Disclaimer: Natalie Dest is a music minor, making her part of Central’s music department.

For the Central Connecticut Music Department, being one of the smallest majors on campus has crafted the department into a tight-knit community filled with many talents.

Consisting of 48 majors and eight full time faculty members, the department offers a variety of opportunities for students to be involved musically on campus. Options vary from Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Pep Band, University Singers, Chorale, Jazz Combo and several chamber ensembles.

The classes offer aid in progressively improving students’ skills as individual musicians and working together as ensembles. Junior and Music Education Major Lauren Santiago believes the department’s courses to be diverse and include a widespread education.

“Those not involved in the music department may be unaware of just how much the department covers in their courses,” Santiago said. “Every single music class, you have your science, math, English and history being presented in every lesson. It helps you reinforce all of that and helps you do so much better in your other classes too.”

The department is consistently working towards multiple showcases for all kinds of ensembles each semester. Although not one of the larger departments on campus, the music department strives to gather large audiences for their performances.

“I think it’s important to go to as many showcases and many different places as you can,” Santiago continued. “As a functioning member of society, you owe it to yourself and everybody else to go out and experience new things and see different people perform from different schools, and that’s including our school too.”

For previous Wind Ensemble member Anna Sullivan, the 21-year-old sociology major expresses how these types of ensembles and concerts are vital to a college community.

“Music programs like Central’s are important because so many of us grew up being so passionate about music, and being able to continue doing what you love during college is something that not many people get to do,” Sullivan said. “Especially the music-ed majors, who are going to go on to teach generations how awesome it is to make music with memorization skills, language development, creative thinking and self-discipline.”

Music education majors are welcome to focus in concentrations of Jazz Studies, Performance and Theory/Composition. The music department’s website defines their mission statement as a concept designed to create “artistic leaders.”

“Within the context of our music degrees, we prepare musicians for careers as educators, performers, composers and scholars while providing all students with strategies to cultivate artistic leadership in their chosen fields,” the department said. “We strive to foster in all student’s life-long connection and involvement with the art of music.”

For Junior music-ed major Jessica McElroy, the support from outside departments, students and faculty at Central helps music students in becoming these educators, performers and composers.

“The students in the music department work so hard into all of the music we perform at any event. Having the support of other students and faculty would mean a lot,” McElroy said. “It increases our morale, and to have that support us makes our hard work improved and valued.”

In terms of the end of the semester and future ones ahead, Central’s music department students are only progressing, with hopes to perform to audiences of the CCSU community and beyond.

“We have a really good music program and we’re finally getting some new teachers that are going to stay here for the long run,” Santiago said. “Us students can only hope that our audiences grow on and off campus. Our program is continuing to grow and solidify, and it only keeps getting better and better.”