Academic Programs
and Majors

Future Preparation

Website for
School of Music

Department Faculty



 

Music at Houghton

The School of Music, Houghton College, is a long-time member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). Its curricula conform fully to NASM published standards. Faculty seek to provide students with a Christian environment for developing the highest artistic values, to model excellence in their own professional work, to provide students with the means for rewarding and fulfilling artistic endeavors, and to develop in all students an awareness of the creative dimension of the whole person. 

The School of Music offers a variety of curricula for students who wish to pursue musical studies in college. Degrees offered include bachelor of music, bachelor of arts, master of music, and master of arts degrees, as well as two different music minors. Undergraduate degree curricula include music (BA), composition (BMus), music education (BMus), and music education (BMus).

Graduate degree curricula are available in music (MA), collaborative performance (MMus), composition (MMus), conducting, MMus), and performance (MMus).

Applied study (private lesson) is offered in brass and wind instruments (euphonium, French horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba), keyboard (harpsichord, organ, and piano), string instruments ( guitar, harp, violin, viola, cello, and string bass), voice, woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, and bassoon), and percussion. Additional special-topics courses are also available in bagpipes and handbells. 

Undergraduate Music Majors

Undergraduate students desiring to prepare themselves for professional careers in music generally pursue the bachelor of music degree, which includes between 70 and 85 credit hours in music, depending on the curriculum. 

The bachelor of music in composition prepares its majors for the teaching of these subjects (after graduate study) in a college or conservatory, and for arranging and studio work.

For those intending to teach music in public or private schools, the bachelor of music in music education is appropriate. Emphases include vocal and instrumental. Houghton’s music education curricula meet all teacher certification requirements of the Board of Regents in the State of New York. Presently, over half of all music majors at Houghton are pursuing degrees in music education.

The bachelor of music in applied music (performance) is appropriate for students who wish to prepare for careers as solo performers in the concert, recording, or church fields; as accompanists or private studio teachers; as professional ensemble members; or as college teachers (after advanced study). Applied music (performance) majors include concentrations in instrumental (brass, guitar, strings or woodwinds), organ, piano and voice.

An emphasis on performance is characteristic of all BMus curricula at Houghton: all majors receive at least a one-hour lesson weekly during each semester of residence, and a degree recital is required for all majors. Students often elect to do additional recitals. Houghton’s music graduates in all curricula regularly gain acceptance to the nation’s top graduate schools. 

The bachelor of arts degree in music, which requires 36-37 credit hours of music courses, can be combined with other curricula in a double major. Business administration, communication, and psychology are second majors often combined with music, providing training and experience for those wishing to work in some aspect of the music industry.

An audition is required for entrance to any bachelor of music curriculum, and a hearing is required for all curricula. Audition information is available on the music department Web page, or by calling the music department office at 585-567-9400, or via e-mail (music@houghton.edu)

Music Minors

Students wishing to minor in music are encouraged to do so, either as a performance minor or as a contract minor. The performance minor requires 14 hours of applied music in one specific area (an instrument or voice), and one year’s participation (two credits) in an appropriate ensemble. Audition and permission of the director of the School of Music is required. The contract minor also requires 16 hours in music, arranged as a special course of study developed to meet the student’s specific goals. Students wishing to complete a contract minor meet with the director of the School of Music to arrange the course of study, which is signed and placed on file in the Academic Records Office.

Music Performance Opportunities

All college students are invited to participate in musical ensembles. Major ensembles, which perform regularly on and off campus, include College Choir, Symphonic Winds, and Philharmonia (the college orchestra). Other major ensembles performing regularly on campus include Chapel Choir, Women’s Choir, and Men’s Choir, Interested students are encouraged to watch for audition announcements at the beginning of the fall semester, or to inquire at the music office.

Additional ensembles include Brass Ensemble, Houghton Jazz, Woodwind Quintet, Recorder Consort, Flute Ensemble, String Quartet, Handbell Choir, Chamber Singers, Opera Workshop, Heirborne (contemporary outreach ensemble), Sound Doctrine (synthesizer ensemble), Bagpipes, Piano Ensemble, and Guitar Ensemble. Membership in these smaller ensembles is by permission of the instructor, and an audition is required. Interested students of all majors are encouraged to inquire.

Any college students who are advanced pianists, and have experience as accompanists, regardless of major, are encouraged to apply for work-study as music department accompanists. Interested persons should contact the music office for more information.

Facilities

In fall 1999, Houghton opened the Center for the Arts. This state-of-the-art facility features an acoustically superb recital hall, a music library, numerous practice rooms, spacious teaching studios, and an instrumental rehearsal hall. All practice and teaching spaces are wired to the campus computer network. Other amenities include a professional digital recording studio, MlDI-keyboard laboratory, and electronic music studio. The Center also includes the Ortlip Gallery, president’s board room, and a beautiful, spacious public atrium. The adjacent 1210-seat Wesley Chapel houses a magnificent 47-stop Holtkamp pipe organ of 68 ranks and 3,153 pipes.