music; DA, Ball State University.
PAUL A. CHRISTIANSON, Professor of Music, 1993—
BA, Northwest Nazarene University; MA, University of Idaho; MA, Trevecca Nazarene University; DMA, University of Georgia.
JEFF E. COX, Director of Commercial Music, Assistant Professor of Music, 2012—
BM, Belmont University; MA, Middle Tennessee State University.
MICHAEL L. HARLAND, Assistant Professor of Music, 2022—
BM, Tennessee Technological University; BM, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; PhD, University of Texas, Austin.
MARK HOSNY, Assistant Professor of Music and Worship, 2012—
BMEd, Louisiana State University; MM, The University of Texas at San Antonio.
THOMAS E. LEREW, Assistant Professor of Music, 2016—
BM, Houghton College; MM, Syracuse University; DMA, University of Arizona.
Department of Music and Instrumental Studies General Information
The Department of Music and Instrumental Studies offers six Undergraduate degrees - Bachelor of Music in Commercial Music, Bachelor of Science in Music Leadership, Bachelor of Music in Performance (Vocal), Bachelor of Music in Performance (Instrumental), Bachelor of Science in Music Education, and the Associate of Arts in Music. Career and service opportunities in music include: audio technology, classroom teaching, private teaching, songwriting, composing and arranging, worship leading, music leadership, and performing. All Baccalaureate music degrees provide a solid foundation for students continuing in their respective areas at the graduate level.
The Department's educational philosophy is based on the premise that a student must experience the performing of music. Therefore, in addition to the basic core of music courses, each major program offers opportunities to perform with either vocal or instrumental groups both on and off campus. Performing ensembles in the Department of Music and Instrumental Studies include: Concert Choir, TNU Singers, Commercial Vocal Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble (Big Band), Jazz Combo, Commercial Ensemble (combo), Fuze and Element, Guitar Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and various brass, woodwind, and string chamber groups.
All students, regardless of their major, are invited to minor in music, elect courses in music, perform in ensembles, or study elective applied music in order to broaden and enrich their appreciation of the fine arts.
Trevecca Nazarene University is a member of the National Association of Schools of Music. The Music Education degree is approved by the Tennessee Board of Education and is part of the School of Education, which is accredited by NCATE and CAEP.
The Department of Music and Instrumental Studies' Purpose is to:
Train and equip music educators, performers, and commercial musicians for career opportunities in the marketplace.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate the ability to read and realize musical notation.
- Demonstrate the ability to hear, identify, and work conceptually with the elements of music: timbre, texture, harmony, rhythm, melody, and structure.
- Display an understanding of the compositional process and its historical, cultural, and aesthetic contexts.
- Display an acquaintance with a wide selection of musical literature, the principal eras, genres, and cultural sources.
- Display the ability to develop and defend musical judgments.
- Music Education students will demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and aptitude necessary to assume the role of a professional educator through their upper level practica and student teaching.
- In addition to these outcomes, students pursuing a degree in Music Education will be responsible for the goals listed as part of the Conceptual Framework found in the School of Education's General Information section of the catalog.
Department Regulations
Entry Level - Any student wanting to become a Music Major must take the following diagnostics to determine where they should be placed in the curriculum at entry level. Both the Written Theory and Applied diagnostics must be successfully passed to become a Music Major. Until the time that these two diagnostics are successfully passed, a student may hold the status of a Provisional Music Major. A student is no longer eligible to be a music major if she or he fails to move from provisional status after two semesters of study.
Entrance to Department of Music and Instrumental Studies Student Status:
Entrance Examinations
- Written Theory Exam
- Applied Placement Assessment
Students must pass both of these examinations for entrance into the Department of Music and Instrumental Studies.
Provisional Status
Students who do not pass either or both of these tests may enter their degree programs with a provisional status. If the student does pass these examinations after two semesters of study, they must declare another major.
Applied placement for all students. (Students' performing skills will be evaluated with the departmental rubric, which will be used in subsequent evaluations at the mid-point and exit level evaluations to track progress of these skills.)
- Students who pass will move directly to applied lessons.
- Voice and guitar majors who do not pass will be placed in developmental skill building class or elective lessons not counting toward major-level applied study.
- Other instrumental students who do not pass will be placed in elective study.
Music Education Placement
Students pursuing the Music Education major must make formal application to the Teacher Education Program as outlined in the School of Education teacher education guidelines.
Applied Study
Applied study is required of all music majors, regardless of specific discipline. Applied study requirements are listed in the Department of Music and Instrumental Studies Handbook.
Students enrolled in degree programs requiring a Senior Performance must first pass an applied examination at the end of their 4th semester to be admitted into Upper Division and must pass a Senior Performance Jury 2 weeks prior to Senior Performance to be able to present their recital.
Retention Policy for Applied Study
The Department of Music and Instrumental Studies' retention policies are delineated in the student handbooks under the subsection "Evaluation of Majors." There are three primary checkpoints: Entry Level, Midpoint Check, and Exit Level.
Evaluation of Majors
I. Midpoint Check - Students will be evaluated at the end of their fourth semester of study to determine if they show the aptitude to continue into upper division study. Three areas will be used to evaluate these students.
- Piano proficiency. All Bachelor's students must pass their piano proficiency by the end of their 4th semester.
- 4th semester jury/Applied proficiency. Students must pass their 4th semester jury with the requisite scores on the appropriate rubric.
- A general understanding of music as evidenced by a GPA of at least 2.5 in the major area, and a 2.0 overall GPA.
If a student is deficient in one area, they will be given a semester to rectify the issue. If the student fails to do so, the faculty will recommend that the student should not continue to pursue this degree. If a student is deficient in more than one area, the faculty will recommend that the student should not continue to pursue the degree immediately after the fourth semester.
II. Exit Level
- Students pursuing a BS in Music Leadership must complete a Junior Commercial Music Performance and all other students a Senior Performance for Music Majors or Senior Recital.
- Students pursuing a BS in Music Leadership or BM in Commercial Music must complete a Commercial Music Portfolio.
- Students pursuing a BS in Music Leadership or BM in Commercial Music must complete a Commercial Music Internship.
- Students pursuing a BS in Music Education must complete a semester of Clinical Student Teaching.
Ensembles
Any student may apply for membership in one or more of the departmental ensembles which provide opportunity for a variety of musical experiences through performances. Music majors and minors are required to participate in an appropriate ensemble each semester they are enrolled in applied study until they have completed the designated program requirements; i.e., all vocal students enroll in Concert Choir or TNU Singers, as placed by audition, while all other instrumentalists enroll in the designated ensemble reflecting the major area of applied study.
Commercial Music B.M.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Integrate Christian faith and servant leadership into the discipline of commercial music.
2. Demonstrate technical fluency, expressiveness, style, and professionalism in musical performance.
3. Apply broad-based knowledge of music through research in the areas of music history, music theory, music literature and music technology.
Articulate the compositional process and its historical, cultural, and aesthetic contexts.
Artist Performance and Development Track
1. Formulate a strategy for developing a successful career in the music industry.
2. Develop contextually based music performance strategies in a chosen musical genre.
Composer/Arranger Track
1. Compose music and produce soundtracks with electronic instruments and traditional acoustic instruments for a variety of commercial music applications.
2. Arrange commercial music in a variety of musical styles.
Songwriting Track
1. Develop contextually based songwriting strategies.
2. Demonstrate the process of writing, preparing, and presenting a song for professional presentation and publication.
Worship Leadership Track
1. Develop contextually based worship strategies.
2. Analyze leadership characteristics within the musical context of the “Local Church.”