Music Courses and Ensembles

Courses in Music Theory at MUTH 120 and above and aural skills courses are in high demand. Enrollment in these courses is prioritized to ensure students meet key degree requirements. Priority is given first to Conservatory students, followed by Arts and Sciences musical studies majors, then music minors, and finally students taking the course for general interest or who are exploring the possibility of a major or minor.

Music Theory

No Prior Experience

Arts and Sciences students with no prior experience in music theory should enroll in MUTH 110. This course is appropriate for first-year students in their first semester. MUTH 110: General Music Theory for Non-Majors (fall and spring) is an introductory music theory course for students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences. This class is designed for students new to music theory, and no placement test is required. Students who successfully complete MUTH 110 may consider additional courses in music theory, which require a placement exam.

Prior Experience

Students with prior experience in music theory should take the placement exam to determine appropriate placement in either MUTH 120: Introduction to Music Theory or MUTH 131: Music Theory I. Students interested in this course must take the music theory placement test. 

Aural Skills

Aural Skills courses are linked to the music theory sequence but can be taken independently of the corresponding theory course.  For example, while students often enroll in Theory I and Aural Skills I concurrently, these courses can be taken in different semesters if preferred. Aural Skills I and III are offered only in the fall; Aural Skills II and IV are offered only in the spring.

All students, regardless of prior experience, must take a placement exam to determine the appropriate course level. To begin this process, contact Jeanne Rosecrans, who will assist you with scheduling the exam. After completing the exam, email Jeanne Rosecrans to find out if there is space available and, if so, which sections have open seats. If you secure a seat and are granted consent, you must self-register by the add/drop deadline.

Many Conservatory programs and divisions offer private study lessons for credit (2 credits). We refer to these as Secondary Lessons. Secondary Lessons are open to Arts and Sciences students. Placement in Secondary Lessons is not guaranteed. Placement is based on instructor availability and, for some instruments, intermediate/advanced skill level.

Learn more about Secondary Lessons.

Applications and Auditions

As a new student, you will need to apply and audition to take secondary lessons. Refer to audition requirements for your instrument. 

Registration

Students will be notified if they are placed in secondary lessons during the start of the semester and must register by the add/drop deadline. This means you will not be able to register for secondary lessons during the initial registration period in early August.

If you enroll in secondary lessons, your schedule should include your first-year seminar, two or three additional full academic courses, and LEAD 050: Oberlin Life and Learning, along with Secondary Lessons. 

Instrument Library

The Conservatory has an instrument library. If you are interested in taking secondary lessons and you have an instrument, bring it with you to campus.

Instrument Classes

Students interested in secondary lessons in voice may also consider APST 120: Beginning Voice Class as well as choirs, including APST 700: Musical Union, APST 701 College Choir, APST 730: Collegium Musicum, and APST 811: PI Ensemble. See below for more details.

Students interested in piano may also consider APST 101: Beginning Piano I.

APST 700: Musical Union

Musical Union is a large choral ensemble that rehearses and presents large choral masterworks, with one or two concerts each semester. All members of the college community, including students, faculty, and staff, can join the Musical Union. No audition is required. Students interested in joining the course should attend the first rehearsal. If you are admitted to Musical Union and have a conflict with your LEAD 050 meeting time, email pal@oberlin.edu to request a section change.

APST 701: Oberlin College Choir

A large select ensemble that performs a broad spectrum of a cappella and accompanied choral literature from all periods. Presents on-campus concerts and off-campus performance tours. Admission by audition.

College Choir is required for Conservatory voice students and also includes Arts and Sciences students each year. Auditions are held during new student orientation, and audition times will be listed in the orientation schedule. If you are admitted to College Choir and have a conflict with your LEAD 050 meeting time, email pal@oberlin.edu to request a section change.

APST 730: Collegium Musicum

A vocal ensemble specializing in the performance of medieval, Renaissance, and early Baroque music. Two major concerts yearly. Admission by audition.

Collegium commonly includes both Conservatory students (typically outside of voice) and Arts and Sciences students. Auditions are held during new student orientation, and audition times will be listed in the orientation schedule.

APST 748: Javenese Gamelan

Students learn to perform Central Javanese gamelan (a percussion-based ensemble featuring gongs and keyed instruments). No prior musical experience necessary. 

APST 750: Djembe Orchestra I

This course provides the fundamentals and basic concepts and techniques of West African Djembe playing. No prior musical experience necessary.

APST 811: Genre Nova Ensemble

The Nova Genre Performance and Improvisation Ensemble provides an opportunity for students to enrich their existing musical vocabularies and skills through practical exploration of many different world musics and improvisation across a range of genres and styles. The ensemble will participate in intensive residencies and collaborative performances with visiting artists. Admission by audition.

