Sonoma State University is ranked among the Most Wired, Top Green and Best Value Schools in America (Princeton Review). The Music Department is housed at the Green Music Center — ranked No. 3 on College Degree Search's 25 Most Amazing Campus Arts Centers. The Department of Music has been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music since 1972.
Sonoma State University is situated an hour north of San Francisco in the heart of California’s wine country. The Green Music Center is home to Weill Hall, a breathtaking acoustical space that attracts internationally renowned artists, and Schroeder Hall, a state-of-the- art recital venue.
The Department of Music offers the following degree programs:
Minor in Music Jazz Studies
Our Philosophy
At Sonoma State University, developing artists cultivate their individuality in an environment that emphasizes personalized instruction. Academic music classes are typically small, making faculty approachable and accessible. Music majors receive weekly private lessons by faculty who are professional performers with prominent Bay Area organizations such as the San Francisco Symphony, Ballet and Opera orchestras, the Santa Rosa Symphony, and Clerestory. The Department houses a number of large and small ensembles, thus providing students a wide variety of performance experiences.
Our Curriculum
The core curriculum for music majors provides a thorough foundation in such essential skills as keyboard facility, theoretical understanding, aural perception, and analysis of a wide range of music literature. All majors gain experience with both the intuitive and the intellectual processes of the art. The curriculum is designed to place the specialized study of music in the setting of a liberal arts education and to serve as a firm basis for careers in a wide variety of professions in music and those related to music. Private voice/instrument lessons are required of all music majors. All students attend a weekly repertoire class.