JEWISH SACRED MUSIC Curriculum for Jewish Studies Majors
Jewish Sacred Music curriculum: Students interested in conducting in-
depth study of music in Jewish religious life, including those wishing
to prepare for a career in Jewish sacred music, can do so through a
special sequence of courses as either Jewish Studies majors or voice
majors in the Jacobs School of Music.
Jewish Studies students who want to pursue the Jewish Sacred Music curriculum will have to be Jewish Studies majors, not certificate students. In addition to completing the Jewish Studies major, Jewish Sacred Music students in the College of Arts and Sciences will need to take music theory, vocal skills, ear training/sight singing, and music history classes in the Jacobs School of Music.
More Info . . .
High seniors applying for the 2009-10 year and committed to pursing the Jewish Sacred Music Program as Jewish Studies majors or Jacobs School of Music vocal performance majors may apply for the four-year (up to $10,000/year) Selma Lee Mervis Young Scholarship
Jewish Sacred Music students should (at minimum) take the following courses for a grade to complete the Jewish Studies major:
- JSTU-H 100 Introduction to Elementary Hebrew I (Fall)
- JSTU-H 150 Introduction to Elementary Hebrew II (Spring)
- HIST-H 251 Introduction to Jewish History: From the Bible to the Spanish Expulsion (Fall) (must be taken on the IUB campus)
- HIST-H 252 Introduction to Jewish History: From the Spanish Expulsion to the Present (Spring) (must be taken on the IUB campus)
Four courses in Religion and Thought Area of Specialization:
- A course on the Hebrew Bible
- A course on rabbinic literature at the 300 or 400 level
- A course on music in Judaism at the 300 or 400 level
- A course on Jewish thought or culture at the 300 or 400 level (approved by Professor Cohen)
Two courses outside of Religion and Thought Area of Specialization:
- JSTU-H 200 Intermediate Hebrew I (Fall)
- JSTU-H 250 Intermediate Hebrew II (Spring)
Jewish Sacred Music students are encouraged to study for at least one semester of their junior year at Indiana University's Overseas Study program at the Rothberg School at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Students may also transfer back credit to Indiana University from Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University, Tel Aviv University, and the CET Jewish Studies Prague program. A Jewish Studies major must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of course work (not special credit nor language testing) in Jewish Studies on the IU Bloomington campus. A maximum of 3 courses may be credited toward the Jewish Studies major from either language testing or from transfer credit from universities other than IU's Rothberg School at Hebrew University program.
Jewish Sacred Music Students Should Take the Following Basic Music Courses:
- Take or test out of T 109 Rudiments of Music (3 cr.)
(Note: The Basic Musicianship test is given prior to the start of the fall & spring semesters. Contact the Music Advising Office (musug@indiana.edu) for specifics. Students who receive a grade of 70 or above will place out of T 109. Students who score between 50-68 on the test, may take T 109 Rudiments of Music simultaneously with T 151 Music Theory and Literature I. Students who score 50 or below must pass T 109 BEFORE they can take T151. - Music Theory courses:
- T 151 Music Theory and Literature I (3 cr.) (fall) Grade of C- or higher
- T 152 Music Theory and Literature II (3 cr.) (spring) Grade of C- or higher
- Ear Training/Sight Singing:
- In same semester taking T 152, take T 132 Musical Skills I (1 cr.)
- T 231 Musical Skills II (1 cr.)
- Performance Study: 4 semesters of secondary voice lessons - MUS-Z 110 (2 credits each) (Extra cost of approx. $700 each semester) (Contact the Music Advising Office for more information about setting up lessons: musug@indiana.edu).
- Music History: MUS-M 402 Music History and Literature (4 cr.) (spring) (M 402 has a written prerequisite of MUS-T 252. Students who have not completed T 251 and T 252, however, may register for M 402 with permission of the instructor.)
The above list of courses constitutes a minimum of music courses. Note: Students in the College of Arts and Sciences are only allowed to take a total of 22 credit hours outside the College that will count toward the 122 credit hours needed for graduation. Students testing out of T 109 Rudiments of Music will need to take 16 credit hours outside the College to complete the required music courses for the Jewish sacred music curriculum. Students not testing out of T 109 will need to take 19 credit hours outside the College to complete these required courses.
Jewish Studies majors in the Jewish sacred music track should not enroll in non-College credit offered by other schools - HPER, Education, Business, Social Work, SPEA or other Music School courses that don’t count as inside the College of Arts and Sciences so that they can take some of the recommended School of Music courses (see below).
Other courses that would be advantageous and recommended (but not required) for Jewish sacred music students and are considered outside the College of Arts and Sciences : secondary voice lessons every semester of MUS-Z110 (8 additional credits for 4 additional semesters); and 1 or 2 music theory and literature course (T 251 Music Theory and Literature III and T 252 Music Theory and Literature IV) (3 cr. each). If students take these courses, they exceed the 122 maximum hours outside the College by 8 credit hours (if testing out of T 109) and 11 credit hours (if not testing out of T 109).
One course that counts as a College of Arts and Sciences course and is advantageous for Jewish sacred music students is M 401 History and Literature of Music I (4 cr.)
JEWISH SACRED MUSIC for Jacobs School of Music Students
Two Options:
- Bachelor of Science in Voice with Outside Field in Jewish Studies
or
- Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and the Jewish Studies Certificate
Students who are admitted to the Jacobs School of Music as voice majors will have two possible paths for the Jewish Sacred Music program: 1) Completing the Bachelor of Science in Voice with an Outside Field (BSOF) in Jewish Studies; or 2) Completing the Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and the Certificate in Jewish Studies.
No matter which path, Jacobs School of Music students will take, at minimum, the following courses in Jewish Studies:
- 3 semesters of modern Hebrew - (Students may test out of and receive credit for some semesters of modern Hebrew)
JSTU-H 100 Introduction to Elementary Hebrew I (Fall)
JSTU-H 150 Introduction to Elementary Hebrew II (Spring)
JSTU-H 200 Intermediate Hebrew I (Fall)
- HIST-H 251 Introduction to Jewish History: From the Bible to the Spanish Expulsion (Fall)
- HIST-H 252 Introduction to Jewish History: From the Spanish Expulsion to the Present (Spring)
- One course on the Hebrew Bible (For example: REL-R 210 Introduction to Old Testament/Hebrew Bible; REL-R 300 Studies in Religion - Topic: Issues in the Study of the Hebrew Bible; REL-R 311 Narrative in the Hebrew Bible)
- One course on rabbinic literature (For example: REL-R 300 Studies in Religion - Topic: Introduction to Rabbinic Literature; REL-R 300 Studies in Religion - Topic: Revelation in Rabbinic Literature; REL-R 445 - Topic: Talmud)
- A course on music in Judaism (with Professor Judah Cohen)
If students have more time for Jewish Studies courses, particularly the BSOF students who can count Hebrew as their foreign language for their music degree, they should take more Jewish culture and modern Hebrew classes. Please consult with Professor Cohen about course options.
School of Music students planning to pursue the Jewish Sacred Music curriculum should be in touch with Professor Judah Cohen (cohenjm@indiana.edu) and make an appointment also to meet with Dr. Carolyn Lipson-Walker by calling the Borns Jewish Studies Program secretary at (812) 855-043.
