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Worship - Musical Praise

Perhaps you already have experience leading music in worship in your congregation or youth group, or perhaps you have musical interests and would like to try. Perhaps your love of music comes in part because of music you've experienced in worship. For people like you, Calvin has developed a flexible Music in Worship concentration.

About

Studying music in worship at Calvin combines a solid Christian liberal arts education with top-notch general musical training, along with a solid grounding in the theology of worship, and practical, hands-on experience in leading worship.

Calvin’s Music in Worship major is especially noteworthy for including courses on theology of worship (one of the few undergraduate religion department worship courses anywhere), the history and philosophy of music in worship, and the practice of music in worship in congregations. We also offer specially developed piano and organ tracks to help you work on worship leadership skills.

On top of that, Calvin is home to the nationally recognized Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, a center for research, conferences, publications, and training for the study and renewal of worship. Each year the Institute hosts the Calvin Symposium on Worship, a conference that draws over 1500 participants worldwide.

Calvin is also located in a great city for churches—with well over 600 congregations nearby. Many Calvin students work in area congregations as worship leaders during their time here. Others work right on campus with a variety of leadership opportunities in daily Chapel, L.O.F.T. (Sunday evening campus worship), dorm worship, and worship apprentice as well as through the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship.

For additional information, please contact:
Dr. Bert Polman
Department of Music

Example Course Sequence

Descriptions of each course and the most up-to-date requirements can be found in the College Catalog.

fall term spring term

freshman

MUS 105 Introduction to Music MUS 108 Music Theory I
  lessons*   lessons*
       

sophomore

MUS 207 Music Theory II MUS 208 Music Theory III
MUS 213 Aural Perception MUS 206 Music History II
MUS 205 Music History I MUS 235 Christian Worship
  lessons*   lessons*

junior

MUS 305 Music History III MUS 308 Order, Meaning & Function
MUS 237 Conducting MUS 236 History and Philosophy of Music in Worship
  electives**   electives**
  ensemble***   ensemble***
       

senior

  electives** MUS 336 Musical Leadership in Worship
  ensemble***   electives**
      ensemble***

• Eight semesters of MUSC 180 are required of all music majors.
• Green fields are required of all music majors; blue fields are particular for worship majors.
• * Worship majors need at least 6 semesters of applied music lessons in organ (110, 210, or 310), voice (130, 230, or 330), or guitar (190 or 290).
• ** Worship majors require 8 additional semester hours of music electives, selected from MUS 195, 196, 197, 198, 221, 238, 277, 312, 315, 316, 317, 318, 319, 337, 338, 341, or 351.
• *** At least two semesters of MUS 131 are required, and two additional semesters must be selected from MUS 131, 141, or 191.