Every music degree program at Marylhurst incorporates a rigorous set of courses that comprehensibly develop your musicianship. These required courses cover the traditional music subjects of theory, harmony, form and analysis, composition, music history and literature, plus practical skills such as aural dictation, sight-singing, keyboard harmony and improvisation.

Whether you're pursuing a professional degree in music therapy or a liberal arts degree in music, we expect you to strive toward excellence in all subjects and skills incorporated in the Marylhurst Music Core:

• Performance — Perform on a primary instrument or voice, individually and in ensembles, at the level appropriate to your music degree, demonstrating musicianship, technical proficiency, interpretive understanding, artistic self-expression and breadth of repertoire
• Conceptual knowledge — Identify and work conceptually with the elements of the musical language, analyzing and imitating the use of melody, harmony, rhythm, structure and style in the music of the past and present
• Historical perspective — Understand how music has been created, performed and perceived throughout history and cultures, while acquainting yourself with a wide selection of music literature
• Musical literacy — Accurately read, sing, hear and notate music
• Keyboard fluency — Demonstrate fluency at the keyboard, playing scales and standard harmonic progressions in all keys, harmonizing melodies, improving, accompanying song sessions and performing elementary repertoire from the classical, tradition, folk and popular repertoire
• Technological awareness — Understand how technology serves the field of music as a whole, and acquire a working knowledge of technological developments in your musical field of interest
• Leadership and collaboration — Develop conducting and rehearsal skills sufficient to work as a leader and collaborator in musical interpretation
• Effective communication — Demonstrate the ability to write and speak effectively about music, developing and defending musical judgments, engaging in critical discussion of your own music making and the music of others
• Research skills — Develop research methods appropriate to your musical emphasis, resulting in a research paper
• Community engagement — Constructively participate in the music community