Music Minor

The music minor encompasses the creation, performance, and academic study of music, as well as community engagement and music pedagogy. The breadth of options and the flexible requirements allow students to create paths of study that best suit their passions and interests. The minor includes opportunities for rigorous training with conservatory faculty.

A rock trio (guitar, bass, and drums) performs under red stage lights.
Composer and guitarist Rafiq Bhatia ’10 performs at the ’Sco with Son Lux, a New York trio that moves fluidly between contemporary classical, pop, and electronic music.
Photo credit: Pang Fei Chiang '19

Overview

The minor in music is designed for College students who want to structure and organize their studies in the Conservatory during their time at Oberlin. The specific requirements provide basic guidance while also allowing students to explore and pursue a variety of music-focused classes and activities and to follow their own interests.

Sample Courses

Ensemble Performance

  • APST 700 - Musical Union
  • APST 701 - Oberlin College Choir
  • APST 726 - Oberlin College Arts and Sciences Orchestra
  • APST 730 - Collegium Musicum
  • APST 748 - Javanese Gamelan
  • APST 752 - Gamelan Community Engagement
  • APST 807 - Oberlin Improvisation and Newmusic Collective
  • CMUS 700 - Jazz Ensemble for Non-Majors
  • CMUS 800 - Oberlin Arts & Sciences Chamber Music
  • JAZZ 702 - Gospel Chorus
  • JAZZ 805 - Circle Singing Ensemble
  • PVST - Private lessons

Academic Areas

  • ETHN 100 - Introduction to Musics of the World
  • MHST 101 - Introduction to the History and Literature of Music
  • MUTH 101 - Aural Skills I
  • MUTH 102 - Aural Skills II
  • MUTH 131 - Music Theory I
  • MUTH 132 - Music Theory II
  • AAST 190 - West African Dance Forms in the Diaspora I: Survey
  • ETHN 302 - Musical Thought: Analysis of World Music
  • EAST 248 - Postwar Japan through Music and Film
  • HISP 440 - Music, Orality, and Literature in Hispanic Traditions
  • MHST 332 - History of Film Music
  • THEA 266 - Freak Show Performance

Creative Practice

  • COMP 101 - Composition for Non-Majors I
  • COMP 102 - Composition for Non-Majors II
  • JAZZ 130 - Basic Arranging/Composition Techniques
  • JAZZ 131 - Basic Arranging/Composition Techniques
  • TECH 101 - Introduction to Electroacoustic Music
  • TECH 102 - Introduction to Sound Art
  • TECH 103 - Sonic Arts in Society
  • TECH 170 - Electro-acoustic Interpretation and Performance Practice

PACE & PROF

  • PACE 102 - Community Engagement Musicians
  • PACE 103 - Community Music Engagement in the Schools
  • PACE 222 - Building Community Through Music
  • PROF 108 - Ensemble Startups
  • PROF 170 - Introduction to Music Criticism