Explore your musical potential

Emilee Kuschel

Reporter

While a music major is no longer offered at Crowder, students should take advantage of the music classes such as piano and voice lessons still available here at Crowder and the practice rooms available in the Elsie Plaster Community Center.

The music program was cut in 2015 because of a lack of enrollment and financial support, and because the curriculum didn’t meet the needs of the students, according to Keri Keckley, the fine arts division chair. “Most four-year music programs for undergrads actually need five years because of the extra time that is required. So if we didn’t meet the requirements of what the students needed and we said that we were providing them with a music degree, then they got to the next level of university and needed actually three more years of school.”

If the program drains the resources of the college while not meeting the needs of the students, it is not beneficial and needs to change.

The major was cut only after much research and consideration, Keckley said. Crowder looked into programs with several other area colleges and ultimately decided to stop the program after no arrangements could be made.

Perhaps someday Crowder will have the funds and interest for a music program once again.

Kenzie Beard, a student at Crowder and a member of the Neosho Community Choir, said of the prospect, “I think Crowder should have a music program. I think it could help benefit a lot of college students to have an outlet outside of classes.”

Until then, Crowder still offers music practice rooms in the Elsie Plaster Community Center and individual music lessons to interested students. The Neosho community choir also holds a Christmas concert in December that is open to Crowder students and the community.