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Blink Festival featuring light up canoes and musicians
Girl playing violin
Orchestra performing on stage
Orchestra performing on stage

Distinctly personal. Richly collaborative.

The School of the Arts Music Program provides student-centered instruction to a diverse population of versatile musicians and creative thinkers who are prepared to make a meaningful impact on communities in an ever-changing world. The School of the Arts Music Program will be recognized as a top-destination for students seeking to become well-rounded musicians who will contribute to the cultural vitality of local and global communities.

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Wind band performing on stage

Auditions & Scholarships

Auditions are required for Music majors and the Music minor for admission into the NKU Music Program and for scholarship consideration.

  • Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024 (strings only)
  • Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 (strings only)
  • Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 (all areas except strings)
  • Saturday, March 16, 2024 (all areas except strings)

Learn More about Auditions

Sign-Up for an Audition

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Our programs are ideally suited to those who aspire to:

  • Start a career as a professional musician
  • Teach band, choir, orchestra or general music in a public or private school setting
  • Work as a composer, arranger, or producer in the music industry
  • Teach privately as a studio instructor
  • Seek employment in fields that engage with music (copyright law, public relations, media, non-profits, etc.)
  • Pursue advanced music studies at the graduate level

View Majors & Programs

Unique Student Experiences & Opportunities

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Audition & Scholarships

Auditions are required for Music majors and the Music minor for admission into the NKU Music Program and for scholarship consideration.

Learn About Scholarships

Students riding bikes

Ensembles

Music students have numerous performance opportunities on campus and around town throughout the academic year.

View All Ensembles

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Study Abroad

NKU SOTA students have had the opportunity to study in Salzburg, Austria for five weeks each summer. Each student takes up to 6 undergraduate or graduate credits that apply toward the completion of their degrees.

Learn About Study Abroad

STUDENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Laura Lamb

Laura Lamb

Graduating Year: 2021

Education:  Bachelor of Music in Performance (Instrumental)

Laura Lamb is an orchestral percussionist based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has performed with the Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Akron, and Chautauqua Symphony Orchestras. She graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelors of Music degree in Percussion Performance in May 2021, and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Percussion Performance at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music.

Laura has studied with Michael Culligan, Associate Principal Percussionist of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Jeremy Branson and Chris Allen, members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Paul Evans.

Laura has previously attended the Brevard Music Festival and the Chautauqua Festival Institution. Additionally, she is a recipient of the Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts Scholarship and is also an Undergraduate Instrumental Music recipient of the Three Arts Scholarship Fund.

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