Bachelor of Music at Kathmandu University, Bachelor of Music Colleges in Nepal

Bachelor Of Music

Affiliated to: Kathmandu University

About Course

Course Title : Bachelor Of Music
Category/Level : Bachelors
Course Duration (months) : 36 months
Cost Range (NPR) : NA
Affiliated to : Kathmandu University

Course Description:

The purpose of the Department of Music at Kathmandu University is to:

Give the musical traditions of Nepal a chance for survival by means of study, practice, documentation, preservation, communication, appreciation, and creative development,
Provide the public and private sectors with students competent in music performance, music studies as well as modern recording media, in order to work in areas concerned with performance, training, preservation and presentation of culture, research, publication, media work, tourism, consultation, international presentation, cultural politics, etc.,
Preserve the traditional repertoire to latest scientific standards,
Encourage and involve traditional musicians and dancers.
Produce competent musicians in all fields of music.

In order to achieve this, the department has been designed to work in six different areas:

1. Academic courses (Diploma Course, B.A., M.A.)
2. Practical music classes
3. Performance (concert tours)
4. Preservation (sound archive and collection of musical instruments)
5. Research
6. Publication and communication (literature, CDs, documentary films)

The British Council, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London have collaborated with the K.U. Department of Music, in supporting the academic programme.

The BA curriculum is designed to develop an integrated understanding of Nepalese and South Asian music and a basic knowledge of other musical traditions of the world and subjects and skills related to ethnomusicology.

TEACHING/INSTRUCTION METHODS

Depending on the respective unit, instruction happens through lectures, practical demonstrations with discussion, seminars (students presenting papers to be discussed), practical courses (demonstration and practice of special skills), self-instruction, specified reading, and students' fieldwork with presentation and discussion of results and problems. Students are encouraged to participate actively during the seminars and lectures, by questioning concepts and expressing views and opinions readily. The students' critical response is asked for, not passive consumption and reproduction of information.

Admission info

The prerequisites for joining the BA and BMus programmes are:
1. (for Nepalese students) successful completion of the Diploma course in Music. Exemption from the Diploma course will be possible only in exceptional cases. The Head of Department in collaboration with two members of staff will decide after thorough examination if they can recommend a student for exemption and direct entry into the BA or BMus courses.
2. Working knowledge of English to read, write and communicate.
3. Musical aptitude and basic knowledge of music theory.
4. Ability to use personal computer and commonly used word processing software.

ADMISSION & ELIGIBILITY

Students are admitted to BA programme on the basis of interest, aptitude and capacity for music study as indicated by their academic records, performance in the interview, and musical experience. Only during the first semester of the first year can students change from BA to BMus or vice versa. In any case, changing courses has to happen before end-semester examinations.

Selection is done through a multi-mode, multi-criteria procedure. Candidate's academic records, references, personal interview and work experience are considered with differential weightage given to each.

Syllabus

The degree of Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Music/Ethnomusicology is awarded on successful completion of prescribed courses and project work spread over three academic years in six semesters of full-time study.

B.A. Courses

First Year Courses	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 101 Music and Society	2
MUSC 102 Practical music	6
MUSC 103 Study Skills	2
NEPS 102 South Asian Civilisation I	2
ENGL 101 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 307 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 104 Notation	1
MUSC 105 World Music I: Introduction	2
MUSC 106 Practical Music	6
MUSC 107 Advanced Music Theory	1
NEPS 104 South Asian Civilization II	2
ENGL 102 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 308 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Second Year Courses	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 201 Music of South Asia I: Great Traditions	2
MUSC 202 Music of Nepal I: Kathmandu Valley	2
MUSC 203 Aural Training	2
MUSC 204 Practical Music	6
ENGL 201 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 201 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 205 Music of South Asia II: Local Traditions	2
MUSC 206 Music of Nepal II: Music of the hills & other areas	2
MUSC 207 Aural Training	2
MUSC 208 Practical Music	6
ENGL 202 English	3
or (for foreign students) NEPS 202 Nepali	3
Total Credits	15

Third Year Courses	Credit Units (hours per week)
First Semester
MUSC 301 World Music II: European Folk Music, Middle East, Central Asia	2
MUSC 302 Classical Western Music I: Greece, Rome, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque	2
MUSC 303 Practical Music	6
MUSC 331 Audio Studio Technique	3
NEPS 361 Anthropology & Sociology of Nepal I	2
Total Credits	15

Second Semester	Credit Units (hours per week)
MUSC 305 World Music III: Africa, America, South East and Far East Asia	3
MUSC 306 Classical Western Music II: Classical, Romantic, Modern	2
MUSC 307 Aural Training	2
MUSC 308 Practical Music	6
NEPS 373 Anthropology & Sociology of Nepal II	2
Total Credits	15

Course Outline

MUSC 101 Music and Society
This course is intended to provide students with an orientation for the entire five year course and a rigorous foundation of the basic precepts of music as part of a social and cultural fabric.

