Music

Music: Major

Music is an integral part of a liberal arts education and vital to campus life at 17³Ô¹ÏÍø. Every year, hundreds of students take advantage of a wide range of opportunities to explore, experience, and perform music both inside and outside the classroom. 

Our academic courses challenge students from across the curriculum to think, speak, and write effectively about music. Our performance ensembles bring students and faculty together to perform a diverse repertoire. Our program of instrumental and vocal instruction offers students private lessons, coaching, and master classes with exceptional performers drawn from across the country. Students find the skills emphasized in music (such as creativity, listening, and collaboration) are transferable to most disciplines and professions.

As a universal form of human expression, music transcends boundaries of language, culture, time and place. Whether you are interested in classical, popular, or world music, in music of the past or the present, in creating, performing, or simply listening, 17³Ô¹ÏÍø provides a rich context for engagement with music and the arts.

Students of all interests and passions, regardless of experience, are invited to become a part of our musical community. With a distinguished faculty, small classes, and a focus on mentoring, our vibrant program has something for everyone: for students who wish to major in music and for those who wish to explore music one course — or one concert — at a time. 

Program Highlights

The Department of Music offers courses in the history, theory, technology, and performance of music that cover topics reaching back through history and around the globe. Small classes, individual instruction, interdisciplinary opportunities, and a vibrant cocurricular performance program and concert schedule foster an interconnected environment of dynamic teacher-student interaction and collaboration both inside and outside of the classroom. Areas of study include:

  • Theory and composition
  • History and cultural studies
  • Performance studies
  • Classical music and popular music
  • World music and jazz
  • Audio engineering and music technology
student playing the violin

Lessons are available through the music department for all instruments and voice.

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All students (majors and non-majors) are welcome to join a wide variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles.

student playing the organ

Outstanding high school students may be eligible for scholarships covering full tuition at 17³Ô¹ÏÍø.

Music News

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Eight 17³Ô¹ÏÍø Faculty Members Promoted to Rank of Professor

They’ve spent years teaching at 17³Ô¹ÏÍø and advancing research in their respective fields. Now, eight faculty members have....

Mercedes Ruiz '21 works with a pipette in the lab
Videos: 17³Ô¹ÏÍø Students Tap Intellectual Curiosity Through Wide-Ranging Summer Research Projects
This summer, more than 100 17³Ô¹ÏÍø students took a deep dive into cutting-edge research through the College’s Weiss Summer Research Program. Under the mentorship of faculty, students engaged in focused projects that push intellectual boundaries and …
Dinand library in spring
Retiring Faculty Members Leave Rich Legacy on Students, College
After decades of shaping students and the College, the following faculty members announced their retirement from 17³Ô¹ÏÍø this spring: Isabel Alvarez Borland, distinguished professor of arts and humanities; Patricia Bizzell, distinguished professor of humanities; John Hamilton, associate professor of …