OU’s music department is thriving on one word this fall, and it means a lot to both faculty and students.
That word is growth – and it’s brought some major ones to campus this fall.
“This has been an aggressive recruitment year for scholarships,” Roger Kugler, director of music programs and associate professor of music said. “We are recruiting enthusiastically. Our goal is to be the destination music program.”
Joel McAdoo, freshman from Ottawa knew he’d be attending OU to study music.
“I want to make music my career,” he said. “I’ll get to watch the program grow while I’m here, but it’ll still be hands on and personal.”
McAdoo plays guitar for OU and is involved in jazz band and choir. He is also looking into joining the praise band.
“I’m just excited the program is growing and I hope it will continue to,” he said.
With large enrollment numbers this fall, hopes are high.
“We have strong enrollment, Kugler said. “We have 90 individuals enrolled in some sort of a music class this fall.”
The music program has expanded in all sections, with major growth in the university choir, which went from eight students two years ago to 54 students this year.
But the program is also expanding in new directions. The university band, which didn’t exist last year, now has 24 members. OU has also started jazz singers this fall, which has 17 students enrolled.
Change is something that students in the department value and take notice of.
“There are a lot more options than there used to be,” McAdoo said. “I came at a good time.”
Junior Dively Zarate, who is involved in concert choir and jazz singers, agrees with McAdoo.
“The expansion will bring more students to the university,” she said. “It will also build a great music program which will bring more attention to music here.”
Music education classes are also expanding. This fall, Music Theory 1 has 17 students enrolled. The past two years, only two students have been involved. American Popular Music, a class that focuses on The Beatles, continues to have strong enrollment.
“I think the growth is phenomenal,” Zarate said. “It’s good to see students getting more involved and rebuilding the department in order to make it a more important part of the university.”
To help teach the music students, more faculty members have come on board. The department will see 6 new and 3 returning adjunct professors to help teach the 28 students enrolled in independent study music classes.
“Being close to Lawrence and Kansas City gives our department the opportunity to hire professors to accommodate private study lessons,” Kugler said.
It’s something that he thinks the university will benefit from in times to come.
“It creates more of a healthier social balance on campus,” Kugler said. “The incoming freshman elevated the academic level of the student body. We have presidential and provost scholars in the department.”
Zarate also notices the balance on campus.
“Music can be shared with everyone,” she said. “There’s no specific group of people you have to belong to in order to build a musical family with the choir, band or orchestra.”
The department is looking to expand degree programs. This would include a music minor and a jazz studies concentration. More concerts and trips are also in the future for the music students.
Concert choir is also considering a trip to New York this January.
“We’d be going to perform a piece of music that just debuted in Europe this summer,” Zarate said. “It’s called Gloria by Karl Jenkins, and we were invited to perform this piece with other choirs from the U.S.”
As Kugler reflects, he also says none of this would’ve have been possible without encouragement from faculty and alumni.
“Alumni valued their musical experiences here. None of this would’ve been possible without the help of the Board of Trustees, President Eichner and Dr. Tyner,” Kugler said. “They have been incredibly supportive that this growth will help to meet enrollment numbers.”