Policies for Student Performances

Collaborative Pianist Policy

The Music Department provides a collaborative pianist free of charge to all music majors for most, but not all, required performances. It is the responsibility of a student performer to contact the department's staff collaborative pianist, Dr. Alastair Edmonstone, to arrange accompaniment for all repertoire classes, music major recitals, juries, and related rehearsals and performances. 

Spring 2024 Collaborative Piano Policy

In order to achieve a quality collaborative experience, students must take the time to familiarize themselves with the CSUSB Collaborative Piano Policy.

In order to achieve a quality collaborative experience, students MUST

1. Make sure to submit music in a timely manner (For inquiries about quarterly music submission deadline, contact Dr. Alastair Edmonstone,
2. Schedule a rehearsal time by using the sign-up sheet located on the door of PA 214,
3. Have thoroughly rehearsed with the accompanist the particular song(s)/music that students intend to present at all performances.

The department does not provide accompanists for any performances not specifically required as part of a students' applied lessons, for example an audition or recording for a graduate school application or an off-campus competition. The department also does not provide accompanists for any junior or senior recitals or projects. Students performing a recital, or presenting a project with a performance component, must take all responsibilities for contracting an accompanist. Those responsibilities include all scheduling and fees for rehearsals, a hearing, and the performance. If students wish to contract the department's accompanist, they may contact Dr. Alastair Edmonstone for inquiries about availability or specific fee information.

MUS 1000 Music Forum 

Music Forum (formerly known as repertoire class) is held each semester on Tuesdays at noon. A schedule of performances for Music Forum will be distributed at the beginning of the semester by the Instructor of record for that class.

Depending on his or her applied level, each student may have to perform for Music Forum a certain minimum number of times per semester. See Applied Level Completion Requirements for each level's specific requirements.

Music Major Recitals

Music Major Recitals are held each semester on selected Tuesdays or Thursdays at noon. A schedule of Music Major Recitals for the semester is available in the departmental office (PA-111).

Music majors may schedule a performance for a Music Major Recital by filing the Music Major Recital Performance Form available on the online Department Forms page and submitting it to the main music office (PA-111). Forms are due by Monday of the week of a recital.

Depending on their applied level, some students must perform for a recital a certain minimum number of times per quarter. See Academic Policies in this handbook for each level's specific requirements.

Senior and Junior Recitals and Projects

BA in Music students electing to complete a senior project instead of an internship may not enroll in MUS 5980 and MUS 5981 Senior Project until they have completed all requirements for 3000-level applied study. Determination of completion is made by the faculty committee that evaluates a student's final jury performance.  Bachelor of Music Pre-Certification students must complete a senior project in their final year of the degree program. A project is a capstone experience, a summation of a student's overall study within his/her degree.  It consists of some sort of creative or written product, possibly including a performance component, that mimics professional-level scholarly or creative products typical in the field of music.  Either a student's applied teacher or a member of the full-time music faculty will supervise preparation and grading for the project. In place of the usual course syllabus guidelines, a project proposal, approved by the supervising faculty member and a committee of other faculty, will further define a senior project. If a senior project contains any performance component, the quality of the performance must equal that of a junior recital.

BM in Performance students must perform both a junior and a senior recital  (MUS 3990 and 4990).  A recital is a public performance of art music intended as a capstone or summation of a student's applied study. A student's studio teacher will supervise the preparation of the recital, and students should consult their applied syllabi for further guidelines regarding recitals.

Recital Checklist

In preparing for a recital performance, students must follow this checklist:

• Consult with the studio teacher regarding a recital program.A student's recital program should ideally be determined several months before the date of the anticipated performance. A junior recital program should include at least 25 minutes of music, and a senior recital should include a minimum of 40 minutes of music.
• Submit a Recital Reservation Form.The form must be submitted to the Music Department's Chair no later than 10 weeks before the recital date, and requires the signatures of the student, the Music Department Technician, the student's studio teacher, and all other performers involved in the recital. Senior recitals may be scheduled on weeknights or weekends. Junior recitalists must share a program with one or more other students. Junior projects that include a performance component may also be paired with a junior recital. The Music Department Technician will make the final decision on which recitals and/or projects to pair together. The dress rehearsal for a recital will also be scheduled at this time. Recitals may only be offered during the regular academic year while classes are in session, which does NOT include exam week.
• Submit a Recital Hearing Form. The form is due to the Music Department's Technician four weeks before the scheduled recital date. The Music Department will provide free of charge one CD recording of the recital performance for each recitalist and his or her studio teacher. Additional CD copies of the performance can be made at cost to the student of $10 per CD. For a fee of $25 a student may also request a DVD recording of a recital. No audio or video recording of a recital is made unless one is requested by a performer. All other audio, lighting, equipment, staging or other unusual technical needs must be specified in this form. If in the opinion of the Music Department's Technician, a technical request cannot be met, then the performer must revise his or her performance plans accordingly. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the Technician well in advance of the recital hearing so that all technical needs can be addressed in time for the hearing, avoiding technical complications for the recital performance.
• Submit a Recital Program Form. The form is due to the Music Department's Publicity Specialist four weeks before the scheduled recital date. The form must be accompanied by a draft of the program that follows the guidelines outlined in the form, and, if required by the student's applied syllabus, a draft of program notes. The form and attachments must be submitted electronically via email, and must either be in a Microsoft Word or rich text format. The Music Department will print 75 programs for a recital free of charge. A student can obtain additional programs for a fee of $15 per 25 programs.
• Submit a Recital Technical Needs Form. The form is due to the Music Department's Technician four weeks before the scheduled recital date. The Music Department will provide free of charge one CD recording of the recital performance for each recitalist and his or her studio teacher. Additional CD copies of the performance can be made at cost to the student of $10 per CD. For a fee of $25 a student may also request a DVD recording of a recital. No audio or video recording of a recital is made unless one is requested by a performer. All other audio, lighting, equipment, staging or other unusual technical needs must be specified in this form. If in the opinion of the Music Department's Technician, a technical request cannot be met, then the performer must revise his or her performance plans accordingly. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the Technician well in advance of the recital hearing so that all technical needs can be addressed in time for the hearing, avoiding technical complications for the recital performance.

