B.M. in Music
Join our vibrant music community while preparing for a career in music education or music performance.
There are two paths to study music at the University of Mississippi. Choose between the more flexible Bachelor of Arts in Music or the Bachelor of Music with emphases in music education or music performance. The Bachelor of Music curriculum prepares students to become professional musicians or vocalists, to teach music at the K-12 levels, or for graduate or professional school. Students select a concentration in instrumental, keyboard, or vocal training.
Key Benefits
Music majors acquire a broad knowledge of music history, literature, and theory, as well as skill in performance, conducting, composition, and analysis. The student musical experience is enriched by unique opportunities and facilities such as the Living Music Resource, the Blues Archive, David H. Nutt Auditorium, Gertrude C. Ford Performing Arts Center, and the Paris-Yates Chapel.
Graduate Outcomes
A liberal arts education prepares graduates to deal with complexity and change. They gain key skills in communication, problem-solving, and working with diverse groups. Careers related to music include music teacher, performer, accompanist, arranger, arts administrator, church musician, composer, conductor, instrument technician, music publisher, music contractor, music retail store manager, and recording technician.
Experiences Offered
Music majors conclude their college career with the performance of a senior recital in Nutt Auditorium.
B.M. in Music Faculty
Faculty in the Department of Music at the University of Mississippi include specialists on all instruments and voice, as well as scholars of music history, theory, and pedagogy.
Course Requirements
To complete the B.M. degree, a student must satisfy the requirements for either a music performance emphasis or a music education emphasis. See catalog for more details.
Admissions Requirements
An entrance audition demonstrating technical skills, musicianship, and musical literacy is required, and admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. Students usually require several years of formal training in a school band, choir, or orchestra, along with private lessons. Transfer students must provide a list of repertoire studied in studio lessons at their previous institutions.
Portia Davis
"At my music audition at UM I visited with faculty and knew I had found my home away from home, a place that could allow me to express myself. Little did I know the impact that Ole Miss would have on me." Portia (B.M. with an emphasis in music education, concentration in keyboard, 2013) wrote her honors thesis on a comparison between Chinese opera and Western opera. She studied piano with Professor Hominick, who "challenged me every week in lessons and prepared me for collegiate competitions and a very successful senior recital." She accompanied voice and instrumental students, an experience that would influence her later. After graduation, Portia attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to earn a M.A. in piano pedagogy and a M.A. in vocal coaching & accompanying. She moved to Jackson, MS to teach piano and theory at the Power Academic and Performing Arts Complex.
Why study music at UM?
"Undergraduate years can be sometimes overwhelming because big decisions are made. While it is true that UM is a large school, the music department felt like home and my classmates and teachers felt like family. The faculty want to see their students succeed and will make your dreams a reality. I use many skills that I learned at Ole Miss every day in my teaching."
Student Organizations
The Department of Music hosts chapters of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, a national music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota, a national music fraternity for women, Pi Kappa Lambda, a music honorary society, the National Association for Music Education, the American Choral Directors Association, and the American String Teachers Association. Majors are required to participate in ensembles, which include bands (Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band), choirs (Ole Miss Concert Singers, Men's and Women's Glees, Chamber Singers), Opera Theatre, University Orchestra, Jazz Ensembles, African Drum and Dance Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Drum Band, Salsa Band, and Chamber ensembles.