Choral Conducting

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Master of Music in Choral Conducting

Major code: M717

Concentrations

Standard - Q113 (PDF)Church Music - Q114 (PDF)

Required Proficiencies

This degree requires the following proficiencies.

Contacts

Dr. Jabarie Glass

Director of Choral Activities

Dr. Tracey Gregg-Boothby

Interim Conductor of Vox Lyrica

Dr. David Howard

Associate Director of Choral Activities

Prof. Mike Plunkett

Interim Conductor of Glee Club

Application Deadline

To receive full consideration for admission and graduate assistantships, the application is December 1. The School of Music cannot guarantee an audition, interview, admission, or graduate assistantship if application is received after the deadline.

Assistantships

There is no separate application for assistantship. Unless the applicant indicates otherwise, we assume that all applicants are interested in being considered for assistantships. Please note that assistantships are usually awarded for the Fall and Spring semesters together. We very seldom have assistantships available for anyone entering in a Spring semester. We do not award assistantships for Summer sessions.

Procedure and Requirements

Submit the online application (see Graduate Admissions page). Be sure to include all materials described below.

The Director of Choral Activities (major professor for this degree), in consultation with the choral faculty, will review all pre-screening materials and determine which applicants will be invited to campus for a live audition and interview. More information about the audition can be found at the bottom of this page.

Application materials required for all graduate degrees

These items must be submitted to the online graduate application system.

Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Submitted to the online application under the Supplemental Materials tab.
- While style and format are free to vary, your document should include the following information:
  - Personal Contact Information
  - Education, including institutions attended and degrees earned (when applicable)
  - Employment history (including teaching experience for music education majors)
  - Noteworthy performances, conference presentations, or scholarly endeavors
  - Research publications, including thesis topics/titles, music compositions/arrangements, or other related scholarly work
  - Any academic/music honors, awards, or scholarships received
Statement of Purpose
- Submitted to the online application under the Supplemental Materials tab
- The personal statement is intended to provide insight into the applicant’s desire to pursue a graduate degree in music. Applicants are expected to prepare and submit original work that reflects their own ideas, experiences, written communication skills. The use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tools to write, draft, substantially revise, paraphrase, or otherwise generate content is not permitted. Minimal use of assistive AI for grammar, spelling, etc. is allowable. By submitting the Statement of Purpose, applicants affirm that the work is their own, original, and complies with this policy. The program reserves the right to request clarification regarding submitted materials if concerns arise regarding authorship or originality.
- Please compose a brief personal statement (approximately 2–3 pages of double-spaced, 12-point font text with 1-inch margins) regarding your desire to pursue a graduate degree in music. Include responses to the following prompts:
  1. How would you describe your professional path to this point?
  2. Why do you want to pursue this degree at OU?
  3. How do you want to grow musically, artistically, pedagogically, and/or intellectually during your graduate studies?
  4. What skills, expertise, and experiences do you bring to graduate study at OU?
  5. Describe your post-degree plans (i.e., How will you apply your newly acquired academic knowledge and expertise?).
Three letters of reference
- Submitted to the online application under the Supplemental Materials tab
- Your three reference letters should include:
  - At least one letter from: your studio professor, ensemble conductor, chamber coach, etc., or a person who has considerable knowledge about your abilities as a performer or composer.
  - At least one letter from: a person who can speak to your abilities as a scholar of music.

Pre-screening application materials required for this degree

These items must be submitted to the online graduate application system.

Conducting/Rehearsal Video(s): Applicants must submit face-to-the-camera video recordings conducting a choral ensemble in both rehearsal and performance settings. Rehearsal footage should consist of a single, uninterrupted rehearsal segment lasting 10–12 minutes. Performance footage should also be 10–12 minutes in length and should demonstrate the conductor’s engagement with a variety of musical styles. All videos should be of sufficient audio and visual quality to allow the faculty to evaluate the applicant’s conducting gesture, rehearsal effectiveness, communication skills, and musical leadership.
- Video files or links to online video recordings may be submitted to the online application under Digital Portfolio.

Campus Audition/Interview

Applicants invited to campus will meet with the choral faculty for: 1) a conducting lesson on the audition rehearsal repertoire; 2) vocal and keyboard skills demonstrations using repertoire of the applicant’s choice; 3) a musicianship assessment, including sight-reading and score-reading; 4) an interview focused on the applicant’s musical background, academic interests, and professional goals; and 5) a rehearsal audition with a major ensemble.

Repertoire for the rehearsal audition will be sent to applicants at least two weeks prior to their audition date.

Questions about the graduate choral conducting program or application requirements should be directed to Dr. Jabarie Glass (jabarie.glass@ou.edu).