Skip to main content

For Our Music Parents

Enhancing your Student's Potential

Band Students

We, the faculty and staff of the SDSU Music Program, take great pride in our ability to develop positive and meaningful relationships with our students—regardless of their academic major. We are in the business of creating opportunities where long-lasting relationships are forged outside of the traditional classroom. Students get to know one another while participating in marching band, choirs, jazz ensembles, concert bands or our symphony orchestra.

Sometimes college freshmen are hesitant to enroll in a course that they might consider “outside” of their chosen major. Even after hours of practice in high school in order to develop their musical skills, they sometimes worry that they won’t have time to continue to be involved in music, or that their involvement will somehow limit their academic successes. Research has shown the exact opposite—that SDSU students who are involved in music are more likely to graduate in four years than those who are not—12% more likely, to be exact. The truth is that connected, engaged students who are involved in activities such as music, theater, debate or student government are known to do better in their major and in their core courses.

Many of our musical opportunities have a nominal impact on the course schedule. In fact, some of our ensembles rehearse just two days per week. The time requirement is often minimal compared to the opportunities, rewards and benefits of participation. Students have recently traveled with the marching band to Washington D.C., the women’s chorus to Tennessee, the Concert Choir to Italy and men's choir went to Canada.

For those of you who have a child interested in music as a major, we offer a rigorous, nationally accredited curriculum as well as the opportunities your child will need to connect with their chosen career. Practically all music majors complete an internship or a student-teaching experience prior to graduation. Preparation for teacher certification, developing skills required for success in the music business and preparation for graduate school are only a few of the things our program does well.

We are one of the busiest, most visible programs on campus. We encourage you to learn more and see why over 7% of the SDSU student population chooses to be involved in the music program every year.