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Music • Music and Worship Arts
Mission Statement
The Department of Music seeks to provide understanding and appreciation of the creative process and historical context of music with a Christian worldview by offering opportunities for all students to create and recreate music through writing and performance, and to develop their performance skills both individually and through participating in musical ensembles. Further, the program is designed to prepare students to effectively communicate the aesthetic qualities of music from various styles and cultures to a diverse population – whether in music ministry, worship arts, performance, music industry careers, or teaching in public or private schools.
Why Major in Music or Music and Worship Arts at VUSC?
Our music students choose to study at Vanguard University of Southern California (VUSC) because of the excellent degree program, outstanding faculty, availability of in-training experience, and the exciting possibilities for career opportunities that are available to our graduates.
The best preparation for a career in the field of music must be broad in scope, encourage excellence as well as versatility and creativity, and provide opportunity to learn through hands-on experience. We offer qualified faculty, a comprehensive curricula, and extensive student participation to offer our students this kind of training.
A program can be evaluated by its graduates. Vanguard University has ample reason to be proud of its Music alumni. Our music graduates are professional music educators, church music ministers, worship pastors, studio musicians, and professional performers working in both church-related and other professional performance venues. An increasing number of our graduates have completed graduate degrees in both major state and private universities.
Plans continue to be finalized for the construction of our 55,000 square foot Music Centre, including a 1200-seat concert hall, a 175-seat recital hall, 24 rehearsal studios, and state-of-the-art classrooms and labs on the Vanguard University campus. It is projected that this new facility will also become a major performance venue for the campus and the community.
Vanguard University’s strategic location in Costa Mesa -- The City of the Arts for Orange County -- offers our students many opportunities to see and hear world-class performing artists, ensembles and theatre. The Orange County Performing Arts Center, The South Coast Repertory Theatre, and the Irvine-Barclay Theatre are just minutes away from the Vanguard University campus.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the music program can seek immediate employment or continue their studies in graduate school. Opportunities include careers in church music ministry, worship ministry, performance music ministry, missionary music ministry, Christian music business, elementary school teaching, junior high/high school choral or instrumental teaching, private music studio, and other music related careers. An increasing number of our graduates have completed graduate degrees in major state and private universities.
The atmosphere and philosophy of the Department of Music is centered around the Biblical concept of stewardship. The desire is to seek to develop the gifts given to us by God to the highest degree… for His glory.