Music Performance Major
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About the Major
Elon’s versatile and personalized music performance program provides a solid foundation in performance technique, music theory and music history. The innovative, hands-on curriculum gives students the opportunity to join one of many performing ensembles and participate in numerous concerts, recitals and stage productions.
Jobs in Music Performance
- School band, orchestra or choral director
- Composer
- Opera singer
- Studio musician
- Music critic
Past Elon Music Performance Internships
- Santa Fe Opera
- Opera North
- Boston Lyric Opera
- Walt Disney World
- New York Philharmonic
Related Majors
Singer aims to help others with research on vocal fatigue
The recipient of a number of accolades throughout her Elon career, Sarah Poythress left a lasting impression on her classmates and their families at her 2022 commencement ceremony.
But while singing “The Star Spangled Banner” at graduation was one of the highlights of her time at Elon, it’s not her only achievement by a longshot.
The music performance major reactivated Elon’s chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon music fraternity in 2021 and served as its president and was the Department of Music’s Presser Scholar that same year. She won second prize at the 2021 N.C. National Association of Teachers of Singing competition and third in the 2022 Mid-Atlantic National Association of Teachers of Singing competition. And she was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honors society and named to the president’s list all four years.
They taught me not only good vocal and piano technique, but also how to be a well-rounded musician and a good person.
Being so active was key to having a fulfilling experience, and Poythress encourages Elon future students to do the same.
“Get involved on campus and don’t be afraid to take risks,” she said in 2022 before beginning her career working as a private voice and piano teacher in the Chapel Hill area as well as performing, primarily with the Durham Choral Society. “You will learn a lot about yourself and achieve things you didn’t know you were capable of.”
Poythress decided to focus on music at Elon — she also minored in piano pedagogy — because of her love for singing and performing. Her senior research project focused on vocal cool-down exercises for singers — something she’d had her own experience with.
“Last year, I struggled a lot with vocal fatigue and discovered these exercises through a vocal pedagogy class at Elon,” Poythress said in 2022. “When I began using these exercises after singing, they lessened my vocal fatigue and extended my stamina for singing. Because of my positive experiences using these exercises, I decided it was an interesting topic to research further and share with other singers and musicians.”
She considers the most valuable part of her Elon experience the connections she made with her professors — particularly those who guided her in voice and piano lessons over her four years.
“They taught me not only good vocal and piano technique, but also how to be a well-rounded musician and a good person,” she said. “They gave me life lessons that I will take with me as I continue to grow as a musician and person and have inspired me to always keep learning and performing.”
It’s why she encourages students to build strong relationships with their professors and fellow students and learn as much as they can from them.
“Cherish your time at Elon,” she said. “It will go by faster than you think.”
Did You Know?
- Auditions are required for admission to the music performance program and for scholarship consideration.
- Elon’s degree in music performance (instrumental or vocal emphasis) is for students interested in graduate school, apprenticeships, applied teaching and performing careers. Performance majors may combine their performance concentration with a minor in jazz studies, music technology or piano pedagogy.
- Students begin performing their freshman year in any of Elon’s ensembles — from orchestra and jazz ensemble to opera workshop and the marching band. In addition to performing as soloists with Elon’s orchestra, music performance majors regularly showcase their talents in recitals as part of their studies.