Greetings, members of the Class of 2027! On behalf of the Department of Music, let me welcome you to Lafayette.
Our department offers musical experiences in ensembles, private lessons, and classes that appeal to beginners as well as advanced musicians. I’ll provide a list of our Fall semester courses and ensembles below.
Please know first that you do not have to major or minor in music to participate in our ensembles, take lessons, or enroll in courses. In fact, the vast majority of our ensemble members—including some of the most accomplished performers—are not music majors. Many are engineers and come from other STEM backgrounds.
In your first semester, you are allowed to register for a total of 4.5 credits. Most ensembles and private lessons for credit are .25-credit courses, but you are absolutely allowed to perform with as many ensembles as your schedule permits. Many of our students perform in as many as six ensembles in a given semester. You absolutely have time to play in our ensembles!
We have a wide range of courses that appeal to students with a casual interest in music as well as aspiring professionals. As with our ensembles, there is no requirement that one be a music major to take these classes. With that said, there are some courses that are designed for advanced musicians with more experience. If you have any questions about how well you might match with a course, please feel free to contact the instructor. I will add a complete list of our courses below…I hope you will consider one or more of them.
With all of this in mind, we’d like for you to take a moment and complete the survey linked to this message if you have an interest in anything pertaining to the Music Department. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Department of Music at music@lafayette.edu; or you can contact me directly (oriordak@lafayette.edu). I’ll be happy to help however I can.
Thank you very much! Hope to hear from you soon. And welcome to Lafayette!
Dr. Kirk O’Riordan
Acting Head, Department of Music
Link to the survey:
https://lafayettec.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Qiz3kWNIOY9tBP
Fall 2023 Semester Courses:
FYS 162: Music in European Civilization Cummings TR 9:30a – 10:45a 01
FYS 162: Music in European Civilization Cummings TR 2:45p – 4:00p 02
FYS 177: The Year 1912-1913 in Music, Art, and Literature O’Riordan MWF 10:00a – 10:50a
MUS 103: Intro to World Music Traditions GM2, H Zamcheck TR 9:30a – 10:45a
MUS 104: Music Technology I Badami MW 11:00a – 12:15p 01
MUS 104: Music Technology I Badami MW 1:15p – 2:30p 02
MUS 105: Creating Your Own Music Zamcheck TR 1:15p – 2:45p
MUS 121: Music Theory I Wilkins MW 1:15p – 2:45p
MUS 130: Class Piano Lab Staff TR 1:15p – 2:45p
MUS 201: Music History & Literature (1600-1915) GM2, H Torres TR 1:15p – 2:45p
MUS 222: Music Theory II Wilkins MW 11:00a – 12:15p
MUS 224: Jazz Improvisation Wilkins MW 2:45p – 4:00p
MUS 240: Women in Music GM1, H, W Roadfeldt TR 11:00a – 12:15p
MUS 266/366: What did Florence Sound Like? GM1, GM2, H, V Cummings TR 11:00a – 12:15p
MUS 362: War and Peace-Music of the 1960s GM1, W Torres MW 1:15p – 245p
Department of Music Ensembles:
Chamber Orchestra (MUS 153)
Chamber Singers (MUS 160) (Audition only)
Concert Band (MUS 154)
Concert Choir (MUS 150)
Contemporary Music Ensemble (Invitation only, not for credit)
Jazz Combo (MUS 155)
Jazz Ensemble (MUS 151)
Marquis Consort (Early Music) (MUS 161)
Mostly Mbira Ensemble (MUS 163)
Pep Band (not for credit)
Percussion Ensemble (MUS 158)