Support Music
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Overview from the Department ChairYour contribution – on its own, or combined with the contributions of like-minded supporters of the Department of Music – will help give our faculty members the tools we need to do our best work.
$1,000 would go a long way toward refurnishing our lobby and practice rooms.
Please read below to learn how your
contribution can help address our areas of greatest need. You can contribute online
to the Music Department account that funds our programs. If you'd like to
contribute by check, please consult Ways to Contribute to make sure your gift is allocated correctly. Thanks for your support!
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Ensembles, Large and Small
Each semester more than one-quarter of W&M undergraduate students participate in music courses, studio lessons, and ensembles, and thousands of music-lovers attend performances given by our students, faculty, and guest artists. From our 80-member Symphony Orchestra and our celebrated choral ensembles to our new Sitar Ensemble and Viol Consort, the Music Department is alive with rehearsals and performances. Renting musical scores and parts, purchasing, repairing and maintaining instruments, and transporting them safely to and from venues are only some of the unsung expenses involved. Your support today will help us continue to bring live, high-quality music to the entire community.
Furniture, Space Planning, and Design
This year, we plan to upgrade and maintain our performance hall, practice rooms and studios, music library, and public spaces to support the high level of academic and artistic achievement of our students and faculty. Access to secure lockers for student and department instruments; adequate rehearsal space; a live research space where students can study and share ideas; and furniture that is comfortable, functional, and able to support the physical health of practicing and performing musicians is vital to the success of students. Your support today will help create an environment that reflects the activities, aspirations, and excellence of our students and faculty.
Technology and Equipment Needs
The 21st-century classroom must allow
faculty, staff, students, and guest artists to take advantage of technology for
teaching and learning. The department has five teaching spaces providing
audio-visual components and presentation technology that need to be updated.
Designing and installing new equipment will provide new creative possibilities
by allowing high-end recordings in-house and stretching
the ideas of what music performance and presentation can be. Your support today for technology in the
classroom will help provide students with the tools they need to push their
creative limits.
Pianos and Other Instruments
Along with instruments for our large and non-traditional ensembles, the department owns and maintains a fleet of 60 pianos, including a number of rare historical instruments. We rely on an additional 20-30 instruments through a generous annual loan program. Tuning, moving, restoring, or in some cases completely rebuilding pianos are among the regular maintenance costs in our budget. Your support today will help us update and upgrade our collection of instruments.
Ewell Concert Series
We present the only campus series for the musical performing arts. The series relies heavily on strong faculty connections and the good will of performers to offer season after season of professional artists from across the country and abroad. Our students are exposed to artists of the finest caliber; our faculty enrich their teaching with guests from a wide array of traditions; and the entire community benefits from access to world-class performances. Your support today will help us continue to present a high caliber of programming with a rich diversity of musical styles and traditions.
