Majoring in Music Studies
The music department is excited to present our new majors in Music Studies and Music, Sound, and Technology, along with a minor in Music Studies, which are available to students beginning in the fall of 2021. These new majors are designed to be responsive to student interests and to offer a more flexible entrance point to the majors and minor, thus making them accessible to students from a wider range of musical backgrounds. Students who previously declared a major or minor in Music or Music & Technology will have the option of completing their original major or minor or switching to a new one.
The flexible nature of the major in Music Studies gives students the ability to personalize their course of study as they undertake a balanced approach to the varied disciplines of music, including performance, ethnomusicology, cultural studies, histories of music, theories of music, technology, and composition. Students work closely with their advisers to create a coherent and meaningful major that is designed to build their skills as musicians while they pursue their individual interests.
Students are encouraged to consider their interests and goals as they personalize their major, while also embracing opportunities to explore new ways of engaging with music. Courses are selected from three broad categories: Culture and History; Theories of Music; and Making Music.
We also offer a minor in Music Studies, and a separate major in Music, Sound, and Technology.
Through Connections, you’ll integrate your music studies with your choice of an academic Center or Pathway, and then practice everything you’ve learned in an internship. The discipline and critical-thinking skills you develop will prepare you for graduate school or a career in a number of fields.
Performance and private study opportunities
Public performances are a priority. You can perform during one of the many recitals each semester or join one of several ensembles, including the concert band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, new music & improvisation ensemble, or one of our choirs. If you are interested in musical theater, you can audition for one of our annual shows, produced in collaboration with the theater department. We also offer private lessons at no additional fee to qualified students through the Jack Niblack '98 Music Lessons Fund.
Facilities
Cummings Arts Center boasts technology-rich classrooms, the Greer Music Library, two performance halls and numerous studios and practice rooms. We are also an "All-Steinway School." In Cummings, you have access to a recording studio, a control room with connectivity to two major recital halls and a production-quality electronic music studio.
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