The adjoining Laurie Auditorium has a seating capacity of 3,000 and is used for symphony concerts and a diverse schedule of visiting performers, groups and lectures. Other facilities in the Laurie Auditorium building are the electronic music studio, teaching studios and a large instrumental rehearsal hall. Facilities in the Margarite B. Parker Chapel include a 108 rank Hofmann-Ballard organ, teaching studios, and a large choral rehearsal hall and library. Music degrees include the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Music in Performance or in Composition, and a five-year program in music education leading to the Bachelor of Music in Choral or Instrumental Music, culminating in the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. The Department of Music is a full institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music, the national accrediting agency for schools and departments of music in American colleges and universities.
Many students perform in ensembles, take lessons, and enroll for a class or two.
For those students interested in a concentration in music, a minor and several major programs are available. The minor is designed for students who wish to complete a concentration in music as a part of their liberal arts education. The program requires a total of 26 semester hours in music, including Theory and Comprehensive Musicianship, Music History and Literature, Individual Applied Instruction, Ensemble, and Performance Laboratory. Music studies comprise approximately one-third of the total curriculum, making it possible for many students to complete an additional major in another field of study. Courses include Theory and Comprehensive Musicianship, History and Literature, Individual Applied Instruction, Ensemble, Conducting and Performance Laboratory.