Welcome to the Department of Music at Jackson State University. We hope you will use our Home Page to learn about our degree programs, to meet our talented faculty and to get an idea of the many events and activities that are sponsored by our department each year.

The Department of Music is committed to a multi-educational mission, the first of which is providing excellent programs to those seeking to major in music or music education in one of our undergraduate or graduate degree programs or those who seek to enroll in our minor in music program. In addition, we provide courses, private instruction and ensemble experience to hundreds or more students each semester who are non music majors. Students are taught by superb faculty-performers and scholars with outstanding professional credentials and achievements and dedicated to teaching.

With a long and rich legacy as a foundation, the Department now strives to address the real, current needs of today's musicians, highlighting the rapid changes in the competitive music scene. We are positioned to train a contemporary generation of musicians with:

• a focus on students' personal development by faculty who concentrate on individual needs;
• a unique outlook on career advancement using viable, real-life, professional situations;
• an advanced technological music laboratory and Pro Tools HD recording studio;
• the rich and varied resources of a growing research university.

All classes are held in the Frederick D. Hall Music Center. In addition to a full inventory of musical instruments, you will also find here classrooms and labs equipped with state-of-the-art computer music technology. The department is known for its development and use of technology in music instruction and all our students benefit from the way it enhances many of our classes. But, our main focus is, of course, creating and performing music. We hope you will visit our building and hear and observe our faculty and students in action.

In the meantime, contact us if you would like additional information about our undergraduate and graduate programs, music minor or our nineteen ensembles. We look forward to hearing from you.

Jimmie James, Jr., Ph.D.
Professor and Chair