Setnor School of Music

Courses

Milton Laufer, Director
208 Crouse College, 315-443-5892
vpa.syr.edu/academics/music/programs/

The Setnor School of Music offers opportunities for the highest level of professional musical development and accomplishment in our students within the context of a broad, humanistic education. We encourage the widest possible range of creative options for our students, recognizing that the Western classical tradition continues to grow and expand and that it is only one in a world of myriad others. We believe all our areas of emphasis - instrumental and vocal performance, conducting, music education, music industry, and composition - are interdependent and integral to the success of the school, the health of the profession and the evolution of culture, and we therefore strive for the highest standards in every one of these degree programs. We recognize that inherent in these endeavors is a responsibility to the campus community, the community beyond campus borders, and our culture as a whole. Hence, we are committed to serving a larger public through outreach and education, working to create an inclusive environment in which all can develop their gifts.

A charter member of the National Association of Schools of Music in 1928, the Setnor School of Music has a long tradition of high-quality education for serious music students. Its programs reflect a concern for academics as well as professional studies. The school offers its students opportunities to prepare for careers as performers, composers, arrangers, scholars, teachers, and professionals in the music industry. Students learn from faculty members who are themselves actively involved in music-making. Students, faculty, and visiting artists perform on campus throughout the year, as do symphonic, chamber, opera, and choral groups.

Setnor’s four departments offer the Bachelor of Arts degree in music, Bachelor of Music degree in composition, music education, music industry, performance, and sound recording technology. Setnor offers minors in jazz studies, music industry, performance, and private music study. A unique program in music industry allows selected students to pursue a five-year double degree program culminating in a Bachelor of Music in Music Industry from Setnor and a Master of Business Administration from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management . While Setnor prides itself in the traditional study of classical instruments and voice, a new option to study applied lessons in jazz/commercial trumpet, trombone, saxophone, guitar, piano/keyboard, bass/electric bass, drum set/mallets, and voice now exists with our undergraduate degrees in music industry , sound recording technology, music education, and BA Music.

The school has organic relationships with other entities on campus including the College of Arts and Sciences ’ Department of Art & Music Histories, which provides all the core courses in music history, the School of Education , which provides dual enrollment for all music education majors, and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management for majors in music industry. Setnor maintains a professional caliber recording studio in the Bird Library’s Belfer Audio Archives, provides all athletic band support for SU Athletics, and collaborates with Hendricks Chapel to provide the University Organist and Hendricks Chapel Choir.

Setnor offers a semester in Los Angeles, London, and Strasbourg. The semester in Strasbourg includes study at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg.

All of Setnor’s music ensembles, including bands, choirs, jazz ensembles, symphony orchestra, and chamber ensembles are open to all students on campus. Setnor presents over 200 performances annually during the 28-week academic year that are open to the public and webcast on the Internet. It also maintains a large inventory of musical instruments including 67 pianos, historic keyboards, four organs, and an inventory of all traditional band and orchestral instruments. The school maintains and operates the Crouse Chimes and historic Setnor Auditorium with its iconic 3,823-pipe Holtkamp organ.

Admission to the Setnor School of Music is via audition. See the website for audition information.