General Skills Specific Skills Upon entrance to the School of Music as a music major, each student will take a Piano Placement Exam. Based on a student’s performance on this exam, the keyboard faculty will recommend a number of semesters of Piano Proficiency needed for the student to successfully complete the School of Music Piano Proficiency requirement.

The Piano Proficiency requirement is part of a continuing effort to prepare our graduates for their respective careers in the best and most thorough manner possible. It is included in the program because the development of basic, functional keyboard skills is considered essential to success in all music careers. The Piano Proficiency classes will cover those skills considered necessary for all music majors and those that address special competencies relating to specific emphasis areas.

All music majors will play specific, required portions of the exam at the end of each semester
(beginning with the first semester freshman level) in order to complete the requirement by the end of
the sophomore year. Those testing into or being placed in class piano, MUA 160, are required to
remain in the four course sequence of piano class until the proficiency requirement is completed. The
sequence of courses is MUA 160, 161,162,163. At the completion of MUA 163, if piano proficiency
is not completed, the student will then register for the appropriate level of piano study in an applied studio, i.e. MUA 111SPI MBA. The completion of MUS163 or its approved equivalent will
be required of all music education majors as a prerequisite to student teaching and all other
music majors, for graduation. All music majors must enroll in piano every semester until all aspects
of the proficiency are passed and recorded in the office of the Department of Instrumental Music.