The music programs at Grace University are designed to provide a professional education for qualified students pursuing careers as school teachers, church musicians, worship leaders, performers or composers. T he Music Program at Grace University is a training ground, a performance center, and a laboratory. Directing itself to the needs of the students, the department is rich in personal attention and strongly emphasizes performance. The resources include a faculty of performing artists/teachers and facilities that are among the finest among Midwestern Christian colleges.
Grace offers a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in music and music education. Music scholarships and ensemble participation grants are available each year, and the department offers a work study program to assist students who have financial need.
The Music Program is located in the Administration Building which houses faculty studios and offices, instrumental and vocal rehearsal areas, practice rooms, classrooms, and instructional computer lab. Performances are held in newly renovated Suckau Memorial Chapel, Whitherspoon Concert Hall (Josyln Art Museum) and West Hills Church.
The Grace University Music Program serves the needs of the student with quality instruction, personal supervision, and excellent and varied performance opportunities. T he full-time faculty have earned doctorates or the highest degree in their discipline, yet each teaches all levels of students. All programs offered are enhanced by the excellent musical talent and opportunity that flourishes at Grace. Students have an incomparable training situation on this campus. Small classes and immediate musical involvement provide ongoing channels for student activity. All programs are carefully planned to provide students with purposeful, realistic, and challenging learning situations.
Mission of music at GU
- To provide musical opportunities for all Grace students
- To provide professional training in music education, worship and music ministry, musical performance, piano pedagogy
- To prepare students for graduate work and advanced study in music
- To assure an opportunity for the highest degree of artistic development for each student
- To guide the university, the community, and constituent churches in acquiring greater musical understanding and critical judgment of music and music in worship
- To provide music opportunities and concerts for the community and constituent churches.
- To provide a high-quality music education to the students of the University.
- To educate students to be lifelong, independent learners and practitioners of music.
- The faculty continuously creates a constructive, stimulating, challenging, and rewarding student-centered learning environment.
- The faculty and students serve the community as a ministry, artistic, and cultural resource
As you explore the following information, you will find that Grace University's music programs will uniquely prepare you to be an outstanding Christian musician of excellence and integrity. You will receive the highest caliber of musical education and experience. As a result, you receive the finest musical as well as theological training enabling you to effectively serve the Church and society to the glory of God. This combination of musical excellence and biblical scholarship is what makes Grace's music programs stand above the rest!
The music program is designed to train musicians who
- Demonstrate a basis for aesthetic judgment, an understanding and appreciation for music, and the ability to distinguish musical quality
- Demonstrate an understanding of the Christian philosophy of music;
- Demonstrate proficiency in a major applied area of concentration such as keyboard, instrumental, or voice, and achieve minimum proficiency on piano;
- Demonstrate a understanding of music—its theory, history, and aesthetics;
- Demonstrate expertise in their chosen concentration
- Demonstrate ability to perform at a high level in an instrumental or choral ensemble and leadership skills in choral and instrumental preparation and actual performance;
- Fulfill the objectives of the Biblical Studies Division; and
- Fulfill the objectives of the General Education Division.
To achieve these objectives each music student takes a music core of 47 hours:
- Music theory and aural skills
- Music History and Literature
- Conducting
- Applied Music (e.g. private lessons in vocal or instrumental area)
- Ensemble
- Performance Hour and Recitals
Plus 12 hours in their chosen area of emphasis:
The philosophy and skills gained in this program should prepare graduates to serve effectively in church music programs and schools, and/or attend graduate school. Students who desire teaching credentials should refer to the . No more than 24 hours may be transferred into the professional areas of the Music or the Music Education program without the written approval of the program director.
Features/Requirements
- Applied Music Study - Every student enrolled in a music program specializes in a performing (applied) area: instrument or voice.
- Ensemble Participation - All students in music programs are required to participate in at least one ensemble (vocal or instrumental) each semester they are enrolled (except the semester that the students is enrolled in an internship or in student teaching ).
- Seminars, Studio Classes, Recitals and Concerts - Music students are required to attend the Music Major Seminar, studio classes, master classes, and program meetings, as well as a prescribed number of recitals and concerts each semester. Seminars provide discussions of pertinent professional subjects while studio classes and recitals give opportunity for students to gain proficiency in performance.
- Internships - Students in the Music program are required to serve as an intern in the area of their concentration during the final year.
- Student Teaching - Music Education Students must meet the student teaching requirements established by the School of Education.
- Recitals - All music students are required to perform in a general recital each semester. Senior Recital is required. Junior Recital are optional
- Piano Proficiency - All non-keyboard majors are required to pass a piano proficiency.
Our full-time and adjunct faculty are not only outstanding performers, composers, church musicians, conductors and educators, but godly teachers and mentors committed both to your development as a musician and your growth into a mature Christian servant-leader. Our adjunct faculty and affiliate artists provide the highest level of specialized instruction in all performing areas. Some of our graduates have moved directly into church and school positions while others have successfully completed graduate study at some of the nation’s finest universities and conservatories.
Whether you sense God calling you to serve in church music ministry, teach in a public or private school, teach and perform professionally, work and produce music in the Christian music industry, or develop your skills as a composer, GU’ s music program is ready to help you fulfill that calling.
