Catalyst Curriculum

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Training Musicians to be Catalysts

Catalyst Curriculum for Graduate Students

We’re training musicians to be catalysts—artists who know how to create change and make things happen. That’s why we’ve turned our graduate education on its head with a different kind of curriculum, customized for you. It pairs musical excellence with a focus on the skills you’ll need to be a musician: the ability to design experiences, produce projects, and engage audiences with exceptional music encounters. With faculty as your facilitators, you’ll take the lead in your own education: exploring, experimenting, and following your passion. You’ll learn how to create your own opportunities for work and, ultimately, you’ll discover who you want to become as a musician.

The Catalyst Curriculum is the principal requirement for students pursuing a Master of Music (individual departments have additional requirements); it is the only requirement for our Graduate Diploma and Graduate Performance Diploma.

Explore our courses
Why is it important?

Our mission is to prepare musicians to make a difference in their world. To do that, you need the ability to identify human needs, and the vision to find ways to address them through music. Musical excellence is not enough to make a living in this world—let alone make a difference. The Catalyst Curriculum teaches you how to create your own opportunities, how to find new audiences, and how to make a living in unexpected ways.

How is the Catalyst Curriculum different?

No juries. No busy work. One of the great things about our Catalyst Curriculum is that you’ll have fewer requirements overall.

 It’s customized. You’ll have more time to explore and to study what really interests you as a musician.

It’s you-centric. The Catalyst Curriculum focuses on what you need to learn to get where you want to go. You’ll discover ways that you can engage the world through music and get the training you need to make a difference.

You take charge. Under this paradigm, faculty are facilitators, helping you to become a leader in your own education and career, and putting you in situations where you’re in charge.

Real-world skills. At Longy, real-life skills aren’t part of a single class or a one-off workshop—they’re baked into your classes.

Focused on careers, not credits. You’ll have dedicated career coaching that’s focused on making time for the classes and experiences you’ll need to be successful after graduation.

Catalyst Curriculum Highlights

Artist Statement Workshops
Develop a vision for who you want to be as an artist that will guide you through your professional life.

Career Coaching Program
One-on-one coaching, small group sessions, and panel discussions will help you clarify your goals, preferences, and values to craft a meaningful and productive life in music.

Musician’s Portfolio
Build the artist statement, website, headshot, résumés, video and audio samples you’ll need to find and create work. Design a project that you envision doing one day.

Teaching Artistry
Develop the skills to engage and educate any audience—from individuals to large groups—in a variety of settings.

Entrepreneurship
Learn practical skills to get any project off the ground.

Project-Based Learning
Get hands-on experience designing and producing projects and building audiences.

Music and Civic Engagement
Learn how human-centered design can help you identify social needs that can be addressed through music.

Music as a Healing Art
Learn how your music can bring healing and palliative care in health care settings.

Sistema Side-by-Side
Experience the power of El Sistema in Longy’s music for social change program, as you mentor and perform alongside young musicians in an ensemble-based setting.

Custom Commission
Collaborate in a laboratory setting, where performers join forces with composers to create pieces written specifically for them.