Dear friends,听
As the holiday season approaches, I鈥檓 filled with immense pride and optimism reflecting our shared journey at the College of Music. In a world too often shadowed by conflicts and divisions, I鈥檓 heartened by our college鈥檚 daily transcendence of sorrow and seeming helplessness through the solace and power of music鈥攎ost recently and beautifully conveyed in our annual Holiday Festival featuring the diverse experiences, ethnicities, cultures and spiritualities of our talented students and faculty, and our greater campus community.听
Additionally, as an update to my previous Dean鈥檚 Downbeat鈥攊n which I introduced our efforts to more effectively advance students pursuing music as a vocation as well as students interested in music as an active avocation鈥擨鈥檓 thrilled to announce that a new mission-driven Bachelor of Arts in Music emphasis has been approved by our hardworking curriculum committee! In our earnest commitment to identify and implement new non-traditional degree options that are more inclusive of our increasingly broadly-based student applicants, the College of Music鈥檚 Bachelor of Arts in Music: Music Production degree will be offered beginning fall 2025, paving the way for additional interdisciplinary degree emphases to come.听
In other words, we鈥檙e gaining momentum and we have a great deal to look forward to in 2024! Meanwhile, we鈥檙e celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of all our winter 2023 graduates and wishing you鈥攐ur students, staff, faculty, alumni and community of supporters鈥攋oyful, harmonious holidays and a rejuvenating winter break.听
See you next year,听
John S. Davis
Dean, College of Music
