Welcome from the Director

Hello and Welcome to the CSU School of Music!

I'm excited and honored to have recently become the Director of the School of Music. What an interesting time to lead! Many people ask, how can the study of music continue during a time of face masks and social distancing? I'm happy to report that all current music students are continuing with lessons, ensembles, and coursework through a variety of creative solutions and careful protocols.

The leadership of Cleveland State University and the School of Music have diligently followed the Ohio Governor's mandates along with the best practices from recent research on how singers and musicians can pursue their studies safely. Our lecture classes are currently online. Methods classes and lessons are being conducted in a combination of online and in-person meetings. In-person classes follow distancing protocols and everyone wears their masks on campus. Our orchestra is meeting in Waetjen Auditorium (our largest hall), the band is meeting in small sections in our largest rooms with special masks for instrumentalists, and our choral ensembles are meeting at the Wolstein Center, using special masks and extra distancing.

The CSU School of Music provides a comprehensive, experience-based education in music. We offer five undergraduate majors (Bachelor of Music in performance, music education, or composition, and the Bachelor of Arts) and three graduate majors (Master of Music in composition, music education, or performance), with a fourth graduate major—a Master of Arts in Music—in the final stages of approval. In addition to these degree programs, we offer a Performance Certificate and one Post-Bacc program (music education) that qualify students to apply for teacher licensure.

We believe it is important that every School of Music student graduates not only with their degree but with a resume filled with professional accomplishments, a portfolio filled with artistic efforts, and a sense of preparedness for their professional work or continuing education. CSU music students study and engage with accomplished members of The Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, the Cleveland Contemporary Players (in-residence), and other professional ensembles, through lessons, showcases, and workshops. Our faculty are internationally recognized scholars, composers, and performers who remain active in their fields and who eagerly share their expertise and talents with students.

CSU is located in one of the most active cultural centers in the United States. The music building, located on CSU's main campus in downtown Cleveland is near Severance Hall, home of The Cleveland Orchestra, and Playhouse Square, one of the largest complexes of performance spaces in the United States. Our own state-of-the-art building includes two concert halls, a recording studio, two digital composition studios, a Composers' Resource Center, practice rooms, classrooms, and studios.

Whether your interests are in performance, composition, or music education we can provide the opportunities and experiences to help you reach your goals. I hope you will consider joining us.

Sincerely,
Dr. Heather A. Russell