Music

Music is a high calling.

Talent is God's gift to us. Developing skill is our gift back to God.  Music enriches our lives, cheers our darkest days, stirs our emotions, and stimulates our intellect. Music shapes our culture. Our world needs skillful musicians, men and women who can compose wisely and perform well. 

Christian musicianship is not about competition or who’s better than who. The Huntington University Music Department, like all music schools, recognizes and rewards superior talent and musicianship, but no one with sufficient talent, determination, and experience is turned away.

Developing your musical skill requires a combination of knowledge and rigorous practice. We provide the resources you need to hone your craft and keep improving. For example, accompanists work with all students studying voice or an instrument at no extra fee. 

Our department includes extremely comprehensive programs in a diverse array of options:

• Music
• Music Business
• Choral Music Education
• Instrumental Music Education
• Instrumental Performance
• Piano Performance
• Vocal Performance

We also collaborate with the Ministry and Missions Department to offer both a major and a minor in worship leadership.

With so many choices, you are free to find the track that bests suits your career goals. Any of our programs will enable you to learn valuable techniques in the classroom that you will put into practice through rehearsals and performances.

Huntington University offers exceptional music training within the context of a rich liberal-arts education. We will help you develop as a musician and a scholar, but, most importantly, we will expand the depth and breadth of your creative energy and expression for the glory of God.

Holistic education.

Ultimately, our goal is to see you graduate as a well-rounded, strong musician. As we move toward that goal, we care about the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. We have developed our programs with enough competitiveness to motivate but not enough to discourage. Peers and colleagues appreciate and share one another’s success. Most of our students are able to graduate within the standard four-year timeframe.

Stellar performances.

In addition to the beautiful facilities and top-notch performances in our very own Merillat Centre for the Arts, we have ready access to the lively arts communities of Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, including the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Fort Wayne Ballet, the Indianapolis Opera, and numerous theatre companies and art galleries.

Professional staff.

As a Huntington University student, you will have daily encounters with distinguished artist faculty who are not only active performers but who are pioneers dedicated to the advancement of musical knowledge and who are eager to share their experience with young people. There will also be opportunities for guest lectures and masterclasses to give you a chance to learn even more from music experts.

Off-campus opportunity.

If you would like to add travel to your student experience, you will have numerous opportunities for off-campus study and study abroad, including the CCCU Contemporary Music Center in Nashville. The Center is a hands-on semester-long immersion in the music industry with the support of a Christian community.

The Merillat Centre for the Arts, Huntington University’s home for music, theatre, broadcasting, and art + design, provides excellent opportunities for practice, instruction, and performances, all within one spacious building.

Here are only some of our facility’s perks: 

• Zurcher Auditorium, complete with 36-ft. proscenium stage, 16-ft. fly rails, a fully-equipped scene shop, and full sound, lighting, and projection capabilities
• Longaker Recital Hall, a small and intimate performance space
• Ensemble rehearsal rooms
• Sound-proof individual student practice rooms
• Studio black-box theatre
• Secure instrument storage lockers
• Music library and reference room
• Computer lab 
• Digital piano laboratory with Yamaha Clavinova keyboards
• Christian radio station

We also own a plethora of pianos and other instruments available for our students to use. To name a few:

• 9’ Steinway and Yamaha concert grand pianos
• 7’ Steinway rehearsal piano
• 6’ Mason and Hamblin rehearsal piano
• Seven 5’ Kawaii rehearsal and studio pianos
• Two 5’ Yamaha studio pianos
• 5-Octave Müsser rosewood concert marimba
• Five octaves of Schulmmerich handbells and hand chimes