Music Program
Music, Theatre & Dance Department

The department of Music, Theatre & Dance emphasizes active learning in every program. By joining our Music and Theatre majors, you won’t just sit and study methods and theories—you’ll put them into action.

Through ensemble rehearsals, concerts, theatrical productions, student recitals, and fully staged musicals and operas, our students take their learning from the desk to the stage. You’ll also gain a technical background in music theory, acting methods, and dance techniques to take your gifts and skills to the next level and pursue industry-related careers on top of performance.

All prospective Music and Musical Theatre majors must audition for admission into the Music, Theatre & Dance department. Our programs offer both merit- and need-based awards that are designed to enhance the University’s financial aid package. To be considered for music scholarships, students interested in Music majors or minors must be complete their auditions by March 15.

To sign up for an audition time, speak with a Taylor Music or Theatre professor, or to receive additional information about music auditions and scholarships, please contact Lisa Royal, the Music program assistant, at lsroyal@taylor.edu.

Some of our Music, Theatre & Dance graduates have gone one to complete their master’s degrees at the following colleges:

• Bowling Green State University
• Ball State University
• Indiana University
• Southern Illinois University
• University of Michigan

No matter which Music, Theatre & Dance major you pursue, you will have a wide range of career opportunities, from music composer to performer to teacher to stage manager. The Music, Theatre & Dance department has a 96% career placement rate, and our faculty and Calling and Career Office work hard to connect students to employment and internship opportunities throughout their time at Taylor.

Learn more about Taylor University’s Music, Theatre, & Dance philosophy.

The Smith-Hermanson Music Center houses an electronic music studio, a music technology lab, teaching studios, rehearsal rooms, and practice rooms. The attached 218-seat Butz-Carruth Recital Hall boasts a Bösendorfer grand and a Steinway piano. The Recital Hall is designed to provide the best acoustics for performance recording. The electronic studio and technology lab are equipped with music composition and editing software.

Other facility equipment includes:

• 47 pianos across campus
• Wind, brass, string, and percussion instruments
• Electronic and pipe organs
• African drums
• Drum sets and keyboards

We offer ensembles and private lessons in all instrumental and choral areas.

• Instrumental: symphony orchestra, wind and jazz ensembles, jazz combos, and chamber music ensembles such as string quartet, brass ensemble, and flute choir
• Piano: piano, piano pedagogy, and accompanying
• Voice: voice, musical theatre, lyric theatre, and two choral ensembles

Contact Lisa Royal at lsroyal@taylor.edu or 765-998-5232 to learn more.