Westfield State University’s music major is designed to foster a broad-based intellectual spirit as well as a disposition toward lifelong learning. You’ll grow and develop a strong set of musical and professional skills to help you establish your career and thrive within the musical community. Customize your music degree with one of multiple concentrations designed to help you prepare for the career you have in mind.
Available concentrations:
Music Composition
Prepare for your career working as a composer. Each semester, through private applied study, you’ll engage in structured projects based on specific compositional techniques. All stylistic backgrounds are welcome; however, we focus on the production of contemporary concert music through the study of aesthetics, instrumentation and orchestration, music history, and contemporary performance practice.
Jazz Studies
Building on the general understanding of western music provided through the department’s core studies, the Jazz Studies concentration provides you an opportunity to study jazz history, theory, and improvisation in-depth through practice and performance. You’ll explore the unique world of jazz in the classroom and the Music Department’s private studio as well as in large and small jazz ensembles. The study of jazz music can provide a strong foundation in a variety of music careers, so courses in jazz studies are available to all qualified music students.
Music Education
Take a large variety of courses designed to help you teach music to K–12 students. You’ll learn how to inspire the next generation of musicians and share a love and appreciation of music.
Music History
The Music History concentration will help you understand music in its historical context and explain its inherent value within a certain culture and time. You’ll become more sensitive to the many meanings of music and learn how to interpret and perform. Music history is also a practical concentration if you are interested in pursuing a career in library science or continuing on to graduate school.
Performance – Instrumental
You may select the Instrumental Performance concentration after completing an audition for the concentration after at least one term of study. This concentration is designed to develop and hone your instrumental skills to succeed as a professional performer. This concentration emphasizes studio instruction and practice akin to study at a conservatory. You’ll master fundamentals and the ability to sight-read while you prepare for recitals. In addition to studying the core areas of music history and theory, you’ll also participate and play a leadership role in both large and small performing ensembles.
Performance – Vocal
The Vocal Performance concentration prepares you to sing with confidence and professional expertise. You must audition for admission into this concentration no later than your fourth semester of music coursework. This concentration is designed to develop and hone your vocal skills to succeed as a professional performer. You’ll have ample studio instruction and practice akin to study at a conservatory.
Music Management
The Music Management concentration is designed to provide music majors with a cohesive and comprehensive business management background that can lead to successful careers as music managers or music entrepreneurs.