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The Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) provides students with the flexibility to chart their own distinctive path. BA options allow for ample independent study, research, or composition, and students often elect to combine BA music studies with another non-music area of interest, such as business, language, or humanities, to broaden their career opportunities. As with all School of Music degrees, BA majors are given access throughout their time at KSU to nationally renowned studio teachers and ensembles.

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There are five concentrations within the degree: Composition, Music Theory (the study of musical structure and interpretation), Musicology (the study of music history and culture), Ethnomusicology (the study of world music and culture), and Voice. The faculty consists of nationally and internationally recognized composers, scholars, and teachers who promote premieres of original compositions, scholarly presentations, and publications of new research. Recent KSU graduates have advanced to prestigious graduate schools and have used their skills to succeed in a wide range of professional pursuits.

All BA students prepare a Capstone Project in their final semester of degree study. The project allows students to synthesize their undergraduate learning into a single vehicle that they present to the academic community and public. Capstone projects range from lecture-recitals to presentations to written papers, with sample projects listed under each concentration below. 

The BA degree prepares students for a varied array of musical careers, such as the ones below. Entrepreneurial BA graduates have created their own career paths by combining a number of these activities. Skills learned during BA studies have also been successfully applied in other professions our graduates have chosen.

Bachelor of Arts Career Possibilities

  • Film and video game scoring
  • Classical composition
  • Music business and production
  • Audio design
  • Arts management
  • Arts administration
  • Music journalism
  • Music criticism
  • University-level teaching
  • Music archivist and librarian
  • Recording studio professionals
  • TV and radio announcers and program planners
  • Music therapy
  • Concert producer and promoter
  • Private studio teacher
  • Touring and performing musician
  • Professional arranger
  • Worship music director
  • Music publishing
  • CD and DVD company positions
  • Music retail and merchandising
  • Instrument design and repair
  • Piano technician/tuner
  • Music scholarship and research
  • Entertainment law
  • Government/industry cultural planner
  • Music software programmer

Composition 

Students studying composition at KSU encounter a range of great opportunities for the development and advancement of their creative work. There are numerous opportunities for students to get performances and recordings of their compositions, ranging from our annual composition recitals to our composition contest winners who have their works presented by our top orchestra or wind ensemble. Students study with our faculty composers and with internationally recognized guest composers, and there are a growing number of opportunities for scoring for film, video games, and new media.

  • KSU Composition Studio with composer John Adams at Atlanta Symphony Hall.
  • KSU composition students having their works recorded in a professional studio.
  • KSU chamber students recording the works of KSU student composers in a professional studio.
  • Composer Jakari Rush with performers following his Capstone Lecture-Recital.

  • “I love that the the Bachelor of Arts in Music program allows me to not only concentrate on my composing, but also allows me to explore all areas of music. I know that my music composition is improved by playing in the orchestra, taking oboe lessons, and taking musicology classes. Being well-rounded will put me ahead in my field.”

    Rachel Rabeneck, BA, Composition Concentration

    “We are taught how to become entrepreneurs on our own, and something I have really enjoyed in the BA degree is the opportunity to meet guest composers. We are fortunate to present our own talents to such inspirational people. It is wonderful that KSU allows us the opportunity to have these experiences that will further our chances in becoming successful in our field.”

    Julie Mitchell, BA, Composition Concentration

    “The Bachelor of the Arts degree leads me to develop a versatile educational experience, while still allowing me to focus on music composition. The well-rounded education gives me a wide range of professional opportunities, and because of that my horizons are broadened in places that I would not have thought. For example, I get to learn topics ranging from contemporary composition techniques to analyzing music in video games. This “Swiss Army Knife” education will be extremely beneficial in my professional career.”

    Andrew Niehoff, BA, Composition Concentration

    • David Lang, Pulitzer prize winner and faculty at Yale University
    • Joseph Schwantner, Pulitzer prize winner
    • Chen Yi
    • Nico Muhly
    • Thomas Benjamin
    • Massimiliano Messieri
    • Nicola Baroni
    • Steven Bryant
    • Joel Puckett
    • and more
  • Class grid for Composition (Fall 2017)

  • Composition Capstone Projects

    Students in the composition concentration most often choose a lecture-performance format for their Capstone Project. This allows them to present a mixture of live and recorded performances of their undergraduate compositions along with commentary about the influences and techniques in their works.

