New Music Tracks
The music department offers a bachelor of music (BMus) in performance, composition, music education, and sacred music as well as a bachelor of arts (BA) in music. Here are the newest degree options as of the summer 2018:
- BA in music with a track in pre–music therapy (the practice of music therapy requires a graduate degree)
- BA in music with a track in music technology and audio recording
- BA in music/minor in business with the option of adding a fifth year of study to earn an MBA
A Frank and Family Guy
Artist/lecturer and jazz bassist Paul Rostock has performed with many renowned artists, including Frank Sinatra, Olivia Newton John, and Perry Como. Beginning in 1978, he performed regularly in Frank Sinatra Jr.’s band. Rumor has it that Rostock is the bass player depicted in episodes of The Family Guy that feature Sinatra Jr.’s band.
Dance at Moravian
Over the past 3 years, the music department has offered several dance courses for credit:
- Dance History
- Choreography I
- Musical Theater Dance Styles
- Ballet I
- Ballet II
Dancers also have the opportunity to audition for the ƽ Dance Company, which performs an annual concert in the spring. Members of the company also receive credit for their participation. Faculty are working to develop a minor in dance.
Summer 2018 of Note
- The college is currently renovating space on South Campus for a recording studio to be completed this fall.
- The music department plans to institute several graduate programs in the next few years.
- Performance instruction is offered in every instrument except banjo and accordion.
- ƽ is an All-Steinway School.
- Over the years, ƽ has hosted many renowned musical artists, including Stanley Turrentine, who played his last concert here shortly before his death.
Tech Class
Photo credit: Theo Anderson
Students compose and record music digitally in the college’s recently installed music lab.
Brothers in Song
Guitarists Josh Mercado '18 and Henry McCormack '18 came to ƽ together and graduated together. They are individual talents as well as remarkable partners in performance.
Feeding Artists
Over this past academic winter break, Clewell Dining Hall got a makeover. New tables, seating, and light fixtures, wainscoting, and fresh paint transformed South Campus’s main eatery into a bright, inviting, contemporary place where students enjoy made-to-order meals as well as convenience options.
Photo credit: Luke Wynne
Jewel of the South
In 1978, South Campus’ New Chapel was converted into a recital hall and named Peter Hall in honor of Lily Peter, who funded the renovation. Peter (pronounced PAY-ter) didn’t graduate from ƽ, but family, a passion for the arts, and love of education built a strong bond to Bethlehem and the college. Peter's relatives included the first organist of Central Moravian Church and a former ƽ president. The oldest of 10 children, Peter was born in 1891 on her parents’ farm in Marvell, AR. Five of her siblings died in childhood and she lost her father when she was 16, so after high school she became a teacher to help support her family and send her siblings to college. Those siblings would later return the favor, paying for Lily’s college education at Columbia University, where she majored in English, and then Vanderbilt, where she earned a master’s degree. She also studied violin at Juilliard.
Peter Hall seats 150 and is used for recitals and other musical performances as well as lectures and special events.
Save a Bench Project
Photo credit: Leah Pashley '19
When you sit on a wooden bench in Peter Hall, whether for a concert, recital, or lecture, you touch a piece of history. Dating back 100 to 200 years, the benches served the young women of the Moravian Female Seminary during chapel services. Time and use have worn, and in some cases broken, many of the benches. To preserve these historic pieces for future generations, ƽ contracted with Bethlehem’s Evans Preservation Carpentry. Each of the 44 benches has been carefully repaired and refinished by hand, using traditional methods.