Music Theory
The oldest branch of musical scholarship, music theory provides a bridge between a speculative understanding of music and the practical knowledge required by working musicians. As such, the discipline informs and is informed by all other areas of music: composition, performance, history, criticism, and even music psychology/cognition. The goal of the Eastman theory department is to cultivate students' speculative and practical understanding of musical structure to the highest levels possible.
The department offers a wide variety of courses designed to serve the interests and needs of all Eastman students. At the undergraduate level, a comprehensive program in written theory and aural skills is required of all students. Specialized and advanced courses are required of theory and composition majors, and are offered as electives to students in other majors once they have completed the core curriculum. At the graduate level, courses for non-theory majors provide instruction in basic analytical techniques, after which students may enroll in elective courses.