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Music major Concentration
Music can be a powerful force for transformation in individuals, communities and the world.
Music for social change is a concentration within the Bachelor of Arts in music at Goshen College. It adds 24 to 25 credit hours to the 23-hour music core, pairing applied study and ensembles with community-based teaching, conducting and one course from outside the music department.
You begin by taking Building Community through Music, a course that explores how music can be used as a tool for social change and community engagement. Then you choose a methods course such as Elementary Music Methods, Secondary Music Methods, Piano Pedagogy or Conducting II. You then add a related course in Foundations of Education, Designing for Social Change, Introduction to Public Policy or Introduction to Social Work. An applied teaching internship puts you in front of real learners before you graduate, and 14 credit hours toward applied music in your own instrument or voice.
Goshen College’s music faculty hold every graduate of the major to four outcomes. Here is what they look like in this concentration.
You graduate prepared for a career that uses the musical arts to make a positive contribution to society.
The concentration is part of the music major, so you graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in music. The 22-hour minor is built for students majoring in something else. If music is your major, the concentration is your route.
Yes. Ensemble participation is required each semester unless you are on Study-Service Term or another off-campus program, and your core ensemble is set by the music faculty to match your primary instrument. Goshen’s ensembles include Chamber Choir, Vox Profundi, Voices of the Earth, Symphony Orchestra and Lavender Jazz, and they are open by audition to every student. Explore Music Ensembles.
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.
Request information or schedule a visit to meet the music faculty and see the facilities, then apply to Goshen as a music student. Once enrolled, you declare the music major and a music for social change concentration with your advisor. Reaching out early lets an advisor help you plan coursework and fieldwork from the start.