The Music Department Mission

Since the founding of the College, music has been an integral part of a student-centered curriculum at Lebanon Valley College and recognized as a special strength of the institution. Music plays a significant role in nurturing aesthetic response; it increases a student's capacity for thoughtful feeling and thought. Music is an art form that expresses the experiences of human life, even though musical sounds often have no specific or verbalizing meanings. Yet music demonstrates our ability and need to symbolize life experiences, making music an indispensable part of the liberal arts tradition. Knowing about music, developing sensitive and critical listening skills, creating and performing music, and understanding the role of music in history and contemporary society are all vital ingredients in the education of every student. Because we believe this, a broad-based, flexible course of study has been designed to meet the needs of the general student and the specific requirements of the music student. Seven generations have benefited from this approach, which is rigorous and demanding yet humane and individualized. Join us in discovering the logic, joy, and passion for music.

Goals and Objectives

1. Students will be effective performers

   • Students will demonstrate musical proficiency individually on their principal applied medium. 

   • Students will demonstrate an understanding of the repertory in their major performance area through a performance of a crosssection of literature from that repertory. 

   • Students will demonstrate collaborative skills through regular ensemble experience. 

   • Students will demonstrate the ability to sight-read music. 

   • Students will demonstrate fundamental proficiency in keyboard skills.

2. Students will achieve proficiency in musical literacy

   • Students will recognize and describe the major styles and genres of musical development in their cultural context (Western and non-Western).

   • Students will demonstrate knowledge of musical forms, processes, and structures through the analysis of written music. 

   • Students will demonstrate proficient analytical listening skills.

3. Students will apply knowledge of musical concepts by creating music

   • Students will apply rules of composition to original musical exercises. 

   • Students will demonstrate the fundamental skills of improvisation.

4. Students will demonstrate the achievement of professional competence in their area of specialization.

   • Students will exhibit knowledge of their particular field. 

   • Students will apply this professional knowledge base in a capstone experience.