Music

School of Music, Theatre, & Dance

The Bachelor of Arts in Music at Anderson University starts with core courses to give students a strong foundation in music. Music majors then customize their study to their skills and their calling by picking a concentration. The major has tracks in performance, composition, or music theory and history.

Audition Information

Your AU Story Begins Now

As a singer-songwriter and a touring musician, I find myself just about every day either playing a show on the road or sitting at a piano writing a song and using the skills that I learned at Anderson University. The faculty and staff in the music department were awesome and they really just equipped me with the tools that I needed to get out there in the real world and start building a career for myself. I also found AU to be a really great community of believers where I could grow in my faith and learn about the love of God.

Jon McLaughlin CLASS OF 2005

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Program Overview

Music

Majoring in music at Anderson University gives students a lot of opportunities to experience their craft. Not only do they study one-on-one with faculty, they also participate in our ensembles:

Wind Ensemble
Orchestra
Jazz Band
Chorale
Women’s Chorus
Valley Voices

Students develop their ability to understand written music and to write their own compositions. Students must participate in student recitals, potentially both as soloists and as part of chamber ensembles. Our students also support one another by attending recitals and other performances.

Why AU Music?

Anderson University’s music program is known around the world. Alumni perform at the La Scala opera house in Italy, the Met, Carnegie Hall, at the Academy Awards, and at other international venues.

Guest artists and artists-in-residence visit the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance each year. We have welcomed artists like:

Canadian Brass
Van Cliburn gold medal pianist Jon Nakamatsu
Thodos Dance Chicago
Indianapolis Baroque Ensemble

Alumni successfully pursue graduate work. They have attended:

Indiana University
St. Thomas University
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music
Boston University
Vanderbilt University.

Our alumni succeed as performers.

Lawrence Brownlee
Sandi Patty
Bill and Gloria Gaither
Steven Curtis Chapman
Jon McLaughlin
Sidewalk Prophets

Options

Major

Complete the 50-hour undergraduate major within AU’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

Complementary Major

Students who would like to pair their passion for music with their other skills and calling may choose the complementary major. This streamlined course of study must be paired with another major on campus and lets students customize their studies to meet their career goals.

Among the classes in the 33-hour complementary major are:

Music Theory
Music Literature
World Music
Entrepreneurship
Private lessons and ensembles

View the complete list of courses for the complementary major.

Minors

Music (18 hours): The music minor includes Music Theory, Aural Comprehension, and Music Literature. Students also complete 4 hours of piano, 2 hours of applied study, and 2 hours of music ensembles.
Music Performance:
- Music business majors (15-16 hours): To ensure adequate performance level, students must audition on their primary instrument to be admitted into this program. Courses include Applied Study, Introduction to Conducting, and specialized courses for singers, pianists, and instrumentalists.
- Non-music majors (18 hours): To ensure adequate performance level, students must audition on their primary instrument to be admitted into this program. Courses include Music Theory, Aural Comprehension, Piano, and Private Study.

Piano and Composition Camp

Learn more about AU’s Piano and Composition Camp.

Classes

Among the classes in the 50-hour major are:

Theory
History
Music Literature
World Music
Private Lessons
Ensembles

View the complete curriculum for the music major.

Careers

Music majors find their place in a variety of careers based on the track they choose. Our graduates have also found success as professional performers in a variety of genres. Some work in composition or in music publishing. Others have continued their education in graduate school, where they have studied music history or theory as they prepare for teaching at the college level.