The Music Program at Moraine Valley Community College offers college students and community members many ways to achieve their musical goals including performing ensembles, individual and group music lessons for children and adults and music technology courses.
Students interested in earning a degree in music can enroll in our Associates of Fine Arts (A.F.A.) in Music degree program. This degree offers the primary coursework required during the first two years of a typical four-year bachelor of music degree. Courses include four semesters of music theory, keyboard skills, aural skills, music ensembles, applied music lessons, and music history.
After graduation some students decide to enter the workplace immediately, however, most transfer to a four-year program to earn a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music or Bachelor of Music Education degree.
Music career possibilities include:
- Arts Administrator/Arts Management
- Audio Engineering/Electronic Music
- Band Director
- Choral Director
- Composer/Songwriter
- Conductor
- Film Scoring
- Instrument Repair Technician
- Music Business
- Music Education
- Music Performance
- Music Producer
- Music Therapy
- Musical Theater
- Recording Engineer
- Sound Technician
- Video Game Music Design
Get Advising Help
Nearly all A.F.A Music courses are restricted enrollment. If you have applied to the college and are a music degree-seeking student please contact one of the full-time music faculty members listed below for help with registering for Music Theory, Aural Skills, Keyboarding and Applied Major-level lessons.
Tammi Carlson
Professor of Music
carlsont@nhmhcar.com
(708) 974-5636
Douglass Bratt
Academic Music Coordinator, Professor of Music
bratt@nhmhcar.com
(708) 974-5215
Nicholas Thomas
Fine Arts and Humanities Department Chair, Associate Professor of Music
thomasn@nhmhcar.com
(708) 974-5755
The Moraine Valley Music Scholarship is an annual award of $500 available to multiple students each year seeking to earn an A.F.A. degree in Music. Recipients must have completed 6 credit hours of college-level work, be enrolled for credit in one of the college’s music ensembles, maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher and a minimum of six credit hours in the semesters in which the scholarship is awarded.
Applicants are required to submit a 300-500 word personal statement describing their education and career goals, as well as 3- to 8-minute video of a solo music performance in their primary instrument area/voice consisting of standard college-level audition repertoire.
To learn more about this scholarship and the others available to students, see the Scholarships webpage. The majority of college scholarships are open for application in February and March each year.
Transfer Agreements
You can transfer credits from Moraine Valley's Music program to most four-year colleges or universities across the country. Students have successfully transferred to such institutions as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Northern Illinois University, Eastern Illinois University, Elmhurst College, Saint Xavier University, North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University, VanderCook College of Music and many others. By working closely with our full-time music faculty members for scheduling advice from the beginning, you should be able to maximize transfer credits.
View our Transfer Programs page for more transfer guides and articulation agreements.
The Moraine Valley Music Program offers a wide range of credit and non-credit opportunities for children, teens, and adults of all ability levels to study music for personal enrichment. Classes include individual music instruction, group classes in voice, piano and guitar, performing ensembles and various workshops. All music lessons, group classes, and ensembles are taught at our Moraine Valley Community College Fine and Performing Arts Center at our Palos Hills campus.
Registering and Non-Credit Tuition
Individual lessons are 30- or 60-minute as discussed with their teacher. During the fall and spring semesters, lesson registration is divided into two 8-week sessions for up to 16 weeks of lessons. Students may enroll for one or both of these 8-week sessions each semester and may begin sessions at either the beginning of the semester or at midterm. For the shortened summer semester students may register only for 8 weeks of lessons which begin at the start of the summer term.
Individual Instruction Non-Credit Tuition (8 weeks of lessons):
30-minutes weekly = $250
60-minutes weekly = $500
Please contact the music program at (708) 974-5318 or music@nhmhcar.com to begin the registration process. While students may request lessons with a specific faculty member enrollment is subject to instructor availability. Lesson days and times will be arranged in consultation with and at the mutual convenience of students and teachers.
