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GUITAR PROGRAM University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance |
If you are looking for a great university guitar program, look no further than Douglas Niedt's at the
Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri--Kansas City.
All students receive a weekly private one-hour lesson (not always the case at other schools) with
Professor Niedt.
Degrees from the Bachelor of Music to the Doctor of Musical Arts are offered with a major in guitar
performance or many other musical fields (composition, theory, history, music education, music
therapy, etc).
UMKC has an enrollment of 14,500 students. The Conservatory of Music and Dance is the music
school of UMKC, with an enrollment of 600 students.
Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri--Kansas City.
All students receive a weekly private one-hour lesson (not always the case at other schools) with
Professor Niedt.
Degrees from the Bachelor of Music to the Doctor of Musical Arts are offered with a major in guitar
performance or many other musical fields (composition, theory, history, music education, music
therapy, etc).
UMKC has an enrollment of 14,500 students. The Conservatory of Music and Dance is the music
school of UMKC, with an enrollment of 600 students.
| The Guitar and Music Program at UMKC The guitar program at the Conservatory of Music is one of the oldest in the country, established in the 1960’s. It includes a classic guitar program directed by Douglas Niedt and a jazz program directed by Bobby Watson (the jazz guitar studies headed up by Rod Fleeman). The Conservatory offers several degrees with the guitar as the applied instrument: • BACHELOR OF MUSIC (B.M.) IN GUITAR PERFORMANCE This is for the student who wants to earn a living in the performance arena and teach privately or at the college level. The coursework is almost all music courses and the student must have a burning desire to live and breath music 24 hours a day. It is recommended that the student practice the guitar six hours everyday. • BACHELOR OF MUSIC EDUCATION/MUSIC THERAPY (B.M.E.) This is for the student whose main interest is teaching in the public schools where certification is required. The Music Therapy emphasis is for those who want to use the guitar in the music therapy field working with diverse populations of clients. This degree includes a large number of non-music courses including many in the fields of education and psychology. It is recommended that the student practice the guitar two to three hours everyday. • BACHELOR OF ARTS (B.A.) IN MUSIC This is for the student seeking a broader base of knowledge in both music and the liberal arts. This is also a degree for those who want to study music but also want a background in another field such as business or computer science so that they have more diverse and secure job opportunities than those in the music business. Coursework is roughly half music and half liberal arts. Two to three hours of daily practice on the guitar are recommended. • MASTER OF MUSIC (M.M.) IN GUITAR PERFORMANCE Like the B.M. this is a performance degree for those students who are totally committed to music and the guitar. Coursework is almost all music and six hours of daily guitar practice are recommended. • MASTER OF ARTS (M.A.) IN MUSIC Similar to the B.A. this is for the student who wants to continue studying the guitar but recognizes the possibly limited job opportunities in the music field and is seeking a broader base of knowledge for a wider range of career choices. Two to three hours of daily guitar practice are recommended. • DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS (D.M.A) IN GUITAR PERFORMANCE This is for the student already playing at a high professional level who wishes to pursue a performance career or a career in college/university teaching. Coursework is almost all music and six hours of daily guitar practice are recommended. The B.M., M.M., and D.M.A. are also available in music composition, music theory, and music history with the guitar as the applied instrument. Again, coursework would be almost all music with emphasis on courses in your major field (composition, music theory, or music history). Two to three hours of daily guitar practice are recommended. All students, regardless of the degree program in which they are enrolled, receive a weekly private one-hour lesson (not always the case at other schools) with Professor Niedt. Topics in guitar history, sightreading, and fingerboard theory are covered in the applied lessons. Performance majors are required to enroll in guitar chamber music. This course provides students opportunities to play chamber music with other guitarists and especially other instruments and voice. Performance majors are also required to take the guitar pedagogy course which teaches the student the art of teaching the guitar. Go to the University of Missouri--Kansas City website for complete information about UMKC. Go to the Conservatory of Music and Dance website. For information on admission to the Conservatory contact: Dr. James Elswick University of Missouri--Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance 4949 Cherry Kansas City, MO 64110 (816) 235-2932 email: elswick j @umkc .edu (do not include spaces when you send an email) For more information about the guitar program: Contact Doug |
Kansas City Guitar Society, Kansas City Symphony, Friends of Chamber Music, Nelson-Atkins
Museum of Art, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City Ballet, and the Lyric Opera.
