The most flexible path. Build a broad foundation in advanced theory, music literature and a strong core of private lessons and ensembles, then shape it with an elective you choose: from piano pedagogy, to conducting, to Arts in London. Ideal if you want to perform, compose or do it all.
Bachelor of Arts
Music
Major | Minor
Why Study Music at Goshen College?
Study music as a serious discipline, with faculty who perform, and a path to a rewarding career on the other side.
The Music major at Goshen College prepares you to perform, teach, compose and work across music-related fields. You’ll study with faculty who are active performers and scholars, move between classical and contemporary repertoire, and build technique through solo recitals and ensembles.
Performance sits at the center of the experience. You can join ensembles open to all majors, including the Goshen College Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Lavender Jazz. You’ll perform in the Music Center’s Sauder Concert Hall and Rieth Recital Hall.
Major in Music, or Keep It in Your Life
You can major or minor in music at Goshen College. The major is built for students who want music to be the center of their work and study. The minor is built for students who plan to study something else and still want music to stay part of who they are. Goshen offers minors in Music, Musical Theater, Music for Social Change and Music in Worship.
The ensembles are open by audition to every Goshen student, regardless of your chosen major. This is a community where you can show up fully as yourself, and where music is a shared language across campus rather than a separate department down the hall.
Our ensembles include: Chamber Choir, Vox Profundi, Voices of the Earth, Steel Drum Ensemble and Brass or Wind Ensemble.
What You’ll Study
The Music major builds on lessons, ensembles, theory, music history and performance, with specialized tracks in Music Education (P–12 Licensure), Music Performance, Music for Social Change or General Music.
You practice and perform in premier venues: Sauder Concert Hall and Rieth Recital Hall, along with practice rooms, faculty studios and recording and technology labs. To see specific plans of study for each track and minor, view the program requirements in our catalog.
Choose Your Concentration
Every music major pairs a shared core with one of three concentrations — so you can shape the degree around how you want to make music your life.
When it came time to choose my major, I realized that there was not really a choice – music is what I am called to pursue. I have been playing and singing music my entire life, and I want to use the skills I have learned from that in my career. I chose to also study education because I want to pass on my love and knowledge of music to the next generation.
Hannah Lehman ’24
Assistant Program Director at Camp Friedenswald
Scholarships & Cost
Students planning a music major or minor are eligible for Music Achievement Awards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 annually. Ensemble Grants of $1,000 annually are available for students who are not majoring or minoring in music, so you can earn a scholarship even if music is not your major. All instruments and voice parts are encouraged to audition.
To see your own price after aid, run the net price calculator, or explore your options at the financial aid and scholarships pages.
AlumniLisa Rosado Rivera ’21
Where are you from? I am Lisa Rosado Rivera and I am from Puerto Rico. I was born and raised in the capital San Juan. What made you decide to attend Goshen College? I decided to go to Goshen College…
AlumniGaled Krisjayanta ’17
Galed Krisjayanta is a 2017 music graduate who found that music has the power to heal after his hometown of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was devastated by an earthquake. A LIFE OF SERVICE THROUGH SONG By Jordan Waidelich (January 25, 2016) This…
AlumniAndrew Landis ’09
Andrew G. Landis is a stage manager who works for various opera companies across the country, including San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera and Minnesota Opera. At San Francisco Opera, a leader among international opera companies, Andrew is an assistant stage…
AlumniLukas Thompson ’19
Lukas Thompson discovered a love of music and theater early on, leading him on a path toward the stage. Thompson was a senior music major at Goshen College who graduated in 2019. This piece was written during his senior year. …
AlumniBrody Thomas ’15
Spotlight From Good of Goshen / Written in 2019 “I grew up in a small town in rural Pennsylvania. When I came here to attend Goshen College, Goshen felt like a big city to me. Elkhart County supports the arts, so…
Common Questions About the Goshen Music Major
Goshen music graduates work as music educators, performers and composers, church music directors, conductors, arts administrators, music therapists, studio teachers, and recording and audio engineers. Alumni teach in public and private schools, perform in regional and national ensembles, and pursue graduate degrees in music education, performance, and conducting.
Students planning a music major or minor are eligible for Music Achievement Awards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 annually. Ensemble Grants of $1,000 annually are available for students who are not majoring or minoring in music. All instruments and voice parts are encouraged to audition for award consideration.
Yes. Goshen’s ensembles are open by audition to every student, regardless of major, and 19% of traditional undergraduates take part in one. The ensembles include Chamber Choir, Vox Profundi, Voices of the Earth, Symphony Orchestra, and Lavender Jazz, so you can keep performing even if music is not your major.
Yes. The Music Education (P–12 Licensure) track pairs the music major with Goshen’s All-Grade (P–12) education program, so you earn an Indiana teaching license alongside your music degree. You rehearse and perform in Sauder Concert Hall and Rieth Recital Hall while completing the coursework for licensure.
Matthew Hill
Professor of Music
Scott Hochstetler
Professor of Music
Roz Woll
Associate Professor of Music
Solomia Soroka
Professor of Music
Mark Douglass
Associate Professor of Music
