ISSUED: 18 March 2024
MEDIA CONTACT: Cecelia Mason
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The Shepherd University School of Music will host a Visitation Day on Monday, April 1, from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Visitation Day is open to all high school seniors and juniors and transfer students who are interested in pursuing a degree in music. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend; there is no charge to participate.
Visitation Day offers an opportunity for students to live a “day in the life” of a Shepherd University music student and learn about the audition and application process. Students will attend classes and meet music faculty, current students, and admissions staff. They will hear ensemble rehearsals and performances, have lunch in the Ram’s Den, and take a guided campus tour.
Shepherd offers two music degrees: a Bachelor of Music Education (B.M.E.) and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in music with concentrations in performance, composition, and general music. Music majors have many performance opportunities with Shepherd’s four choirs, wind ensemble, wind symphony, orchestra, chamber groups, two jazz bands, musical theater, and marching band.
Shepherd music students study with the region’s most experienced performers and educators. Master classes are regularly offered with nationally acclaimed guest artists. The Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, and Concert and Chamber choirs have performed throughout the United States, including at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and across Europe. This spring the school will tour Scotland.
Many Shepherd music students have gone on to prestigious graduate schools, including Peabody, Northwestern, Ithaca, Eastman, Arizona State, and the Manhattan School of Music. Graduates have starred on Broadway and in world tours, become recording artists, and joined nationally known ensembles, such as the United States Navy Band and The Sea Chanters.
The music education program has had a 100% job placement rate since its inception in 1950, with graduates holding teaching positions in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools across the country.
Individual auditions for fall 2024 can still be arranged. Auditions for fall 2025 will take place January 25, February 15, and March 1, 2025. Information about scheduling auditions and audition requirements can be found at the audition information webpage.
For more information and to register for Visitation Day, visit the Visitation Day webpage or email music@shepherd.edu. For more information about Shepherd’s music degree programs, visit the School of Music webpage.
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