School of Music
Director: John Allemeier
Email: allemejm@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-3614
Location: Music Building, Room 130
School of Music Website
Associate Director: John Peterson
Email: peter2jr@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-5368
Graduate Program Director and Admissions: William Dabback
Email: dabbacwm@jmu.edu
Phone: (540) 568-6719
Mission
The JMU School of Music is a community dedicated to changing lives through music by cultivating creativity, artistry, and curiosity. The School of Music provides the highest level of musical training in a comprehensive program that prepares students in conducting, music education, music industry, music performance, theory, composition, music history and music studies and to prepare them to be thoughtful and productive citizens. To that end, the School of Music is dedicated to:
- Selecting undergraduate and graduate majors and minors who have demonstrated a commitment to developing their musical skills and talents.
- Motivating music enthusiasts to explore musical concepts by exposing them to and including them in music performance, composition and education.
- Fostering a sense of community that encourages intellectual curiosity, creative endeavor and respect for all.
- Encouraging excellence from faculty members as educators, researchers, performers, clinicians and supporters so that they develop students into motivated, competent professionals and outstanding world citizens.
- Providing music majors and non-music majors with knowledge of music and developing appropriate skill levels and musicianship.
- Offering curricula that prepare students to be professionals in music performance, composition, education or industry.
- Broadening students' understanding of music through innovative teaching, creative experiences and scholarly research.
- Providing a wide variety of cultural events for the JMU and Shenandoah Valley communities.
- Exposing students to current technology employed in the music field, such as computers, music instruction software, electronic devices, and advanced audio and visual equipment.
- Preparing D.M.A. students to teach at the college level, not just in their principal areas but also in many of the core curriculum classes, such as theory, music history and music appreciation.
The School of Music is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
Career Opportunities
The various programs offered by the school can lead students to a wide range of careers. Programs in performance or composition are intended for students who desire to continue their musical training in graduate programs that will prepare them for professional careers in performance, composition and/or teaching at the college level.
Those who elect the emphasis in music industry will be prepared for positions in a broad area of music-business occupations and for admission to graduate professional schools of business.
The music education program prepares students to teach vocal and/or instrumental music in public schools.
The music theatre program is designed to prepare vocal music majors for the field of popular Broadway musical theatre performance as well as for careers in opera and operetta.
The jazz studies program prepares students for the rigors of graduate study in jazz performance, equips students with the jazz vocabulary necessary for professional performance, and provides knowledge and skills necessary for employment in private instruction or as a jazz specialist in public schools.
The following list of careers is only a small sample of possibilities:
- Artists' manager
- Composer
- Conductor
- Entertainment lawyer
- Music educator
- Music journalist
- Music librarian
- Music software developer
- Orchestra manager
- Performing artist
- Professional accompanist
- Professor/teacher
- Record producer
Co-curricular Activities and Organizations
These activities are open to all JMU students without audition:
- Concert Band
- Marching Royal Dukes
- Tenor/Bass and Soprano/Alto Choruses
These activities are open to all JMU students with audition or instructor permission:
- Brass Ensembles
- Chamber Orchestra
- Chorale
- Clarinet Choir
- Flute Choir
- Guitar Ensemble
- Horn Choir
- Jazz Band
- Jazz Chamber Ensembles
- Jazz Ensemble
- Madison Baroque
- Madison Singers
- Monticello Strings
- Opera Theatre
- Opera Theatre Orchestra
- Percussion Ensemble
- Piano Accompanying
- Steel Drum Band
- String Ensembles
- Symphonic Band
- Symphony Orchestra
- Treble Chamber Choir
- Trombone Choir
- Trumpet Ensemble
- Tuba and Euphonium Ensemble
- Wind Symphony
- Woodwind Ensembles
Class Fees
There is a once per semester fee for enrollment in MUAP 200, MUAP 214 and MUAP 300. See MyMadison for details.
Music Scholarships
The entrance audition also serves as the scholarship audition. All music scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit. Recorded auditions will not qualify a prospective student for consideration to receive a music scholarship.
A transfer student on scholarship at another school can only be considered for a scholarship at JMU if the music executive of the current school sends a written release to the director of the School of Music.