• Perform the recital. A recitalist's studio teacher should be in attendance at the performance, and the teacher alone will determine the grade for the recital. Guidelines for grading a recital should appear in the teacher's applied syllabus. The performance must adhere to the usual practices for stage deportment, dress, and other etiquette at a professional-level recital, including any provisions appearing in the teacher's applied syllabus.

All fees for extra programs or recordings are due four weeks before the scheduled recital performance. Students may pay fees by check or cash in the main music office (PA-111).

Recital Cancellation Policy. Student recitalists should make every effort to perform recitals as scheduled regardless of personal issues, illness, or other emergencies.  An expectation to do so is often the norm in the professional world.  In the event that performing is simply not possible, notice of at least one week (five business days) should be immediately provided by email and phone to the student's studio teacher, the accompanying musicians, and also the Music Department chair, secretary, and technician.  Notice must include a detailed explanation from the performer, and the music faculty reserves the right to require any documentation it sees fit before authorizing the rescheduling of a recital performance.  The music faculty also reserves the right to deny permission for rescheduling of a recital if the reasons for the initial cancellation have not been addressed to the faculty's satisfaction. Students who cancel a scheduled performance because a recital hearing is not completed by the department deadline must first successfully complete a hearing before rescheduling is possible.  A student may not even tentatively reserve the recital hall for a rescheduled performance or dress rehearsal until the hearing is completed. And, no matter what the reason for a cancellation, students must file a new and complete Recital Reservation form before a performance can be rescheduled.

Project Checklist

In completing a senior project, students must follow this checklist:

• Consult with the project supervisor. A student should ideally identify a topic and begin developing a project several months before the anticipated date of completion. The student must develop a proposal for the project that includes a detailed description of the project, including a clearly defined outcome, and a firm due date for the project.
• Form a project committee. The student will form a committee in collaboration with the project advisor to review and comment on the project proposal. The committee must consist of at least three music faculty members, including the project supervisor and at least one full-time faculty member. The committee must have at least two weeks to review the proposal. Once the committee has reviewed the proposal, the project supervisor should schedule a meeting of the committee with the student. If the committee does not approve the proposal, the student may resubmit a different project, but must do so within two weeks of the original project's rejection. The committee may also suggest changes to the project that the project supervisor is then responsible for documenting and supervising.
• Submit a Project Approval Form. The form must be submitted to the Music Department Chair by the beginning of the quarter in which the project will be completed. It must include the project proposal, the signature of the project supervisor, and documentation of changes required by the project committee.
• Submit a Project Technical Needs Form, if the project requires any sort of public presentation, performance or lecture. The form is due to the Music Department's Technician four weeks before the scheduled presentation date. The Music Department will provide free of charge one CD or DVD recording of the project's presentation for each presenter and his or her studio teacher. Additional electronic copies of the performance can be made at cost to the student of $10 per CD and $20 per DVD. No audio or video recording of a recital is made unless one is requested by a performer. All other audio, lighting, equipment, staging or other unusual technical needs must be specified in this form. If in the opinion of the Music Department's Technician, a technical request is cannot be met, then the performer must revise his or her presentation plan accordingly. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the Technician well in advance of the presentation so that all technical needs can be addressed in time.
• Submit Recital Reservation Form, Recital Hearing Form, and Recital Program Forms, if the project includes a performance component. The performance portion of a project must meet the same performance standards as for a senior recital, including adherence to the timeline and hearing requirements described above for recitals. Generally, the performance portion of a project takes place in a performance site other than the Performing Arts Recital Hall. Performance in the Recital Hall is only possible if the technical needs for the project's presentation cannot be easily met in that space.

• Complete the project. The project supervisor alone will determine the grade for a project. If the project includes a performance component, the supervisor must be in attendance at the performance. The project will be graded based on how well the final result satisfies the expectations defined in the proposal.