The Department of Music offers a diverse program of musical studies, including appreciation, history/literature and theory courses, as well as ensembles and applied music lessons at all levels in voice, piano, organ, harpsichord, stringed instruments, brass, woodwind and percussion instruments.
The music department works with students as individuals and in groups to develop performance skills and knowledge of music theory, history and literature. Music students share a personal relationship with faculty whose work as teachers, performers and scholars keeps them and their students in touch with the realities of today’s musical world.
Music majors may choose one of three areas of concentration: music education, performance and history/literature-theory. The music education concentration culminates in student teaching and certification. The performance concentration requires a senior recital, and the history/literature-theory involves a completing a major research project. As a result of their learning in classes, individual lessons and ensembles, graduates are well-prepared to teach in K-12 schools, graduate study in music, or continued avocational participation in music as members of ensembles or as individual performers.
Achieve More
Latest News
Ripon College will presents its annual Spring Lawn Concert Wednesday, May 1. Featuring the Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Rally Band, the concert will […]
Ben Cabala ’24 of Madison, Wisconsin, will present his senior flute recital Saturday, April 27, at Ripon College. The program will begin at 4 p.m. […]
The Ripon College Chamber Winds and Symphonic Wind Ensemble will present a spring concert, “Retrospect and Modern Takes,” Sunday, April 28. The concert will begin […]
Advising
Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.
As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers.
Advising at Ripon
Career Tracks
Music majors from Ripon College have successfully pursued careers in public school and studio teaching, performance, higher education, church music, and other professional fields.
Ensembles
Chamber Singers
Chamber Singers is Ripon College’s premier choral ensemble and is open to students of all majors by audition. Chamber Singers performs a wide array of choral repertoire throughout the year. The ensemble performs multiple times on campus each semester. Every spring, the Chamber Singers go on tour to share music with schools and communities throughout the region. For more information please contact Paul Thompson.
Choral Union
Ripon College’s Choral Union is open to students, faculty, staff and community members. The choir performs on its own, and also joins other choirs and the Ripon College Orchestra for a masterwork concert every spring. Rehearsals are Thursdays from 7 - 9 p.m. For more information, please contact Abby Schmidt.
Concert Choir
The Ripon Concert Choir is a mixed choir open to any student on campus. This choir is designed to be a singing home for students regardless of past choral experience. No audition is required; simply sign up and come to rehearsals. The group will sing varied choral repertoire with a focus on music as a vehicle to build our voices, skills, and humanity. For more information please contact Paul Thompson.
Jazz Ensemble
The Ripon College Jazz Ensemble is a big band that plays music from the earliest jazz through the most contemporary jazz styles. From within the group, a number of different jazz combos perform as well on the two major Jazz Ensemble concerts each year. Development of improvisation skills is a major goal of the group. The Jazz Ensemble also performs on a pops concert each year and occasionally at off-campus events.
Orchestra
Unlike many schools its size, Ripon College has a long-standing, vital College Orchestra. Made up of students and community members, the group puts on two concerts a year that feature orchestral works from all of the style periods of Western music. Concerts often feature guest soloists. Children’s concerts are another type of event that the orchestra puts on with some regularity.
Symphonic Wind Ensemble
The Ripon College Symphonic Wind Ensemble is made up of brass, winds and percussion. In recent years, the group has had approximately 50 to 55 members. It is largely a student group, although there are a few community members. The group performs two major concerts each year, as well as a pops concert and a concert of small ensemble music. Literature ranges from band classics from throughout the 20th century to transcriptions of music from other media, marches and lighter fare.