Individual Instruction (Ages 9 – Adult)
Study one-on-one with our talented Moraine Valley Music Faculty! The music program offers non-credit individual music lessons are available throughout the year in the following traditional music areas:
Voice | Piano | Violin | Viola | Cello | String Bass | Classical Guitar | Flute | Clarinet | Oboe | Saxophone | Trumpet | French Horn | Trombone | Tuba | Percussion
In addition, non-credit individual jazz lessons are also available for the following instruments:
Saxophone | Trumpet | Trombone | Piano | Guitar | Acoustic & Electric Bass | Drumset
Children’s Voice, Violin and Piano Instruction (Ages 4-9)
For our younger community members ages 4 to 9 years, we offer semester-long group classes in violin and piano and weekly 30-minute individual lessons in voice, violin and piano. Children’s individual lesson tuition is the same as the 30-minute individual lesson rates listed above, group class tuition varies.
Credit Classes for College Students and Adults
The music program also provides college students and adult learners of all ability levels the opportunity to earn college credit studying or performing music for personal enrichment. Credit music classes include Class Guitar (MUS 119) and Class Voice (MUS 117). Weekly individual 30-minute music instruction for college credit is available for non-music majors in the following instrument areas: voice, piano, violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, tuba, drumset and percussion.
Music Ensembles
Have a passion for performing? The Moraine Valley Music Program offers eight outstanding music ensembles including two choirs, two jazz groups, percussion ensemble, concert band, orchestra and flute choir available to students and community members ages 16 and up. Please visit the Music Ensembles page for more information about our performing groups.
Student Recitals and Accompanists
Recital performances are a wonderful opportunity for students to present what they have learned with family and friends in a formal but supportive environment. Music recitals are scheduled at the midterm and end of the fall and spring semesters and the end of summer semesters. Although it is not a requirement, all private lesson students are encouraged to perform at a recital. Moraine Valley’s Music Program offers several talented, paid accompanists who are available to accompany students during recitals free of charge.
We are located in the Moraine Valley Fine and Performing Arts Center (Building F) Fine Arts and Humanities Office, room F130 on the Main Campus in Palos Hills.
Office Hours
Fall and Spring Semesters:
Mon.-Thurs.: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Fri.: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Closed Sat. and Sun.
Summer Pre-Session:
Mon.-Thurs.: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fri.: 8 a.m.-Noon
Closed Sat. and Sun.
Summer Semester:
Mon.-Thurs.: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Fri.: 8 a.m.-Noon
Closed Sat. and Sun
The Fine Arts & Humanities Office follows the academic calendar for all holiday closures including Thanksgiving and Winter break.
I can’t seem to find music lessons listed online and/or received a message that I need a “Granted Petition.” How do I enroll in individual music lessons?
Almost all music classes, including credit and non-credit lessons, are closed to online self-enrollment. Please contact the Fine Arts & Humanities in F130 at (708) 974-5318 or music@nhmhcar.com register for music classes or lessons with restricted registration access.
Are there auditions or other entrance requirements to enroll in music classes and performing ensembles?
Students interested in enrolling in AFA – Music degree classes such as Music Theory, Aural Skills and Keyboarding must pass an entrance exam. Please contact Professor Tammi Carlson at carlsont@nhmhcar.com or (708) 974-5636 for more information.
Some of our music ensembles have limited spots and require an audition to join. Others typically have an informal audition with the ensemble director to assess general skill level. In general, all of our music ensembles require prior experience at the high school or college level. Please visit Music Ensembles for the specific requirements, audition information and director contact information.
Music Facilities
Dorothy Menker Theater
The 600-seat Dorothy Menker Theater is a proscenium theater with a movable orchestra pit. The theater is beautifully designed with excellent acoustics, sightlines, and cutting-edge theatrical equipment. Our theater productions are performed here, and you can enjoy superb professional productions in theater, dance, and music throughout the year.
John and Angeline Oremus Theater
Featuring an overhead “trampoline grid” for dynamic light and sound design, Moraine Valley’s flexible theater space is the 150-seat John and Angeline Oremus Theater. In this “black-box” setting, productions can be mounted arena, thrust, proscenium, or environmental style, depending on the play’s needs and the director’s vision. It’s also used as an acting and stagecraft classroom.
