Music

We offer three tracks in the music major:

Performance: for students who wish to pursue a performance-oriented curriculum (piano, organ, harpsichord, violin, viola, cello, string bass, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, saxophone, voice, composition and guitar);
Music history/literature: for students interested in music research and/or a general music program; and
Piano pedagogy: designed for the student who is strong in piano and plans to teach it in a private setting.

All of these concentrations lead to a bachelor of arts degree in music. The music major serves as an excellent foundation for graduate study in performance or musicology and provides excellent preparation for teaching in the private studio or in a private school.

All students participate in one or more ensembles (string, wind, choral, early music and jazz), take applied music, music theory and history courses, and attend and perform recitals and concerts. Students may also minor in either performance or music history.

We have a number of applied music scholarships available and award two prizes in music each year: The Marie A. Markow Excellence in Music Prize and the Patricia Bucheimer Piano Prize.

Why Major in Music at Hood?

Because of our proximity to both Baltimore and Washington, D.C., we can draw our faculty from a large pool of talent and take advantage of the many wonderful cultural opportunities available. Our classes are small, our instructors are friendly and accessible and our keyboard instruments are outstanding. Nearly all of the teaching studios have Steinway and Yamaha grand pianos. Our new practice studios are all equipped with Yamaha consoles and there are digital pianos in the residence halls. The magnificent pipe organ in Coffman Chapel is one of the best in the region, and we have a smaller practice pipe/electronic organ in the music building.

Music students have the opportunity to travel to Europe every other year, with the option of earning academic credit. Past trips have taken students to England, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. In 2006, students will traveled to Vienna, Prague and Krakow.

During the year, we invite a number of distinguished guest artists to perform and give masterclasses, and students have a number of opportunities to perform in recitals and concerts. In recent seasons our guest have included Red Priest, an internationally acclaimed Baroque ensemble; The Tango Seduction; pianists Ann Schein and martin Jones; and numerous faculty recitals and chamber music concerts.

Music Ensembles at Hood College

Our students participate in a number of superb music ensembles. Our choir, chamber singers, string ensemble, wind ensemble, early music ensemble and jazz ensemble perform regularly throughout the year in concerts and for special occasions, both on and off campus.

The Hood College Chamber Singers toured Europe during their spring break in 2002, performing a number of concerts in France, Germany and Austria. They have also recorded for Koch International Classics and have performed in Lincoln Center.

One of the highlights of the academic year is our long-standing annual performance Handel's "Messiah." Along with the U.S. Naval Academy Men's and Women's Glee Clubs, two performances are given at Hood and two are given at the Academy in Annapolis, Md. Hood students participated in a professional recording of this work and a number of the performances have been videotaped for national television.

The Department of Music regularly mounts major festival concerts, such as an all-Gershwin concert at the Weinberg Center for the Arts, a Beethoven Gala in 2004 with full symphony orchestra and, in 2006, a concert version of Mozart’s "The Magic Flute" for professional orchestra, soloists and the Hood Choir. In 2005, the department mounted an elaborate, fully-staged production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s "The Pirates of Penzance," which was performed to five sold-out audiences.

What Our Students Say About the Program

"One of the primary reasons I came to Hood was for the quality of education. I quickly realized that the enormous size of the music departments at the other places I looked into was no match for the knowledge and experience of the professors here at Hood."
- Music major, Class of 2005, recipient of several applied music scholarships

"The music major at Hood College has allowed me to pursue my musical studies in combination with a demanding major in another field. The liberal arts focus at Hood makes it a great place to explore multiple areas of interest. In my experience, the professors are one of the greatest assets of the music department. Besides giving quality instruction, they take a personal interest in you, encouraging your success by addressing the specific needs of your musical development as well as helping you reach your goals with scholarships, awards and credits for previous study."
- Music minor, Class of 2004, recipient of The Marie A. Markow Excellence in Music Prize>

Internships

The Frederick area offers a number of sites for music internships, including radio stations, local music stores, music academies, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts and The Maryland Symphony Orchestra.

Alumnae and Alumni Success Stories

A number of our alums have become successful performers and teachers. Many of the leading church musicians in the region are former music majors at Hood. Cynthia Cathcart '82, has a national reputation as a Celtic harpist and Marie Lester, a 2006 vocal performance major, has sung with several professional orchestras and teaches voice at the Maryland Performing Arts Center and in the prepatory division at Hood. Many teachers, librarians and deans at music schools and universities across the United States are Hood graduates in music.

For complete information in our online catalog, click here.