Department of Music
As you walk through the Otterbein University Department of Music, you’ll notice that it’s alive with music, with laughter, with students in the lounge, with professors talking to students. Whether it be from our talented students, our actively practicing faculty and staff, or from a guest ensemble, there is always music playing at Otterbein.
Otterbein University Summer Music Experience Camp
Designed for passionate high school musicians (rising 9th-12th graders; singers must be 15+), Otterbein’s Summer Music Experience Camp offers an immersive, week-long dive into music study. Scheduled for June 9-14, 2025, the camp features daily one-on-one lessons in various instruments (strings, winds, piano) and voice, covering classical and jazz styles, plus composition.
Participants explore improvisation, music theory, musicians’ health, music technology, and music history (classical, popular, jazz). The camp aims to enhance musicianship, build confidence, and offer insights into performance and composition, preparing students for future music endeavors. Commuter and overnight options are available.
Audition days are now completed for the 2025-2026 school year. You may still submit an online audition through Acceptd or request an in-person audition for the 2025 – 2026 school year. Please email music@otterbein.edu to request an audition.
Otterbein University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
National Association of Schools of Music
11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21
Reston, VA 20190-5248
(703) 437-0700
info@arts-accredit.org
Programs of Study in Music
B.M.E.
Music Education
The Bachelor of Music Education degree at Otterbein is a four-year degree with K-12 licensure in all musical areas. The curriculum provides in-school placements in each year of study, and a full array of methods courses including guitar and ukulele methods.
B.M.
Performance
The Bachelor of Music in Performance Degree puts primary emphasis on the skills, concepts, and sensitivities essential to the life of the performing musician. The Bachelor of Music curriculum requires intensive energy, preparation and dedication to the applied music performance area.
B.F.A.
Musical Theatre
Our interdisciplinary BFA combines courses in Acting, Voice, Dance, Movement, and Music. Musical Theatre majors audition for all productions including plays, musicals, dance concerts, advanced directing projects, and workshops. A senior showcase for industry professionals is produced annually in New York City.
B.A.
Music Theory & Composition
The Music Theory & Composition concentration is the perfect program for composers seeking to study music theory and composition in depth while also gaining a firm grounding in musicianship and performance within a liberal arts framework.
B.A.
Music History & Literature
The Music History & Literature concentration provides students the opportunity to explore the scholarly aspects of music study. The exploration of music through scholarship, writing and research has many career outcomes and is well suited to liberal arts studies.
Minor
Music Minor
Our music minor is a great way to nurture your passion for music while pursuing a different major. It is available to any student on campus, and encompasses basic experiences in theory, applied instruction, history, ensembles, and electives. Non-music majors may audition to study in any applied area within the department and may take several music courses if a pre-requisite pattern is followed.
Student, Faculty, and Alumni Spotlights
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Otterbein has given me the support and resources for me to not only grow as an individual, but to prepare me to be the best future educator I can be.
Julia Jablonski ’22
Bachelor of Music Education
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
The Otterbein Department of Music is a place of opportunity in every sense. It is a strong community among students, faculty, and alumni where personal relationships are coveted. Our world-class faculty members are incredibly supportive and show a great desire to see every student succeed!
Alec Arnett ’22
Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and Bachelor of Arts in Music History & Literature
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Otterbein has given me the best preparation for becoming a music educator that I could have ever imagined! Between giving us hundreds of hours teaching in real classrooms starting freshmen year and the extremely talented and esteemed music faculty, I couldn’t have asked for more!
MK Schloss ’22
Bachelor of Music Education
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
I came into Otterbein, for lack of a better word, terrified and leaving behind my entire support system. But Otterbein had my back. The music faculty were – and still are – amazing and so, so kind and welcoming. It’s been an amazing and fun couple of years.
Isabelle Lindsey ’23
Bachelor of Arts in Music and Bachelor of Arts in Theatre double major
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Otterbein has allowed me to pursue my passions in music performance, offering a variety of ensembles, performance opportunities, and a close-knit environment where I get to work side by side with professionals who are willing to make the effort to help prepare you for future success in your career outside of Otterbein.
Matthew Boles ’23
Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance
After a year of mostly online performances, we are roaring back to life with a full slate of in-person public performances: ensembles, recitals and exciting guest artists.
View our concert calendar >
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
The most meaningful, hands-on experiences I had were with the partnerships with local schools, travelling to share the love of music, and the encouragement to pursue my own opportunities.
Jared Joseph ’13
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
One of the most meaningful experiences at Otterbein was getting to perform a lot of my own compositions during my final recital.
