Marching band in red and black uniforms photographed from behind before game

Easy Ways to Get Involved With Music in College

It's easy to get involved with music in college, even if it's not your major. Learn about the groups, classes, and performances you can enjoy on campus!

Whether you’re a Performing Arts major, a Business major, or anything in between, music is something beneficial to get involved with in college. Music helps you get to know people and connect with others, and who knows—you might make some lifelong friendships along the way! Finding different ways to get involved in music on campus can sometimes be difficult, especially for non-Music majors. Here we’ll cover the ins and outs of music organizations you can find at most college, plus how you can get involved.

Choir

Choir programs in college are a bit different than high school. Instead of typically having one or two singing groups, many colleges offer a lot of other programs, such as a capella groups, musical theatre, and show choir. If none of these options are for you, there are still many more! There’s also the opportunity to start your own student group or band, perform at talent shows or open mic nights, or even use your voice as a tool for activism.

Related: 6 Steps to Joining a College A Cappella Group

Band

Band is a big program at many colleges. You’ll find a lot of ways to get involved and make friends through band, from marching to orchestra to concert to jazz. I sat down to interview my friend Dallas for more information about the subject. Dallas is studying Music Education at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Because she’s majoring in Music, she participates in music every day, but she also shared some of her favorite ways to get involved outside the classroom. She loves performing, whether it’s a solo, ensemble, or full band. Her major also requires her to watch other’s performances, which is another great way to enjoy music on campus. She further explained that getting involved early as a freshman is the best way to do it. When you start early, you can ask more questions, find upperclassmen who can mentor you, and much more. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole music scene has changed some, but Dallas still gets the opportunity to make friends and perform with others—just with increased health and safety precautions.

Classes and unexpected Music majors

Along with the basic and more traditional Music majors and classes, there are many areas of study that revolve around music. These include Music Technology, Music Business, Music Education, Audio Production, Music Performance, and Music Therapy, just to name a few. All of these require a basic understanding of music and are an excellent way to pursue your passion. If you don’t want to major in Music but would like to enjoy it for a semester or two, there are many music classes you can take as electives. At New York University alone, there are around 24 music classes, including Music Theory 1, 2, and 3; Aural Perception; and Medieval and Renaissance Music. Many music-based electives are available to non-majors in college—especially “Music Appreciation” classes—but it’s best to check in with your advisor to see if you can take them and if they’ll help you with your graduation requirements.

Related: 6 Miraculous Effects Music Can Have on Student Success 

Overall, music is a great thing to get involved with as a college student. It not only helps you make friends but teaches you valuable skills and appreciation as well. In college, you have a lot of opportunities to get involved on campus, whether you major in some sort of music field, take a few classes, join an ensemble, or attend concerts and performances. If you’re looking for an enjoyable way to enhance your college experience, take a chance and get involved with music!

Looking for a great college that appreciates music as much as you do? Check out all of our featured Performing Arts School Profiles.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Peyton Shannon

Peyton Shannon

My name is Peyton! I love writing, but there are many other things I love too. My big passion is music. I play five instruments and sing. I'm also in jazz band, concert band, and marching band at school. I'm involved in student council and am paired with a disabled student as well. Writing has been an outlet for me since I was little, and it has gotten me through so much. I hope to share my passion of writing and inform others about all of the good things CollegeXpress can do!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

New York University—Shanghai Campus

Shanghai, China


Leah Maciel

Leah Maciel

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me with all aspects of applying for college. The website is extremely easy to navigate and gives access to so many resources. I was able to research all of the colleges I was interested in, find out any information I wished to know about, and keep them organized in a list. I've also been able to research scholarships and save them as resources for later. I've used many websites in my college and scholarship search, and CollegeXpress has by far been my favorite one to use.

Josiah Kegg

Josiah Kegg

High School Class of 2021

I want to sincerely thank you all for this amazing website that's legitimately helped me find so many different scholarship opportunities. I've been stressing out for the longest time about paying for college since I would rather stay out of debt and have been working days trying to find any scholarship opportunity. When I found CollegeXpress, I discovered many easy scholarships that have given me hope for the future. Thank you and God bless!

Lu Diehl

Lu Diehl

High School Class of 2022

I never would have found the college I plan on attending without CollegeXpress! I've always been a person of ambition and have been dreaming of studying and working on my passion for law, legal studies, and political science. Washington College is where I plan on pursuing my career. My journey with my education has been difficult, and oftentimes, I was told I would never amount to much, but now I'm dual enrolled at Caroll Community College and have had experience in the fields I am dedicated to. Without the help of CollegeXpress (even in its early days), I would never have found Washington College and the information I need to apply and become a part of their community.

Jeannie Borin, MEd

Jeannie Borin, MEd

President and Founder, College Connections

I frequently visit CollegeXpress to answer questions from students and parents. There are countless hot topics in admissions that need to be addressed. I enjoy reading what my colleagues post and gain additional insight from different perspectives.

Heather McCarty

Heather McCarty

High School Class of 2020

CollegeXpress has helped me with the college application process. The tips and tricks for important essays were so helpful. I also gained useful knowledge about college life. Even though I’m fully online, CollegeXpress has helped me develop a sense of how college is in person. The experiences from college students that were featured on their Instagram page have shown the good, the bad, and the “secret” life on campus from a reliable perspective. Not to mention, they relieved my feelings of anxiety about the workload. I can now understand how it can be stressful, but it takes self-control and willpower to get assignments completed on time and with quality.