Music education in the curricdiimthe production of prima donnas or virtuosi (for these are the exception
rather than the rule) but at the development of inherent musical talents
and the improvement of musicianship, as well as the enrichment of the
cultural background of prospective music teachers, the standardized
curriculum now provides for the minimum requirements in applied
music, theory and academic courses. The prewar music teacher’s di-
ploma course has been raised to the bachelor of music level with the
addition of academic and cultural subjects.
Individual music instruction is given in the applied music course for
the development of the student’s inherent musical talents. Basic train-
ing in the fundamentals of musicianship is received in theory courses
including theory and music, solfeggio, ear training and dictation, har-
mony, counterpoint, sight reading and transposition, form and ana-
lysis, composition and orchestration. Lessons in music literature are
taken up in the history of music courses, and pedagogical training is
provided for in methods and practice teaching subjects. For the broad-
ening of the cultural background of the prospective music teacher,
the following academic courses are prescribed : English composition,
English literature, psychology, philosophy, principles of education,
social sciences, art appreciation, acoustics, other foreign languages
and physical education.
Participation in student recitals is required as part of the training
in stage deportment and public performance. A candidate for gradua-
tion is required to give a graduation recital wherein he or she presents
a balanced programme of classic, romantic and modern compositions,
drawing from a repertoire which includes the works of European,
American and Filipino composers.
The training and certification of a prospective teacher enrolled in
the conservatory embraces a period of eight years, more or less. After
passing the preparatory course consisting of four grades, the candidate
is admitted into the collegiate regular conservatory course which takes
four years. Upon completion of the professional and cultural require-
ments, the candidate is awarded the bachelor of music degree or the
music teacher’s diploma, the latter course excluding certain academic
subjects. In passing I wish to mention here that the private schools
this year have initiated courses leading to the master of music degree
to meet the demand of music graduates and teachers who do not have
the opportunity to go abroad for further advanced studies. Among
the subjects offered are graduate work in pedagogy, music literature,
seminar in musicology, analytical technique, materials of modernmusic,
and methods of research.