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School of Music

College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences

School of Music

College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences

Take Your Passion for Music to the Next Level

Eastern Kentucky University’s School of Music prepares students for professional practice in music and musical theatre, and serves as the performance home for the entire university community. Our programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and taught by a faculty of working musicians and educators who hold students to professional standards from day one. We offer degrees in music education, music performance, music composition and music industry, along with minors in music and musical theatre. Our ensembles and performance organizations are open to all EKU students regardless of major, and we present more than 100 concerts each year across the region.

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School of Music Degrees & Certificates

Undergraduate Programs

graduate Programs

Minors

Why Study Music?

Regardless of your musical skill level, the study of music offers numerous psychological and social benefits. In addition to serving as a creative outlet, music has been shown to teach discipline, promote teamwork, and improve memory. Music can lead to a fulfilling career that touches the lives of students and audience members alike, no matter which path you choose.

EKU’s performance organizations are open to all university students regardless of major. Approximately 300 students perform in our ensembles each year. Audition schedules and requirements are available on the Audition Information page.

  • Athletic Bands: The Marching Colonels — the Pride of Kentucky — and the Maroon Machine represent EKU at athletic events and regional performances. The Marching Colonels are among the most visible and active student organizations on campus.
  • Chamber Ensembles: Chamber music is a vibrant part of EKU’s musical life. Offerings include wind, string, and percussion chamber ensembles, Jazz Ensembles and Combos, Bluegrass Ensemble, Steel Band, EKos (a cappella), and Opera.
  • Choirs: EnChor, Koros and University Singers perform throughout the academic year and are regularly invited to regional and national festivals. EKU Choirs have performed at Carnegie Hall.
  • Concert Bands and Wind Ensemble:The Wind Ensemble is EKU’s most advanced instrumental ensemble for winds and percussion and has been invited to perform at the Kentucky Music Educators Association state conference and regional conferences of the College Band Directors National Association. The Concert Band performs a full season of concerts each year.
  • Guitar Ensemble: Ensemble program welcomes music majors, minors and non-music majors. Ensembles perform throughout the year in classical and popular styles, and EKU hosts an annual Guitar Festival drawing participants from across Kentucky and the region.
  • Musical Theatre: EKU’s Musical Theatre program integrates vocal performance, acting and theatrical production in a professionally structured curriculum. Productions are fully staged and draw on the combined resources of the School of Music and EKU’s theatrical production programs.
  • Symphony Orchestra: The EKU Symphony Orchestra is the university’s premier full orchestra, performing literature from all eras. The orchestra presents multiple concerts each semester, including performances at the EKU Center for the Arts.

EKU music students work in facilities designed for professional-level study and performance.


Recording and Production: Our state-of-the-art recording studio is equipped with professional-grade hardware and software and supports student work in music production, sound engineering, and composition.


Technology and Instruction: A recently upgraded combined keyboard and computer lab supports coursework in music theory, musicianship and music technology.


Music Library: An extensive music library serves both performance and academic research needs.

Performance Spaces:

  • Gifford Auditorium
  • Brock Auditorium
  • Center for the Arts, a professional-grade performance venue that also presents touring national and international artists
  • O’Donnell Auditorium
  • Pearl Auditorium

EKU’s School of Music scholarships are merit-based awards made through the audition process. A scholarship offer from the School of Music is one component of a complete financial aid package that may also includes institutional academic awards, Kentucky state scholarship programs, federal grants and other aid.

Scholarship awards are renewable for up to eight consecutive semesters. All scholarship consideration begins with a School of Music audition. Students who complete their audition by March 1 are considered in the first round, with initial decisions released March 15 and final decisions by June 1. Contact the School of Music at 859-622-3266 or music@eku.edu.

  • Director’s Award: $5,000 to $7,000 or more per year: The School’s highest scholarship recognition, reserved for students whose audition performance and academic achievement place them among the top applicants in the recruiting cycle.
  • Music Scholar Award: $3,500 to $4,999 per year: Recognizes strong audition performance in students whose enrollment addresses a programmatic or studio priority area.
  • Music Merit Award: $1,500 to $3,499 per year: Recognizes solid audition performance within general eligibility criteria.
  • Music Ensemble Award: $500 to $1,499 per year: A targeted award for students whose enrollment addresses a specific ensemble need.

Student Stories & Features

  • Andrew Hakenewerth

    EKU Master of Music Performance Graduate
    Earning my Masters Degree at Eastern Kentucky University was everything for me. My dream was to teach music in higher education, and that would not be possible without a masters degree. For myself, Eastern Kentucky was paramount in my learning and networking, because without my time spent at EKU, I would not have had the opportunity to continue my doctorate at the University of Kansas, and then have the job I enjoy now.

  • Amanda Tipton

    EKU Master of Music Education Graduate
    Earning my Masters degree at EKU gave me the opportunity to learn more about the theory side of education, while also giving me the freedom to dive into aspects of music education that interested me the most. During my final project, I was able to do a deep dive into five different comprehensive music education curriculums and that knowledge was instrumental in helping me to feel prepared for my new role as a full time general music educator. The faculty at EKU are some of the most caring educators I’ve had the fortune of meeting. I always felt supported by…

  • LeMorris Hunt

    EKU Master of Music Conducting Student
    The EKU faculty aided in my success because I was very prepared for the work force in my degree area. I was given many of the updated skills and teaching techniques in the field to help me stand out in any interview process. I was also given tips and points on how I could build my resume and portfolio. EKU is a great place to learn and grow. You get a first class education without the first class prices. The music department has great professors who have a thriving career but are not untouchable.

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High School Honor Band Festival

February 18, 2027 – February 20, 2027calendar-multiday
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Middle School Honor Band Festival

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News & Updates

Professor Showcases EKU Music on International Stage, Performing in Brazil

An international partnership led by an Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Music professor is creating global opportunities for students while bringing Brazilian music to audiences on one of the world’s most celebrated stages. On July 8, EKU Professor Dr. Bernardo Scarambone served as the featured solo pianist in the world premiere of “Brazilian Music for Piano […]

Setting the Tempo for Kentucky’s Future Teachers

Kentucky continues to face a teacher shortage, creating challenges for school districts across the state. The 2025 Kentucky Educator Shortage Survey noted more than 2,400 total vacancies across school districts in the Commonwealth, including 671 certified teacher vacancies. Also in the survey, 72% of districts reported an observed decrease of the number of qualified candidates […]

EKU Pep Band Goes National With Music Student Recording for Video Game

Most students cheer for their team on gameday, but one Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) pep band member will be heard by millions in the new EA SPORTS College Football ’27 video game.  Silas Feeback, a junior music education major from Nicholas County, Kentucky, recently spent three days in Nashville recording over 15 songs for the […]

Contact Information

School of Music

Foster Music Building
Room 101
2400 Crabbe Street
Richmond, KY 40475

859-622-3266
music@eku.edu

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