The study of music as a liberal art requires an integrated approach to theory, history, and performance, experience in all three fields being essential to the understanding of music as an artistic and intellectual achievement. Theory courses allow the student to work with musical material, to understand modes of organization in composition, and to employ methods of musical analysis. History courses introduce students to methods of studying the development of musical styles and genres, and the relationship of music to the other arts and areas of thought. The music program encourages students to develop performing skills through private study and through participation in the College Choir and early music ensemble.
Practice rooms are available for students to use for rehearsal.
Recognizing the need for a critical listening audience, the program offers a variety of courses for the general student body that assume no previous musical background and that are designed to enhance an understanding of the continuing tradition of the world's music. Students in the program have the opportunity to study with artist-faculty of the first rank and also take advantage of the splendid cultural and artistic activities in the Philadelphia area. The Music Program also presents many concerts and recitals on campus. Larger concerts with orchestra and soloists are held in the spectacular Fine Arts Theatre, renowned for its near-perfect acoustics. Bryn Mawr College 18th-Century Performance Practice and Music History Julianne Baird , Professor, Ph.D., Stanford University.