First class of music composition majors to graduate this spring

The School of Music is preparing to graduate the first class of music composition majors. This degree was established in 2020 for students who wished to earn a liberal arts degree with an emphasis in composing music.

Within the major, students take classes such as counterpoint, orchestration and choral arranging. Dr. John Wykoff, associate professor of music theory and composition, teaches counterpoint, an upper-level required course for the major. Wykoff believes the addition of the degree program is impactful to the Lee community. 

"Music is a creative art, and freeing up students' ability to make new things is a very positive thing for our culture," said Wykoff. "Christians have such a tendency to criticize culture, but a more productive approach might be to create a good culture— art is a way we do that. This is a perfect addition to our school because it offers students the opportunity to create a good culture themselves."

The music composition major requires students to attend composition lessons, honing their skills outside of class. Wykoff said many faculty members within the School of Music, including himself, are composers.    

“We have the resources, we have the student interest, and with a school of music of our size and caliber, it just seemed like a gaping hole not to have that pathway,” Wykoff said about the composition emphasis.

Senior music composition major Caleb Hinton was introduced to the major through Wykoff.

"I didn't really feel like I was doing the thing that I felt like I was good at,” said Hinton. “Then, when Dr. Wykoff said that he was in a creative composition major, I was like, ‘oh, my word.’ That's something that I enjoy and I'm good at and I could get a degree in.”

Hinton has served as the president of Composer’s Forum for three semesters, creating a space for students interested in community and composing music.

“It gives us an environment where we can be vulnerable with each other and learn from each other's creations and mistakes, and it really just kind of helps us grow,” said Hinton. 

After graduation, Hinton plans to take time off to write and build his portfolio before he pursues composition in graduate school. 

Noah Constance, a senior music composition major, has gained experience in transcribing, writing and arranging various pieces of music in and outside the Lee community. Constance has arranged pieces for Lee Chamber Strings and The Lee Trio, and has also conducted orchestra readings for the Lee Symphony Orchestra.

"I think the addition of this major gives another type of music person the opportunity to experience creating in a different way," said Constance. "With enough passion and training through the program Lee has to offer, composing is possible for anyone."

Constance is taking instrumental technique classes and learning how to write pieces for various instruments.

“I'm learning [the] trumpet, trombone and all these different instruments so I can get a better understanding of how to write for them,” said Constance. “Because one of the biggest issues is when you hand somebody a part and they say, ‘well, you obviously can't play this instrument because that's not possible.’ So, that's something that I want to overcome.”

Constance believes composition allows students to “explore other fields,” and will pursue composition in graduate school after graduation. 

For more information on the Composers Forum, visit their Instagram