Overview

Students who major in music at The College of Wooster get the best of both worlds: intensive music training in a small setting with expert faculty who mentor undergraduate students combine with non-music courses that give students a global perspective and engage critical thinking skills. Music courses make up a majority of the curriculum for a music major, but students also take the required First-Year Seminar in Critical Inquiry and a course called Writing intensive early in their time at Wooster. Courses in arts and humanities, history and social sciences, math and natural sciences, social justice or religious studies round out liberal arts requirements for graduation. Our graduates move on to work in a variety of settings as performers, teachers and more.

Current Students: Departmental Website

Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Arts in Music at The College of Wooster

Wooster offers four programs related to music.

The Bachelor of Arts in Music degree is for students seeking an emphasis on music within a strong liberal arts education. Students may choose to focus on performance, music theory, or musicology.

The Bachelor of Music degree is intended for students planning to attend graduate school and then to enter a professional career in music. Students may choose a major in performance or composition.

The College of Wooster also offers music as a minor and gives students the option to double major in music and another field of interest. The multidisciplinary nature of courses at The College of Wooster gives students the ability to develop critical-thinking and research skills that help graduates succeed well beyond the classroom. Every student at The College of Wooster completes an independent study under the guidance of a faculty mentor, culminating in a thesis delivered in the spring of a student’s senior year. For music students, this often means a performance or delivery of a body of work and is a highlight of each student’s college experience.

Music Scholarship Auditions

Music Scholarships are awarded in music performance and music composition to incoming students on the basis of music performance skills demonstrated at the audition or compositional skills evidenced by written scores. You must audition as an incoming first-year student (transfers are not eligible), and scholarships are available for $2,000-$8,000 per year. Recipients may major in any academic area offered at Wooster. Those auditioning must perform in areas in which the College offers instruction.

Beginning with the first semester of the first year and continuing for as long as the music scholarship is held, recipients must:

  • Enroll in private lessons on the instrument or voice in which the scholarship was awarded or in composition lessons if the scholarship was awarded for composition.
  • Participate in the Wooster Singers, Wooster Chorus, Wooster Symphony Orchestra, Scot Band, or Wooster Jazz Ensemble, as assigned by the ensemble directors. (Depending upon need, pianists might be asked to enroll in Accompanying instead of a large ensemble during some semesters.)
  • Must earn a satisfactory grade (C- or higher) or a satisfactory audit in the required lessons and ensembles each semester in order to maintain the scholarship.

Degree Auditions

Audition details for Bachelor of Music in Music Performance

To gain admission to the B.Mus. in Music Performance, a student must pass an entrance audition before a faculty jury of three, to be appointed by the chairperson. The audition will occur near the end of the second semester of college and must demonstrate the student’s ability to perform well challenging repertoire representing several historical periods and styles. A student wishing to perform an entrance audition must notify the chairperson in writing at least three weeks prior to the audition. Only after passing the entrance audition may the student declare as a major the B.Mus. in Music Performance. A prospective candidate for the B.Mus. in Performance may declare a major in Music prior to the semesters stated above but will be listed as a candidate for the B.A. Music until they pass the audition. A student who does not pass the entrance audition in the second semester may have a second opportunity in the third semester.

Auditions are held for those wishing to focus on vocal performance and the following instruments: bagpipe, <bassoon, cello, clarinet, electric bass, euphonium, flute, French horn, guitar, oboe/English Horn, organ, percussion, piano, saxophone, string bass, trombone, trumpet, tuba, violin, viola.

Audition details for Bachelor of Music in Music Composition

To gain admission to the Bachelor of Music in Composition, a student must, near the end of the third semester of college, submit to the chairperson a portfolio of two or more completed original scores. These compositions must be accompanied by a letter stating the student’s wish to seek the Bachelor of Music in Composition. The chairperson will appoint a faculty committee of three to review the portfolio. Only after receiving the committee’s approval of the submitted works may the student declare as a major the Bachelor of Music in Composition. A prospective candidate for the Bachelor of Music in Composition may declare a major in Music prior to the semesters stated above but will be listed as a candidate for the B.A. Music until they pass the portfolio review. A student who does not pass the portfolio review in the third semester may have a second opportunity in the fourth semester.

Am I required to audition in order to register for music classes?

No. However, auditions are required for several of our large ensembles (Wooster Chorus, Wooster Symphony Orchestra, Wooster Jazz Ensemble, and Scot Symphonic Band) or if you wish to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance, Music Theory/Composition, Music Education in Public School Teaching, or Music Therapy. In addition, several performance-based courses require permission of the instructor. In those cases, you can contact the instructor via email to set up an initial meeting.

No audition is necessary for the Bachelor of Arts in Music degree.


