School of Music
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The School of Music undergraduate application begins here. The application includes selecting an audition date. Future undergraduate music student information begins on this page.
The ECU/School of Music graduate and CAPS application begins here. If required for the selected program, the application includes selecting an audition date. Future graduate and CAPS student information begins on this page
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Thank you for supporting the new ECU Music Therapy Clinic!
Thanks to you, we have surpassed the Music Therapy Clinic at ECU (MTC@ECU) crowdfunding goal!
A wonderful resource for our community, the MTC@ECU is a hands-on learning and therapeutic environment for young children through older adults and all ages in between. MTC@ECU is directly tied to the music therapy program within the School of Music and provides academic and practicum training for music therapists. Your gift of support not only helped the clinic become operational but also provides affordable services to those who otherwise may not have access to these opportunities.
ECU Chamber Singers release Silence and Music album on Gothic Records
The ECU Chamber Singers, under the direction of Dr. James Franklin, released Silence and Music, their second album in collaboration with multi-Grammy-winning producer Blanton Alspaugh.
The album is released on the Gothic Label and is available on various streaming platforms.
Click here for more information about ECU choral ensembles.
Shirley awarded Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching
East Carolina University School of Music faculty member Daniel Shirley received the 2023 UNC Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching Award.
Shirley serves as assistant professor of vocal studies at the School of Music, where he also directs ECU Opera Theater.
The Distinguished Professor for Teaching recipients, who represent all 16 of North Carolina’s public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, were nominated by special committees at each institution and selected by the Board of Governors Committee on Educational Planning, Policies and Programs.
Established by the UNC system board in 1993 to highlight the importance of teaching, the awards recognize the extraordinary contributions of faculty members system-wide.
Read more about Dr. Shirley here.
ECU Symphonic Wind Ensemble performs at NCMEA convention, commended for excellence
The ECU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. William Staub, performed at the North Carolina Music Educators Association Convention (NCMEA) and was commended by the NCMEA and the NC Bandmasters Association for excellence in musical performance.
The Symphonic Wind Ensemble is composed of the most outstanding wind and percussion students in the School of Music. The group is dedicated to the study and performance of the finest wind repertoire regardless of historical period. For more information, contact Dr. William Staub
Click here to hear the Symphonic Wind Ensemble in concert.
NCNMI Premiere Performances provides hands-on music career preparation experiences
Student composers and musicians collaborate in unique hands-on learning experiences to create and perform original music in ECU’s School of Music.
“Premiere Performances concerts offer a chance for our student composers to collaborate with student musicians in every step of the creative process: from identifying and securing performers, to sharing sketches and ideas, to creating the final score and parts, to planning and facilitating rehearsals, to producing the final concert performance,” said Dr. Travis Alford, assistant professor of music composition and theory and director of the North Carolina NewMusic Initiative at ECU. “It’s ‘hands-on learning’ at its finest, for both the composers and the performers.”
ECU professor Sekino inducted in piano teacher hall of fame
Steinway & Sons announced that ECU piano professor Dr. Keiko Sekino was selected for induction into their Teacher & Educational Partner Hall of Fame.
The company said the prestigious designation recognizes the work of North America’s “most committed and passionate piano educators.”
“Pianist Keiko Sekino enjoys an active career as a solo recitalist and chamber musician in the United States and abroad, having performed at such venues as Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Steinway Hall, Bennett-Gordon Hall at Ravinia Park, and Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria in Santander, Spain. Keiko Sekino completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University and holds additional degrees from Yale University in economics and music,” the company said in a press release.
Sekino was among 44 teachers inducted at special events held at the historic Steinway factory in New York City.
ECU School of Music nationwide study on mental health needs of music students released
Rigorous rehearsal schedules combined with heavy course loads each semester, individual practice time and part-time jobs can sometimes overwhelm music majors.
How students across the country coped with those demands — before and during the pandemic — is the focus of research by two School of Music faculty members.
Drs. Raychl Smith and Adrienne Steiner presented their findings virtually at the International Music and Wellbeing Conference hosted by the University of Saskatchewan.
ECU School of Music music education online master’s ranked among nation’s best
“Any pursuit of a Master’s degree is a noble one. Pursuing a Master’s in Music Education, however, is more than noble, it is a pursuit of artistic excellence. Most music majors are perfectionists by nature, and that means that only the best will do – from themselves and others. That also means that for continuing students seeking an online Master’s in Music Education, only the best schools and programs will suffice.