Music

Majors: Music or Music with an emphasis in Organ, Piano, or Voice
Minor: Music Department Chair: Nadine Cheek, Professor of Music
Program Director: Michael McGhee, Associate Professor of Music

Wesleyan College has been an accredited member institution of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) since 1937. NASM is the national accrediting agency for higher education in music and establishes national standards for educational quality and institutional integrity.

With a rich heritage of excellence in the fine arts, the Music Department provides multi-faceted and extensive opportunities for participation in music for students as well as the entire community.

The Department of Music offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. Available areas are:

• Performance Tracks (Emphases offered in Voice, Piano, and Organ) - This track is for students with a high degree of performing ability and culminates in a senior recital.
• General Music Track - This track is a flexible program in which students can choose to study any instrument or combination of instruments (voice, keyboard, brass, woodwinds, strings, or percussion) and is ideal for a students with multiple musical interests or who want to double major in music and another discipline.
  

The Minor in Music is also offered and requires 18 credit hours of course work.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in music is an appropriate preparation for graduate degrees in a variety of fields including music education, musicology, performance, church music, music business or arts administration

For information about specific courses offered, please see our Academic Catalogue.    

Related Degree: Educational Studies with music emphasis

Facilities
Wesleyan's music students have access to outstanding facilities.

• The Porter Fine Arts Building houses music classrooms, studios, and an 1,127-seat auditorium. The Music Technology lab in Porter consists of work stations with notation software, keyboards, and networked computers. The Goodwyn-Candler-Panoz Organ, in Porter Auditorium, was recently renovated by the Schantz Organ Co. of Orville, Ohio.
  
• The Olive Swan Porter Student Life Center houses twelve practice rooms and the Burden Parlor, an intimate performance venue for the music department and guest artists.
  
• The Lucy Lester Willet Memorial Library maintains a collection in support of all academic programs of the College. The music collection and listening room is a part of this main library and includes more than 5,000 recordings and an extensive collection of scores and books.
  
• The Candler Building is home to the Benson Room, the location of many student performances and master classes.

Field Study
Wesleyan's music majors have interned with a number of community organizations such as Macon Symphony Orchestra, the Macon Arts Alliance, and Central Georgia Opera Guild. Several churches in the area offer internships. Music students have also completed internships in other localities such as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. 

Auditions and Scholarships
An audition is required of all students wishing to major in music; all students will be considered for music scholarship at the time of audition. Please contact the chair of the Music Department or the Office of Admissions to schedule an audition.

Music Audition dates are: November 10, 2012; January, 26, 2013, February 9, 2013, and March 24, 2013. While it is preferable that a student audition on campus during these publicized dates, the music faculty is willing to consider auditions at another time convenient for the student or submitted on CD or DVD. Click here for tips on how to have a successful music audition.

Scholarships in music are available for both music majors and music minors and include: The most prestigious of the music scholarships available is the Lane Scholarship; the Music department can name one Lane Scholars each year. Candidates for this scholarship must possess high academic credentials and demonstrate a high aptitude for achievement in music. Interested candidates should contact Wesleyan's Office of Admission for more information about this and other scholarship opportunities. Other prominent music scholarships include the Heyward, Boyce, and Forschler scholarships. Request more information!

Candidates for music scholarships may also be candidates for other academic or leadership scholarships.

Outcomes
Students who graduate with the Bachelor of Arts degree in music attend graduate schools or begin careers. Currently, Wesleyan alumnae include music professors; studio teachers; church musicians; choral directors; professional singers; professional accompanists; directors of community arts programs; lawyers; English professors; nurses; and designers.

Many Wesleyan students combine majors and graduate with unique qualifications that are advantageous when entering graduate programs or career fields.

Featured Alumnae:

• Monica Harper '04, for example, has recently completed coursework for a Doctor of Music in church music and organ and has performed across the country.
  
• Chenny Q. Gan ’02 graduated summa cum laude with double degrees in music and studio art. While a student, she produced two CDs and took advantage of the many opportunities for performance and growth available at Wesleyan. And she credits her preparation at Wesleyan for her quick acceptance into the UNC at Greensboro’s graduate music program.
  

Faculty

Edward Eikner Comer Professor of Fine Arts B.M. (Piano) Texas Technological University 1967; M.M. (Piano Performance) Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester 1969; M.M. (Piano Performance) Belgrade Music Academy 1970. Professor Eikner teaches applied piano and courses in music history and literature. He appears as recitalist, soloist with symphony orchestras, and as chamber musician all around the world, including London, Vienna, Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow, Buenos Aires, and New York. He has completed eleven Italian tours, and six Grecian tours, and has presented several performances in the Czech Republic. Porter Fine Arts Building 103.eeikner@wesleyancollege.edu

Nadine Cheek Mildred Goodrum Heyward Professor of Music and Music Department Chair. B.M. (Voice) Wesleyan College 1979; M.M. (Vocal Performance) Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music 1981, M.M. (Choral Conducting) Yale School of Music 1991. Ms. Cheek directs the Wesleyan Concert Choir and the Wesleyannes vocal ensemble, and teaches applied voice. As a mezzo-soprano, she is an active performer in recital, concert, and opera across the United States and in Europe. She has sung in Master Classes with Martin Katz, Ruth Golden, and John Alexander, and been soloist with the Theatrehof Opera in Humbach, Germany, the Dorian Opera Theatre at Luther College in Iowa, and the Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium in Italy. Ms. Cheek is a member of NATS, ACDA, MENC, GMEA Sigma Alpha Iota and Phi Kappa Phi. Currently, Ms Cheek is serving as Chair of the Music Department. Porter Fine Arts Building 101.ncheek@wesleyancollege.edu

Michael McGhee Associate Professor of Music and College Organist. B.M. (Organ Performance) Shorter College 1999; M.M.(Organ Performance) University of Georgia 2001; D.M. (Organ Performance and Literature) Indiana University School of Music 2005. Dr. McGhee is the College Organist and teaches courses in organ, harpsichord, music theory, music history and literature. He is an active performer and has won numerous organ competitions. In addition, he is an accomplished church musician and an active member of the American Guild or Organists. Audio Samples. Porter Fine Arts 105.mmcghee@wesleyancollege.edu

Ellen Futral Hanson Assistant Professor of Music. B.M. (Music) Wesleyan College, 1983; M.M. (Music) University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1985. Mrs. Hanson teaches applied voice, voice class, vocal literature and diction. A lyric soprano, she performs often in the Middle Georgia area and was most recently heard as soprano soloist for the Choral Society of Middle Georgia’s performances of Handel’s “Messiah”. Mrs. Hanson has performed many major roles in musical theatre and opera with Macon Little Theatre, UT Opera Theatre, and the Knoxville Opera Company. She is a member of NATS, MENC, GMEA and SAI. Porter Fine Arts 121. ehanson@wesleyancollege.edu