宅男福利导航

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Bienen School of Music

Welcome to Bienen! You can count on our student affairs staff and our Bienen peer advisers to offer helpful information and guidance throughout your time here.

Advising and Registration

Assistant dean Linda Jacobs serves as the primary academic adviser for all Bienen students. 宅男福利导航 affairs staff member Jeff Merkley will also be available to advise you on course requirements and registration. If you are a five-year dual-degree student, you will have an additional adviser from your other school (Weinberg, SESP, McCormick, Medill, or Communication). 

Bienen's academic advising begins in late July with online Zoom sessions with Dr. Jacobs. Dual degree students will have a second Zoom session with Dr. Jacobs and an adviser from their additional school. Watch your 宅男福利导航 email for dates for these online advising sessions.  

Fall quarter course registration will be on campus during Wildcat Welcome. At least half of your fall courses will be based on your placement exam results, so there is no need to make class selections or prepare a course schedule prior to advising sessions.

Music Placement Diagnostic Tests

Music Theory and Aural Skills

All new music students take music theory and aural skills placement tests before arriving on campus. An overview of the tests is provided below to help you prepare. If accessibility services or accommodation are appropriate for you, please initiate the process of registering with AccessibleNU as soon as possible. 

Placement test orientation: You will receive a link to complete a series of required online test orientation tasks on August 1. These must be completed no later than August 14. 

Placement diagnostics: As part of the test orientation, you will register for two diagnostic test sessions given on Zoom on the following dates. Times are central daylight time (CDT). 

Music Theory
Aural skills

All new students take this diagnostic test, which includes examples of aural recognition (intervals and pitch patterns, chord qualities, and inversions) and melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic dictation.

As a follow-up to this test, all students sign up for and complete a 10-minute singing interview via Zoom.

A review of aural skills and basic music theory over the summer is encouraged. Websites such as ,  and are helpful resources. If you have questions, please email professor Susan Piagentini at s-piagentini@northwestern.edu.

Keyboard skills

This exam will be on campus during Wildcat Welcome and takes about five minutes to complete. The exam is used to identify an appropriate-level keyboard skills class for you. Class levels range from students with no keyboard experience to piano performance majors. Keyboard skills classes are required of all BM degree students, except jazz majors, who have their own keyboard classes that don't require this placement exam.  

Non-Music Placement Exams and Assessments

If you plan to take courses in chemistry, biology, languages other than English, or math or if you’re in a five-year dual degree program, use the guidelines on the Placement Exams webpage to determine which exams or assessments may be required for you. Be sure to note the exam deadlines.

Course Planning

Based on your music placement exam results, you will be assigned to specific sections of music theory, aural skills, and keyboard skills classes. BM students will also have lessons and an ensemble assignment, except for piano majors and composition majors, who can choose to delay their ensemble requirement.

Bienen degree students will typically have one nonmusic class. Five-year dual-degree students often defer keyboard skills and take two nonmusic classes.

Sample Course Schedules

The regular full-time course load at 宅男福利导航 is 4 units. Bienen students typically enroll in 4 to 5 units each quarter. Following is a sample four-year music major’s first-year course lineup for fall:

A five-year dual-degree student’s first-year fall schedule mostly mirrors that for four-year students, except that it includes two courses for the nonmusic degree, and keyboard skills is deferred to accommodate the additional nonmusic course.

宅男福利导航s in certain majors may be required to take other or additional courses:

AP/IB Credit

If you took AP/IB exams, your credits may count toward your degree. Four-year Bienen students follow the Bienen School’s AP/IB guidelines; five-year dual degree students follow the AP/IB guidelines set by their nonmusic school. Advisers will review your AP/IB credits with you during your advising sessions.

Questions?

The Bienen School’s Office of 宅男福利导航 Affairs is ready to assist you.

Call 847-491-3818 or contact Linda Jacobs  or Jeff Merkley by email.