UWG Music enriches the cultural life of the West Georgia region, and has an excellent reputation for preparing musicians who seek careers in teaching, performance, and other fields in music.

Who we are

UWG Music's distinguished teacher-artist faculty have extensive credentials in performance, music education, production, and other specialized areas in music. Undergraduate and graduate students receive individualized instruction in a full range of music course offerings including private study in voice, piano, organ, guitar, and all woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.

In addition to undergraduate and graduate degree programs in Music, students find enrichment through concerts, recitals, workshops, and master classes by visiting performers, composers, scholars, and teachers, and by our own outstanding faculty.

Students of all majors participate in a wide range of ensembles for course credit. The university ensembles include the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Opera Workshop, Marching Band, Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensemble & combos, Basketball Band, Percussion Ensemble, Keyboard Ensemble, and a variety of woodwind and brass ensembles.

See Our Ensembles

UWG Music also offers courses in general education (the Core Curriculum), offering Music Appreciation (Core Area C), Survey of Jazz, Rock, and Popular Music (Core Area C), and Survey of World Music (Core area B.2.). These courses are designed to introduce and enrich the cultural world of students throughout the University.

University of West Georgia Selected As One of Top 200 in the nation by Creative Colleges

Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” has named the University of West Georgia as one of the top 200 programs in the nation for creative students. This guide is aimed at college-bound creative students and gives them the information and resources necessary to pick the right program. To this end the author meticulously researched programs from across the country and ultimately selected 200 art, drama, dance, music and creative writing programs in arts conservatories, liberal arts colleges and universities to recommend to potential students.

Unlike the average student, many creative types have been pursuing their dreams by the time they reach their late teens—and therefore, the college search is usually much more specific. “Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers” helps creative college-bound students learn step-by-step how to get into college including auditions, admission essays or artistic statements, artistic resumes and portfolios, the SAT I and ACT and financial aid. So students can see examples of success pursuing creative majors, the book includes real-life profiles of students in each discipline, day-in-the-life snapshots and answers to frequently asked questions from admissions directors, and tips on auditioning and preparing portfolios from real students and faculty are included along with samples of artist statements, admission essays and artistic resumes.

The author, Elaina Loveland, is a former editor of the NACAC Journal of College Admission and holds a master's degree in English and has taught both college-level English and dance to children in the Washington, DC, area. She is an active member of the National Dance Education Organization and lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

History and Facilities

Music has played an important role at the University of West Georgia since its founding in 1906 by offering formal and informal music activities and events. UWG Music conferred its first music degree in 1965 and its first general education course in 1968. The University of West Georgia became a member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) in 1971.

Humanities Building and Cashen Hall

The Humanities Building - which houses the UWG Music's teaching spaces, faculty studios, practice facilities, and administrative offices, became the home of the fine and performing arts disciplines in 1970. Classes and practices are held in all three floors of the south end of Humanities. Solo and chamber music programs are presented in Kathy Cashen Recital Hall, which houses a two-manual, 16-rank Reuter pipe organ and a 9-ft. Steinway grand piano and seats 227 patrons. UWG Music's digital state-of-the-art technology lab is upgraded regularly to provide the most current tools of music technology.

The Cashen Hall recording booth is a completely student operated studio and is adjacent to the rear of the audience of the hall. All campus concerts are recorded using current digital music technologies and are archived in the Ingram Library.

Townsend Center for the Performing Arts

In 1989 the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts became the host of ensemble concerts and large music events. This performing arts facility boasts a 455 seat proscenium theater, and a flexible seating, black box theater that seats up to 120. Gracing the main stage of the Townsend Center are twin Bösendorfer Imperial Grand pianos (one of which is equipped with recording technology), making West Georgia one of only a few institutions in the nation to have two such instruments on the same stage.

Here are some other features of the music facilities at UWG:

• Large rooms for instrumental and choral ensemble rehearsals.
• Modern electronic class-keyboard laboratory for teaching Keyboard-Skills courses.
• Practice room facilities that are equipped with well-maintained Shigeru Kawai acoustic pianos.
• Music-specific classrooms including a fully equipped multimedia lecture hall.
• A large percussion studio and dedicated percussion practice facilities.
• A full-size football field equipped with a permanent observation tower, storage building, and electrical access for the Marching Band.

Degree Programs

UWG Music offers degree programs in both undergraduate and graduate studies. Students majoring in areas outside of music may choose to pursue a music minor, or starting in Fall 2021, Music majors and students who major outside of Music, may pursue an interdisciplinary certificate in Musical Theatre, offered in partnership with UWG Theatre (students must audition to get into the Musical Theatre Certificate Program). Music majors may pursue initial certification for music education. Auditions are required for admission to the various programs, and/or for participation in all instrumental and vocal ensembles. The Master of Music in Education degree is tailored to working professionals and is offered completely online.

• Learn more about our degrees