The Large Ensemble Policy | Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts

THE LARGE ENSEMBLE POLICY

To fulfill minimum degree requirements, BM students must have 8 semesters of large ensemble, BME students must have 7, BA students must have 6, and Music Minors must have 4.

CONNECTION TO APPLIED STUDY

Lessons and large ensembles are linked. All full-time undergraduate students (i.e., enrolled for 12 or more credit hours) who are taking applied music at UNL must audition and enroll for 1 credit in a large ensemble during each semester of applied study unless their instructor determines that they are not qualified to do so. Majors and minors use the MUDC call number for this required ensemble, and students taking elective lessons use the MUEN call number.

THREE EXCEPTIONS:

(1) Part-time students who are taking applied lessons are not required to co-enroll in a large ensemble.

(2) Theatre majors who are enrolled in the Musical Theatre Minor for Theatre Majors on the 2018-2019 and subsequent bulletins do not have to co-enroll in a vocal ensemble during the semester in which they take voice lessons.

(3) Piano, organ, and guitar students may earn some of their required large ensemble credits by participation for a letter grade in chamber ensembles using the MUDC 352 call number (see below).

Further, there is a stipulation that narrows the choice of ensemble. If students taking applied music are on a School of Music scholarship, then they must perform in an appropriate large ensemble appearing on the List of Approved Ensembles (for which, see below) that is specifically related to their applied area, as long as they continue to take lessons. (BA students taking applied piano, organ, and guitar are an exception, for which, see below.)

After music majors have completed the minimum number of semesters of lessons and MUDC ensembles required for their degree, it may be that they will continue taking lessons, and if so, they must continue to co-enroll in a large ensemble. Further, note that BME students need a minimum of 7 semesters of MUDC ensemble but only a minimum of 6 semesters of lessons.

If a music major or minor stops taking lessons at any point after meeting their minimum degree requirements, they still may participate in any ensemble listed below in the List of Approved Ensembles.

CREDITS FOR ENSEMBLES

The first ensemble must be taken for credit. Thus all undergraduate students participating in one or more ensembles in a given semester (whether the students are full-time music majors, music minors, or non-majors, and whether or not taking applied studio lessons) must register for a minimum of 1 credit of ensemble at the 300 level, whether using the MUDC or MUEN alpha-prefix.

Ensembles may be repeated for credit in subsequent semesters.

Credit for more than one ensemble in a given semester: All music majors and minors may enroll in their second and any additional large ensembles in a given semester for 0 credits under the MUEN 00-level number (by permission, using a permission code) or for 1 credit under the MUEN 3XX number.

Excess ensemble credit: Credit for those ensembles (MUDC or MUEN) taken by music majors and minors in excess of minimum degree requirements will normally count outside the music portion of the degree. They will simply be free elective credit toward the university's 120-credit requirement.

There is an exception that applies only inside the music requirements of the BM degree: In the BM degree, a maximum of two excess MUEN credits may be applied towards that degree's Music Elective requirement.

The two MUDC problem: Students must never enroll for two MUDC ensembles in the same semester. If a student accidentally does this, the second credit is not counted towards any degree requirement by the UNL Degree Audit system. Therefore, this is a mistake with financial consequences, and it needs to be corrected promptly by changing the second ensemble to MUEN.

CALL NUMBERS FOR ENSEMBLES

MUDC or MUEN

There is the potential for error when self-registering for ensembles using MyRed, the UNL on-line class registration system. It is essential for every student to take special care to register for the right level of ensemble under the correct alpha-prefix and call number and credit level. Particular care must be taken over the alpha-prefix.

Ensembles for undergraduates are designated as MUDC or MUEN, and have course numbers at the 00 and 300 levels. The MUEN 800-level ensemble call numbers are for use by graduate students only.

The MUDC call number prefix (Music Ensembles for Degree Credit) is exclusively for use by music majors and minors for their first ensemble. It is used to identify the ensemble that is being used by a student to fulfill their large ensemble degree requirement in music in a given semester.

Music majors and minors must register for one and only one MUDC ensemble per semester, until they have reached the required minimum number for their degree (i.e., 8 semesters for the BM 6 semesters for the BA, 7 semesters for the BME, 4 semesters for the minor). If a student accidentally takes two MUDC ensembles in the same semester, the second is not counted at all.

The MUEN call number prefix is used by music majors, music minors, and non-majors. Music majors and minors use the MUEN alpha-prefix for their second ensemble and any additional ensembles in which they enroll in a given semester. They may also use the MUEN prefix to enroll for credit for ensembles in semesters late in their program of study after the minimum number of large ensembles (8, 7, 6, 4) required for their degree has been reached.

SPECIFIC LARGE ENSEMBLE ASSIGNMENTS FOR MUSIC MAJORS

The Universal Large Choral Ensemble Requirement

All music majors must sing in a large choral ensemble for one semester, and they must use the choral ensemble that semester as their primary large ensemble, enrolling under its MUDC 300-level call number. (During this singing semester, instrumentalists must also enroll for their large instrumental ensemble; for this second large ensemble they must use the MUEN alpha-prefix.) As a general rule, music majors should accomplish this vocal music requirement in their first year of study if at all possible, as detailed below.

Fall Freshman Year Music Major Ensemble Policy for MUDC ensembles

In the fall of their freshman year, all music majors who are applied voice students---and all music majors who are applied piano, organ, guitar, and composition students---must register for Varsity Chorus (MUDC 343) if they sing tenor or bass and University Chorale (MUDC 346) if they sing soprano or alto.

