Academic Programs

Stetson University's School of Music focuses on the undergraduate student. We offer a wide range of majors in our professional degrees (BM and BME) as well as a liberal arts degree in music (BA).

View specific information on each of the degrees that Stetson School of Music offers by browsing through the links to the right.

As one of only 200 students in the School of Music, you will enjoy personal attention, along with the resources of the larger University community. You will develop not only as an artist, but also as a person -- as you interact in class, in the residence halls, and in campus activities with Stetson's 2,200 diverse undergraduates. Your courses can range from the Arts and Sciences to Leadership Development. You can join a Greek organization, play sports, study abroad, run for Student Government, or volunteer in the community.

Faculty

A dedicated faculty of 47 musicians from distinguished graduate schools and active professional performing careers will help you reach your goals.

Special Features

Music majors perform frequently in concerts and student recitals on our historic Elizabeth Hall stage. The annual Concerto Competition might give you a solo performance with Stetson's Orchestra, and Stetson voice students often successfully compete in regional competitions.

Stetson students may audition for seven large ensembles: University Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, Concert Choir, Stetson Chorale, Stetson Men and Choral Union. All perform frequently on campus and several have active touring schedules.

Several chamber ensembles, including Flute Orchestra, Clarinet Choir, Brass Ensembles, Horn Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, Barron String Quartet, String Ensembles, Woodwind Ensembles, Guitar Ensemble, and the Stetson Singers, offer other performing opportunities. You could also take part in a fully staged musical or opera with orchestra, such as Sweeney Todd (2003), La Rondine (2004), Die Fledermaus (2005), L' Italiana in Algeri (2007) and The Magic Flute (2008).

Presser Hall, the University's music building, includes Pittman Recital Hall, two ensemble rehearsal halls, 32 practice rooms, 26 teaching studios, computer lab, the music library, and three computerized voice labs. Stetson is the only music school in the country with multiple computerized voice labs solely dedicated to student instruction. This equipment offers students immediate visual and aural feedback on many aspects of their singing, including pitch, volume, overtones, and vowel accuracy. The voice lab computers are also used in instrumental instruction.

Stetson faculty members are national leaders in developing computer-assisted learning for a wide variety of subjects, including Theory, Aural Training, Vocal Diction, and Music Composition. All faculty studios are equipped with sound systems, which include facilities for recording private lessons. The School of Music houses a music-computer lab, and music students have access to a digital arts studio, a multimedia studio, and a computer science research and graphics lab.

As Florida's first music school, the School of Music's long-standing reputation for excellence attracts distinguished performers to Stetson each year. Recent guests include organist David Craighead, clarinetist Michael Paris, guitarist Pepe Romero, and pianists Richard Cass and Andrely Ponochevny. Visiting ensembles include the Westminster Choir, The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, the Assad Guitar Duo, the Cleveland Duo (piano and violin), Juilliard's faculty American Brass Quintet, and the Inman Piano Trio. The Florida International Festival features summer visits to Daytona Beach by the London Symphony Orchestra every two years, and LSO members frequently visit and perform at Stetson. In addition, the International Guitar Workshop is staged at Stetson each summer, and the Florida Bandmasters Association has honored Stetson by establishing its Hall of Fame on our campus.

Career Opportunities

The School of Music offers three courses in career skills that will help connect you with the professional world. In these courses you will participate in an ongoing, personal dialogue with professional musicians in your field; learn auditioning skills; gather information on entrepreneurial skills, agents, unions, and business practices in the music profession; and gain valuable practical experience through internships.

Alumni Highlights

Stetson has a 100 percent placement record for Music Education students who have earned their Bachelor of Music Education degrees. Recent graduates have been accepted by the country's most prestigious graduate programs, including Yale, NEC, Indiana, and Northwestern.

Stetson graduates use music degrees to launch successful careers in music, as well as in fields as diverse as college administration, law, medicine, and religion. Alumni serve as chairs of university music departments and are teaching around the globe in settings from pre-school to high school and from small private colleges to large graduate universities.

A Stetson music degree helps graduates achieve success in teaching and performance careers. Alumni are pursuing active careers as members of leading orchestras and ensembles in Europe and the United States; and as church musicians, composers, opera singers, and choir members.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

In addition to completing the University's general admission process, music students must audition for acceptance to The School of Music. At the audition, you should be prepared to perform two pieces in contrasting styles from your current repertoire, as well as scales, technical exercises, and sight-reading. Applicants must be accepted by both the University and the School of Music.

Annually, the School of Music awards music scholarships to both music majors and non-music majors. Alumni and Friends of the School of Music support an endowment fund for a competitive scholarship program. Approximately a quarter of all scholarships are awarded to non-music majors. We urge you to compete for one of these scholarships and to contact Stetson's Office of Student Financial Planning for information on how to supplement your music scholarship.

Contact

Camille Tolley, Admissions Coordinator

Phone: 386.822.8975
ctolley@stetson.edu

Noel Painter, Associate Dean

Phone: 386.822.8899
npainter@stetson.edu

Academic Programs

Bachelor of Arts

Music Liberal Arts

Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Music Education

Other

Our graduates attend:

Indiana University
New England Conservatory of Music
Northwestern University
Yale University

Our students intern at:

Florida International Festival
WMFE-FM (90.7) News & Classical Music