Music & Music Industry

Music is powerful. It makes us listen, think and feel. If you count beats in your sleep, or dream of producing music, you may want to consider an education in Music or Music Industry. Bring your love for music and your passion for creating it to Villa Maria College, where you can customize your studies to showcase your unique talents and support your long-term career goals in our non-traditional music program.

Choose Your Own Path

Music

If you are serious about music, you do not pick it, it picks you. Villa’s Music students are able to deviate from the traditional path of classical music study and encouraged follow their musical passion — whatever it may be. While we offer the traditional path of study, students are also able to focus on pop, jazz, rap and even hip hop. Unlike most music programs, our curriculum is very flexible, so students can focus on the style of music they are most interested in.

Music Industry

If your passion for music and business are inseparably intertwined, Villa’s Music Industry program can help you forge your path. By focusing more on the behind-the-scenes aspects of the music and entertainment industries, students can learn more about the business and production sides of music. Our faculty can work with you to develop your skills in performance and composition or focus on another aspect of the music industry, such as recording or business.

Other Opportunities

Many graduates of Villa’s Music and Music Industry programs go on to become successful freelance musicians or apply to graduate school for performance or composition.

The Career Potential

Our experienced faculty has set one goal for all students: to experience, explore and gain knowledge in all areas of music. This means that Villa’s Music and Music Industry programs can prepare students for a career in a number of relevant fields.

Music

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment for musicians, singers, and related workers is expected to grow by 10% from 2010 to 2020. Musicians work for orchestras, ballet companies and religious organizations as well as in the entertainment industry.

Music Industry

A degree in Music Industry will prepare you to enter the 8th largest industry in the United States: the music business. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment for musicians, singers, and related workers is expected to grow by 10% from 2010 to 2020.

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Internships

Over the course of their 4 years at Villa, all Music and Music Industry students are required to complete a set amount of internship hours. This helps you learn to apply what you are learning in the classroom in a professional setting and prepares you to work in the entertainment business after graduation.

Deep Thinka Records
GB Audio
Al Hemer Music Corporation
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
World of Noise Recording Studio

Sonic Farm Studio
Mark Custom Recording
Chautauqua Institution
Indigo Productions
Riviera Theatre

Rapids Theatre
O’Connell and Company Productions
Art Services Initiative of Western NY
WYRK
WUFO

Dylan Brawn, ’14 - Bachelor of Science Degree, Music Industry

“Brawn is responsible for moving orchestra equipment to and from its regular storage at Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall and the Amp. We get what we call move sheets around a week ahead of any scheduled moves related to rehearsal or performance. It’s all pretty well organized.” The hours are long. “When the orchestra is playing, many of us work up to 12 hours on those days,” Brawn said. One of his jobs on performance nights is to make sure the maestro has what is needed. Brawn usually cues the concertmaster and the announcer for the performance, and can control the stage and house lights.” — Excerpt from an July 2014 article published in the Chautauqua Daily Newspaper.

Course Requirements

Concert Attendance

Whether you’re a die-hard pianist or a passionate vocalist, it is important to develop an appreciation for many other forms of music. As a graduation requirement, all Music and Music Industry students are required to attend 5 concerts per semester. Villa hosts several weekly concerts that are free, but students are welcome to check out concerts in other places in order to fulfill this requirement.

Recital Seminar

All Music and Music Industry students must complete a Recital Seminar course during their tenure at Villa. The class aims to create well-rounded musicians, capable of success in any situation by teaching musical artistic preparation, professional performance etiquette and stage demeanor. The importance of selecting the appropriate genre, audience, purpose and venue are all explored in this class.

Senior Recital

As a testament to the hard work Music students put in during their time at Villa, each graduating senior develops, prepares for and presents a senior performance recital. Created under the guidance of a faculty mentor, and in collaboration with a student’s applied music instructor, students are expected to deliver a professional-level performance as a program capstone course.

Music: You must attain a minimum Grade of C in all Music courses, fulfill recital seminar and concert attendance requirements, complete all Music Department outcomes assessment activities, and develop a demo according to Music Department guidelines.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Music Curriculum Requirements

Music Industry: You must attain a minimum grade of C in all music courses, fulfill recital seminar and concert attendance requirements, and complete four semesters of performance ensemble.

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Music Industry Curriculum Requirements

Placement Performances

All incoming Music and Music Industry students must schedule a time for their placement performance. The placement performance is similar to an audition, but is not required to gain admission. For specifics on the placement performance, please click here. Upon acceptance into either Villa’s Music or Music Industry program, please contact Kevin Donovan, Director of Admissions, to schedule your placement performance. He can be reached at 716-961-1870 or kdonovan@villa.edu.

Listen to Villa Students

Our students perform in ensembles, which can qualify you for special scholarship talent grants. Take a listen to the talent, while learning more about our program below. All Villa students, not just music students, are welcome to explore their musical talents by joining an ensemble.