All students at Moravian are eligible to enroll in music and art classes, even if they don’t plan to major or minor in those departments.
Music Ensembles
There are over a dozen music ensembles that students may enroll in, ranging from vocal to instrumental to jazz, with auditions typically taking place the first week of every semester.
For choral ensembles, enrollment is open by audition to all Moravian students, faculty, and staff, as well as anyone from the Lehigh Valley community.
Students can join the Blue Stars, a treble voice ensemble, or the Grey Hounds, which includes tenor and baritone voices.
The Moravian University Choir, a mixed-voice ensemble, and the Moravian Chorale, a select mixed-voice chorus, rehearse on Wednesdays. If interested in singing in the University Choir and Chorale, students must be in Blue Stars or Grey Hounds.
Students who are not music majors, including music minors, and want to earn M6 (Aesthetic Experience) LinC credit can enroll in MUS 150. To receive credit, students must participate in the University Choir for six semesters and complete a short reflection paper at the end of each term.
All other choir participants, including music majors, receive ensemble credit through their Performance Unit, while non-music majors and minors can earn elective credit: a half unit after four semesters of participation and a full unit after six semesters. For students following the MILE general education curriculum, participation in the University Choir for six semesters also counts as an elective credit.
For more information about vocal ensembles, reach out to the Director of Vocal Music and Head of the Music Department, Dr. Paula Zerkle, at [email protected].
Music Lessons
Non-music majors can enroll in certain music classes with no prerequisites, such as MUS 101: A Short Course in Theory, MUS 113: Global Musics, MUS 115: Jazz Artists and Eras, MUS 125: History of Musical Theatre, MUS 176: Music and the Social Conscience and MUS 188: Women and Music.
Moravian students and community members are also eligible to enroll in the Moravian University Music Institute (MUMI) each semester, for no credit
Lessons are offered in a wide range of instruments and musical disciplines, including bagpipe, baritone horn, bassoon, cello, Celtic fiddle, clarinet, classical guitar, composition, drum set, electric bass, electric guitar, film scoring, finger-style guitar, flamenco guitar, flute, French horn, harp, harpsichord, jazz performance, music theory, oboe, organ, percussion, piano, saxophone, string bass, trombone, trumpet, tuba, viola, violin and voice.
Moravian students can register for lessons through MUS 100.1. The cost is about $600 for one semester of 13 lessons.
Community members can also sign up for lessons through MUMI. The cost for those is $584 for 14 30-minute lessons, $875 for 14 45-minute lessons, and $1168 for 14 60-minute lessons.
There are also Suzuki lessons for cello, piano and violin. The lessons, which seek to transfer language-acquisition skills to learning music, require that parents attend the sessions with their children. For instrumental ensembles, there are a variety of options for students and community musicians.
The Moravian University Orchestra, directed by Theodore Kuchar, rehearses Mondays from 7–10 p.m. in Foy Concert Hall. It is the required ensemble for string majors, with wind and percussion participation determined by the repertoire.
The Wind Ensemble performs music from the 19th through the 21st centuries. It is led by Dr. JoAnn Wieszczyk and rehearses Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15–6:15 p.m. in the spring semester.
The Moravian University BIG Band, directed by Dr. Neil Wetzel, rehearses twice weekly and performs traditional big band jazz as well as modern works. In the fall, the Greyhound Marching Band, also directed by Wieszczyk, rehearses Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15–6:15 p.m. Students of any major may participate in this no-audition ensemble, which performs at campus and athletic events.
Moravian also hosts several non-credit ensembles, including the Brass Ensemble, Celtic Ensemble, Clarinet Choir, Flute Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Improv Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble (Quintet), and Trombone Ensemble.
Jazz ensembles are open to students from any discipline. Jazz Combo I, directed by Tony Gairo, and Jazz Combo II, directed by David Roth, are small groups of four to seven musicians that focus on improvisation, ensemble communication, and expanding jazz repertoire. Both rehearse weekly and perform in scheduled concerts.
The Jazz/Rock Fusion Ensemble, led by Paul Rostock, explores music that blends jazz and rock styles and performs each semester. The Jazz Vocal Ensemble, directed by Lora Sherrodd, focuses on vocal jazz performance, including lyric interpretation, improvisation, microphone technique, and stage presence.
Art
Students at Moravian are also eligible to enroll in art courses, even if they are not majoring or minoring in the discipline. Art kit and course fees range from $75.00 to $175.00 per class.
The Art Department offers several possible tracks for majors, including studio art, photography/media, art history and criticism, art education, and graphic and interactive design, but many introductory classes are open to non-majors as well.
Students interested in trying art without committing to the major can take foundational classes in creativity and social practice, public art, graphic design, visual foundations, black-and-white photography, drawing, and painting. Many of these courses also count toward general education requirements or elective credits.
Students interested in the historical side of art rather than creating it can enroll in survey classes that cover major artistic traditions from ancient art to the Renaissance and from the Renaissance to modern abstraction. Other art history offerings explore topics such as modern art, African art, Renaissance art, the history of photography, artists as activists, and art across the lifespan.
For students drawn to digital or media-based work, Moravian offers classes in graphic design, digital photography, digital video and interactive design, and animation. Students interested in hands-on studio work can enroll in courses such as printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, drawing, and painting.
Some art and design courses also require field trips, and certain studio classes include lab or supply fees for materials such as clay, photographic chemicals, printing, or art kits.
Dance
The Moravian Dance Company allows students to train with professional dance faculty and other dedicated dancers; members participate in master classes, performances, and workshops.
Dancers audition during the first week of classes and must have at least five years of technical training. Members rehearse twice a week and perform in fall showcases and the spring Dancers in Concert performance, and participation can count for academic credit. If you are interested or have any questions, reach out to the Company Director, Lisa Busfield, at [email protected].
