Purpose

The Certificate in Preparatory Music prepares students for successful entry to a Diploma-level music program. Students learn to read and write standard music notation, understand rhythm, melody, and harmony, gain effective music practice skills, recognize the elements of critical listening, and interact and perform in music ensembles.

The Certificate program features small class sizes with professional music faculty and the inclusion of music from many cultures. Students who successfully pass all the Prep Certificate courses and earn an A- grade on their Individual Instructional 2 performance exam will be guaranteed entry into the Music Diploma program.

Duration

8 months (September to April). Maximum time for completion: 2 years

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:

1. Read treble and bass clefs.

2. Sing and write pentatonic and diatonic melodies.

3. Perform basic simple and compound-meter rhythms.

4. Identify, construct, and sing diatonic triads, intervals, modes, and scales.

5. Identify written key signatures, intervals, diatonic scales and triads, and cadences.

6. Transcribe melodic and rhythmic dictations from various cultures and traditions.

7. Practice rehearsal etiquette and performance mindset.

8. Create basic program notes on music to be performed.

9. Assess performance of peers using basic elements of constructive criticism.

10. Perform or compose pieces using basic technical elements with consistent accuracy and control.

11. Analyze harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic elements of music.

Admission Requirements

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS

• Grade 12 graduation, GED or equivalent

  • Note: Applicants who have not graduated from high school may still be considered, with permission from the Music Department Leader.

• English 12 or Communications 12 with a pass, or equivalent.

MUSIC REQUIREMENTS

• Successful audition in major performance area. See the VCC Music Application and Audition Requirements for details.
• Submit the Supplemental Application form.

Program Requirements

Plan of Study Grid

Term One		Credits
MUSC 1011	Preparatory Musicianship 1	2
MUSC 1013	Preparatory Music Theory 1	2
MUSC 1041	Prep Performance Techniques 1	1
MUSC 1050	Prep Individual Instruction 1	1.5
MUSC 1054	Preparatory Class Piano 1	1
MUSC 2490	Performance Ensemble 1	1.5
	Credits	9
Term Two
MUSC 1031	Preparatory Musicianship 2	2
MUSC 1033	Preparatory Music Theory 2	2
MUSC 1042	Prep Performance Techniques 2	1
MUSC 1060	Prep Individual Instruction 2	1.5
MUSC 1064	Preparatory Class Piano 2	1
MUSC 2490	Performance Ensemble 1	1.5
	Credits	9
	Total Credits	18

¹

 ”Performance Ensemble” is repeatable for credit. Students require 4 terms (6 cr.) of “Performance Ensemble” to graduate. Students may participate in any VCC ensemble (or community ensemble as approved by the Department Head), subject to audition and/or entrance requirements. 

Evaluation of Student Learning

Students are evaluated by practical projects, exams, drawings and presentations.

Student Program Progression

In order to be granted a Certificate credential upon completion of the program, a
student must:

1. Receive an overall minimum program grade point average of 'C' (2.0);  and
2. Receive a minimum grade point average of 'C minus' (1.67) in each course. 

Students who receive an F grade in a course may not be allowed to progress. 

Attendance

Attendance plays a major role in student success. This is an intensive program with a condensed 3-day week, which makes attendance vital. Students are encouraged to speak to their instructor or Department Leader should they need to miss classes as frequent absences will impact performance and skills development. 

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

PLAR is available for the following courses:

• MUSC 1011 Preparatory Musicianship 1
• MUSC 1013 Preparatory Theory 1
• MUSC 1041 Preparatory Performance Techniques 1
• MUSC 1054 Preparatory Class Piano 1
• MUSC 1064 Preparatory Class Piano 2

Prior learning is assessed in the following ways:

• Pass a written examination with a minimum grade of 80%, and/or
• Complete a Performance Assessment, and
• Complete a successful interview with the Music Department Leader and one other music faculty member

Please contact the Department for details. See Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition policy for more information.

Transcript of Achievement

The evaluation of learning outcomes for each student is prepared by the instructor and reported to the Student Records Department at the completion of semesters.

The transcript typically shows a letter grade for each course. The grade point equivalent for a course is obtained from letter grades as follows:

Grading Standard

Transcript of Achievement

Grade	Percentage	Description	Grade Point Equivalency
A+	90-100		4.33
A	85-89		4.00
A-	80-84		3.67
B+	76-79		3.33
B	72-75		3.00
B-	68-71		2.67
C+	64-67		2.33
C	60-63		2.00
C-	55-59		1.67
D	50-54	Minimum Pass	1.00
F	0-49	Failing Grade	0.00
S	70 or greater	Satisfactory – student has met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards	N/A
U		Unsatisfactory – student has not met and mastered a clearly defined body of skills and performances to required standards	N/A
I		Incomplete	N/A
IP		Course in Progress	N/A
W		Withdrawal	N/A
Course Standings
R		Audit. No Credit	N/A
EX		Exempt. Credit Granted	N/A
TC		Transfer Credit	N/A

Grade Point Average (GPA)

1. The course grade points shall be calculated as the product of the course credit value and the grade value.
2. The GPA shall be calculated by dividing the total number of achieved course grade points by the total number of assigned course credit values. This cumulative GPA shall be determined and stated on the Transcript at the end of each Program level or semester.
3. Grades shall be assigned to repeated courses in the same manner as courses taken only once. For the purpose of GPA calculation of grades for repeated courses, they will be included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.