Music
Create what moves you
At LaGrange College, studying music means becoming part of a close-knit creative community where mentorship, collaboration, and real-world experience shape your growth as an artist. Whether you’re drawn to performance, production, or musical theatre, you’ll work alongside faculty and fellow students to develop your craft in studios, rehearsal halls, and on stage. Through hands-on learning and meaningful collaboration across the arts, LaGrange helps you turn your passion for music into a purposeful path forward.
Choose your path in Music
At LaGrange College, music students can pursue three distinct degree paths depending on their interests—from performance and theatre to music production and audio engineering.
The Bachelor of Music in Music Production & Audio Engineering prepares students for careers in today’s music industry as songwriters, producers, and audio engineers. Through hands-on work in professional studios, students learn modern production techniques, industry-standard recording practices, and the tools used by working professionals. Students develop skills in songwriting and music production across multiple genres, including audio engineering, recording techniques, mixing, and mastering with industry-standard digital audio workstations. Modern music business entrepreneurship and marketing is integrated to prepare students for the rapidly evolving landscape in the music industry.
The Bachelor of Music in Film & Media equips students with the creative, technical, and collaborative skills needed to compose and produce music for today’s evolving media industries. Through intensive study in composition, orchestration, music technology, audio production, and storytelling, students learn how music shapes emotion and narrative across visual and interactive media. The program’s interdisciplinary environment encourages collaboration with filmmakers, media artists, and performers, giving students hands-on experience scoring real-world creative projects.
The Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre prepares students for the stage through training in the three essential elements of musical theatre: music, acting, and dance. Students gain experience through multiple performance opportunities while studying the history and literature of musical theatre.
The Bachelor of Arts in Music offers a broad, liberal arts–based music education that allows students to develop their musical skills while exploring complementary areas of study across campus. Students are encouraged to pair the degree with a minor that supports their interests and career goals.
Majors and Minors
Major Minor
B.A. in Music B.M. in Music Production and Audio Engineering Minor in Music BM in Music Production and Audio EngineeringCourses
Music Theory I introduces students to the foundational elements of tonal music, including notation, scales, key signatures, intervals, rhythm, and basic harmonic principles. Emphasis is placed on developing fluency in musical analysis, part-writing, and the structural concepts that support Western tonal harmony. This course prepares students for continued study in music theory, ear training music production & audio engineering, and film & media scoring. Previous musical experience is helpful but not required.
A broad survey of American music and musical technology from the late 1700s to present.
A broad survey of music aimed at developing aesthetic awareness and critical analysis of music from various styles and genres.
Ear Training I introduces basic aural skills, including interval recognition, melodic and rhythmic dictation, and sight-singing. Students develop fundamental listening abilities that support concepts learned in Music Theory I.
Ear Training II continues aural skill development through sight-singing, interval work, and melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic dictation. Students strengthen accuracy, musical memory, and fluency with increasingly complex patterns. May be taken before or after Ear Training I.
A weekly seminar hour for the presentation, discussion and critique of compositional and creative student works in progress. Guest lectures and topical presentations will also occur throughout the semester.
Beginning instruction in piano for music majors with no previous keyboard training. Development of basic reading skills. Open to non-majors with the approval of the instructor.
Topics covered include: basic vocal technique, vocal anatomy, breath management, maintaining vocal health, vocal registers, theatrics of singing, IPA, and basic score reading.
This course trains students in the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet to pronounce foreign language art songs and arias. Emphasis is on IPA symbols applied to English, Italian, German, and French.
This course introduces the fundamentals of audio engineering, incluing microphone techniques, signal flow, recording, editing, and basic mixing. Students gain hand-on experience capturing and producing live musical performances using industry-standard tools and workflows.
Piano II builds on fundamentals keyboard skills through expanded technique, intermediate repertoire, hands-on harmonization, chord progressions, and sight-reading development. Students refine coordination, fluency, and musical expression while gaining greater functional proficiency at the keyboard for use in theory, ear training, music production, and film scoring.
Individual instruction in the students area of discipline to develop technical proficiency, portfolio material, and live performance opportunities. May be repeated for credit. Section codes are as follows: Voice (A), Guitar (D), Music Production & Audio Engineering (P), Film & Media Scoring (Q).
Individual instruction in the student’s choice of instrument or voice to develop technical proficiency, repertoire knowledge, and performance skills. May be repeated for credit. (N.B., Composition does not count as a primary applied instrument for degree completion. Refer to “Primary Applied Instrument” above.) Section codes are as follows: Voice (A), Piano (B), Organ (C), Guitar (Classical and Contemporary)(D), Percussion (E), Applied Composition and Sound Design (F), Strings (G), Flute (H), Clarinet (I), Oboe (J), Saxophone (K), Trumpet (L), Trombone (M), Euphonium (N), Horn (O)
Performance organization(s) providing ensemble experience. May be repeated for credit. Section codes are as follows: LC Singers (A), LC Performance Ensemble (G).
Performance organization(s) providing ensemble experience. May be repeated for credit. Section codes are as follows: LC Singers (A), LC Performance Ensemble (G).
