Applied Music Major
The Applied Music major at Drake University emphasizes the development of skills and concepts essential to the professional life of a musician.
College of Arts & Sciences | On-Campus
Program Options
You’ve honed your passion for years. Drake’s environment fusing professional preparation, collaborative learning, critical thinking, and musical communication elevates it into a career.
Bachelor of Music in Applied Music
All B.M. in Applied Music students take five semesters of music theory and four semesters of music history and literature. In addition, elective courses and seminars in jazz history, music and politics, and a variety of literature surveys enhance what you know about composers, styles, and eras.
Wind and Percussion Track
In the winds & percussion area, students work with nationally and internationally recognized performers, teachers, and conductors. They have the opportunity to take weekly lessons with one of our professional faculty members and collaborate with an accompanist on repertoire selected by the student and applied lesson instructor. This culminates in students performing as soloists or with Drake University ensembles in local, regional, or international performances.
Strings Track
String students at Drake are immersed in professional-level experiences that prepare them to be highly competitive and successful in the world of music. All levels of instruction and mentorship are provided by renowned professors, who not only teach and perform throughout the United States and the world but are committed to their role as educators. As part of this experience, students participate in the Drake University Symphony Orchestra and various string ensembles and work alongside acclaimed guest artists every year.
Piano Track
The Piano Program at Drake University offers an exceptional environment for serious pianists to grow as performers, collaborators, and musicians. With a focus on individualized instruction, abundant performance opportunities, and strong faculty mentorship, students develop a high level of artistry and technical skills. The program features regular solo and chamber music recitals, access to world-class instruments—including a Yamaha CFX concert grand—and opportunities to engage with guest artists through the Keys to Excellence Piano Series.
Voice Track
Life as a voice student comes with an abundance of opportunities that prepare you for a successful career, whether that is in vocal performance, choral education, or music administration. Voice students gain performance experience as a soloist with applied lesson instruction and as a member of one of our main choral ensembles, all while under the direction and mentorship of our highly respected faculty. Voice students can participate in one or more of our six vocal ensembles: The Drake Choir, spēro, Borealis, Drake Vocal Jazz Singers, Drake Opera Theatre, and Drake University Community Chorus.
Concentration in Jazz Studies
The Concentration in Jazz Studies is intended to help students interested in jazz develop the skills necessary to be a marketable professional jazz and studio musician. Students in the program will study jazz styles, history, improvisational techniques, arranging, and composition, and have opportunities in our recording studio to both perform and record their own work. Students also receive private lessons from professional jazz artists on their instrument.
Concentration in Vocal Music
Open solely to Musical Theatre majors, this concentration will broaden your range as a performer. In it, you’ll study music theory, piano technique, vocal pedagogy, and vocal literature while participating in a vocal ensemble (choir or opera). Similarly, voice majors also have the ability to pursue a concentration in Musical Theatre through the Theatre Department.
Music Minor
The Music Minor at Drake University offers students the opportunity to continue serious music study while they pursue a different major. Open to students from any discipline, the minor includes coursework in music theory and history, applied lessons on an instrument or voice, and participation in ensembles. Students receive individualized instruction from faculty and have access to the department’s performance opportunities and resources. An audition is required for admission to the program.
Meet the Faculty
At Drake, you’ll learn your craft from expert musicians who have performed around the world—and are dedicated to helping you follow in their path.
Outside the Classroom
As a musician, you want to put your talent on display. Drake gives you ample opportunities to do that, as you can perform on campus, throughout Des Moines, and even around the world as part of our touring ensembles.
Ensembles
From jazz to opera, choirs to orchestras, find your on-stage home in one of our award-winning ensembles. Drake’s student ensembles frequently perform off-campus and even back professional musicians on records.
Masterclasses and Recitals
Meet, work, and gain performance experience with distinguished guest artists through masterclasses, and get inspiration from their on-campus performances. Every year, Drake welcomes Grammy winners, cutting-edge performers, symphony superstars, and rising talents for intimate masterclasses and recitals on our world-class stages.
Senior Recital
The stage is yours. Conclude your senior year with an hour-long recital in the 775-seat Sheslow Auditorium or the club-sized Patty & Fred Turner Jazz Center.
Internships and Pedagogical Experiences
Share your love of music with others. Teach private students in Des Moines-area public schools or the Drake University Community School of Music, or find an internship placement with a company widely recognized within the world of music.
Competitions
Test your talent in the Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. Any Drake student who takes lessons from an instructor in the Department of Music can compete. Winners perform with the Drake University Symphony Orchestra. Drake students also enter the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) competitions at the state, regional, and national levels.
Fine Arts Scholarship
Drake extends $850,000 in Fine Arts Scholarships to Applied Music majors, minors, and non-major participants annually. In addition to academic scholarships, these combined awards are comparable to those found at a public four-year university. In order to be admitted into the Department of Music and considered for Fine Arts Scholarships, all prospective students are invited to audition for our faculty. Please visit our Audition Information page to find more details.
Careers & Skills
Across voice, piano, strings, and winds and percussion areas, Drake University graduates hold careers as educators, enroll in graduate studies at other distinguished institutions, and perform at the national or international level as soloists or part of ensembles.
Our department boasts a 100% placement rate in choral music education and sees our students further their education at Rice University, San Francisco Conservatory, and Boston Conservatory, among many others. Additionally, rosters for many of the world’s successful ensembles list Drake Applied Music grads.
Opportunities
- Soloists
- Ensemble performers
- Leaders of community choral or instrumental groups
- Studio teachers
- Teachers of applied music in private schools or colleges
Skills
- Develop stage presence through extensive performance opportunities
- Learn compositional and analytical practices through five semesters of music theory
- Become familiar with both Western and world music
- Build scientific literacy, critical thinking, and other skills through the Drake Curriculum
Salary & Growth Outlook
Median annual salary of musicians in 2025. (Indeed)
Take the Next Step
Becoming a professional musician takes time, talent, and dedication. Begin your journey to the stage in Drake’s Applied Music program.
