MUSIC EDUCATION - INSTRUMENTAL
Share the Love of Music
Music Education is a great program which allows you to share music with students and have an impact on their lives. There are challenges with teaching but there also a lot of truly rewarding moments. With the music education program here at The W you can teach elementary through high school and will study piano, voice, or your instrument for 7 semesters.
As the name suggests, this program is a blend of educational pedagogy and a deep understanding of a wide variety of instruments.
Career Outlook
156,700
New post-secondary teachers, including music teachers, are needed nationally by 2030 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook.
What will we learn?
The Music Education curriculum includes training in music theory and history, music performance through private lesson study and ensemble experience, music methods courses, and courses in teacher education. Students develop advanced skills in playing, rehearsal pedagogy, selecting repertoire, and ensemble preparation.
Some of our former graduates are:
- Teaching at K-12 institutions in Mississippi as well as neighboring states
- Have taught music abroad
- Are playing music in the military and in professional orchestras and bands
The Music Education Program at The W
A degree in Music Education from The W is a practical degree with a curriculum that prepares graduates to be successful band directors and music teachers in not only Mississippi, but anywhere in the country. While at The W, music education majors are eligible for music major and ensemble scholarships.
Audition and Scholarship Information
All incoming students who wish to major in music are required to perform an audition in front of the Music Faculty. Prospective students must be admitted to the university prior to the audition date. All students who audition will automatically be considered for a music scholarship.
Questions about the Music Education program at The W?
Program Contact
Ginger Zingara was recently appointed Instructor, Director of Bands and Music Education Coordinator at the Mississippi University for Women. Concurrently, she is an Adjunct Professor of Music Education at the University of Alabama Birmingham and maintains a flute studio. Previously, she was Director of Bands at Birmingham Southern College in Alabama.
Prior to moving to Birmingham, Alabama, she was Professor of Instrumental Music and Director of Bands and Orchestra at Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kansas, music education instructor at Troy University in Troy, Alabama, as well as the conductor for the Music South Orchestra and Tri-State Community Orchestra in Dothan, Alabama. She developed and instructed the Wiregrass Youth Orchestra and the Troy-Pike Youth Orchestra in south Alabama. She taught middle school and high school bands and orchestras in Georgia and Alabama for 15 years to high acclaim.
Music Education - Instrumental Curriculum
This information is presented for informational purposes. In the event of a discrepancy between this page and the Undergraduate Bulletin, the Bulletin should always be used.
General Education Curriculum
In keeping with The W's Mission, the General Education Program provides students with the skills, knowledge, and values they need to become independent, productive members of society in our continually changing world.
The W's General Education Program provides a foundation in the liberal arts that includes knowledge in the historical, literary, aesthetic, scientific, and cultural traditions that shape the world, and fosters skills that allow students to become civically responsible life-long learners ready to adapt to new challenges.
All students who complete the Mississippi University for Women general education program will demonstrate:
- Critical Thinking
- Effective Communication
- Cultural Literacy
- Quantitative & Technology Skills
- Understanding of Self, Global Societies, & the Natural World
- Life-Long Learning
Teacher Education Requirements
Teacher Education Majors are required to pass the following courses with a C or higher as part of their major and their General Education Curriculum.
- MA 113 - College Algebra or higher Math including MA 123 (3 semester hours)
- COM 101 - Oral Communication
- PSY 206 - Human Growth and Development
Major & Concentration Courses
Course descriptions can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin. A grade of C or better required for all major and concentration coursework.
MUS 101 - Theory I
MUS 102 - Theory II
MUS 103 - Theory Lab I
MUS 104 - Theory Lab II
MUS 105 - Introduction to Music Literature
MUS 121 - Major Brass, Percussion, Woodwinds
MUS 122 - Major Brass, Percussion, Woodwinds
MUS 201 - Theory III
MUS 202 - Theory IV
MUS 203 - Theory Lab III
MUS 204 - Theory Lab IV
MUS 220B - Brass Instruments
MUS 220PR - Percussion Instruments
MUS 220S - String Instruments
MUS 220W - Woodwind Instruments
MUS 221 - Major Brass, Percussion, Woodwinds
MUS 222 - Major Brass, Percussion, Woodwinds
MUS 301 - History Of Music
MUS 302 - History Of Music
MUS 305 - Form and Analysis
MUS 306 - Arranging and Orchestration Techniques
MUS 315 - Conducting
MUS 317 - Instrumental Conducting
MUS 320 - Music Education Materials and Methods
MUS 321 - Major Brass, Percussion, Woodwinds
MUS 322 - Major Brass, Percussion, Woodwinds
MUS 326 - Secondary Music Methods (Instrumental)
MUS 421 - Major Brass, Percussion, Woodwinds
Professional Education Requirements, K-12
Course descriptions can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin. A grade of C or better required for all professional education coursework.
ED 200 - Education as a Profession
ED 302 - Art and Science of Teaching
ED 306 - Introduction to Exceptional Learners
ED 360 - Educational Psychology
ED 390 - Classroom Management
ED 407 - Observation and Directed Teaching Grades K-12
ED 452 - Educational Measurement
Select Music Ensemble: (8 Semester Hours)
Note: All music majors are required to enroll and participate in an MUW ensemble during each semester enrolled as a full-time student.
MUS 106 - Jazz Ensemble
MUS 108 - Instrumental Ensemble
MUS 110 - University Chorus
MUS 111 - Wind Ensemble
MUS 112 - New Horizon
MUS 114 - Chorale
MUS 115 - Chamber Singers
MUS 116 - Male Ensemble
Secondary Music Sequence: (4 Semester Hours)
Piano majors will take four hours of Class Voice; all other music majors take the Group Keyboard Skills sequence.
MUS 107 - Group Keyboard Skills I
MUS 109 - Group Keyboard Skills II
MUS 207 - Group Keyboard Skills III
MUS 209 - Group Keyboard Skills IV
or
MUS 127 - Secondary Instrument, Voice
Total Hours Required for a BM in Music Education - Instrumental: 129 Semester Hours
Performance Proficiency
Applied study is offered in class and private instruction. Generally, beginning instruction is carried out in class lessons. Private lessons are for one hour per week. Students enrolled in major applied are required to perform in a jury exam at the end of each semester.
A piano proficiency exam is required of all Music Education and Music Therapy majors. All Music Therapy majors must also demonstrate proficiency in guitar. All Music majors are required to participate in a Performance Class once each semester after the first semester.