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Department of Music

Music Department

Upcoming Concerts

Winter Student Recital (2).jpg

Hillig Music Technology Gift

The Music Department is thrilled to announce a transformative $100,000 gift from Kurt W. Hillig (1975) and Kathy J. Dien Hillig. This generous gift will support the developing Music Technology program at Union College and create the Kurt W. Hillig (1975) and Kathy J. Dien Hillig Music Technology Studio Fund. With their support, the Music Department will renovate the Music Technology Studio by transforming its layout and expanding its number of computers. Additionally, the Hillig's gift will enable upgrading the studio's equipment, including new computers, workstations, audio interfaces, and microphones. The Music Technology Studio is the primary teaching space for the department's Music Technology courses, and this renovation and upgrade will further support experiential hands-on activities that are integral to both new and existing courses.

Choir Spring Tour

In addition to this, the Union College Choir will be going on tour to New York City and Washington D.C. this coming Spring. On Sunday, March 20, 2022, they will be performing at Carnegie Hall at 6pm. Then on Tuesday, March 22, 2022, the Choir will perform again at the New York First Avenue Presbyterian Church at 2pm. This performance will conclude the weekend tour, and this tour marks the ensemble's first ever performance at Carnegie Hall.

Overview


Union College offers a wide variety of courses in music theory, music technology, composition, music history, world music, and jazz studies. The music faculty are incredibly Interdisciplinary, and offer courses that intersect with other departments and programs across campus. Students enjoy many opportunities to perform in our numerous ensembles and develop musicianship through private lessons. We offer a Major, ID, Minor and a World Musics and Cultures Minor.

Elyse Clark '18 - The Music Department at Union gave me confidence in myself as a scholar and performer. It gave me the opportunity to perform many types of music with great people and opened my eyes to the vast musical world outside the Western Canon.

Emily (Karam) Black '11 - My time spent in the music department was some of my best times at Union. I loved all of my classes especially the world music classes and being a member of Taiko! The unit we did on Bali my senior year with a Music and Dance concert is something I still talk about.

Jake Rekedal '04 - I gained an incalculable degree of experience, both musically and intellectually. It was a transformative time in my life, and remains the bedrock of my career.

Brian Card '09 - Music was very intellectually challenging for me, I liked the intersection between music and technology and used the music lab to experiment.

Nate Gillespie '20 - Union's Music Department gave me permission to make mistakes, and gave me the opportunity to use my mistakes to discern who I am as a musician. As a result of the music education I received at Union, I am now comfortable thinking and musicking independently - Union gave me the ability to stand on my own feet as a musician. The impact of what Union, and my mentors within the Music Department, did for me cannot be understated: I am profoundly thankful for all the growth Union catalyzed in me.

The Department of Music

Compositions for AMU-200 Music Theory 3: Phrase and Form

In Music Theory 3, we explored musical form by examining motives, phrases, and sections that define common formal structures. Since form can arise from a number of musical elements, we discussed the variety of ways one can attend to changes in form, including melodic motives and gestures, harmonic progressions, musical textures, and (un)varied repetition. Throughout the course, we developed both our visual analytical skills through score study and our aural analytical skills through active listening exercises and group discussion. These analytical and listening skills were put into practice through a number of projects, culminating in a final composition for a trio of flute, violin, and piano.
-- Assistant Professor Christopher Chandler

Here are some examples of student final projects performed by Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz (violin), Norman Thibodeau (flute), and Max Caplan (piano):

Nostalgia, by Owen Connolly, Physics major and Astrophysics/Music minor

As the Snow Settles on The Glacial Plateau, by Henry Bush, Music major

Starfall, by Adam Ginsberg, double major in Mathematics and Music

Winter of Discontent (audio only), by John Hursh, Music major