Music Archives

BCSI Teacher Spotlight: Kate Nadolny

Kate Nadolny teaches music at Pineapple Cove Classical Academy at West Melbourne, Florida. A native of the Sunshine State, she received her bachelor’s degree in music from Stetson University and […]

Comfort Ye My People

This was the year of “Messiah,” sung every four years at the College, and we were glad to have the chance to sing something so glorious.

Music Brings Us Together

Music has graced the halls of Hillsdale College from the very beginning in 1844. Whether part of the orchestra, various ensembles, or Michigan’s oldest collegiate choir, almost thirty percent of the Hillsdale College student body participates in music activities at some level — making it something that brings us together.

Numbers and Notes

Hannah Andrews is a junior math major, a member of the Kappa Mu Epsilon math honorary, and co-founder and president of Hillsdale’s Actuarial Club, the discipline combining math and statistical methods to assess risks in investing and finance.

The Patience of a Stonecutter

Flute players are a dime a dozen, but Hillsdale’s flute instructor, Jaimie Wagner, has a knack for making students feel special.

A New Approach to String Teaching

To explain the nature of her research to non-musicians, Dr. Melissa Knecht uses an analogy to natural language. “Try to spell the word ‘vernault.’ If you guessed, “V-e-r-n-a-u-l-t,” you’re right—but there’s a catch. ‘Vernault’ isn’t a real word. Most people can spell that word without seeing it or knowing what it means,” Dr. Knecht explains. “This test implies that people are good spellers, not because they’ve memorized every word in the English language, but because they’ve learned to recognize patterns and statistical probabilities in the language.”

Music in the Community

Music in the Community offers Hillsdale students the opportunity to sing at a nearby nursing home every Sunday afternoon. This past week we gathered to join voices with the residents in their sunny dining room.

Music in Community: Spotlight on Chamber Choir

The chamber choir is what Prof. Holleman calls an “ambassador for the college and the students,” distinguished not only by quality of sound, but also by tradition and beauty.

Why I Chose Hillsdale: Sarah Chavey

Hillsdale was hardly on my radar during my senior year of high school. I wanted a big school, a place to develop as a music major and journalist. The impossibly difficult core classes at Hillsdale College did not tempt a girl who didn’t care about Homer and Aristotle.

The Dynamic Balance Between Music and Liberal Arts

Dr. Derek Stauff, the newest musicologist in the Hillsdale music department, brings with him a plethora of knowledge in music history—specifically 17th century German music—and an energy to equal that of the current music professors.

Percussion Ensemble Performs a Striking Concert

Led by Stacey Jones, ten musicians—students ranging from freshmen to fifth-year seniors—performed a variety of pieces by some of the biggest names in modern percussion composition. From the serene melodic interplay of a marimba version of Francisco Tarrega’s Recuerdos de la Alhambra, to the thunderous rhythmic tension of Nebojsa Zivkovic’s Uneven Souls, the concert featured works running the gamut of the musical spectrum.