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Music

Alma College is a great place for musicians.  Whether you have professional musical ambitions or you just love to play and sing, there is a spot for you in one of Alma's fine choirs, bands and orchestra. 

Musicians at Alma College have opportunities to perform on campus, and to tour across the State of Michigan, the United States and around the world. Musicians at Alma study with experienced professors who are themselves professional performers and respected scholars.  Musicians here practice on Steinway pianos, work with the most current technology and give concerts and recitals in the magnificent Heritage Center for the Performing Arts.

The Music Department at Alma provides a curriculum designed to meet the needs of a broad range of students. The faculty and resources of the Department are committed equally to the following: 1) providing courses and curricula for music majors so that they may have the necessary foundation to pursue graduate study, teaching, performing or music-related fields; 2) strengthening students' musical skills by expanding proficiency in technique, heightening interpretive insight, and facilitating the understanding of pedagogical tools and methods; 3) being an artistic presence within the Alma College community and beyond by providing opportunities for students, faculty, and community to share the experience of musical performance; 4) providing the general student with a basic understanding of the language and history of music.

Alma's Music Department, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, offers three degree options: Bachelor of Music in Performance, Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Music.

Thumbnail image for Dr. Raymond RileyDr. Raymond Riley

Dr. Raymond Riley, Professor of Music, joined Alma College in 1988. He has enjoyed a long and multi-faceted musical career, appearing in numerous national venues as a recitalist, lecturer, and music technology clinician. [more]

 

 

Alma College ChoirsAlma College Choirs

For more than 80 years the Alma College Choirs have offered Alma students the opportunity to sing and travel together. The shared musical experiences build friendships that have proven to last a lifetime... [more]


Dr. Will Nichols

Dr. Nichols conducts the Alma College Choir, the College Chorale and the Women's Glee Club. Under his leadership the Alma Choirs have become one of the nation's highly regarded collegiate choral programs. [more]

 

 

 

Click here for a one-page information sheet (PDF).

 


 

Alma College's teacher preparation program has received an "exemplary" rating following a comprehensive review by the Michigan Department of Education.

 

Faculty Profile

David Zerbe

David Zerbe
Departments: Music

Dave Zerbe started playing the drums when he was two years old and hasn’t stopped since.

The director of percussion studies and the bands has taught at Alma College since 1988 and joined the faculty full time in 2004.