 

Music Theory

Music theory offers musicians and scholars the flexibility of a broad liberal arts education with an emphasis on the study of patterns in music and their interpretation. Our faculty is top-notch, with three PhDs in Music Theory from schools such as Eastman and LSU. A degree in music theory gives a musician a wide range of skills including writing, musical analysis, piano and singing proficiency, scholarly reading, and composition in different musical styles. Training is hands-on with lots of one-on-one faculty-student interaction. Students have lots of flexibility in designing their program of study.

If accepted into the program, students continue to play their instrument, take applied lessons, and participate in our many well-known ensembles. We ask that all theory majors maintain a GPA of at least 3.0.

  • Dr. Ben Wadsworth leading a Theory Pedagogy class.
  • BA Music Theory student Kristin Houston in a lesson with Tyrone Jackson, Lecturer of Jazz Studies and Jazz Piano.
  • Assistant Professor of Music Theory Dr. Jeff Yunek leads a Music Theory class.
  • Music Theory student Simon Needle and Dr. Jeff Yunek, Assistant Professor of Music Theory, present at a joint meeting of the Gesellschaft für Popularmusikforschung and Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie in Graz, Austria.

  • “When I began the Music Theory BA track at Kennesaw I had no idea how impactful it would be. Being a musician and music creator requires the versatility to be able to understand and synthesize music you enjoy. Music theory has given me a tool to do just that. The guided study aspects of the program, along with the freedom to choose classes according to my needs, allow for a unique College of the Arts experience. Coupled with classes in the Joel A. Katz Music and Entertainment Business Program (MEBUS) I have been able to study music holistically as it pertains to both business and art.”

    Simon Needle, BA, Theory Concentration

    “The Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Music Theory concentration is perfect for any well-rounded musician with a special interest in music theory. The degree leads the student to an in-depth understanding of music. Not only does the program allow for some training on your instrument, but it also allows for multiple music electives in which you expand your musical knowledge.”

    Kristin Houston, BA, Theory Concentration


    “The Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory has afforded me many valuable opportunities, such as my pursuit of higher education. I had the opportunity to study abroad and had the flexibility and freedom to choose classes that piqued my interest, even outside my direct concentration in Music Theory. The faculty in the School of Music are helpful, kind, and knowledgeable and there is no program or school I would rather call my Alma Mater.”

    Madison Coffey, BA, Theory Concentration

    • Simon Needle and Madison Coffey both presented article summaries at a Graduate Student Workshop on the music of Franz Schubert in Memphis, TN, March 18
    • Dr. Jeff Yunek was elected Program Chair of the South-Central Society for Music Theory, Memphis, TN, March 18
    • Music Theory Day: a morning of free help for area high school juniors and seniors, March 25
    • NCUR: Nikki Hamel is presenting on musical topics in the Legend of Zelda video game, Memphis, TN, April 6–8
    • Dr. Jeff Yunek is presenting his research (with help from Simon Needle and Dr. Ben Wadsworth) on DJ Earworm’s mashups at the Rocky Mountain Society for Music Theory’s Annual Meeting, April 6–8
    • KSU Symposium: a chance for our majors to present their research, April 20
    • Dr. Ben Wadsworth is presenting his research on the pedagogy of Schenkerian analysis at the “Pedagogy into Practice” conference in Cleveland, TN, June 1–4
  • Class grid for Music Theory (Fall 2017)

  • Music Theory Capstone Projects

    Chord Progressions and Sleep Quality
    Lecture-Recital

    On the Topic of Hip Hop: Topic Theory as Applied to the Works of Kendrick Lamar
    Paper

    The Reception of Sonata Form in Edvard Grieg’s Music
    Paper

    The Absolute Progression in Michael Giacchino’s Film Scores
    Lecture-Recital

 

Musicology

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Musicology offers the opportunity to study and perform music with a focus on its place in history and in culture. Students in the BA choose from a variety of courses that address music’s societal and expressive significance as well as how various musical systems have evolved over time.   They also continue private lessons on their instrument/voice and participate in ensembles to further examine the interdependence of music and performance in social, cultural, and historical settings.   In the process, students will not only discover a vast array of new music but also begin to forge their own distinctive musical identities in the interconnected world of the 21st century.

