The department also conducts classes for area teachers and college students and participates in numerous campus events. The music department sponsors a wide variety of performing organizations. Instrumental ensembles include Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Varsity Band, and a variety of smaller chamber ensembles. Vocal music students participate in Nordic Choir, Collegiate Chorale, Cathedral Choir, Norsemen, Pike Kor, and Cantorei. Both instrumentalists and vocalists participate in Collegium Musicum, an ensemble specializing in music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque periods.
Ensemble auditions take place in the spring and fall semesters.
All of the major music organizations are open to any student interested in auditioning, except for Nordic Choir, where sophomore standing is a requirement. Although all ensembles have off-campus performance opportunities, Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra, and Nordic Choir are the primary touring ensembles. Every four years, the Symphony Orchestra enjoys a three-week residency in Vienna, Austria, with performances in the surrounding area. The Concert Band has appeared from coast to coast in the United States and toured western Europe five times. Recent tours have taken the band to Japan, California, Arizona, and Hawaii.