When everyday people hear that someone is getting a degree in music, they automatically think that receiving it entails playing an instrument, or teaching a music class but one New Jersey college offers much more than that.
Rider University, a private, coeducational and nonsectarian university in the heart of Lawrenceville, NJ started out with a minor of Popular Music Culture a few years ago. In 2012, the staff of the university decided to also make it a major. Popular Music Culture isn’t like any other major, and it certainly isn’t an ordinary one at that. The major focuses in on twentieth- and twenty-first century popular music in an exceptional way, which will allow the student to experiment in different aspects of music, professionally and recreationally.
The Bachelor of Arts in Popular Music Culture will let the student explore Writing in Music, Postmodernism & Popular Culture and even Digital Composition of Pop Music. The most popular classes that fill up right away are Music of the Beatles and Music of Radiohead. In those classes, you not only learn about the music and learn about the bands successful careers, but you feel the music and listen to the lyrics. Rider University has a team of creative, outstanding faculty in the music department who make you not only want to go to class, but make you realize why this is your major.
Along with classes such as Jazz History, History of Pop & Rock, iPod and Digital Culture, Music Theory and more, the opportunity to develop your own groups and create musical projects throughout campus are at an all time high since PMC became a major. Whether you’re a singer or a musician, free voice/instrument lessons are given to the students receiving the degree on top of being involved in the numerous choir and band groups around campus.
The students who receive a BA in Popular Music Culture have opportunities to intern with radio stations, music channels, music magazines and more. This particular major attracts a special kind of student. The creativity and the passion that you need to have for a major like so deserves a large quantity of time and patience, but is extremely worth it when you look back at how much you accomplished and how much you learned.
Expanding from music journalism to music media to music production, Popular Music Culture is unlike any other major in the country, and I’m happy to call it my major, and to call Rider University my home.
By Victoria Corinne
