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MUSIC
Our faculty members are active performers, composers, and arrangers who bring a wealth of practical knowledge and enthusiasm to the classroom. A full calendar of recitals, concerts, and master classes provides students opportunities to perfect their performance skills and benefit from the skill of faculty and guest artist performers.
The Associate of Science in Music Curriculum at Perimeter College provides a musical foundation for students and serves as a powerful bridge to the bachelor’s degrees at the GSU-Atlanta campus and beyond in fields such as music education, music performance, audio engineering, composition, arts administration, and music therapy.
The Perimeter Music Program, housed in the Fine Arts building on Georgia State’s Clarkston Campus, is supported by facilities such as the 400-seat Marvin Cole Auditorium for performances, an intimate Performance Studio for recitals, 12 studios for student practice, a computer lab equipped for music editing/notation and studio/video production, and several multimedia classrooms.
Testimonial
“My experience in the music pathway at Perimeter College at Clarkston is amazing! The staff is very nice and the music teachers help me a lot! The recitals and concerts provide me an important musical experience, and I am satisfied with my learning results.”
-Mirna Hatanaka Kikawa
Music Pathway, Piano Performance
Perimeter College
Plans to transition to Georgia State Atlanta Campus to pursue her bachelor’s
Prospective Students
How do I become a music major?
There are two steps to becoming a music major at Perimeter College: applying to Perimeter College, and then passing the two music entrance assessments. Prospective students must pass these music entrance assessments OR complete preparatory music courses at Perimeter College before enrolling in music major coursework
Students should contact the Perimeter music program ([email protected]) prior to their first semester at the college to schedule a music strategy appointment. This appointment will help students to plan effectively for the start of their college music studies, including scheduling the music entrance assessments or enrolling in preparatory music courses.
The requirements and skills needed for the two music entrance assessments are listed below.
1. ENTRANCE AUDITION
NOTE: Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Music Industry (Music Management or Music Production/Audio Recording) do not need to pass an entrance audition. However, students pursuing the Music Production/Audio Recording degree who wish to take private lessons as part of their studies will need to pass an audition.
** Alternate Preparatory Music Course: Students with limited formal music training may enroll in 1-2 semesters of APXX 1000 (Preparatory Applied Lessons) to develop the skills necessary to pass the audition.
Voice: Candidates for a vocal music emphasis will perform two classical solos, arranged for voice and piano: 1) an art song, aria, or indigenous folk song in a foreign language (Italian, German or French); and 2) a song in English. Candidates are encouraged to select repertoire from anthologies such as the Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias anthology and the First Book of [Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano/Alto, Tenor, Baritone/Bass] Solos series, both published by G. Schirmer. Candidates will perform both of these selections from memory and need to bring a copy of the sheet music, in the proper key, for the pianist. Perimeter College will provide a pianist for the audition.
Piano: Candidates must perform, from memory, two classical piano solos of contrasting styles and musical eras, chosen from the traditional piano literature. Candidates should also be able to execute the following skills from memory:
- all major and all harmonic minor scales, 4 octaves, hands together, in 16th notes; minimum metronome speed of quarter note = 84;
- all major and minor arpeggios, 4 octaves, hands together, in 16th notes; minimum metronome speed of quarter note = 40; and
- primary chord progressions in all major and minor keys (Major: I-IV64-I-V7-I / Minor: i-iv64-i-V7-i).
Winds/Strings/Percussion: Candidates will perform two selections of contrasting style, from memory or with music. Additionally, candidates must be prepared to play any of the major scales and arpeggios.
2. MUSIC THEORY ENTRANCE EXAM
** Alternate Preparatory Music Course: Students with limited music reading background may enroll in MUS 1430 (Fundamentals of Music Theory) in lieu of the Music Theory Entrance Exam. Students must pass the course with at least a C.
Here is a list of the skills that are necessary to pass the Music Theory Entrance Exam:
• Be able to read time signatures and rhythm patterns
• Be able to identify pitches on the treble and bass staves, as well as identify the interval between two pitches
• Be able to identify all major and minor key signatures, and be able to identify major and minor scales
• Be able to notate major and minor triads, as well as dominant seventh chords, in root position and inversions
• Be able to explain notations commonly found in sheet music (tempos, dynamics, articulation, etc.)
At what campuses do you offer music courses?