Any student facing an irremediable afternoon time conflict (such as, but not limited to, overlapping ensemble rehearsal schedules, science labs, or athletic practice) may take All Collegiate Choir-City Campus (MUDC 341) instead.

In the fall of their freshman year, all majors who are applied string students must register for Symphony Orchestra (MUDC 347).

In the fall of their freshman year, all majors who are applied wind and percussion students must initially register for the UNL Symphonic Band (MUDC 348B), or the Cornhusker Marching Band (MUDC 348E), or the UNL Jazz Orchestra (MUDC 353A), or the UNL Big Band (MUDC 353B). This assignment will usually be made at the time of New Student Enrollment (NSE) during the summer.

All freshmen who initially enroll in the Cornhusker Marching Band must also initially enroll in a second large ensemble. This additional assignment will usually be made at the time of New Student Enrollment during the summer.

Fall first semester BME applied wind and percussion students who anticipate being in the Cornhusker Marching Band must enroll for that group for one credit as their MUDC ensemble. They must then also enroll in Symphonic Band or one of the jazz large ensembles for one credit as a MUEN ensemble.

Fall first semester BM and BA applied wind and percussion students who anticipate being in the Cornhusker Marching Band must enroll for one credit in Symphonic Band or one of the jazz large ensembles as their MUDC ensemble, and they must enroll for one credit in Marching Band as their MUEN ensemble.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Changes often have to be made to ensemble assignments during Week 1, on account of audition results, fall repertoire choices, the need to balance instrumentation, and the option for music majors and minors students to take a second ensemble for zero credit.

This drop/add process is the responsibility of the student and must be done promptly, before the close of Late Registration on MyRed in Week 2.

---If a wind or percussion major is re-assigned in Week 1 to a different primary large ensemble (for example, from Wind Ensemble to Symphony Orchestra or vice versa), that student must immediately drop their original MUDC or MUEN ensemble on MyRed and re-enroll for MUDC or MUEN credit in the other ensemble.

---Students who are eligible to enroll in their MUEN ensemble for zero (0) credit have to change from 3XX to XX and from 1 credit to 0 credit in Week 1 via a drop/add on MyRed, using not just the correct new class code but also an individual permission code received from the ensemble director.

Spring Freshman Year Music Major Ensemble Policy for MUDC ensembles

In the spring of their freshman year, all majors who are applied voice students must continue to register for Varsity Chorus (MUDC 343) if they sing tenor or bass and University Chorale (MUDC 346) if they sing soprano or alto.

In the spring of their freshman year, all majors who are applied wind, string, and percussion students should register for Varsity Chorus (MUDC 343) if they sing tenor or bass and University Chorale (MUDC 346) if they sing soprano or alto, making this semester their "singing semester." During this singing semester, instrumentalists must also enroll for their large instrumental ensemble, using the MUEN alpha-prefix.

Any student facing an irremediable afternoon time conflict with their required choral ensemble (such as, but not limited to, overlapping ensemble rehearsal schedules, science labs, or athletic practice) may take the Thursday evening All Collegiate Choir-City Campus (MUDC 341) instead.

In the spring of their freshman year, all majors who are applied piano, organ, guitar, and composition students should enroll in the MUDC ensemble appropriate to their performance area, as outlined below.

Requirements for for all Music Majors registering for large ensembles after their first year

Once beyond the particular requirements of the freshman year, every full-time music major (12 credit hours or more) enrolled in applied music lessons in a given semester must also perform in an ensemble from the List of Approved Ensembles that semester, using the MUDC prefix. (BA/BM piano, organ, and guitar players may also use MUDC 440A, 440B, 352.) The ensembles listed below are the only ensembles that will fulfill the degree requirements. Remember, also, that students on music scholarships must enroll in an ensemble specifically appropriate to their area of performance studies.

Students in the music education degree program are exempt from large ensemble participation during the semester in which they student teach.

Registering for large ensembles after the first year

During the spring semester of the freshman year, at the time of Priority Registration for the fall of year two, music majors should enroll in one of the Group I large ensembles appropriate to their performance area.

If this enrollment then needs to be changed on account of preferences and circumstances (including the recommendations of ensemble directors and studio teachers, and the results of auditions), the student should promptly drop the current ensemble and enroll for another by the end of the first week of classes in the fall.

Chamber Music and the Large Ensemble Requirement

Majors who are applied piano, organ, and guitar students may earn some of their required large ensemble credits by participation for a letter grade in chamber ensembles using the MUDC 352 call number. No other music majors or minors may use chamber music to fulfill their large ensemble requirement. All students must initially enroll in chamber music under the MUEN 52 call number. The switch to MUDC 352 for applied piano, organ, and guitar students is handled administratively on their behalf by the instructor. It is the student's responsibility to work with the course instructor for chamber music to make sure that they have been correctly enrolled into the proper section of the chamber music class.

SPECIFIC LARGE ENSEMBLE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE BM, BME, AND BA DEGREES

Bachelor of Music, 8 semesters

SPECIAL RULES for everyone in the BM program:
No more than one credit Marching Band as an MUDC ensemble;

no more than two credits Varsity Chorus or University Chorale
or Big Red Singers as an MUDC ensemble.

1a. Vocal Emphasis, Option I

Freshman year: 2 credits Varsity Chorus (MUDC 343) or University Chorale (MUDC 346).

Option I: after the freshman year, 6 credits from Group I or IA

1b. Vocal Emphasis, Option II

Freshman year: 2 credits Varsity Chorus (MUDC 343) or University Chorale (MUDC 346).

Option II: after the freshman year, 4 credits from Group I or IA, and 2 credits from Group II.

2a. Instrumental Emphasis (winds, percussion)