Music Program Profile

PROGRAM STRENGTHS

• Performance opportunities are both in number and in range far beyond other colleges our size; more than 20 percent of the Dordt student body is engaged in music.
• The music faculty, both full-time and adjunct, is characterized by high professional quality and strong commitment to the mission of Dordt University.
• The music program enjoys outstanding facilities; our concert hall is frequently commended by guest artists.
• Our community and constituency provide strong support for music as manifested in concert attendance and generous donor-initiated scholarships.
• Music majors achieve high scores in national testing, consistently exceeding the national average.
• Graduates serve successfully in diverse fields (including music education, church music, music management, and higher education) across the United States (e.g., Washington State, Oklahoma, San Francisco, Princeton).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Within the context of a Christian understanding of music, students will:

1. Develop an understanding of the creational structure of music.
2. Develop technical musical skills in pitch, rhythm, instrumental and vocal technique, and piano proficiency.
3. Develop musicality and artistry in music performance.
4. Develop responsibility, motivation, and maturity as individuals and as leaders.
5. Understand disciplines within music, such as music theory and music history, as part of creational structure and creational development.
6. Take delight in excellent musical experiences.

ABOUT THE MUSIC PROGRAM

The music department at Dordt seeks to train young musicians for lives of God-glorifying service as competent and insightful performers, educators, and church musicians. Of the more than 1,400 undergraduate students that attend Dordt, around 320 are members of music ensembles and take private music lessons, while approximately 30 students choose music as a major or minor. Graduates from Dordt have distinguished themselves as graduate students in the finest conservatories and universities and as successful music educators and church musicians.

OUTSTANDING RESOURCES

• An exceptional faculty of four full-time and 24 adjunct professors provide instruction to both majors and non-majors.
• The instrumental and vocal ensembles at Dordt have built a reputation for exciting and innovative performances with yearly tours throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad.
• Three organs-including one of the largest Casavant organs in the Midwest-provide organists with instruments that are second to none, while a large collection of pianos, including a Disklavier and a Clavinova piano lab, serve piano students.
• The Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra also provides advanced students with a valuable ensemble experience with their pre-professional training. Many of Dordt's adjunct faculty perform as principal players in the orchestra.

OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITIES

Music majors and non-majors participate in a wide variety of small ensemble, community, and church performances in addition to those ensembles provided by Dordt. Many Dordt students provide area school children with private lessons, and several churches rely on the professional services of Dordt organ students and choir directors.

If you are a gifted high school student and are serious about putting your musical talents to work in college, be sure to check out Dordt's scholarship possibilities.

You can find out more about our department at our Facebook page.