The Texas A&M University College of Commerce's Department of Music is increasing its status to the Department of Music, effective September 1, 2024.
Approval for the department's designation change was granted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in January 2024.
Although the Department of Music was first accredited in 1969, A&M-Commerce has been offering music courses for more than 100 years. During that time, the university has mentored countless music educators and performers across a variety of disciplines. With a total enrollment of more than 250 students, the department helps musicians hone their skills as vocalists, percussionists, pianists, or on brass and woodwind instruments. Additionally, a guitar performance program is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2024.
Dr. Eric Branscomb, Dean of the Department of Music, explained that the Department of Music's designation has been highly coveted for several years.
“The idea of becoming a music school was first presented over 10 years ago,” said Branscum, who took over in 2021.
Branscombe points out that the latest proposal to become a music faculty was initiated last year and submitted to THECB in August 2023 after numerous approvals at university level. The new designation takes A&M Commerce one step closer to achieving that goal. Until student recruitment.
“Holding the School of Music designation represents a higher level of honor and signifies that we have cultivated a long tradition of excellence in music education,” Branscum said. “While we welcome performance-minded music students, our strength has always been in teaching and mentoring future music educators, and this new designation is a testament to that.”
Additional expected benefits include attracting more world-class faculty to the university's music programs and increasing the department's donor base.
The redesignation announcement was made at the Texas Music Educators Association annual conference in San Antonio, Texas, in February, when A&M Commerce hosted a networking event for current students and alumni attending the conference. First shared with A&M Commerce music students and alumni.
Branscum said he hopes music education at A&M-Commerce will continue to evolve long after it becomes a music school.
“We do not intend this long-standing goal to be the end point, but rather the starting point of even greater things at A&M-Commerce,” Branscum said. “To stay relevant, we have to continue to evolve and continue to expand our curriculum and so on.”
He added that the first concert to celebrate the official redesignation as the A&M Commerce School of Music is scheduled for fall 2024, with details to be announced later this year.
Learn more about music at A&M-Commerce.
