Music Theory/Aural Skills Placement for Musical Theatre

• Musical Theatre students should take the Music Literacy Assessment on a Music & Dance Audition Day. However, students who have NO experience in reading music may elect to bypass these tests and register for MUSC 100 Music Theory Fundamentals  during their first semester at EMU to gain the necessary skills for proper placement in Music Theory. Note: MUSC 100 will not count in the requirements for the Musical Theatre BA but can, however, count as a General Education requirement.
• MUSC 100 will also prepare students for MUSC 101 Music Theory I  and MUSC 119 Aural Skills I , required for the Musical Theatre [BA] .
• Musical Theatre students with SIGNIFICANT knowledge of music theory must attend a School of Music and Dance Audition Day to take the Music Literacy Assessment and, if warranted, the Music Theory Advanced Placement Exam (See Music Theory Placement Exam). Note: For the Fall semester, there is an Audition Day on the day before classes begin. Students should target the November date for a School of Music and Dance Audition Day for the winter semester.
  • Musical Theatre students should register for MUSC 101 Music Theory I  and MUSC 119 Aural Skills I  during their first semester if that is deemed an appropriate level for their experience.
  • Musical Theatre students who have SIGNIFICANT prior expertise with Music Theory and/or Aural Skills and who do well on the Music Literacy Assessment may be asked to take the Advanced Placement Exam. This exam will dictate an appropriate, challenging level—possibly bypassing MUSC 101  and MUSC 119 . 
  • Theory must be taken simultaneously with the same level of Aural Skill. For example, if a student is registered for Theory II, then the student must also register for Aural Skills II during the same semester.
• Regardless of which course they take first, Musical Theatre students must take TWO (2) Theory and TWO (2) Aural Skills classes at or above the level of MUSC 101 /MUSC 119 . Be aware that these two courses are sequenced: Music Theory courses I and III are offered only in the Fall. In contrast, Music Theory courses II and IV are offered only in the Winter semester.