APST 818: Oberlin Creative Music Lab

Creative Music Lab is an ensemble that specializes in contemporary, open-form, and guided improvisation. Students will rehearse as an improvisation ensemble each week to grow together as a cohort and improve upon skills such as listening, interaction, and creative decision-making. The ensemble will also rehearse contemporary repertoire, and students will create their own work for the ensemble and present a culminating concert at the end of the semester. The Creative Music Lab welcomes performers and composers who practice in electronic and acoustic mediums. 

APST 819: Fiddle Ensemble

Learn traditional and contemporary folk tunes and songs from several different regions and cultures around the world. All melody instruments and some rhythm instruments are welcome. Open to both Conservatory and College students with experience on the violin and other string instruments who wish to learn the technical approach to fiddle music and its traditions.

APST 826: Oberlin Arts and Sciences Chamber Music

Led by members of the Verona Quartet, the Arts and Sciences Chamber Collective provides students enrolled in the College with the opportunity to learn chamber works in small ensembles, receive coaching, and perform in public as part of a credit-bearing class. The repertoire (pieces) assigned will depend on the instruments enrolled.

Admission by audition. Students should prepare and submit a brief (3–5 minute) audio/visual clip of their individual playing, ideally before arriving on campus. Learn more about the Arts and Sciences Chamber Collective and access the audition link.

JAZZ 803: Small Jazz Ensembles

Auditions for small jazz ensembles (for non-jazz students) take place once a year during the first week of the fall semester. Auditions only happen in the fall for the academic year, so you should audition in the fall if you’d like to be considered for a jazz ensemble in the fall and/or spring. (The exception is JAZZ 807, which holds auditions the first week of the spring semester.) 

Students who are placed in an ensemble will receive registration information from Julie Baker and must register by the add/drop deadline.

Learn more about the audition process for small jazz ensembles.

Large Ensembles 

APST 709: Oberlin Orchestra/Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble

APST 724: Oberlin Sinfonietta/Oberlin Chamber Orchestra

The Conservatory’s large ensembles are primarily made up of Conservatory students, but Arts and Sciences students may audition. Admission is highly competitive and depends on the needs of the ensemble in a given cycle. To learn more, email Roy Fuccio, Director of Ensemble Operations, for an initial conversation about your instrument and interests. You can also speak with Conservatory staff at the Resource Fair during New Student Orientation.

In addition to music theory, secondary lessons, and ensembles, the Conservatory offers a range of courses designed for beginning music students and those with broad interests. These include classes focused on instruments, community engagement, and research. 

The courses listed below are offered in fall 2025, and most are open for direct registration. If a course requires “instructor consent,” don’t be discouraged. Simply reach out to the instructor or attend the first class session. Brief notes are included below for select course titles that may need additional context. For information on meeting times and full descriptions, refer to the schedule of classes. 

Creation

• COMP 101: Composition for Non-majors
  • This is a music composition course.
• TECH 101: Intro to Electronic Music
• APST 136: Percussive Sound Objects
  • This course explores the histories, present fields of research, and future opportunities of percussive objects (i.e.: Drums, Cymbals, Cowbells, Anvils, Chimes, Xylophones). This is a beginning-level course open to both Conservatory and Arts and Sciences students.
• RAPR 201: Intro to Audio Engineering
• MUTH 110: Music Theory for Non Majors 

Instrument/Group Instruction Classes

• APST 120: Beginning Voice Class
  • There are sections every semester. Anyone can take this class. This is a good alternative to individual secondary lessons.
• APST 101: Beginning Piano I
  • Anyone can take this class. This is a good alternative to individual secondary lessons.
• APST 114: Introduction to Organ
• APST 140 Internalizing Rhythms I
  • This is a drumming class for instrumentalists and vocalists that focuses on playing and internalizing rhythms that originate from a variety of cultural practices, including North Africa, the Middle East, and South India. No prior experience necessary

Music and Industry

• PROF 170: Intro to Music Criticism
• PROF 200: Professional Development for Musicians
• CAST 204: Pop Music & Media

Community Engagement

• PACE 103: Community Music Engagement in the Schools
• PACE 106: Strings at Grafton Prison

Exploring Music and Culture

• MUSY 101: Introduction to the History and Literature of Music
  • While seats in the fall may be limited, there is typically availability in the spring.
  • This course expects that students can read music notation.
• MUSY 104: A Playlist for Indigenous Survival
• MUSY 115: Historical Music in Performance
  • This course expects that students can read music notation.
• MUSY 290: Introduction to African American Music I