The BA in Musicology also features personal mentoring from faculty who guide students in coursework and projects that accommodate their specific interests. Students will develop a wide range of skill sets in research, verbal and written communication, collaborative-work, and critical thinking that prepare them for multiple paths for the future. Graduates may opt to pursue advanced degrees in musicology with the ultimate goal of teaching in a college or university. Or they may also seek careers in the music publishing, music criticism, media arts, or music librarianship fields.

  • Bachelor of Arts student Brianna Westland receives prestigious Pi Kappa Lambda membership.

  • Class grid for Musicology (Fall 2017)

  • Musicology Capstone Projects

    The culmination of the BA degree is a Capstone project that can be designed to reflect each student’s coursework or particular interests. Recent capstones include papers on the development of production music in television and a comparison of 21st century business models for the freelance musician with larger arts organizations. Other students have presented thematic lecture recitals on the development of solo flute literature and expressions of love in 19th century art song.

 

Ethnomusicology

The Bachelor of Arts in Ethnomusicology is designed for students who wish to discover the rich variety of musical expressions and practices throughout the world and who are interested in applying cross-disciplinary approaches to understanding and analyzing musical phenomena. A concentration in Ethnomusicology will provide opportunities for students to explore new ways of looking at music from cultural and social perspectives and to study how various musical systems have evolved over time.

Courses in the degree concentration feature interdisciplinary studies of music and musicians from Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Americas, and Europe and include performance-based and participatory experiences with faculty and artists-in-residence in the form of seminars, colloquia, and workshops.

  • KSU students and faculty learning about and performing Balinese kecak (vocal gamelan) with guest artist and scholar, Dr. Michael Bakan.
  • Mariachi Búhos de Oro performing for KSU students.
  • Steel Band performs in KSU World Music class, Spring 2018.
  • Caribbean Ensemble performs in KSU World Music class, Spring 2018.

  • "When I first applied for the program, I didn’t even know that ethnomusicology was a thing, much less what I was going to be doing with my life. Now, after my first year as a BA student, I have stumbled upon a course of study that is meaningful and gives me purpose. I was a musician before I can remember, and as the years pass, I have seen more and more how I can help people with the talents that were given to me. When I learned about this particular discipline of music, I immediately saw how it would catapult me in the direction of accomplishing my goals to be a performer, a composer, a scholar, and someone who gives back. I AM going to help the world with my gifts and I feel that the highly capable and supportive KSU faculty will help me to accomplish this. After I receive my BA next spring, I will be attending the University of Georgia in pursuit of a Masters in Music Therapy."

    "It's crazy how you always end up exactly where you are supposed to be, doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing." - Anonymous

    Ron Freeman, BA, Ethnomusicology Concentration

  • Class grid for Ethnomusicology (Fall 2017)

  • Ethnomusicology Capstone Projects

    The culmination of the BA degree is a Capstone project that can be designed to reflect each student’s coursework or particular interests. Recent capstones include papers on the impact of music therapy protocols on individuals with anxiety disorders, the history and cultures of local Christian music programs, and an ethnographic study of contemporary music business practices.

 

Voice

A Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in voice offers singers the flexibility of a broad liberal arts education coupled with an emphasis in the study of voice.  Each student receives vocal training from one of KSU’s renowned voice professors, and performance opportunities in KSU’s nationally recognized choral program.

While at KSU, students can choose from a wide variety of activities in addition to applied lessons and ensembles. These include premieres of original compositions, presentations and publications of scholarly research, and enrollment in a variety of liberal arts courses.

  • Bachelor of Arts student Kenan Mitchell performs in Studio recital.
  • Bachelor of Arts student Brianna Westland prepares for her capstone presentation.

  • Class grid for Voice (Fall 2017)

  • Voice Capstone Projects

    Songs of War: Chronological Examination of Four Selected Battles and the Four Songs that Were Inspired by Them

    Ornamentation and Improvisation in Mozart's Aria "Deh vieni non tardar" from Le Nozze di Figaro

 


View 2017-18 KSU Undergraduate Catalog entry for Bachelor of Arts in Music

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