Music Department Mission

At Franklin College, music is an invaluable dimension of a student’s educational experience. A quality education integrates the processes of performing, interpreting, critiquing, and making music in a way that is developmentally appropriate and personally relevant to students’ lives. Music gives students the means to reflect on, organize, and express experiences of one’s self and world.

Our music program allows students to make meaning out of and give an authentic voice to their inner being and outer experiences. Through the experiential processes of music, students develop both personal and multicultural awareness and understanding, as they reflect upon their own musical experiences as well as those of others.

We believe that engagement with music is a critically important means for developing practical thought processes that connect with the deeper purpose of education. Music is another way of knowing that can enhance learning in other disciplines by providing a more complete picture of reality as well as a deeper understanding of man’s history throughout the ages. Students need music to help develop the following creative and cognitive skills: cultivating imagination and originality; problem-solving and risk-taking; abstract reasoning; organizing parts into a meaningful whole; making aesthetic judgments and decisions; giving attention to detail and craftsmanship; broadening perceptions of the world; expressing and communicating ideas, and appreciating human differences. Education in music fosters intellectual growth by teaching students how to think rather than what to think. An inquiring mind capable of autonomous thought and decision-making is necessary for dealing with the ambiguities of daily life experiences.

The Franklin College Department of Music strives not to produce professional performers, but rather to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and values to become creative, imaginative thinkers and life-long lovers of music. Every student has the potential to think and invent, and music can be an opportunity for students to trust and respect their own ideas and abilities. We help students create and participate in musical activities informed by authentic personal experiences and to develop technical skills to best express their ideas, thus building confidence and a sense of accomplishment.

Departmental Objectives

The music department recognizes its responsibility to be of service to music students as well as the general college community. The department seeks to fulfill its responsibilities through the following specific objectives:

  1. To develop knowledge and understanding concerning the structure and history of music as it relates to creating, interpreting, performing, listening to, evaluating, and teaching.
  1. To develop and provide an environment which promotes meaningful aesthetic experiences, critical examination, creative self-expression and musical sensitivity.
  1. To aid in the development of technical skills necessary for creating, interpreting, performing, listening to, evaluating, and teaching music.

Music and the Franklin College Family

Regardless of the extent of your involvement in music before your time at Franklin College, you will find all musical ensembles welcome you to participate in making and experiencing music. It is our hope that you will find your participation within the department to be challenging, yet extremely rewarding. Together, we will work to make music both an art and a science, bringing joy and life to all involved.

If you are interested in music at Franklin College, schedule a campus visit with our office of admissions, and one or more of the music faculty will meet with you. If you have a question, feel free to contact us.