All of the Music Pathway courses are offered on the Clarkston campus, typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Applied Music Lessons (APXX) and the music theory courses are also offered online in a synchronous format (i.e. you meet the instructor online at specific times).
Additional music courses for non-majors are offered on the Dunwoody and Decatur campuses, as well as online.
What genres of music do you study?
The Perimeter College music program, like most college music programs, focuses on classical and jazz studies. The skills developed from performing and analyzing these styles of music can be applied to many other musical genres.
What courses will I take as a music major?
The Music Pathway (Associate of Science in Music) largely mirrors the first two years of most bachelor of music degrees, such as those offered at the Georgia State University School of Music. Students take several semesters of each of the following courses: private music lessons in voice or an instrument, music theory and analysis, aural skills and sight-singing, group piano classes, and music ensembles. The full breakdown of courses can be found in the GSU associate level catalog.
How will the Associate degree in music prepare me for bachelor's level study?
The Associate degree in music contains the courses that any bachelor’s level music student would take during his/her first two years (applied lessons, music theory and aural skills, group piano, ensembles, concert attendance). A student can then transition from Perimeter College to the Georgia State University Atlanta Campus School of Music and complete any of the music bachelor degrees offered: Bachelor of Music in Performance, Music Education, Composition, Jazz Studies, or Music Technology (audio engineering); or the Bachelor of Science degree in Music Management. A student can also take the credits earned at Perimeter and apply/audition to transfer to another four year college or university music program.
What careers can I pursue with a music degree?
A degree in music develops skills that are critical in a competitive job market, such as collaboration, creativity and discipline. Even beyond the music industry, a number of individuals at the top of their fields engaged in formal music study: former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice (trained as concert pianist), actor Forest Whitaker (operatic tenor), and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen (violinist and guitarist) are but a few examples.
Looking specifically within the music industry, a music degree can open the door to a variety of careers:
- Music Educator (K-12 or college level)
- Private Music Teacher (one-on-one lessons)
- Music Textbook Writer/Editor
- Concert Music Composer
- TV/Theater/Movie Composer
- Performing Artist (concerts, recital)
- Studio Musician
- Audio Engineer (recording)
- Sound Designer (theater)
- Music Software Designer
- Music Production (producer)
- Arts Administration
- Artist Management
- Music Entrepreneur
- Church Musician/Minister
- Music Therapist
- Music Historian
- Music Journalist or Critic
- Radio Programming Specialist/Personality
- Orchestra Manager/Librarian
- Music Equipment Representative
- Music Publisher (print and online)
Are there opportunities for Perimeter College students who are not music majors?
Yes! There are several options for non-majors to explore their musical artistry.
All college music ensembles are one credit hour courses that are available to any currently-enrolled student. The Perimeter College Chorale welcomes members who can sing in tune, while the instrumental ensembles (Community Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band, DeKalb Symphony Orchestra) invite students who already read sheet music and play an instrument to audition for membership. Contact the director of the appropriate ensemble for more information.
The music program also offers beginner music classes for students who want to sing or play an instrument: Beginning Voice for Non-Music Majors (MUA 1600), Beginning Piano for Non-Music Majors (MUA 1700), and Intro to Guitar (MUA 1800). More advanced students can audition for private lessons, based on faculty availability.
Metro Atlanta Community Members
Do you have a calendar of events?
Visit our Upcoming Events page for a full listing of music concerts, recitals, and masterclasses.
Testimonial
“I have fond and lasting memories of time well spent in music theory classes, performance ensembles such as the Chorus and Jazz Ensemble and private lessons. The skills taught in these classes directly shape my day and decisions as a professional musician and teacher.”
-Erik Herndon
Featured in the book “American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom”
Perimeter College Alumnus, 2000-2002
Student and Community Ensembles
The Perimeter College Community Wind Ensemble, founded in 1967, consists of Perimeter faculty and students, high school students and community musicians. The Wind Ensemble has been invited to perform at regional and national conventions throughout the Southeast.
The Perimeter College Jazz Ensemble is a community performing group comprising Perimeter students and some of the finest amateur, semi-professional and professional jazz musicians in the Atlanta area.
The Perimeter College Chorale is a mixed-voice (male and female) choral ensemble that is open to all Perimeter students and faculty. The Chorale sings a variety of styles of music in concerts on campus and throughout metro Atlanta.
