Tradition. Innovation. Variety. Immersion.
These concepts drive the curriculum and are designed to provide a potent yet individually-enriching education. Our diverse curriculum has been helping aspiring musicians from across the U.S. and Canada attain their musical goals for more than a quarter of a century.
A Personal Approach
A student-to-faculty ratio of three-to-one allows for personal mentoring and an apprentice-based approach to music study. Students who choose the School for Music Vocations (SMV) are focused and serious in their approach to music. Faculty and students form a community characterized by respect, admiration, and a commitment to quality in all aspects of learning and performance.
A Faculty of Artists
The SMV faculty are among the most successful in their musical fields. Active as performers, composers, and conductors, they bring real-world skills and attitudes to the classroom.
Recording Studio
Recording has become an essential part of almost every professional musician’s skill set. At the SMV, our students get outstanding training and opportunities in our state-of-the-art professional studio.
An Affordable Education
Community colleges offer the best value in higher education today. Tuition for one full-time semester at SWCC is approximately $4,300.* At the SMV, students can study music exclusively for two or three years, at which point they can transition into the music industry, or they can transfer to a four-year school with twice the musicianship and half the debt.
Guest Artists
Each year, guest artists facilitate clinics, workshops, and master classes. Artists have included Richie Cole, Cedric Dent of Take 6, Groove for Thought, Nancy King, M-Pact, Darmon Meader, The Four Freshmen, The New York Voices, Accent, and The Real Group.
The Integration of Music and Life
The SMV believes in addressing the issue of integrating music within the fabric of human life. Questions concerning the role of music in human culture and human possibilities are seriously explored.
*Cost based on 18 credits for the 2021-22 academic year, in-state tuition and course, technology, and other fees only.