Music
Introduction & Overview
The Music Department offers a wide range of courses which are available to all students at the college, including courses in Music Performance, Music Business, Music Education, Music History, Music Technology, Musical Theatre, Music Theory and Musicianship, jazz, and composition. Performance opportunities, open to all enrolled students, include orchestra, chorus, wind ensemble, large and small jazz ensembles, chamber chorus, chamber pop chorus, electronic music ensemble, chamber music, and a percussion ensemble. Repertoire for these ensembles runs the gamut from Handel’s Messiah to Herbie Hancock’s Chameleon, often with performances on and off campus such as the recent choral tours to Italy and Ireland.
Degrees
Bachelor of Arts in Music
Bachelor of Arts in Music Business
Bachelor of Arts in Music Technology
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre
Bachelor of Music in Music Education
The Music Department also offers a combined and accelerated Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in music (with the School of Education).
Minor
Music
Career Ideas
Musician, Music Teacher, Music Business Executive, Actor/Actress, Composer, Artists and Repertoire Agent, Entertainment Lawyer, Disc Jockey, Librarian, Music Arranger/Orchestrator, Music Director, Sound Engineer, Audio Production Specialist, Technical Director/Manager, Theatre & Media Director, Video Engineer
Program Director
Jerry Kerlin, 914.323.5256, Jerry.Kerlin@mville.edu
Faculty and Staff
Mark Cherry — Musical theatre, cabaret, vocal ensemble
Carmelo Comberiati — Music history, analysis, ethnomusicology
Olivier Fluchaire — Music theory, music history, string rudiments, violin, ensemble
Jerry Kerlin (chair) — Music education, music theory, ear training, world musics, Irish music
Geoffrey Kidde — Music technology, music theory, composition, ear training
Harvey Rachlin — Music business
Adjunct Faculty
Jay Azzolina — Jazz studies, guitar, ensemble
Michael Bartoli – Musical Theatre
Carl Bettendorf — Violin, instrumental conducting, orchestra
Charles Blenzig – Jazz Piano
Diana Canova — Voice
Ronald Cappon — Voice, voice class
Lyndon Christie — Acoustic and electric bass
Bruce Eidem — Euphonium, trombone, tuba
Faith Esham — Voice, voice class, diction
Karen Froehlich – Music Education, French Horn
Thomas Freas — Trumpet
Jeremy Goldsmith — Music technology
Diane Guernsey — Vocal accompanist, vocal coach, piano, piano class
Flora Lu Kuan — Piano, ear training, ensemble
James Lorusso — Guitar
Kristen Mather —Clarinet
Beverly Meyer — Vocal coach, vocal accompanist
Terrence Reynolds — Jazz and wind ensembles
Jane Seaman — Musical theatre, Voice
Stefani Starin — Flute
Andrew Swift — Percussion, Music Technology
Jeongeun Yom — Choral, vocal and instrumental accompanist
Staff
Kathryn DiBernardo, Music Department Coordinator
Entrance Audition
The Entrance Audition, either live or recorded on ACCEPTD, is carried out by full-time faculty. It is required for prospective students in the B.A. in Music, B.A. in Music Technology, B.Mus. in Music Education, and the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre. Auditions also are used to recommend scholarship awards for incoming students. Transfer students and students changing their major to music are also required to audition.
Applicants for the B.A. in Music, the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre and the B.Mus. in Music Education are required to perform three selections of diverse types and by different composers. Pianists, vocalists, and string players are asked to perform at least one work from memory. Applicants are evaluated on the following criteria: musical comprehension, technical ability and level of preparation. An applicant to the B.A. in Music Technology may perform a traditional audition or submit a digital application with audio files and one page written explanation.
Music Performance
Due to the nature of the discipline, the Music Department performs progressive and cumulative assessments related to musical performance. Solo musical performances of students are evaluated periodically—by audition before acceptance to the music major, each semester as a part of their applied music lessons and juries, and finally as a part of the senior evaluation for students in performance intensive programs. Students are required to present a Senior Recital for the B.A. in Music, the B.Mus. in Music Education, and the B.F.A. in Musical Theatre.
Concert Attendance Policy
The Music Department considers attendance at events and concerts to be a vital part of student musical training and an indication of commitment to the major. To remain in good standing, students must attend (in their entirety) a majority of on-campus concerts and recitals each semester.
Concert attendance should include the following events each semester:
1. One Faculty Concert
2. Two selected from: Chorus, Orchestra, Wind Ensemble or Community Jazz Ensemble.
3. At least one Informal Student Recital.
4. At least one additional concert or recital.
5. One small ensemble or senior recital concert.
Minimum Grade Policy
A grade of at least C- is required for coursework to count towards majors in the Music Department, except in the Senior Capstone course, which requires a minimum grade of C. For Music Education majors, students must earn at least a B in EDU 2000: Fundamentals of Schools and Teaching, and must maintain a 2.75 GPA.