3-Year Program
The ethos of CalArts Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) program is exploratory and experimental through and through. Students arrive from diverse stylistic origins, but all are driven by artistic visions that can be realized only by a meaningful expansion of the language of music beyond its current boundaries.
This challenging program is not a double major in performance and composition, but instead seeks to foster musical artists who holistically combine innovative performance practices with new compositional models. In this process, students who are already accomplished composers and skilled executants thoroughly integrate these practices in their original work.
DMA performer-composers work closely with their faculty mentors to develop an individualized course of study, which is built around composition and/or performance lessons, doctoral seminars, topic-driven research and explorations, performance projects and a series of electives. Since DMA students also teach in The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts, they are required to continue developing their pedagogical skills through teaching practicums.
Research Areas
Doctoral proposals must outline a program of scholarly and creative research supporting original composition combined with execution by the student. Any proposal that meets this broad criterion will be considered.
CalArts’ music faculty comprises innovative, internationally recognized leaders in performance, composition, improvisation, jazz, world music and music technology. Some current areas of creative activity and research among our faculty include the following.
- new music composition and performance
- diverse disciplines of improvisation
- conventional and unconventional instrumental and vocal performance practices
- experimental sound practices, live electronic music, installation and intermedia art
- interactive musical technologies, interface design and robotics
- new strategies for interdisciplinary performance design
- experimental jazz, rock, noise and electronica
- applied inter-cultural experimentation in music
- new tuning systems: theory and performance practice
- contemporary music theory, analysis, history, criticism and aesthetics
Opportunities exist for collaborations involving CalArts’ Schools of Dance, Theater, Film, Art and Critical Studies.
DMA Faculty
DMA students may draw on the expertise from any faculty in the Music School who may be available and appropriate to guide their work. Some faculty who have taught in the DMA Program in recent years include:
CalArts' Current DMA Students
DMA Program Alumni
Application Procedures
Students admitted into the DMA program will have previously attained a master's degree in music, or will have a master’s degree in another field along with skills and knowledge that are commensurate with a master’s degree in music.
Full details regarding the application process are available on CalArts’ Admissions website.
Prospective DMA applicants may wish to familiarize themselves with the following information.
• The Program Requirements for the DMA program
• Course offerings in the Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts (see subject codes beginning with “M” for Music)
• The faculty members of The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts, including their creative and research interests and links to their personal websites.