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/or its orchestra.

Instrumental ensembles include the Alma Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble, among others

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.

Vocal ensembles include the choir, men's a capella group Scots on the Rocks, and Glee Club among others

The music department 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 is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and offers three degree options: Bachelor of Music in Performance, Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Music.

 

Wright Hall, Alma’s “green” residence hall, is a modern, 60-bed apartment-style hall that features a number of environmentally friendly features, including geothermal heating and cooling, recycled-content ceiling tiles and carpeting, energy-efficient windows, rooftop solar heating panels, energy-efficient showers and washing machines, and a computerized energy monitoring system.

 

Student Profile

Katie Greenough

Katie Greenough
Graduation: 2014
Major: Music

What Katie Greenough has learned at Alma College goes beyond music theory and computer skills: She also has mastered carpentry.

During an Alternative Break trip, the music major helped rebuild an Alabama town that had been ravaged by a tornado. She says the experience changed her life.

“I got to build a railing for someone’s house, which made me feel so proud that I really helped people in a tangible way,” she says. “Because it was a faith-based trip, the experience also strengthened my faith in ways I didn’t even know it needed strengthening.”