Music Department Home

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The Passion

• Gonzaga is the only Jesuit University on the West Coast that offers both a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Music Education. The Music Department faculty and staff are committed to preserving and developing the long and distinguished tradition of excellence in humanistic, Catholic, and Jesuit education.
     
• The music program at Gonzaga integrates liberal arts learning with a specialized competence in music. Our goal is to develop competent leaders in music, music education, and the arts.
   
• While we commit ourselves to preparing students to pursue music as a profession, we also believe that all students will be more effective leaders in their communities and professions when enriched with the opportunity to explore and develop their personal musical talents and creative imagination.

The Program

Long Tradition

Dating back to 1889, Gonzaga University has a long and truly outstanding tradition in the formal study of music.  Serving over 400 students each semester, the Music Department allows students at all levels of music proficiency to pursue their interests.

Individualized Attention

Students also receive personal attention in small classes that often have fewer than ten students. This environment maximizes creativity and inspires students to truly reach their full musical potential.

Latest Technology

Both majors and non-majors have access to the Department’s Music and Technology Labs, which feature state of the art music technology. Technology interfaces instrumental keyboards with computers, allowing students to compose, edit, arrange, and record music.

Music Degrees

Bachelor of Arts in Music

• Performance
• Composition
• Liturgical music
• Music literature

Bachelor of Arts in Music Education

• Of the 28 Jesuit Universities in the nation, Gonzaga is one of three that offers a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education.

• Certifies the graduate to teach music in the elementary and                       secondary schools in the state of Washington and twenty-seven reciprocating states.

Minor in Music

• Performance
• Jazz
• Music Literature

The Place

Music classes meet in three different facilities: the turn-of-the-century Monaghan Mansion, beautifully preserved for use as Gonzaga’s Music Building; the Music Annex; and the recently-built St. Gregory’s Choral Hall.

These structures house rehearsal halls, teaching studios, technology labs, classrooms, and practice rooms. A number of practice rooms are open for use 24 hours a day.

The Performances

With over twenty performances each semester, Gonzaga’s ensembles perform in a number of venues, including St. Aloysius Church on the Gonzaga campus and Spokane’s historic Bing Crosby Theater, named after one of Gonzaga's most famous alumni.

All Gonzaga students, regardless of major, are invited to audition for the performing ensembles and pursue private vocal and instrumental lessons.

The People 

Faculty perform extensively as soloists and in ensembles both in the Spokane community and beyond. They are sought after as guest instructors and adjudicators at music festivals and competitions and can be seen and heard on local radio and television broadcasts.

The Music Department allows students at all levels of music proficiency to pursue their interests: whether they are beginners learning to read music or modest musicians continuing their lessons through intensive instruction .

Students interested in majoring or minoring in music must complete a structured curriculum which ensures technical knowledge and competence. For students majoring in other disciplines, the Department customizes its programs to best suit each individual's needs.