The Master’s Chorale

The Master’s Chorale is an auditioned choir representing students from almost every academic major at the university. During its annual tours, the Chorale has traveled to various regions of the United States, to Israel every four years, and to the United Kingdom, Spain, Albania and Russia. In addition to performances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City, the Chorale has been featured in recordings with Bob Krogstad, Joni Eareckson Tada, Keith and Kristin Getty, Matt Redman, and for a special television segment for Wretched TV.

String Ensemble

The Master’s University String Ensemble is an auditioned ensemble of students, faculty and professional musicians from Los Angeles. Performing works for strings and combining with the Wind Ensemble to showcase standard orchestral and film score pieces, these musicians hold concerts and record each semester.

The Master's University Singers & Orchestra

The University Singers is a non-auditioned, campus community choir that combines with the University Orchestra to present large Christmas and Easter concerts each year. A wide variety of classical and contemporary sacred music is performed. Members of these groups have travelled to New York City to perform at Lincoln Center.

Jazz Ensemble

This up-and-coming instrumental group of TMU students and local musicians performs at on- and off-campus events every semester.

Doxology

Up to 12 students, eight singers and four instrumentalists, who regularly travel to churches, performing an array of Christ-honoring music and introducing people to TMU.

Members of the group receive scholarships, and admittance to the ensemble is by audition only.

Handbells

These musicians work with both three-octave and five-octave bell sets in addition to a three-octave set of Choirchimes. The Handbells perform in festivals and concerts on- and off-campus each year and host the annual “Bellfest” bell choir festival.

TMU Opera

TMU’s Opera is a semester project that concludes in a staged production ranging from selected opera scenes in a concert setting to a fully staged and costumed show accompanied by orchestra. Works of the masters as well as more contemporary composers are represented.

Piano Ensemble

Showcasing standard works from the piano duet and duo literature and promoting community-outreach events for children, TMU’s pianists perform throughout the year. Recent programs have featured narrated performances of Saint-Säens’ Carnival of the Animals and Poulenc’s L’Historie de Babar. At Christmas, our pianists present arrangements of beloved carols with anywhere from two to 12 pianists playing simultaneously.

Additional Instrumental Ensembles 

Instrumental Chamber Ensembles including String, Brass, Woodwind, and Mixed Quartets, Guitar Ensemble, and Percussion Ensemble are dependent on student availability and interest.

Additional Performance Opportunities 

Students regularly share their music at Performance Practicums and Degree Recitals.

Studio Recitals

Each student who is registered for individual instruction must perform in the respective studio recital at the end of each semester if one is scheduled by the instructor.

School of Music Recital Requirements:

• Junior Performance majors must give a satisfactory 30-minute Half Recital (25 minutes of music).
• Senior Performance majors must give an additional satisfactory 60-minute, Full Recital (55 minutes of music).
• Senior Composition majors must give a satisfactory 60-minute, Full Recital (55 minutes of music) and are exempt from the junior recital requirement.
• Senior Piano Pedagogy majors must give a satisfactory 60-minute, Full Recital (45 minutes of music and an additional performance by an approved student of the senior performer) and are exempt from the junior recital requirement.
• Senior Music Education (Pre-Certification) or Traditional Worship majors must give a satisfactory 30-minute Half Recital (25 minutes of music) in their primary instrument (Traditional Worship majors also have the option of completing a satisfactory project before graduation).
• Senior candidates for B.A. in Music degrees must perform a successful 30-minute Half Recital (25 minutes of music) in their primary instrument or complete a Senior Capstone Project to fulfill their graduation requirements.* Faculty recommendation will be given four semesters before the proposed recital/project semester and should be considered binding. Please note: Music Production students have a unique senior project course and may contact the Music Production faculty for additional information.

*Students completing a project must obtain faculty approval of the topic, scope, and medium by the end of junior year/two semesters before the proposed graduation date. *Non-degree recitals or recitals in a secondary instrument may be given (schedule permitting) with special permission from the instructor and faculty. These recitals must follow departmental standards. Students who wish to give such a recital should begin seeking permission one year in advance and may be encouraged to use an off-campus venue due to limited hall availability. Students will be contacted by the professor of the class, who will provide a list of the available recital slots and all recital scheduling information and regulations.

Senior Capstone Projects

Instead of a recital, some degrees allow a student to prepare a Senior Capstone Project that showcases understanding and synthesis of a musically interesting topic through both written and presentation components. The student must acquire permission from the music faculty to complete a project instead of a recital two semesters before the semester in which the project will be completed, i.e., the spring semester for a project to be completed in the spring semester of the next academic year. If indicated on a jury form, a faculty recommendation towards a Senior Capstone Project instead of a recital should be considered binding. Please note: Music Production students have a unique senior project course and may contact the Music Production faculty for additional information.

Recital Hall

The Recital Hall is not accessible for anyone’s use — you must obtain permission from the Recital Hall Coordinator before use. This is only granted to students preparing for a recital in the same semester. If something has been damaged or if an instrument is not working properly, please notify the office. Office computers are not available for student use, even to check email

Computer Lab

The computer lab is a classroom and workspace for students taking music production, composition, and other music-related coursework. All files must be stored on student-owned external storage devices.

Recording Studio

Use of the recording studio is limited to students enrolled in or having completed music production coursework. It must be secured with instructor approval and a reservation made through the Administrative Manager

Computer Technology

The School of Music strongly recommends that every student entering in or after Fall 2022 own a MacBook Pro computer with a minimum of 16GB of ram as TMU uses Apple products exclusively for music technologies. Composition, Music Production, and Audio Production & Communications majors will be required to own a MacBook Pro as their classes require the use of this software.