Please view the Academic Bulletin for the most up-to-date requirements.
The Department of Instrumental Performance offers a bachelor of music performance degree and a performer's certificate in 17 traditional instruments. Faculty are committed to helping students bring their instrumental performance skills to the next level. The instructors have a wide range of instrumental experience. We possess decades of experience in developing our pedagogy. We take our teaching work seriously and are devoted to helping students hone their personal abilities.
Which Instruments Can I Play for a Performer’s Certificate in at the Frost School of Music?
A performance certificate in seventeen traditional instruments are available: flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, tuba, percussion, violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, guitar, and harp.
What is the Purpose of the Bachelor of Music in Performance Degree?
The purpose of the Bachelor of Music in Performance Degree includes the following commitments:
- Provide the highest quality of education possible in the areas of musicianship that will lead toward a professional performance career or graduate study as a classical artist.
- To provide performance opportunities that integrate the skills learned in music and other classes and to foster creativity and research.
- To provide audition skills and repertoire as well as the skills for building and managing the non-performance aspects of a professional career.
What are the Educational Objectives of the BM in Performance Degree?
The department has developed a list of educational objectives in our program to assure consistency and aid in goal-setting. Every student who graduates from our program will work creatively towards a standard set of goals:
- Students will develop musicianship skills and technique that will lead toward a professional career as a solo classical performer or graduate study.
- Students will be able to sight-read and prepare musical performances without assistance.
- Students will develop musicianship skills and technique for working within an ensemble leading towards a professional career or graduate study as a classical performer. (Ensemble requirements will vary by applied area.)
- Students will develop skills for fostering a professional career or graduate study as a classical performer.
- Students will have a broad knowledge of music literature in their applied area as well as an understanding of stylistic and theoretical principles of the various musical and historical periods.
What are the Degree Requirements?
Students must complete a series of general education requirements that all students at the university complete in a common fashion. These general education requirements include English Composition I, English Composition II, Algebra for College Students, a STEM Cognate, a People & Society Cognate, and a common course called The University of Miami Experience. The credits obtained in these classes add up to 27 credits.
Instrumental performance students must also complete eight semesters of core courses in the experiential music core curriculum. Course that count for these core courses include the following:
- Brass forum
- Guitar forum
- Percussion forum
- String forum
- Woodwind forum
- Principal instrument lesson and studio class (this course is typically taken multiple times and is available at varied levels)
- Experiential musicianship and skills lab (this course is available at multiple levels)
- Keyboard studies
- Experiencing music
- Music of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods
- Essential technologies for musicians
- Large ensembles
- Chamber ensembles
Students must also take classes within the Instrumental Performance major. These courses may include the following:
- Principal instrument lesson and studio class
- Junior & Senior recitals with lesson
- Large ensembles
- Chamber ensembles
- Classical improvisation
- Composition as applied improvisation
- Basic conducting/arranging
- Culminating project
- Keyboard studies
- Analysis and experience
- 20th and 21st century techniques
- 18th century counterpoint
- Orchestration
- Music of the classical, romantic, and modern periods
Students must also complete exactly one of the following:
- Bassoon repertoire and pedagogy
- Clarinet repertoire and pedagogy
- Flute repertoire and pedagogy
- Oboe repertoire and pedagogy
- Brass repertoire and pedagogy
- Percussion repertoire and pedagogy
- Saxophone repertoire and pedagogy
- Guitar repertoire and pedagogy
- String repertoire and pedagogy
Which course you pick depends, of course, on your instrument of focus.
Can I Pursue Extracurriculars as an Instrumental Performance Major?
Students are encouraged to pursue as many extracurriculars as their schedules allow. We know that a well-rounded student is able to do all of their work more effectively. With dozens of student clubs to choose from, Frost students have the opportunity to experience a wide variety of extracurricular activities.
Are Off-Campus Activities Available?
The Frost School is lucky to exist in a large city, Miami, that is internationally recognized for its arts scene. Opportunities to perform as well as experience music as an audience member are plentiful. The University of Miami makes an effort to stay connected to the community. Though our alumni live around the world, we are lucky that many graduates continue to build their lives in South Florida. Our current students benefit from this wide network of connections. It’s common to meet a Frost School graduate as you navigate through Miami. This is one of the special things about going to school at Frost.
What Kinds of Opportunities are Available After I Graduate?
Many Frost alumni stay in close contact with the school after graduation. We love hearing from graduates, no matter where in their career they may currently be. Frost’s alumni make an impact on music scenes globally, creating, performing, and recording music on every continent. Many alumni seeking a particular opportunity or connection reach out to faculty mentors, the career services center, or other departments at the University of Miami, even if it’s been many years since they graduated. One of the best things about attending a school where you know the faculty personally is the close professional connections you are able to forge. Because the Frost School uses the unique Frost Method, you’ll have the chance to work together with classmates on a variety of projects in a small group setting. The Frost Method lends itself to the ensemble. Musicians are naturally collaborators, but the Frost School encourages students to take collaboration to the next level.
