Mason Galemore
Contributing Writer
[email protected]

Announcing a new major in musical theatre, the Murray State Music Department says it will blend elements of theatre, music and dance.

A bachelor of music in musical theatre will require students to audition in order to be accepted into the program. The new major was created to meet the needs of the fast evolving market in theatre, says Associate Professor of Voice and Opera Maribeth Crawford, who will head the program.   

The music and theatre departments joined forces and were approved to make this new major a reality.

Crawford taught a Musical Theatre Study Abroad program with Assistant Professor of Theatre Heidi Ortega. Crawford said they already had most of the requirements for a bachelor of music in musical theatre built into the existing curriculum.

“After looking at the accreditation requirements through the National Association of Schools of Music, and our own values of what we feel is a quality program, we decided to work with our Curriculum Committee on putting together a musical theatre degree,” Crawford said.

Professor of Music Tana Field said the new major will give students competence across three fields in one four-year degree. Many of Field’s courses will be taught under the new major. 

“This new major will give the students a ‘triple threat’ of skills to use in the changing market of theatre,” Field said.

The new degree will be the only bachelor of music in musical theatre in the region. Crawford said the degree will offer students a special learning opportunity that is not given in any other school in Western Kentucky.   

Crawford said the music and theatre departments first collaborated together to create a musical theatre minor. Eventually, the voice unit noticed an increased interest among vocal students in theatre.

“Musical theatre is gaining popularity through frequency of performances and visibility,” Crawford said. “We, as a faculty, have worked to examine how we can grow and evolve as teachers to better meet the needs and interests of our students.”

Crawford said students can find many job opportunities with this degree such as performing, directing, choreographing, stage managing, artistic administration and educational outreach coordination. Freshman music education major Devante Alexander said the new major would allow students to finally get an edge in theatre production. Alexander is interested in theatre and thinks the new degree will benefit music students.

“It would be interesting to see how the new major will work out,” Alexander said. “If everything goes to plan, it will open so many doors for music and theatre students.”

For more information about the degree visit the Murray State Department of Music’s website at murraystate.edu/music. To apply for the degree, contact Dr. Crawford at [email protected].