Testimonial
“The fact that a [two-year] school like Perimeter College had a Fine Arts program and had the teachers that it did was quite unique and quite incredible.”
-John Irvin
Tenor, Lyric Opera of Chicago
http://johnirvintenor.com/
Perimeter College Alumnus, 2005-2007
Welcome from the Program Director
One of the most special aspects of the Music pathway at Perimeter College is the diversity of people who come together in the pursuit of musical excellence. Traditional college students interact with professional musicians and talented community members in our community or professional-in-residence ensembles. Established adults, who have raised children and are returning to school, study in the classroom and the studio with our excellent artist teaching faculty. A steady stream of guest artists from across the country and beyond contribute to the fertility of our program through concerts and master classes. This special environment has inspired and cultivated generations of successful performers, music educators, arts administrators, and amateur enthusiasts.
I invite you to contribute to our diversity – whether it be joining an ensemble, pursuing formal training, or just attending top-quality concerts, we have a place for you. I welcome your questions about our program and look forward to participating in your musical journey.
Brian Bonin
Assistant Chair of Fine Arts (Clarkston)
Pathway Reflects a Strong History
Perimeter College’s Music pathway has grown and evolved during the college’s 50-plus-year history. Below are a few of the faculty members who helped to create and expand and preserve Perimeter’s music offerings. Click on each faculty member’s name to read a full bio.
Tommy Joe Anderson (born Bristol, Va., 1947) began his piano studies in Wytheville, Va., with Loretta Hannon and Rudolph BeCraft. He continued study with Henry Black at Shenandoah Conservatory of Music, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, and with Herman Godes at West Virginia University, receiving the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in composition. His primary composition teacher was Thomas Canning at WVU.
Jui-Wen Ginger Chen, born in Taipei, Taiwan, began the study of piano at the age of 5 and was selected to participate in the National Special Program for Musically Gifted Students in Taipei at the age of 9. She received her Doctor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Northwestern University. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the University of South Carolina at Columbia. All degrees were earned with high distinction. She also received a Certificate of Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the Piano Institute at Saint-Petersburg Conservatory, Russia.
Donald Glen Larson (June 1, 1931- Feb. 26, 2013) held a Bachelor of Music from MacPhail College of Music and a Master of Music from Northwestern University [Church Music].
Edward L. Lormand began playing clarinet in 1944 while still in elementary school in his hometown, Crowley, La., and credits his Crowley High School clarinet teacher and bandmaster, Kenneth D. Long, a graduate of Indiana University, with setting him on the path to a career in music.
McClary has served as Principal Trumpet with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, the Green Bay Symphony, the Augusta Symphony, Atlanta Opera, and Atlanta Ballet orchestras and the Savannah Symphony. He has played with the Chicago Symphony (Ravinia) and Dallas and Fort Worth symphonies.
Susan J. McEwen received Educational Specialist and Master of Music degrees from Georgia State University, where she studied piano with Carey Lewis and organ with Sarah Leathers Martin. She received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Shorter University, studying piano with William Knight and organ with David Beatty.
John Mitchum held a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education (1957, University of South Carolina), a Master of Music Education (1965, VanderCook College of Music and a Doctor of Education degree in Music Education (1969, Florida State University).
Testimonial
Attending Perimeter College was a unique experience for me because I grew up as a self-taught singer. Perimeter College’s Clarkston music program exposed me to a very effective and innovative approach to learning classical repertoire for piano and voice. I never played the piano a day in my life, but after one semester at Perimeter, I performed my first piano recital and my first classical vocal recital — all because God graced me with the pleasure of learning from really great teachers like Dr. (Brian) Bonin, who believed in my gifts as a musician and motivated and supported me every step of the way. I approached Perimeter like another opportunity to learn, perform, have a good time making music and build my career. Already a gospel singer coming into Perimeter, I gained skills that have propelled my career, and I’m honored to have been a part of Perimeter’s music program.
Angelique Wallace
Perimeter College Alumna 2014-2016
Inspirational Gospel Singer Anjolic Sky
Mailing Address
Fine Arts Dept. CF-2230
555 N. Indian Creek Drive
Clarkston, GA 30021
Physical Address
3735 Memorial College Ave
Clarkston, GA 30021
Building F, Room 2230