Mission Statement
Music is an essential part of human life. It has been used for millennia to bring people to laughter, to tears, and to inspire a sense of solidarity. The Grinnell College Department of Music is committed to helping students become more skilled, creative, critically reflective, and socially aware members of a community by integrating music-making with theory, context, and critical engagement. We offer a range of courses on diverse practices from multiple disciplinary perspectives that are anti-racist, inclusive, and equitable so that all students feel a sense of belonging and can expand the possibilities of what music can be for them. Whether they are majors or taking a single course, students will learn to integrate music into their lifelong quest for meaning.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the Department of Music will be able to:
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Write critically and persuasively about musical sound and its meaning using analytical terminology, tools, and frameworks appropriate to the object of study and the intended audience.
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Create music, whether as improvisers, composers, performers, or digital producers, with a high level of competence.
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Develop research questions and methods that are practically and ethically appropriate to creative, analytical, or historical projects.
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Integrate intellectual and embodied knowledge by cultivating critical, analytical, and creative skills in tandem.
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Collaborate and co-create effectively, inclusively, and joyfully with faculty and peer co-learners during classes and ensembles in service of shared goals.
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Interrogate relevant structures of power to situate musicians in complex cultural contexts.
Updated 3/15/2024