Music Major Concentration
General Music
What is the general music concentration?
The widest path through the music major, built around applied study and your own choices.
General music, listed in the course catalog as the generalist concentration, is the most flexible concentration in the Bachelor of Arts in music at Goshen College. At 21 to 22 credit hours on top of the 23 hour music core, it is the smallest concentration area in the major. Fourteen of those hours are applied music in your own instrument or voice.
You take Advanced Music Theory and Topics in Music Literature, then choose one music elective from a list that includes Piano Pedagogy, Elementary Music Methods, Building Community Through Music, Lyric Diction for Singers, Vocal Methods and Pedagogy, Conducting I and II and Arts in London. This is the concentration to look at if you plan to double major, add a minor or aim at graduate school in music.
What you’ll be able to do
The same four outcomes as every music major, reached with the most applied study of any concentration.
- Perform at a high level: Fourteen credit hours of applied music, more than any other concentration, plus a sophomore qualifying recital and a senior recital, project or lecture recital.
- Do real scholarship in music: Advanced Music Theory and Topics in Music Literature build on the core’s history, theory, keyboard and aural skills courses.
- Lead an ensemble: Conducting I comes with the core, and Conducting II, vocal methods and pedagogy are all open to you as the concentration elective.
- Aim at graduate school: Add a research endorsement, ending in a 9,000 to 10,000 word paper and a 60-minute presentation, or a performance endorsement, ending in a 50 to 60 minute senior recital.
You graduate prepared for a career that uses the musical arts to make a positive contribution to society.
Common questions about general music
General music and generalist are the same concentration. The 2026-27 undergraduate course catalog lists it as the generalist concentration, and the music program refers to it as general music. The course requirements are identical.
No. Indiana P-12 music teacher certification requires the Music Education concentration, which adds 35 credit hours of professional education coursework and student teaching. If teaching in a school is your goal, choose the Music Educators concentration instead. Explore Music Educators.
Students planning a music major or minor are eligible for Music Achievement Awards ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 annually, and all instruments and voice parts are encouraged to audition. Ensemble Grants of $1,000 annually are available to students who are not majoring or minoring in music. See Music Scholarships for audition details.