MUSC 102, 106 Practical music
This course offers practical training in various forms of Newar music, Shastriya Sangit and Western Music, starting with basic exercises for voice and rhythm before proceeding to performance training.

MUSC 103 Study Skills
The course focuses on practical skills such as the application of musical notation, the use of standard international conventions for transcribing textual material, as well as for creating bibliographies and audiographies, etc.

Unit 1: English Terminology
This implies an explanation of the technical terms used in music, as these terms are generally employed in musicological studies. Sanskrit, Urdu, Italian, and German terms will be included.

Unit 2: Systems of Notation
The Western staff notation and the Indian letter notation are taught, along with examples of other notations created for special aspects of music (drumming, dance, etc.). Creativity in the use of notation in accordance with the respective goal is encouraged.

Unit 3: Library Skills - Bibliography, Sources, etc.
Writing a bibliography, quoting correctly, transcribing from Devanagari and other scripts according to the international conventions.

Unit 4: Essay Technique
Concise and clear presentation of ideas and arguments in a logical but interesting manner, using information for analysis and reaching conclusions.

NEPS 102 South Asian Civilization I
The objective of this course is to analyze the basic features of South Asian Civilization which includes Hindu and Buddhist cultures and their impact in shaping modern South Asian society.

ENGL 101, 102 English
The schedule of courses requires students to take courses in English through the first two years of the B.A. programme, to provide students with the requisite standard of language skills to handle the coursework. The courses will also include topics like essay technique to train students in the presentation of ideas and arguments in a concise and logical manner.

NEPS 307, 308 Nepali
These courses aims at developing the basic skills in written and spoken Nepali.

MUSC 104 Notation
This course introduces various systems of music notation including Western staff notation and oriental systems.

MUSC 107 Advanced Music Theory
This course deepens the knowledge acquired during the initial theory course, puts the development of music theory in a historical perspective and demonstrates practical application.

MUSC 105, 301, 304 World Music I-III
The aim of this series of courses is to enlarge the students' knowledge of world music, to create an understanding of different historical developments and to promote an appreciation of the various musical traditions, the forms, and their means of expression. The comparison of other musical traditions will provide Nepalese students with a wider perspective within which to understand their own traditions and to develop a musical aesthetic.

NEPS 104 South Asian Civilization II
The aim of the course is to expose the intricacy of South Asian civilization with emphasis on the Hindu-Muslim and Anglo-Indian synthesis. Special emphasis is laid on the socio-economic life and the communication network.

MUSC 201 Music of South Asia I: Great Traditions
This course offers an introduction to the two great traditions of Classical North Indian and South Indian music, as they permeate the musical life of the subcontinent.

MUSC 202 Music of Nepal I: Kathmandu Valley

MUSC 206 Music of Nepal II: Music of the hills and other areas
Special emphasis is given to the musical heritage of Nepal, with its history, literature, instruments, forms and techniques. The importance of perfomers, social and ritual implications, musical change, and schemes for preservation is also given attention. Students and staff will work together to survey the extent of our current knowledge of Nepalese musical traditions, with a view to identifying potential areas for field studies.

MUSC 203, 207, 307 Aural Training
This is a practical course designed to open the ears of the students. They learn how to listen attentively, recognize structures, pitches and time units, and write everything down in a notation which represents the acoustic event as closely as possible. Interactive computer software is used to improve aural skills, particularly in the area of interval recognition. The schedule requires Aural Training courses to be taken through both semesters of the second and third year, starting with elementary exercises, gradually progressing to complex material and analysis.

MUSC 204, 208, 303, 308 Practical Music
This is the second phase of practical training of musical performance acquired during the first year.

MUSC 205 Music of South Asia II: Local Traditions
This course offers a comprehensive view of South Asian music. The various musical traditions are discussed in detail and illustrated with the help of live and recorded examples.

MUSC 301 World Music II: European Folk, Central Asia and Middle East

MUSC 305 World Music III: Africa, Americas, South East and Far East Asia see above, under World Music I-III

MUSC 302 Classical Western Music I: Greece, Rome, Medieaval, Renaissance, Baroque

MUSC 306 Classical Western Music II. Classical, Romantic and Modern
Through this course, students will be exposed to historical development of Western classical music. This supplements courses on World Music through the study of a great tradition that has influenced musical thought and practice all over the world.

MUSC 331 Audio Studio Technique
Through this course students get the chance to become acquainted with contemporary recording and editing techniques.

NEPS 361 Anthropology & Sociology of Nepal I
This course will discuss some major sociological and anthropological issues about Nepal, as discussed by various scholars, as well as the theoretical and methodological perspectives they use.

NEPS 373 Anthropology & Sociology of Nepal II
This course will discuss to Nepal's ethnic, linguistic and religious heterogeneity. It will examine a few ethnographic studies of ethnic/caste groups in different regions of Nepal.