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The Department of Music at Cleveland State University prepares students for careers in performance, composition, music education and music therapy. The Department is a leader in composition, supporting a resource center for composers and the Cleveland Contemporary Players. Strength is in preparing students to become teachers.
All students study with a world-class faculty that includes members of the Cleveland Orchestra, Red (an area orchestra), the Cleveland Lyric Opera Orchestra, and The Venner Trios. Students have the opportunity to hear hundreds of concerts and recitals each year both on and off campus. Our facilities include a large concert and recital hall, three large rehearsal rooms, a state-of-the-art recording studio, an instructional computer lab and two digital composition studios.
Our location in downtown Cleveland provides easy access to Severance Hall, Playhouse Square, museums, art galleries and other performance venues.
Incoming freshmen and transfer students are required to present an entrance audition in their principal medium prior to registration as a music major. Students will also take a diagnostic exam for placement in theory and musicianship courses.
All University students may apply for talent scholarships to play in University ensembles. Scholarship recommendations are made at the time of audition.
Students accepted to Cleveland State University should meet with the Music Department Administrative Assistant to plan their schedule for their first semester. After that, students will be assigned an advisor in their area of concentration.
The national honorary music fraternities, Pi Kappa Lambda and Mu Phi Epsilon, have chapters at Cleveland State. There is also a very active chapter of the Ohio Music Education Association on campus.
Students in high school should follow a college preparatory curriculum. It is also beneficial to have studied piano and music theory although these are not requirements for admission.
Cleveland State University music graduates hold positions in important professional ensembles, as teachers in public and private schools, as registered music therapists at the Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals and the Beck Center for the Arts, among many other institutions. Others own their own music businesses, or teach in colleges and universities across the country. Many students have been admitted to some of the most prestigious music graduate programs in the United States. Since 1977, the Department of Music has been an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
Visit CSU's Music Department for more information at: www.csuohio.edu/music
| Creativity | Ability to read and write music | Singing/instrumental talents |
| Entertaining skills | Communication skills | Perseverance |
| Observation skills | Self-discipline | Basic reading, writing, editing skills |
| Humbleness | Physical stamina | Versatility |
| Good stage presence | Poise | Teaching abilities |
| Performance techniques | Ability to use various sound equipment | Adaptability and flexibility |
| Ability to keep audience's interests |
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