For the music major emphasizing in performance or music education, a senior recital (30-50 minutes in length) or senior project is required. Students emphasizing in music education present their senior recital or project during the semester preceding the professional semester. Students emphasizing in performance present their senior recital or project during their final semester of enrollment.

Senior Recital

Length, scope, and repertoire/content of the recital is determined by the applied studio instructor. A “traditional” recital demonstrating student competence in performance of music of various periods is the standard format for the recital option. Students intending to perform on a secondary instrument must have approval from the primary and secondary applied studio instructors. There is no encore at academic senior recitals at the bachelor’s degree level. Deviation from this format must be approved by the applied studio instructor and the department coordinator.

Senior Project

Students who choose to do a senior project in lieu of a traditional recital must confer with the instructor they wish to supervise their project during their junior year to begin planning the content and scope of the project. The project may take on a variety of forms such as a lecture-recital, a lecture-demonstration, a research project and presentation, or a multimedia presentation-performance. Students are encouraged to consider projects that are interdisciplinary in nature. The student must prepare a formal project proposal for music faculty approval by the end of the junior year.

Senior Recital Project Timeline

Beginning of Semester: The student will complete a facility request with the help of their applied studio instructor or advising professor. This form will be completed as soon as possible to reserve the date and to ensure that no conflicts arise with the university calendar. Students must retain a copy of the facility request approval for their records. The student must also secure the services of an accompanist at this time, if one is needed for the recital. Students may be financially responsible for the accompanist’s services.

Six Weeks Prior: The applied studio instructor will fill out the recital hearing form and schedule a recital hearing date. The hearing should occur no later than four weeks prior to the recital date.

Four Weeks Prior: The senior recital/project hearing serves as a final performance evaluation prior to public performance. In preparation for the senior recital/project, students perform a hearing for the music faculty four weeks prior to the recital date.  The recital/project hearing must be presented to the music faculty. The student prepares a preliminary program with selections/content listed in the order of anticipated performance/discussion and provides a copy for each faculty member at the hearing. The music faculty will decide if the student has adequately prepared for the recital. They may recommend approval, approval with stipulations, or request that the recital date be delayed or postponed. Permission to present the recital/project on the requested date will be denied if the recital/project hearing results are not acceptable at least three weeks prior to the recital/project date. A recital hearing program sample can be found here. Students will receive a letter from the coordinator detailing the results of their recital hearing within 48 hours of completion of the hearing. A copy of this letter will also be placed in the student’s permanent file as well as given to the student’s advisor for placement in the advising file.

The student must also place a request with the University Music Appreciation Club for a reception.

Two Weeks Prior: The student must submit two print requests to USAO print services (printing@usao.edu): 1) one for the recital program and 2) one for the recital poster. Print services will prepare proof copies of the program and poster to be checked for errors by both the student and the applied studio instructor.

Recital/Project Printing Guidelines: All recital/project posters and programs must be printed through USAO printing services and approved before printing by the applied studio instructor or advising professor. All students use the template designed by USAO Printing Services for recital posters and programs. The department pays for 20 posters on colored paper and 50 programs on a half-sheet template. Voice students may be required to print additional pages with text translations at their own expense. The template for recital programs includes only information pertinent to the recital (date, time, place, selections, composers, additional performers, name of applied studio instructor). Personal “thank-yous” may be expressed at the reception after the recital. The following sentences must occur on the recital program: “Ms./Mr. (student) is a student of (primary studio instructor’s name)” and “This recital is in partial fulfillment of the Bachelor of Arts degree.”

One Week Prior: The student may formally request for the coordinator or another faculty member to record the recital/project. Details concerning the reception must be finalized with the University Music Appreciation club. Reception expenses are usually incurred by the student. Students must consult with their applied studio instructor or advising professor concerning special needs or equipment. Printed recital posters should be given to the coordinator for posting. If students would like their event to be publicized on the department facebook page, a request must be given to the coordinator at this time.

Three Days Prior: The student must check with the administrative assistant for the physical plant and with the security office to confirm that all needed facilities will be open as requested. Air conditioning or heating must be activated several hours in advance of the recital hour in order to maintain a comfortable temperature during the recital/project and reception.