The Music Department offers many special opportunities for our students to gain hands-on experience outside of the classroom. Our programs provide many ways of orienting students to the national and international scene in the arts.

Majors and minors in Music are also encouraged to take part in at least one of the University’s off-campus programs.

Study Abroad

Southwestern University, in collaboration with IES, has created a program in London, England specifically designed for Southwestern students.  The SU London Program is a fifteen-week, sixteen-credit program for students who have attained at least sophomore status at the start of the program.

Internships

Through association with the New York Arts Program, Southwestern has regularly been able to place qualified students in internships in the studios and offices of some of the most prominent artists, architects, museums and galleries in New York.

The semester provides students a rare opportunity to serve in apprenticeships and to gain experience in the world of the established professional artist and/or arts institution. Participants spend a semester sharing the experiences of professional writers, performers, artists, and media groups representing all fields of fine and commercial art.

Each student has a faculty advisor in New York who teaches an Area Study course and works closely with both the student and the student’s apprenticeship sponsor. Professional artists conduct specially designed courses dealing with current issues in the arts. Applicants should plan to visit New York City for interviews to secure an apprenticeship. Students reside in the program’s five-story dormitory/office town house in Chelsea, a residential area of Manhattan.

For the last ten years, we have had a Southwestern student as the intern for the Georgetown Festival of the Arts. We have also had internships at Austin Opera. We are currently working on Carnegie Hall and the Dallas Opera.

Organizations

There are several music organizations for students to get involved in at Southwestern, including Delta Omicron, a co-educational music service fraternity, and Pi Kappa Lambda, a national music honor society.

Other High Impact Learning Experiences Include: 

 

• Ensemble tours
• Residencies
• Summer Music Festivals
• Guest Artists
• Student Research. Click here to read about recent music student’s award-winning project funded by this program.