Student interest and enthusiasm was a catalyst in the College of Communication's decision to offer a 19-credit music minor next fall, Director of Music Erik Janners said.,”This is the third installment in a three-part series focusing on student

musicians.

In a poll of the 400 students involved in Marquette's music programs, 150 said they would have pursued a music minor if it had been offered when they were freshmen, according to Marquette's Director of Music

Such interest and enthusiasm was a catalyst in the College of Communication's decision to offer a 19-credit music minor next fall, Director of Music Erik Janners said.

Janners, who was hired this summer, said he heard a lot of buzz about creating the minor, and decided to make the idea a reality.

"I thought, 'Well, if everybody thinks we should do this, why don't we do this?' " Janners said.

Students should be able to complete the coursework for a music minor in two years, he said. There will be three required courses—two three-credit music theory courses and one three-credit music history course. Four semesters of participation in music program ensembles—with one credit earned each semester—and two three-credit music-related elective courses complete the minor requirements, Janners said.

Stephen Hudson-Mairet, assistant adjunct professor of performing arts, said he helped push the music minor forward.

Hudson-Mairet said electives offered will include history of jazz, history of musicals in America and conducting, among others.

"This is something that the students asked for to increase the presence of the arts on campus," Hudson-Mairet said.

Band, orchestra and chorus will be offered for both credit and non-credit beginning next year, Janners said, so students can be involved with the programs whether or not they are pursuing a music minor.

"I think there's a ton of interest," Janners said. "I think Marquette is a school that can offer a very strong music minor to students at this point."

Janners will be teaching some of the courses, along with four others—Steven Rindt, interim Orchestra director; Gregory Carpenter, Chamber & Chorus director, Mark Konewko, Carillonneur; and Nathanial Eubanks, Gospel Choir director. Janners said he is also recruiting music professionals in the Milwaukee area to teach classes.

Mark McCarthy, dean of the Office of Student Development, said he supported the university's efforts to create the minor.

"It was something we've been thinking about for a long time, and this was a good opportunity with a new music director and a new dean (John Pauly) of the College of Communication," McCarthy said.

Anna Keely, a senior in the College of Engineering, has been in Symphonic Band for four years, and took a music appreciation course at Marquette. She said the music minor allows for students to explore other aspects of their education.

"Especially with an engineering degree, you do technical work all day long," Keely said.

Greg Novak, president of Symphonic Band and a senior in the College of Engineering, said he would have pursued the music minor if it had been available when he was a freshman. He said he has not taken music courses at Marquette because they did not give him credit toward his major.

Janners said recent support of the arts on campus has been a welcome change.

"The minor, along with a lot of other improvements here in fine arts shows the university's commitment to all fine arts," Janners said.

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