Studying music at California State University, Los Angeles places one in the exciting Southern California music scene. With a campus located just east of downtown Los Angeles, students have numerous outlets in which to engage across a broad range of musical possibilities. Nearby are the world famous Disney Concert Hall, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, television, film and recording studios, theme parks, and numerous other music performance and production venues where students and graduates frequently find opportunities for professional growth during their studies or employment after graduation.
Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the Department has undergraduate and graduate degree programs that prepare students for careers in classical music performance, conducting, composition, music education, commercial music, jazz studies, and Latin music performance.
The Department of Music offers the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Arts and Master of Music degrees. Certain degree programs allow students to pursue individual educational objectives by combining music study with other academic interests. Students may also fulfill requirements for a State of California music teaching credential.
Students in the Department of Music come from throughout California and many countries from around the world. They bring a broad range of backgrounds and musical interests to their music studies. Some are recent high school graduates or community college transfer students beginning their professional education at CalStateLA. Others are musicians with years of professional experience who have decided to return to the university for additional education. International students find the campus an attractive and welcoming environment. This diversity generates an exciting mix of creative musical opportunities for collaboration among students and faculty.
Facilities
The Department of Music at California State University, Los Angeles is part of the College of Arts and Letters. It is housed in a Fine Arts multiplex that includes the Music Building, State Playhouse, Music Hall and the Luckman Fine Arts Complex. Extensive facilities in the Music Building include rehearsal studios, two computer music laboratories, a dedicated keyboard instruction lab, electronically equipped classrooms, choral and instrumental rehearsal halls, piano studios, a well-equipped general music classroom, and individual practice rooms. Several music department performances use the new 1100-seat Harriet and Charles Luckman Theatre.
The University Library houses the Mullins Music and Media Center with a music listening room, a library of more than 11,000 recordings and scores, other media materials, and a large collection of books on music topics. The library itself houses a collection of over one million books and journals, as well as films, newspapers, and federal documents.
Faculty
The music faculty at CalStateLA is comprised of composers, music educators, performers and music scholars with national and international reputations. Many of our performance faculty are first call professionals in the varied and active Los Angeles music scene, performing as studio musicians and singers, and with elite orchestras, ensembles, and opera companies. Others are well-known performers with jazz and Latin music groups, and in various types of commercial music ensembles around Southern California.
The faculty has a strong commitment to prepare students for careers in music and music-related fields. They bring a “real world” knowledge and expertise into the classroom to actively engage students in the process of teaching and learning. In addition to our regular faculty, visiting artists and scholars are frequent guests to the campus, presenting master classes and workshops that enhance the educational opportunities for our students.
Careers
Music alumni from California State University, Los Angeles can be found performing with community and professional orchestras and in chamber ensembles. Others have found careers performing with well-known jazz, Latin music and rock groups, or in opera and musical theatre. CalStateLA graduates can also be found conducting or accompanying professional, church and community choirs. Others have careers in the commercial music business as producers, composers, arrangers and performers. Some graduates have found careers writing about music, working as music critics and commentators, as music librarians, and in fields using or designing music technology in the film, media and video game industries. Our alumni are teaching music at every educational level from pre-school through university. Many have key positions as educational administrators or provide leadership in various professional music associations.
Additional career options are also available to music majors. The broad historical and cultural knowledge acquired through the study of music prepares students for achievement in many disciplines. Analytical skills gained through intense concentration, careful listening, and collaborative experiences give students the tools necessary for accomplishment and further study across a broad range of professions. An education in music has provided several graduates from the Department of Music a foundation on which they have established meaningful professional lives in business, law, computer technology and medicine. Whatever careers our graduates have pursued, they continue their engagement with and support for music in their communities.