Music (BA, Minor)

As an Aurora University Music major, you will pursue excellence in either instrumental, voice, or keyboard, where both piano and organ are offered. Performance, both as a soloist and as part of an ensemble, is at the core of the Music major. You will focus on your own development in private instruction, while also discovering the specific needs of performing in a group.

The AU Music Department faculty is committed to providing you with solid academic scholarship and continuing opportunities to learn about and appreciate the many facets that music presents as a discipline.

AU’s in-depth program will help you explore and develop a foundational core that combines a liberal arts curriculum alongside the study of music history, music theory, and performance. Through the guidance and mentorship of nationally and internationally accomplished professors, you’ll hone your skills through sustained, comprehensive musical training and build an experience base from the moment you step on campus.

As an AU Music major, you will:

• Discover your passion within the field of music and utilize the skills you develop to define your career path as well as pursue graduate-level academic studies.
• Learn to communicate and connect with people and audiences of all sizes.
• Develop skills that will help make you competitive in the challenging job market.
• Refine your time management skills and personal discipline.

You can expand your career opportunities with a double major. If you are interested in arts management, you can choose to double major in Business Administration. Other popular pairings for students who want to pursue arts journalism are Music and Communication or Music and English. Music and Criminal Justice also pair well for a career dedicated to helping rehabilitate the prison population. And even with a second major, you'll still be able to graduate in four years.

The Music Department welcomes all majors to be involved in the program. 

In Our Own Words

In Our Own Words: Lisa Fredenburgh, Parolini Distinguished Professor of Music, on training artists for a lifetime of music

Our teachers are very accomplished musicians and have fabulous experience to impart on students. Being so close to Chicago provides students with many opportunities to perform. They have a foundation to build upon for the rest of their lives.