MUSIC
Bachelor’s Degree Programs
Music has always been a part of your life, always defined who you are. If you’re inspired to turn that passion into a career you love, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is the right place for you to prepare for a future of performance, composing, teaching or succeeding in another music-related role.
Along with Music degree programs in education, performance and theory and composition — and seven concentration areas — we offer a welcoming environment filled with plenty of opportunities to sharpen your musical skills and share your talents.
Are you a high school student interested in music?
CAN WE BRAG A LITTLE?
The energetic Warhawk Marching Band and Color Guard performed at Lambeau Field for a crowd of 80,000 fans during a Green Bay Packers home opener.
Our Music students perform around the world. The Chamber Singers and Vocal Jazz Ensemble embarked on an international tour in Germany and Poland in 2019. They performed a new musical work —as part of a commission — in celebration of the university’s 150th anniversary.
Students in the Symphonic Wind Ensemble have performed by invitation as the featured ensemble at festivals held at Carnegie Hall in New York, Symphony Center in Chicago and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.
The statewide Richard G. Gaarder Award is presented each year to an undergraduate Music Education major who has shown exceptional leadership, musical excellence and service to the campus and community. Warhawks have won the statewide honor 19 times since 1989, the most of any university.
Why study Music at UW-Whitewater?
We stand out among other Music degree programs in Wisconsin because we’re just the right size for big-school opportunities (like internationally respected ensembles and faculty-artists) and small-school perks (like a close-knit music department where everyone is heard loud and clear.)
Our graduates say time and again the strong relationships with our faculty and countless opportunities for involvement helped them launch successful careers in music.
What our Music students do
Perform in 25 ensembles
Mentor young musicians
Participate in music research
Enjoy 60+ musical events per semester
Charlie Shilhavy, a music major from Racine, was named the 2024 recipient of the Student Exemplary Service Award from the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) as part of the organization’s Student Chapter Awards and willbe honored in Louisville, Kentucky. Shilhavy is the fourth Warhawk to win the award in the last 11 years.
Nick Andersen is a Music Performance major in trumpet with a minor in Entrepreneurship. From Waukesha, Wisconsin he wants to use music to inspire and impact people.
Dayna Hubbartt is pursuing her degree in Instrumental Music Education with an emphasis in flute. Originally from Manitowoc, WI she knew in fifth grade that she wanted to be a music teacher.
Ensembles and performance opportunities
As a student musician at UW-Whitewater, you’ll contribute your talents to one (or more) of our 25 ensembles. Work with amazing conductors, perfect your skills, earn college credit, and entertain crowds on campus and beyond — including international trips. All musical groups are open to all UW-Whitewater students, regardless of major!
BANDS
Symphonic Wind Ensemble*
Warhawk Marching Band
University/Community Band
ORCHESTRAS
Symphony Orchestra*
Chamber Orchestra*
JAZZ
Jazz Ensemble I*
Jazz Ensemble II*
Jazz Combos*
CHORAL
Chamber Singers*
Concert Choir
Harmonia (sopranos and altos)
Hawk Kor (tenors and basses)
Vocal Jazz Ensemble*
CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Brass Choir
Cello Ensemble
Chancellor's Quartet*
Clarinet Ensemble
Flute Choir
Improvisors Orchestra
Percussion Ensemble
Saxophone Quartets and Ensemble
Sonict New Music Ensemble
Trombone Choir
Trumpet Ensemble
OTHER VOCAL
Opera Workshop*
Operas and Musicals
*requires audition
Student productions: Musicals and operas
Play in the pit. Take a lead role. Paint the set. Open to all majors, our musicals and operas are a fantastic way to collaborate with your peers from all over campus while gaining real-world production experience.
Hands-on learning experiences
By nature, a major in Music means plenty of hands-on experience. But at UW-Whitewater, that goes beyond practicing and performing.
Research Projects: Dive deep into a topic that interests you and present your findings at UW-Whitewater’s Undergraduate Research Day and at the National Council on Undergraduate Research conference.
Music Days: Gather with local musicians of all ages for an instrument-specific master class with a guest artist.
Music Camp: Teach and inspire the next generation of music majors at one of our nine summer music camps.
“The kids who struggle — I want to help them the most. Lesson after lesson, you’ll finally say something that turns on the lightbulb for them. That emotion you feel as a teacher when you see your previously struggling student succeed is indescribable.”
— Ryan Schultz, Future teacher, music major and 2019 Richard G. Gaarder Award Winner
What our graduates do
Teach music in K-12 or at the college level
Study in respected graduate degree programs
Tour with ensembles
Work in music publishing, retailing and tech
Jobs for Music majors: Career success
Warhawk-grown musicians, composers and teachers take their music careers to classrooms, auditoriums, and studios throughout Wisconsin and around the country.
- School band, orchestra and choir
director - General music teacher
- Music professor
- Professional composer/arranger
- Music minister
- Education sales representative for national music retailer
- Voice-over talent
- Private music teacher
- Music promoter/manager
- Professional orchestral musician
- Instrument repair manager
- Vice president at SESAC, a performing rights organization
Second act: Grad school success
After earning their Bachelor of Music degree at UW-Whitewater, many of our graduates pursue advanced study at schools such as:
- Arizona State University
- Bowling Green State University
- Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University
- Conservatoire Regional de Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris, France)
- Indiana University
- Louisiana State University
- New England Conservatory
- New York University
- Texas Tech University
- University of Alaska Fairbanks
- University of Massachusetts
- University of Michigan
- University of Minnesota
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- University of North Texas
- University of Texas
- University of Western Ontario
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
Marilyn Farias, from Juda, Wisconsin, earned a B.M. in music and Spanish and was accepted to graduate school at New York University pursuing a Master of Music in Performance in New York, New York.
