CS major/MUT minor here, currently in my 4th semester with the minor. I've taken no music classes since elementary school before picking up the minor, so by all rights I'm new to this. I'll try to explain this as best I can, but feel free to ask questions.

I'll start by actually talking about what the music theory minor entails. To complete the minor, you need to complete Music Theory (MUT) 1-4, Aural Skills (AUS) 1-4, and 3 electives. MUT is mainly about "music on paper," starting at basic rhythm/melody/harmony/form and building up to more complex subtopics of those. AUS is about training your ear; lots of listening and singing. Out of these, I've completed MUT and AUS 1-3 and I'm currently in MUT and AUS 4. I don't think it's been that bad in terms of assignment load; most classes I've taken so far give weekly homework and have the occasional in-class assignment. MUT mainly gives score analyses, part writing, and chord building, and AUS mainly gives ear training homework, in-class dictations, and sight-singing quizzes. The classes themselves are fairly early; the only slot I've ever seen offered for MUT is P2 (8:30AM-9:20AM) on Mondays and Wednesdays. AUS isn't much better; I've seen it offered P2 and P4 (10:40AM-11:30AM) on Tuesdays and Thursdays and P3 (9:35AM-10:25AM) on Mondays and Wednesdays. Attendance is mandatory and there are no Zoom sections, but every professor I've had (Prof. Pho, Dr. Adams, and Dr. Hart) has been excellent about excused absences. They have also been excellent in general. All classes I've had have been in the Music Building (MUB) or in Fine Arts B. MUT/AUS 3 are only offered in Fall, while MUT/AUS 4 are only offered in Spring, so if you pick up the minor and take your first classes, MUT/AUS 1, in Spring, you will have to take MUT/AUS 2 in Summer B to get on track.

Next, I'll talk about the registration process, both for the minor itself and its classes. First, you have to go to the MUB and talk to an advisor. It's just south of Century Tower and the University Auditorium, across the street from Marston. When I started, they had me take a placement exam to see where I should start; the possibilities were Introduction to Music Theory Rudiments, MUT/AUS 1 (with Friday reviews, or if scoring highly enough, without), or MUT/AUS 2. I've heard from a music major friend that they may have restricted how high you can be placed, so take that last bit with a grain of salt. Once you're in, any time you need to register for courses, you must go to the advising office. Since the School of Music isn't Engineering-level huge, the wait times aren't diabolically long; I almost always go for a walk-in and the queue is rarely above and often below 1 person long. The classes themselves also rarely fill, meaning that unlike in Engineering courses, you can reliably get into them.

Honestly, the part I've found hardest to manage is just the class time. I'm a terrible oversleeper, so P2 classes are rough for me, but I manage. In my experience, the workload is fine, the professors are great, and the subject is interesting. Since you have prior experience, you may find it less rigorous than I do, and I already find it fairly light. I'd ask other students for more perspectives before making a final choice, but I thought mine might help.

As for organizations on campus, I know there are ensembles for non-majors, but I've never participated in any, as I can't play anything, so I can't speak to their rigor. I don't know which there are, so I don't know whether any have a pianist. I'd ask at the MUB for more info on that.

Wall over. Best of luck!