Meredith College Adds Bachelor of Music in Performance Degree

Meredith College’s Board of Trustees has approved the addition of a Bachelor of Music in Performance to the College’s degree offerings. 

“The Bachelor of Music is the gold standard of professional music performance degrees,” said Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas, head of the Department of Music. “It is an intensive program that provides more in-depth applied training and prepares students to be professional performing musicians.” 

Typically, music courses make up two-thirds to three-quarters of the total coursework in a Bachelor of Music major.

The new degree will build on Meredith’s long history of excellence in music performance and education. The College’s music faculty are nationally recognized as exceptional teachers and artists. Meredith will continue to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Bachelor of Music Education degree options.

Meredith’s program offers a level of versatility that makes it unique in North Carolina and in the Southeast.

“It will meet the 21st-century need for students to have more flexibility in their pursuit of professional music training, given the significant changes that have occurred in recent years in the world of professional music,” Wozencraft-Ornellas said. 

Rather than a focus on a single instrument, the degree offers broader concentrations. Students will be able to choose from three concentration options: Instrumental Studies; Piano/Keyboard Studies; and Vocal Studies.

In addition, students will participate in a Sophomore Assessment Conference at the end of their second year. During this conference, students will work with faculty to determine the focus of their degree for the next two years, allowing additional tailoring to the students’ professional goals. 

The degree will also have an emphasis on professional preparation, including courses in Professional Practices in Music and Music Technology and a required internship. Students in the program will be able to take advantage of the arts-rich Triangle area in order to fulfill the internship requirement.

The new program will be offered beginning in the Fall 2022 semester.

Prospective students who are interested in learning more about the new Bachelor of Music degree may contact Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas, Professor of Music and Department Head, at (919) 760-8536 or jornellas@meredith.edu.