Music Theory II continues the study of tonal harmony through an exploration of diatonic chord functions, voice-leading principles, harmonic progression, cadences, and introductory formal structures. Students apply analytical and part-writing skills to increasingly complex musical textures while deepening their understanding of harmonic syntax and musical style. This course prepares students for advanced theoretical study and provides essential foundations for Music Production & Audio Engineering, as well as Film & Media Scoring.
Advanced compositional study of large-scale forms and genres. Assigned and student-initiated composition projects that include brass quintet, string quartet, art song, mixed-voiced choir, and chamber orchestra. Students may also compose works that use live or pre-recorded elements and/or techniques, music for video or short film, or other nontraditional means. All completed compositions that meet the required criteria for these listed performing groups will be rehearsed and recorded.
Music of the Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras, beginning with Beethoven. Course will emphasize historical analysis and criticism, aural identification, and research.
This course focuses on various aspects of diatonic/chromatic harmony, musical style/genre traits, and musical form/structure. Topics include but are not limited to: binary form, rounded binary form, sonata form, strophic form, 32-bar pop song form, church modes, and pitch-class sets. Some lab time will be devoted to studio recording/production and music notation. Other topics will include basic MAC computer skills, especially as they pertain to music theory and music production. This course may be taken before or after MUSI 1102 & 2202.
Class instruction for musical theory topics of a highly specialized nature. The content of this course will change based upon the expertise of the instructor and the needs of the students. Topics include, but not limited to, pop music form and chord progressions, arranging, Schenkerian Analysis, Nashville numbers, lead sheets and chord charts, etc. May be repeated for credit. May be taken for 1-3 credit hours.
Class instruction for musical technology topics of a highly specialized nature. Topics will focus on music technologies used in commercial music. The content of this course will change based upon the expertise of the instructor and the needs of the students. Topics include, but are not limited to, microphone techniques, music notation software, live sound reinforcement, on-the-fly multi-media presentation software, Ableton Live, etc. May be repeated for credit.
Conducting techniques, score reading, rehearsal techniques for choral and/or instrumental ensembles.
This course covers techniques for combining video, sound, and sound effects in various creative contexts. Projects include: recording voice over, introductory video recording, basic lighting for video, basic interview techniques, introductory video editing techniques, advanced sound design, and advanced audio editing techniques.
The study of basic issues pertaining to the music industry which may include: entrepreneurship, music copyrights, music synchronization, musical mechanical licensing, standard music contracts, royalties, artists’ advances and contracts, buyouts. Introduction to the major licensing organizations, i.e., ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the professional society of musicians.
A special projects course with hands-on participation and teamwork required. Each project is unique; specific content will be publicized in the semester preceding the course offering.
A supervised, practical “real world” experience in a professional off-campus environment. May be repeated for credit.
The study of selected operas and operatic excerpts that may result in staged performances.
Class instruction for musical topics of a highly specialized nature. The content of this course will change based upon the expertise of the instructor and the needs of the students. May be repeated for credit.
The capstone presentation is a senior-level exploration of a faculty-approved music topic.
Approval of instructor.
This course focuses on composing, arranging, and producing music using MIDI within a digital audio workstation (DAW). Students develop intermediate skills in sequencing, virtual instrumentation, sound design, and hybrid production techniques while applying creative and technical strategies to complete original projects.
This course introduces students to composing and producing music for visual media, including film, television, and digital content. Students develop original cues that support narrative, mood, and character while applying MIDI composition, orchestration, and production techniques. Emphasis is placed on storytelling, creative expression, and industry-standard workflows.
This course explores composing and producing music for a variety of visual media, including film, television, and digital content. Students create original cues using MIDI, virtual instruments, and hybrid production techniques, focusing on narrative, mood, and style. Emphasis is placed on creative experimentation, media-specific scoring approaches, and professional production workflows.
Individual instruction in the students area of discipline to develop technical proficiency, portfolio material, and live performance opportunities. May be repeated for credit. Section codes are as follows: Voice (A), Guitar (D), Music Production & Audio Engineering (P), Film & Media Scoring (Q).
Performance organization(s) providing ensemble experience. May be repeated for credit. Section codes are as follows: LC Singers (A), LC Performance Ensemble (G).
Performance organization(s) providing ensemble experience. May be repeated for credit. Section codes are as follows: LC Singers (A), LC Performance Ensemble (G).
This course provides students with exposure to current issues, trends, and opportunities in the music and entertainment industries through weekly presentations, guest lectures, and panels with profesionals from diverse sectors of the field. Students gain insight into caraeer pathways, networking strategies, and industry practices while reflecting on their own professional goals.
This course explores the creation and production of music for live sporting events and other media contexts. Students learn to compose, arrange, and produce music that enhances energy, atmosphere, and audience engagement. For the final project, students may either produce a music soundtrack for a LaGrange College sporting event or complete an alternative media-based composition project.
This course engages students in collaborative, research-driven podcast production, guiding them through the creation of three polished episodes per semester. Students work in interdisciplinary teams to develop concepts, script content, record, and produce podcasts while applying storytelling, audio production, and professional workflow techniques. Empshasis is placed on creative collaboration, research integration, and portfolio-ready outcomes.
