Music
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Music Performance Major in Pennsylvania
Are you ready to become a successful musical performer? The Bachelor of Music degree in music performance at Messiah University, one of the top private Christian universities in the U.S., may be the right fit for you!
Study Music Performance at a Christian University
With a music performance degree from Messiah University's renowned music program, you'll develop the technical proficiency to excel in your preferred area of musical performance—instrumental or vocal—and acquire practical, personal and entrepreneurial skills necessary for a successful music career. The Bachelor of Music Degree at Messiah University is a professionally-geared performance degree available to vocal, keyboard, string, wind, brass and percussion students. Admission into this program is by audition, and a high level of ability and strong work ethic are expected. In addition to the University's General Education requirements, the larger portion of this degree is a music curriculum designed to prepare the student for entrance into the nation's top graduate music programs or for a performance or studio-teaching career.
You’ll learn the techniques and develop the musical sensitivity needed to have a successful career in music performance through an emphasis on music fundamentals that enhance and apply to performance. In our program, you’ll build and fine-tune your technical skills through guided practices and grow in the self-awareness that will help you find your creative voice while developing deeper understanding of musical culture through the lens of a Christian worldview.
As a music performance major at Messiah University, you’ll be able to:
- Utilize Messiah's premier facilities for music students, including the Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts
- Participate in music entrepreneurship training.
- Complete coursework which includes increased hours for private study on a chosen instrument.
- Receive instrument-specific instruction in pedagogy and literature.
- Perform two full recitals, building a strong base of repertoire and gaining important on-stage experience.
- Perform in various University musical ensembles including wind ensemble, concert choir, symphony orchestra, jazz ensemble, symphonic winds, opera workshop and chamber ensembles.
As a graduate of the music performance program, you will be equipped to secure positions such as:
- Professional singer
- Professional instrumentalist
- Composer
- Conductor
- Recording artist
- Accompanist
For more information on career planning for the music performance program, visit the Messiah University Career and Professional Development Center.
Messiah’s nationally recognized internship program places students in a variety of music performance internships. A few examples include:
- Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
- Susquehanna Chorale
- Harrisburg Opera Association
Programs related to Music Performance
In the Music Performance program, you will take a selection of courses that successfully prepare you for a career in a related field. Hands-on experiences and classroom learning within the framework of Christian faith will give you the skills and knowledge to achieve your goals. Our programs offer a wide variety of courses that will not only help you excel in your future career, but challenge you to develop a deeper understanding of your field of study.
Course options for Music Performance:
Music Performance (B.Mus.)
Music Performance careers and outcomes
Where our grads work
Graduates of the Music Performance program work in positions of leadership in their places of employment, using the tools and knowledge a Messiah University education prepared them with. Each year, eager employers and some of the nation's best graduate schools welcome Messiah graduates into their organizations.
96% of the Class of 2022 respondents were employed or in graduate school within 6-9 months of graduation.
Our Alumni
Regional and national employers seek out Messiah graduates for their academic preparation, work ethic and personal character. The transformation you experience at Messiah readies you to transform the lives of others through your chosen career path.
Performances and practical learning
You will complete coursework which includes increased hours for private study on a chosen instrument, as well as instrument-specific instruction in pedagogy and literature.
You’ll perform two full recitals and in various University musical ensembles including wind ensemble, concert choir, symphony orchestra, jazz ensemble, symphonic winds, opera workshop and chamber ensembles. Each performance will build a strong base of repertoire and help you gain important on-stage experience.
Messiah's unique approach to hands-on learning
Learning in the classroom is important but actually applying that knowledge in a hands-on way can make all the difference. At Messiah University, the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) allows Messiah to take this hands-on learning to a new level by giving students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to various real world contexts--such as an internship/practica, service learning, off-campus program, holding a student leadership position, or participating in undergraduate research.