Music
As a music major at Rollins, you’ll master your instrument through real-world experience at our on-campus performance venues as well as out in the community. Under the guidance of professors whose No. 1 goal is your development as a musician, you’ll benefit from small class sizes and individual relationships with faculty.
At the same time you’re honing your craft, you’ll study the creative underpinnings of global society from pre-history through today’s ever-changing music industry. Our program prepares you for an array of graduate programs and careers in education, performance, law, composition, business, journalism, or emerging technologies.
Rollins prepares musicians like you for fulfilling careers that require discipline, teamwork, and a deep understanding of human culture.
Why Study Music at Rollins
Flexible Course of Study
Rollins will challenge you to grow as a musician, offer you frequent performance opportunities, and create a program tailored to your career goals.
Individual Attention from Professors
Our music professors are teachers first. They provide one-on-one instruction and mentorship as you forge your own unique path.
Real-World Education
Our program is active in the larger music world and offers you access to some of the world’s finest performers, educators, and industry professionals.
Interested in Studying Music at Rollins?
Sign up to receive more information about living and learning at Rollins.
“My job at Epcot always felt like an impossible dream to me. I started auditioning for it my junior year—with much hesitation because I didn't want it to get in the way of graduating. With the help and encouragement of Professor Jamey Ray and the whole music department, I was able to start this job seasonally during Christmas of my senior year, and upon graduation began performing five days a week.”
Rollins Music Careers
Rollins music grads attend prestigious graduate programs, pursue careers in education, and embark on musical pursuits such as publishing, arranging, conducting, and performing.
Catherine Psarakis ’16
Intern at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Jamey Ray ’06
Rollins Music Faculty; Arranger and Singer, Voctave
Jami-Leigh Bartschi ’07 ’12MLS
Director of Choirs, Wekiva High School, Orange County Public Schools
Mike Roylance ’98
Principal Tuba, Boston Symphony
Fred Green ’11
Director of Instrumental Music, Academy of the Holy Names
Megan Mascarenhas ’14 MM
Adjunct Professor of Music Theory, Rollins College
Real World Experience
From community engagement courses to internships and research, music students hone their skills in the real world.
See for Yourself
Get a feel for Rollins’ unique brand of engaged learning and personalized attention through one of our virtual or in-person visit experiences.
Popular Courses
Music courses are experiential in nature and cover everything from sound recording and basic conducting to pedagogy and the history of jazz. Courses are designed with your individual learning style in mind, with outcome assessments helping you set and achieve appropriate and challenging goals.
MUS 292 Introduction to Music Business
Explore the fundamentals of the music business, including the interaction of corporations, creativity, copyright, compensation, and cyber law.
MUS 455 Paris, Moscow, Vienna 1890-1915
Delve into the lives and works of 20th-century master composers who worked in these important artistic centers.
MUS 355 Composition Practicum
Develop your compositional craft through writing projects for a variety of media, with discussion of recent musical trends and literature. Each semester culminates in a recital of student works.
MUS 391 Conducting Practicum
Focus on developing your knowledge of repertoire, performance practices, aural discrimination, and conducting technique.
MUS 301 Recording Practicum: Experience for the Working Musician
Because a versatile singer is a working singer, you’ll get real-life studio recording experience developing your versatility and musicianship.
MUS 360 Music in the Global Environment
Explore the variety of native music and instruments across the globe as well as the effect of globalization on native cultures.
A Day in the Life of a Rollins Music Major
“Experiencing real-life scenarios and opportunities within my music major has been a fundamental part of my development and learning experience.”
Virtual Tour: Keene Hall
Find out what it’s like to be a music major at Rollins by dropping into a class at Keene Hall, home to the Department of Music.
Beyond the Classroom
Independent Study A faculty member and a student take an entire semester to investigate an area of the music industry that is of interest to the student. The insight and contacts gathered by this program provide a head-start on entering the workforce.
Productive Partnerships From orchestral and choral concerts with the Bach Festival to a partnership with neighboring Full Sail University—a leader in entertainment, media, arts, and technology—the Rollins Department of Music serves as a cultural center for the Central Florida community.
