Greetings!
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Pittsburg State University Department of Music. I hope that you will be able to easily find all of the information you want on our web site. If you should have any questions about our program, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone and I will get right back to you with a response.
I am very proud of the outstanding faculty we have in our department. They are nationally and internationally known in their disciplines and I think you will find them to be committed and dedicated to the education and training of young musicians who attend PSU. They are truly a first-class faculty in all aspects of their positions.
I think you will also be very impressed with the caliber of students we have in the program. Our students compete and succeed at the state, regional, and national level each year. Whether as performers at the state KMTA conference, the regional SNATS convention, or at the National Trumpet Competition, PSU students are active and successful as they are compared to other music students from around the country.
I sincerely hope that you will consider Pittsburg State as your college of choice and I look forward to meeting you and welcoming you into our musical family.
All my Best
Dr. Craig Fuchs
Chair, Department of Music
Philosophy and Goals
The goals of the Department of Music are aimed toward fulfilling the educational and cultural needs of four interdependent groups of people: music students, the university community, area public schools, and residents of our four-state area.
One of the department's primary functions is to prepare students for elementary and secondary music teaching and to serve students pursuing objectives leading to college teaching and professional performance. We endeavor to provide optimum opportunities for the achievement of excellence in both the applied and academic music subjects in all degree programs.
The cultural life of Pittsburg State University and the area which it serves is enriched by the many musical performances presented by Department of Music faculty recitals, student recitals, chamber music concerts, concerts by our large ensembles, opera productions and the Solo and Chamber Music Series. As a student, you are an important part of sustaining these cultural offerings.
The goals of the department and its surrounding public schools are clearly inter-related in seeking to strengthen the musical education of our students. Some of the educational services provided by the department include clinics, master classes, workshops, instrument demonstrations, concerts, guest conducting, teacher consultation, pre-college applied lessons, Music Festivals for students from elementary schools through high school, PSU Jazz Festival, Four State Band Festival, adjudication, and program evaluation. Cooperative services provided by public school teachers involve supervising student teachers, providing opportunities for class observation, participating in student MENC seminars, and working with student tutors.
The department attempts to maintain a balance among its many diverse functions while striving for excellence in each area.
Mission Statement
Our Mission is to:
- instruct and inspire those whose professional goals include the creation, performance, critical assessment, and teaching of music;
- to offer courses to the general student body that will enhance their understanding as well as appreciation of all music;
- provide leadership within the University and the four-state region in all matters pertaining to the musical art and to music;
- make available to the university community and area residents opportunities to participate in musical activities. These include individual and group study and performance for pre-college and college students, as well as continuing music learning and performance experiences for the music faculty and those in the surrounding region;
- maintain and enhance our outreach and program of service and assistance to area public schools and other educational/professional organizations by acting as adjudicators, clinicians, guest conductors, and consultants; and
contribute to the enhancement of the cultural life of the university and the region through the performance and sponsorship of frequent and varied concerts and recitals.