Fostering the development of artistic talent, humanitarian ideals and sensitivities, academic acumen, and respect for the highest professional standards is the principal aim of the Department. Primary focal points of departmental activity include the following elements:

• Promotion of an understanding and appreciation of the knowledge and skills appropriate for undergraduates who wish to major in music as part of a liberal arts program;

• Encouragement of intellectual development, individual creativity, artistic perspective, civic engagement, and ethical leadership through a variety of musical experiences;

• The study and performance of the music of African Americans and the ways in which music from different cultures interacts and influences one another;

• Promotion of music as essential to the appreciation of the human experience through courses in the core curriculum intended for the general college student in humanities;

• Exposure of students to the ways in which contemporary technologies may enhance their studies.