TN Musician Vol. 72, No. 3

PROGRAM DIVERSITY
The next observation is in regard to the increasingly diverse
skill sets and prior musical experiences with which
music students come to college, and the possible fit of
those skills in their chosen college. Those of us who claim
music as a profession understand that not all college music
departments look alike. Although we as professional
musicians understand this, students and parents may not. Increasingly,
college and university music departments are diversifying
their curricular offerings; sometimes to meet the needs
of the local community; sometimes to accomplish the goals of a
new administrator on campus; sometimes to meet accreditation
requirements. Through continued growth and curricular innovations,
Tennessee’s college and university music programs have
come to offer quite a diverse array of degree and certificate programs.
What this means for students is that not all students will be
the best fit at their local university, or at their first-choice university.
A student who is skilled in popular music styles will thrive in
some programs but may not even pass an audition into programs
that require traditional music literacy. Therefore, we encourage
you to research the programmatic and curricular offerings of the
community colleges, technical schools, four-year colleges and the
graduate programs across the state to see what each program offers,
and help your students determine where they might fit best
as a prospective music major. Encourage students to pursue many
options, but prioritize the program that best suits their skills, experiences,
and career goals.
DUAL CREDITS
Increasingly, high schools are seeking opportunities to offer dual-enrollment
credits to the point that many students graduate
with an associate’s degree at the same time they complete high
school. For high school music educators, this may result in an increased
interest and enrollment in Music Appreciation and Music
Theory courses, especially if college credit is an option. If you are
interested in pursuing this for your campus, we offer these considerations:
First, communicate with your campus and system-level administration
to see if dual-credits are an option for your school
system. If so, the school will have most likely partnered with a local
college or community college where the credits will transfer.
Next, you will need to have some graduate-level music course
work. Some institutions require a master’s degree with 18-hours
in music while others will only require 18 graduate music hours.
Finally, as your class will provide both high school and college
level credit, you will need to arrange some details with administrators
on both campuses. You will most likely be hired as an adjunct
faculty at the college where students will receive credit. You
may be asked to create two different syllabi; one that addresses the
syllabus requirements of each campus. You may be asked to use a
specific textbook required of the college. You should also be observed
and evaluated by an administrator from the college music
program in addition to your school system’s required observation
process. These extra steps add a layer or two of extra paperwork,
but are necessary to ensure the college addresses its accreditation
requirements for students receiving credit from one or more of
its programs.
TENNESSEE PROMISE
We are officially four to five years into Tennessee Promise. This
program has made college available to thousands of students who
would not have otherwise been able to obtain a college degree. In
light of the benefits of the program, there are some factors that
music students should consider before they decide whether to
pursue college through TN Promise or through a traditional program.
The primary consideration is that not all community colleges
offer music classes, lessons, or ensembles. Therefore, a student interested
in pursuing a four-year music degree may complete all
of the general education requirements at a community college,
transfer to a four-year school to complete a bachelor’s degree, and
would then need to start-over as a freshman to complete the fouryear
music course sequence in most music degrees. As a result,
it may take a minimum of six or seven years to complete a program
that should have only taken four years to complete. If you
have students considering TN Promise and who plan to complete
a four-year degree, encourage them to thoroughly research their
college options. Make sure they are aware of the music offerings at
the community colleges they are considering, and of the transition
from community college to four-year school.
TMEA RESOURCES
I
would like to close this article with a reminder that TMEA offers
a wealth of college-level music education resources that
are accessible to anyone. Collegiate NAfME (CNAfME) is a nationwide
organization of music majors who plan to become music
teachers. In Tennessee, the college chapters are organized by a
TMEA board member, and by a campus-level chapter sponsor.
The chapter sponsor is usually the music education coordinator
at the local college who can also be a very valuable resource to
those of you in K-12 music education. You can find a complete list
under the Board/Council tab on the “About Us” menu option at
www.tnmea.org. Additionally, the TMEA board includes a Higher
Education chairperson who coordinates the activities of the
college-level music education programs within the association.
Finally, you are always welcome to reach out to us, the directors,
chairs, deans and administrators of the music units at Tennessee’s
higher education institutions. We value the work that you do and
look forward to continued work with you.
Dr. Eric Branscome joined the Austin
Peay State University Music Department
in the fall of 2011 as Coordinator
of Music Education and became
Department Chair in the fall 2017 semester.
He teaches undergraduate and
graduate courses in music education,
supervises music student teachers, and
is the founder and director of Camp
Granada, APSU’s elementary music
summer day camp. He was the recipient
of the 2012 Socrates Award for Excellence
in Teaching, the 2014 Harold
Love Community Service Award, and
the 2016 Outstanding Advising Award.
18 | TENNESSEE MUSICIAN | 2020 | Volume 72, No. 3