Faculty & Staff

Head shot of Ted Clark

Ted Clark

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Trumpet

tclark@wooster.edu

Adam Ewing head shot

Adam Ewing

Assistant Professor of Music, Voice

aewing@wooster.edu

Dylan Findley

Dylan Findley

Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, Music Theory, and Composition

dfindley@wooster.edu

Tim Freeze portrait

Timothy Freeze

Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, Trombone

tfreeze@wooster.edu

Jeff Gershman head shot

Jeffrey Gershman

Professor of Music, Director of Bands

jgershman@wooster.edu

Head shot Sharon Grimes

Sharon Grimes

Staff Collaborative Pianist

sgrimes@wooster.edu

Cara Haxo portrait

Cara Haxo

Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, Music Theory

chaxo@wooster.edu

Erin Helgeson Torres head shot

Erin Helgeson Torres

Adjunct Instructor of Flute

etorres@wooster.edu

Gunnar Owen Hirthe

Gunnar Hirthe

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Clarinet

ghirthe@wooster.edu

Emilie Hsu head shot

Emilie Hsu

Staff Collaborative Pianist

ehsu@wooster.edu

Head shot of Matthew Ryan Kilgore

Matthew Ryan Kilgore

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Percussion & Director of Scot Marching Band

rkilgore@wooster.edu

Rachel King portrait

Rachel King

Adjunct Instructor of Music

rking@wooster.edu

Ian Kinnaman

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Double & Electric Bass

ikinnaman@wooster.edu

Sean Lawry

Sean Lawry

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Scottish Drumming

slawry@wooster.edu

Jeffrey Lindberg

Jeffrey Lindberg

Professor of Music, Wooster Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Trombone, Jazz History and Improvisation

jlindberg@wooster.edu

James Marron faculty in music at The College of Wooster

James Marron

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Guitar

jmarron@wooster.edu

Kiirsi Maunula Johnson

Adjunct Instructor of Music, French horn

kijohnson@wooster.edu

Jason Metheney

Collaborative Pianist

Peter Mowrey

Peter Mowrey

Professor and Department Chair of Music - Music Theory, Composition, Piano and Electronic Music (On leave for Spring 2025)

pmowrey@wooster.edu

Yuka Nakayama Lewicki

Yuka Nakayama-Lewicki

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Piano

ynakayama@wooster.edu

Victoria Peacock adjunct choral music instructor

Victoria Peacock

Adjunct Instructor, Wooster Singers

vpeacock@wooster.edu

Melissa Puster head shot

Melissa Puster

Administrative Coordinator of Music

mpuster@wooster.edu

Bryan Reichart headshot, Music Department

Bryan Reichart

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Functional Guitar

Perry Roth

Perry Roth

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Saxophone

proth@wooster.edu

Palmer Shonk portrait playing bagpipes

Palmer Shonk

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Bagpipes

pshonk@wooster.edu

Nathan Shook head shot

Nathan Shook

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Tuba and Euphonium

nshook@wooster.edu

Toni Shreve

Toni Shreve

Staff Collaborative Pianist - Music

tshreve@wooster.edu

Shitong Sigler

Shitong Sigler

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Piano

ssigler@wooster.edu

Greg Slawson

Greg Slawson

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Jazz Piano, Improvisation, Music Technology

gslawson@wooster.edu

Kathryn Stockmaster head shot

Kathryn Stockmaster

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Bassoon

Lauren Vanden Broeck head shot

Lauren Vanden Broeck

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Voice

lvandenbroeck@wooster.edu

Head shot of Edward Vogel

Edward Vogel

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Voice

evogel@wooster.edu

Cynthia Warren adjunct instructor oboe music at The college of wooster

Cynthia Warren

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Oboe

cwarren@wooster.edu

Lisa Wong

Lisa Wong

Olive Williams Kettering Professor of Music, Wooster Chorus, Music Education, Choral Conducting

lwong@wooster.edu

Thomas Wood

Thomas Wood

Professor of Music, Violin, Chamber Music, String Methods, Music History and Literature

twood@wooster.edu

Mingyao Zhao

Mingyao Zhao

Adjunct Instructor of Music, Cello

mzhao@wooster.edu


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Major

Bachelor of Arts in Music

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, this major is for students seeking an emphasis on music within a strong liberal arts education. Required courses include music theory and lessons, along with courses in history and literature. All students at The College of Wooster complete independent study in their senior year under the guidance of a faculty mentor, and bachelor of arts in music students complete independent study projects in their junior and senior years.

Bachelor of Music

Students who pursue a Bachelor of Music degree select either music performance or music composition as their focus during their four years. This major is the most musically complete program in the study of music and is intended for students planning to attend graduate school and then to enter a professional career in music.

 

Minor

A minor in music requires completion of six courses: two courses in music theory, two courses in music history and literature, and two music electives.

Independent Study

All students at The College of Wooster complete independent study under the guidance of a faculty mentor and deliver a performance or thesis in spring of their senior year. Students earning a bachelor of arts in music or a bachelor of music degree are encouraged to explore an area of music that inspires them.

 

 

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Ensembles

Music majors and interested non-majors at The College participate in a full range of musical ensembles. Please contact the ensemble directors for information regarding auditions.

Choral and Vocal Ensembles

Instrumental Ensembles