[PLACEHOLDER — add a real quote from a current Goshen music student or alum. Do not publish with this bracketed text.]
Music
Major | Minor
Why Study Music at Goshen College?
Study music as a serious discipline, with faculty who perform, and a path to a real 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, Lavender Jazz band. You’ll perform in the Music Center’s Sauder Concert Hall and Rieth Recital Hall.
If a music degree feels like a risk, look at where it leads: teaching, performance, music therapy, conducting, arts administration, church music and the audio industry.
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 Musical Theater and Music in Worship as well.
The ensembles are open by audition to every Goshen student, whatever your major, so you do not have to choose music or chemistry, music or education. You can do both. 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.
What You’ll Study
The Music major builds on lessons, ensembles, theory, music history, and performance, with specialized tracks in Music Education (K–12 Licensure), Music Performance, Music for Social Change, and General Music.
You practice and perform in real venues: Sauder Concert Hall, and Rieth Recital Hall. Along with practice rooms, faculty studios, and recording and technology labs. For exact course requirements for each track and minor, View the complete program requirements in our catalog
Music Ensembles
Goshen’s ensembles are open by audition to every student, regardless of major, and 19% of traditional undergraduates take part in one. You can keep performing even if music is not your major.
The ensembles include Chamber Choir, Vox Profundi, Voices of the Earth, Symphony Orchestra, and Lavender Jazz.
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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 award money for playing 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 and talk with a real person in the financial aid office.
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 (K–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.
Ready to get started?
Matthew Hill
Professor of Music
Scott Hochstetler
Professor of Music
Solomia Soroka
Professor of Music