Emma Phelps, from Delafield, Wisconsin, earned a B.M. in music and was accepted to graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro pursuing a Master of Music in Performance in Greensboro, North Carolina.
"I'm proud of performing at Carnegie Hall with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and winning the 2022 Concerto Competition. Dr. Cristina Ballatori has provided me with endless guidance, encouragement, and support during my four years here and has taught me so much as a flutist, leader, artist, and human being."
Our learning spaces and performing arts venues
The Greenhill Center of the Arts is our home. A gathering place for Music majors, it’s always abuzz with students learning, rehearsing, practicing, and creating. In addition to teaching studios and multimedia classrooms, the Greenhill Center is home to:
Light Recital Hall: An intimate atmosphere with excellent acoustics, this 350-seat is a perfect home for student recitals and choir concerts.
Barnett Theatre: With a fully trapped stage — including an orchestra pit and fly system — this 386-seat theater hosts five major productions a year.
Young Auditorium: This 1,300-seat venue holds dozens of national and university events each year, from concerts and comedy to theater and dance. ( See season line-up)
Our Music faculty
Teachers. Performers. Composers. Scholars. Mentors. You won’t find teaching assistants here: Unlike other state schools, 100% of our music courses are taught by faculty members.
Our low student-teacher ratio means it’s almost impossible not to form strong relationships at UW-Whitewater: Regardless of your major, career interests or primary instrument, you’ll to get to know — and learn from — Music faculty and staff members from across the department.
Dr. Glenn C. "Doc" Hayes has served as Director of Bands for over three decades at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Currently, Dr. Hayes serves as the Department Chair for the Department of Music, and his responsibilities include directing and conducting the Symphony Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, University/Community Band, and the Warhawk Marching Band.
Dr. Matthew Onstad serves as the Assistant Department Chair for the Department of Music. Dr. Onstad is the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he teaches all things trumpet, coaches chamber music, and performs with the Whitewater Brass Quintet. He also holds rank of Staff Sergeant in the 132nd Wisconsin Army National Orchestra and performs with multiple groups throughout the Midwest.
Dr. Christopher Ramaekers serves as the Director of Orchestras at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Outside of Whitewater, Dr. Ramaekers also serves as Music Director of the Lake Forest Civic Orchestra, Symphony847 and Access Contemporary Music in the Chicago area, and Principal Conductor of the Middleton Community Orchestra.
Dr. Robert Gehrenbeck serves as Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where his responsibilities include conducting and directing the UWW Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Harmonia (Treble Choir), and opera and musical theatre productions. Since 2008, Gehrenbeck has served as Artistic Director of the Wisconsin Chamber Choir.
Dr. Michael Hackett serves as Jazz and Commercial Music Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where his responsibilities include conducting and directing Jazz Big Band, Jazz Combos, Jazz Improvisation, and more. Dr. Hackett has performed in some of the most important musical venues in the world, ranging from Lincoln Center, Birdland, and The Apollo Theater in New York City to the Kennedy Center and Blues Alley in Washington, DC.
Want to learn more about earning a Music degree?
262-472-1310 | music@uww.edu |
In addition to UW-Whitewater’s general education requirements, Music students take a set of core courses and electives that will vary greatly depending upon major or emphasis. The Bachelor of Music — Music Education leads to teaching licensure. Select a program below to download the individual requirements.
UW-Whitewater offers the following Music degrees:
- Bachelor of Arts — Music | 4-year plan [PDF]
- Bachelor of Music — Music Education, Choral emphasis | 4-year plan [PDF]
- Bachelor of Music — Music Education, Instrumental emphasis | 4-year plan [PDF]
- Bachelor of Music — Performance, Instrumental emphasis| 4-year plan [PDF]
- Bachelor of Music — Performance, Keyboard emphasis | 4-year plan [PDF]
- Bachelor of Music — Performance, Vocal emphasis | 4-year plan [PDF]
- Bachelor of Music — Theory and Composition | 4-year plan [PDF]
Minors:
Undergraduate Certificates:
Post-Baccalaureate Licensure:
How to apply for our Music programs:
Apply now Major Audition Application Minor Audition Application Teacher Recommendation
Music major applications
1. Apply to UW-Whitewater for admission to the university.
2. Apply to the Music Department for audition and acceptance as a Music major.
3. Ask a private instructor or high school director to submit a teacher recommendation form.
4. Audition.
Music minor applications
1. Apply to UW-Whitewater for admission to the university.
2. Apply to the Music Department for audition and acceptance as a Music minor.
3. Ask a private instructor or high school director to submit a teacher recommendation form.
Auditions
Your audition lets us get to know you and helps determine music scholarship eligibility. Note: To be considered for a scholarship in the 25/26 academic year, you must audition on or before March 7, 2025. How to Prepare for Your Audition [PDF] »
Upcoming audition dates:
- Friday, Feb. 7, 2025
- Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025
- Friday, March 7, 2025*
- Friday, April 25, 2025
* To be considered for a scholarship you must audition before or on March 7, 2025.
Special Events
Music Major for a Day
Monday, October 14, 2024
Experience a day in the life of a music major. Attend college courses, meet and participate in ensemble rehearsals with current students and enjoy master classes with our music faculty.
Tentative Schedule of the Day [PDF] »
Register for Music Major for a Day »
Performance Workshop
Friday, Nov. 8, 2024
Build confidence and prepare for auditions and music festivals with the guidance of our experienced music faculty.
Tentative Schedule of the Day [PDF] »
Register for Performance Workshop »
Events
View all upcoming events for the Department of Music »
