Music Major

The Music Program offers majors in music, music education and music therapy, as well as a minor in music.

Mission Statement

The Music Program at Carroll University strives to provide excellent instruction and varied musical performing opportunities to music majors, minors, and non-majors, and offer musical experiences to both the Carroll University community and the wider public. We aim to produce graduates who are versatile, collaborative, and well prepared for careers in music education, music therapy, and other arts-related fields. Our teaching approach combines traditional classroom instruction with practical, hands-on experiences to ensure that students develop a comprehensive set of skills. We are committed to creating an inclusive, supportive, and nurturing learning environment for all students and exposing our students to music from diverse cultures, composers, and styles.

Music Major

The music major is a liberal arts degree with a broad overview of the field of music, with flexibility for the student. Students will take applied lessons on their primary instrument and perform in university ensembles, as well as study music theory, musicianship, and music history, and choose multiple electives for further study. Students in the music major will complete a half-hour solo recital in their final semester of study.

For the optional performance emphasis, students spend more time in applied lessons and receive additional coursework in musicianship and music theory. Two one-hour recitals are required in successive years, usually during the junior and senior year. Acceptance into the performance emphasis requires a special audition. Performance juries are required of all music majors and minors each semester.

There is no incoming freshman entrance audition at Carroll. We accept all students as provisional music majors for their first year of study. At the end of the first year, students audition for the faculty to be elevated to full music major status. At the end of the sophomore year, the music faculty meet with every student to discuss career goals and progress.

Learning Outcomes for Music

Students studying music will develop:

• The ability to hear, identify, and work conceptually with the elements of music such as rhythm, melody, harmony, structure, timbre, and texture.
• The ability to read, realize, and understand musical notation.
• An understanding of compositional processes, aesthetic properties of style, and the ways these shape and are shaped by artistic and cultural forces.
• An acquaintance with a wide selection of musical literature, the principal eras, genres, and cultural sources.
• The ability to develop and defend musical judgments.
• The ability to perform appropriate undergraduate level music with proficiency alone and in ensemble settings.
• Understanding of procedures for realizing a variety of musical styles.
• Knowledge and/or skills in one or more areas of music beyond basic musicianship appropriate to the individual’s needs and interests.
• Understanding of and experience in one or more art forms other than music