Graduate Recital

A Graduate Recital is required of all performance, composition, and conducting majors in the Master of Music degree program. The Graduate Recital must be a full Recital under the direct supervision of a faculty member currently on the staff of the School of Music, and should be given at the conclusion of the student's program of study. Other Recitals may be performed prior to the Recital required for the degree. These may be scheduled with the approval and counsel of the student's major professor. The Recital required for the degree and performed at the conclusion of a program of study must have the approval of an assigned Recital Committee.

The Graduate Coordinator, in consultation with each student, will assign a Recital Committee. The Committee will consist of at least three members of the Regular Graduate Faculty in Music and will be chaired by a faculty member in the student's primary area of study (music education, piano pedagogy, etc.) Faculty who do not hold Regular Graduate Faculty status may be designated as additional members of committees if appropriate or necessary.

The Graduate Recital and Recital Abstract is the performance equivalent of the written Thesis required of Music History majors. As such, it is subject to the same policies, regulations and deadlines as are Theses. Students are advised to consult the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual issued by the Graduate College for information regarding the Graduate Recital.

Graduate Recitals may be given during fall and spring semesters of the academic year. Recitals may not be scheduled during the summer sessions. The School of Music procedure for scheduling the Graduate Recital required for the degree is:

1. Secure approval from major professor for date, time, location, and program content of the Recital. Graduate Recitals are normally performed in Davis Hall, but other sites may be possible with prior permission from the Graduate Coordinator.

2. The graduate student will schedule the Recital with the Communications and Operations Coordinator and inform the Graduate Coordinator in writing of the above information. Scheduling and notification should occur during the semester preceding the proposed date of performance.

3. Contact primary applied faculty professor to schedule all dress rehearsals with the Communications and Operations Coordinator. Dress rehearsals may be scheduled only after the first draft of the recital abstract has been received by the chairperson of the committee/applied teacher.

4. The Recital Committee will:

Attend the scheduled Recital for evaluation purposes and stipulate the performance as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.
Advise the student's writing and revision of a Recital Abstract according to the timetable stipulated below. In some cases, at the discretion of each performance division, a pre-Recital hearing may be required to determine preparedness for the performance. If the division feels it is necessary, the graduate recital may be postponed based on the student's performance at the hearing.

5. Graduate Recital programs should follow the format outline in the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual. Students should obtain concert program approval from their applied instructor and file copy with the Graudate Coordinator. Students are responsible for providing copies of the program for the audience.

6. Audio Recording Assistants are automatically scheduled to record all recitals and concerts given in Bengston Auditorium, Davis Hall, Jebe Hall, Graham Hall and the Great Hall that are on the School of Music schedule of events. You may check with Tom Barry beforehand to find out who is assigned to your recital. If your recital has been changed from the original schedule, you should also check to make sure they were informed of the change. If you need other audio services for your recital, be sure to notify Tom Barry well in advance of the recital. If you have questions, please contact Tom Barry at (319) 273-6366 or tom.barry@uni.edu

Those who wish to have video recordings of their performances may do so at their own expense. Video recordings are permissible only to the extent that the video recording devices do not interfere with the normal routine established for Graduate Recitals and do not, in any way, impede the performance.

Students must submit two copies of the recital recording in MP3 format to the graduate college, along with the recital abstract and recital program. You are responsible for making these copies of your recording in the proper format, as our equipment does not record in MP3 format (iTunes is the easiest way to do this).

7. Each student shall prepare a Recital Abstract. The Recital Abstract is a document (10 pages maximum) that discusses the music on the Graduate Recital program. It should offer a comprehensive review of the repertory performed and give clear evidence of the student's ability to synthesize the core classes with the performing skills attained in their applied instruction. Since a high quality of writing is expected, the document should be proofread, free of errors, and written in prose that is appropriate to a graduate student who is completing the Master's degree. The committee chairperson has two weeks to read, revise and return the document to the student after the first submission of the abstract. The chairperson and other committee members have one week to return subsequent revisions to the student.

The following aspects should be addressed:

Stylistic delineation of each selection, especially as it concerns interpretation.
Performance practice issues, including how the performing edition was selected and precisely what additions or changes were made to the score(s). Any added ornamentation needs to be discussed.
Historical context for each selection.
Musical interpretation of the selections and how the performance was aided by analysis and preparation.
Bibliographic information where appropriate. Document any consulted sources with footnotes and a bibliography.

For all matters of writing style, consult one of the approved style manuals and the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual.

A preview meeting must be scheduled during the first eight weeks of the semester in which the student wishes to graduate (exact dates will be posted). The preview meeting is scheduled with the Graduate College Thesis reader who will check for appropriate formatting. The Graduate Coordinator will submit the names of all students requiring a preview at the beginning of the semester. All formatting MUST adhere to the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual.

The required number of copies of the final version of a Thesis or Recital Abstract is due in the Graduate College, along with forms and fees discussed during the preview meeting, at the end of the 10th week of the semester in which the student wishes to graduate (exact dates will be posted). Final versions of the Recital Abstracts are due at this time -- regardless of when the actual Recital has taken place. All copies must be on acid-free paper.

All Graduate Recitals (those performed as the final, culminating recital of the student's degree program) must be performed no later than the close of the 10th week of the semester in which the student plans to graduate. Exceptions may be granted in rare occasions with permission of the Graduate Coordinator.

Recital approval documentation is due to the Graduate College on the published deadline for thesis submission, which is at the end of the 10th week during the semester in which the student wishes to graduate. Recital approval documentation includes a signed approval form, two recordings of the Recital, and two copies of the concert program (formatted using the Graduate College Thesis and Dissertation Manual and copied on acid-free paper).