Study Abroad Many students study music in a cultural hub such as London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, or Rome, and take advantage of summer institutes and performing opportunities nationally and internationally.
Dive Into Music at Rollins
Explore more about what it will be like to major in chemistry at Rollins.
What You Will Learn
To fulfill its mission, the Department has designed a curriculum that combines a broad knowledge of music from history and theory to performance experiences.
Areas of Study
The Department is devoted to offering instruction in a variety of musical fields. Explore the areas of study in which Rollins specializes.
Ensemble Experience
Ensembles form the core of the students’ instrumental and vocal experiences. The Department recognizes the value of ensemble participation for students to develop and coordinate their skills with others in a chamber setting.
Event Series
From the annual Bach Festival and world-famous visiting artists to faculty and student performances, explore the wide variety of event series offered by the Department of Music.
Creative Collaborations
Students benefit from the Department's musical collaborations with local and community organizations and performances.
Keep Exploring
Take a deeper dive into music at Rollins by meeting your future professors, seeing our grads in action, and sitting in on a class.
June 29, 2022
Maestro of Mudita
Motorcycle racer turned conductor Ryo Hasegawa ’19 revels in the ability of music to build community.
May 05, 2022
Albrecht ’76 Honored as a University of Miami Distinguished Alumni
Composer and musician Sally Albrecht ’76 has been recognized for an extraordinary career spanning more than four decades.
March 03, 2022
The Making of an Advocate
Elizabeth Smith ’22 ’24MPH came to Rollins wanting to embrace a new beginning. That all changed when the world was thrown into chaos. Now, she’s emerged from the pandemic as a fierce advocate for disability rights.
September 16, 2021
Guiding Greatness
At Rollins, our professors are equal parts knowledgeable and fascinating, providing
personalized attention to students in and outside the classroom while becoming mentors, research partners, and lifelong guides.
July 07, 2020
Goings Establish $1 Million Endowed Scholarship
Created in memory of Miles Porcaro, the scholarship is designed for students who have either a military background or interest in music, art, or theater.
May 29, 2020
My Rollins Gateway: The Music of Medicine
At Rollins, Brandon McNichol ’19 discovered a harmonious interplay of science and art—one that has proved instrumental in his plans to practice medicine.
Audition To Be Part Of Music At Rollins
Find all the details for the Rollins Music audition process, including schedule, form, and performance details.
Expert Faculty
The music faculty is made up of scholars and performers who work at the national and international levels of their disciplines. The faculty mentors and guides each student to their individual goals and careers.
Department of Music
Telephone: 407.646.2233
Fax: 407.646.2533
Charles Archard, MM
Artist-in-Residence, Contemporary/Jazz Studies
Special interests: An accomplished bassist, composer, and educator with original works featured on TV and movie scores
Molly Breckling, PhD
Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, Musicology
Special interests: Art songs of Gustav Mahler and music history pedagogy
Daniel Crozier Jr., DMA
Professor of Music, Theory, and Composition
Special interests: Theory and composition, particularly of operatic, orchestral, and chamber music
Daniel Flick, MM
Artist-in-Residence, Creative Collaborations
Special interests: Stringed instrument performance from solo to symphony and composition for theater and film
John Grau, DMA
Associate Professor of Music, Voice
Special interests: Solo tenor performance of oratorio and opera from Renaissance to 20th-century music
Byeol Kim, DMA
Assistant Professor of Music
Special interests: An accomplished pianist who encourages students to embrace music as the core of their lives
Caitlin Mohr, DMA
Assistant Professor of Music, Voice
Special interests: Soprano performance, with expertise in vocal pedagogy and vocal technique
Jamey Ray, MM
Associate Professor of Music, Theory, and Technology
Special interests: Music technology, recording production, and widely performed choral compositions that range from classic arrangements to contemporary music
Joni Roos, BA
Artist-in-Residence, Strings
Special interests: Instruction of applied violin and viola, string methods, and orchestral literature
John V. Sinclair, DMA
John M. Tiedtke Professor of Music
Special interests: Conducting and teaching and their intersection; artistic director and conductor of the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park; conductor of the International Moravian Music Festivals, Walt Disney World Candlelight Processional, and others