The Conservatory of Music and Dance (the music school of the University of Missouri--Kansas
City) with an enrollment of 600 students is an important element of this cultural environment.
UMKC is an urban university with an enrollment of 14,500 students and is located in the beautiful
Country Club Plaza district.
HOW TO CHOOSE A MUSIC SCHOOL
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Doug, I have heard from many people that your guitar program at the University of
Missouri--Kansas City is one of the best in the world. But is it expensive and are you actually there
much to teach, or does someone else do most of the teaching for you?
Answer: The University of Missouri, being a public institution, is less expensive than many other
institutions. And, I do all the teaching--freshman music majors on up through doctoral students.
The Three Most Important Things In Choosing A Music School to Study the
Guitar:
1. The NUMBER ONE most important consideration for anyone choosing a college or university, is
to choose one based upon the person who is teaching guitar at the institution. A pretty
campus in a nice location with a beach or mountains is wonderful. But you are there to study the
guitar, not go to the beach or the mountains. You are supposed to be practicing, remember? As
far as other course offerings, no matter where you study, music theory is music theory, music
history is music history. Sure, some school may have a dynamic orchestration professor or a
great orchestra. Well, if you want to major in composition or play in the orchestra fine, go there.
But you are studying the guitar. The person teaching the guitar is the number one thing you have
to look at. And make sure he is there on campus to teach, not away on tour most of the time. Or if
he is gone a substantial amount of time, find out how (and if) the missed lessons are made up.
2. The second most important thing in choosing a music school is to take at least one trial
guitar lesson before making your application to the school. If the professor is a great
performer and has great credentials, it means nothing for you if he can't teach, isn't interested in
teaching, or if good chemistry between the two of you is not there. You don't want to find out that
you don't get along with the professor or that he doesn't like to teach AFTER writing a check for
several thousand dollars to study there for a semester or year. Insist on an actual private lesson,
not just an interview. Most professors will do an hour lesson for free! Also, get the names and
numbers of other current students and ask them questions about the professor and program.
3. The third most important thing in choosing a music school? SEE NUMBER ONE!
Museum of Art, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City Ballet, and the Lyric Opera.
The Conservatory of Music and Dance (the music school of the University of Missouri--Kansas
City) with an enrollment of 600 students is an important element of this cultural environment.
UMKC is an urban university with an enrollment of 14,500 students and is located in the beautiful
Country Club Plaza district.
HOW TO CHOOSE A MUSIC SCHOOL
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Doug, I have heard from many people that your guitar program at the University of
Missouri--Kansas City is one of the best in the world. But is it expensive and are you actually there
much to teach, or does someone else do most of the teaching for you?
Answer: The University of Missouri, being a public institution, is less expensive than many other
institutions. And, I do all the teaching--freshman music majors on up through doctoral students.
The Three Most Important Things In Choosing A Music School to Study the
Guitar:
1. The NUMBER ONE most important consideration for anyone choosing a college or university, is
to choose one based upon the person who is teaching guitar at the institution. A pretty
campus in a nice location with a beach or mountains is wonderful. But you are there to study the
guitar, not go to the beach or the mountains. You are supposed to be practicing, remember? As
far as other course offerings, no matter where you study, music theory is music theory, music
history is music history. Sure, some school may have a dynamic orchestration professor or a
great orchestra. Well, if you want to major in composition or play in the orchestra fine, go there.
But you are studying the guitar. The person teaching the guitar is the number one thing you have
to look at. And make sure he is there on campus to teach, not away on tour most of the time. Or if
he is gone a substantial amount of time, find out how (and if) the missed lessons are made up.
2. The second most important thing in choosing a music school is to take at least one trial
guitar lesson before making your application to the school. If the professor is a great
performer and has great credentials, it means nothing for you if he can't teach, isn't interested in
teaching, or if good chemistry between the two of you is not there. You don't want to find out that
you don't get along with the professor or that he doesn't like to teach AFTER writing a check for
several thousand dollars to study there for a semester or year. Insist on an actual private lesson,
not just an interview. Most professors will do an hour lesson for free! Also, get the names and
numbers of other current students and ask them questions about the professor and program.
3. The third most important thing in choosing a music school? SEE NUMBER ONE!
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