Music studies have been a formal part of the curriculum at Brenau since Brenau College Conservatory was established as two separate institutions: a college for the education of women and a conservatory of music, art, oratory and “kindred subjects” in 1906. Following a devastating tornado in 1936, Brenau College and the conservatory merged, allowing for the creation of the Department of Music. Another restructuring period for Brenau in the 1970s allowed the Department of Music to admit male students.
The Department of Music offers small classes that cater to the needs of students as they find their voices within the larger field of music. The department offers two Bachelor of Arts degrees in music education and music performance. There are several ensemble opportunities, including the Vocal Chamber Ensemble and Opera Workshop, which both require auditions, and the Gospel Choir and Spectrum Singers, which are open to all students, faculty, staff and community members. The department also maintains an active membership in the national music honor fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon, having the distinction of being chapter Mu as the 13th established in the United States.
The Department of Music, which is part of Brenau’s College of Fine Arts & Humanities, is also a new member of the university’s collaborative Center for the Arts & Design initiative, which promotes interdisciplinary cooperation and professional development
I Believe by Mark A. Miller
The arts invite us, whether we are passively or actively involved, to reach toward what is meaningful to us as human beings. The Department of Music offers this lyric and poetic video to Brenau University and her community as we consider the meaning of our humanity.