Ryan Loth ’15
Bachelor of Arts in Music, Theory and Composition Concentration
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
What stood out to me as a student was how much the faculty and staff go above and beyond to really help their students succeed.
Miranda Martin-Hecker ’15
Miranda earned a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) at the Ohio State University and is an adjunct faculty member in Otterbein’s Music Department
“Music Education brings together a person’s deep love of music with the passion to change young peoples’ lives. Having had a career in music education, I believe few things could be more fulfilling.”
Dr. Jim Bates
Professor of Music and Music Education Program Director
Our students benefit from a supportive and caring faculty in a small campus setting and participate in a robust array of ensembles. Our active student OMEA chapter provides interaction with a variety of guest speakers and presentation topics.
COMMERCIAL MUSIC FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Vocalist, non-profit educator and commercial voice faculty member Rachel Azbell seeks inspiration from vocalists like Nancy Wilson and Ella Fitzgerald to the great Aretha Franklin and loves helping students find their own voice within commercial singing, too.
Rachel Azbell, M.M.
Part-Time Faculty in Commercial Music
COMMERCIAL MUSIC FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Tony Hagood, pianist, currently serves as Commercial, Classical, and Jazz piano instructor and Staff Pianist at Otterbein University. He has been called to play and record for organizations like Pagani Automobiles, Columbus Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Arts Group, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Byron Stripling’s quintet, numerous festivals throughout the U.S. Tony also hosts jazz concert series at the Columbus Museum of Art and McConnell Arts Center.
Tony Hagood
Part-Time Faculty in Commercial Music
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
Professor Michael Yonchak’s current writing projects include investigating the mallet percussion components of Frank Zappa’s Music, and exploring the compositional background of Jennifer Higdon’s Grammy-Award winning Percussion Concerto.
Dr. Michael Yonchak
Associate Professor, Music
Department Features and Student Opportunities
Auditions and Talent Awards
We reward the talent, dedication, and academic achievement of our majors and non-majors alike with generous scholarships to support their studies in music. Auditions are available in person and online.
Performance Areas
We offer applied study for instruments, voice, and composition in classical, jazz, and popular styles. From early music to contemporary music, from string quartet to jazz combo, our ensemble experiences are open to all students.
Music for Non-Majors
You don’t have to be a music major to participate in music at Otterbein. Non-majors may join any of the music ensembles or take private lessons and are eligible to audition for music participation awards.
Concert Calendar
Experience music at Otterbein with our rich and varied selection of guest artist recitals, performances by the Westerville Symphony as well as student ensemble concerts and recitals. All are free and open to the public.
Music YouTube Channel
Whether you like jazz, opera, chorals, or something else, check out the various playlists in our YouTube channel to watch recordings of recent performances featuring our students and faculty.
Music Facilities
The historic Battelle Fine Arts Building houses our concert hall, Riley Auditorium, along with state-of-the-art classrooms and labs. Quiet peaceful village we may be, but our facilities are warm, welcoming, and always buzzing with activity.
Music Department News
Cool Courses: From Banjos to Beyonce – The Music That Made America
News - June 13, 2025
By Drakko Harper ’26 From the 12-bar blues that inspired jazz all the way to modern icons like Jay-Z and Beyonce, Otterbein is the place where students can learn both the practical theory of music and the complex cultural history behind it with the American Pop Music course (INST 2623/ MUSC 3046) taught by Associate Professor of Music Michael Yonchak, PhD. This 15-week course is not your typical history lecture. Yonchak inherited this course from a former faculty member but…
Otterbein University to Host Piano Sale March 13-16, 2025
News - February 27, 2025
Pianos and Digital Pianos Available for Public Purchase. Each year, the Otterbein University Department of Music receives an annual loan of new Yamaha pianos for its rehearsal, teaching, and performance needs. These pianos are provided at no charge to the university. These pianos are essential to providing quality experiences for Otterbein’s students and our community. To support this loan program, these and other fine pianos are annually offered for sale and then replaced with new ones. All pianos will be sold at…
Otterbein University Concert Choir to Tour Southeastern U.S.
News - February 25, 2025
Performance locations include North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Ohio. The Otterbein University Concert Choir from Westerville, OH, will perform their spring break tour this March 7-14. Performances of the choir will be hosted in Athens, OH; Charlotte, NC; Newberry SC; Beaufort, SC, Charleston, WV, and Gahanna, OH. The ensemble’s tour program, “Holding the Light,” features the music of Brittney Boykin, Jocelyn Hagan, Marques Garrett, and Elaine Hagenberg. All performances are free and open to the public. For more…Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Music is to develop professional musical competencies, as well as a deep appreciation of music, that students can later utilize in music careers or a life-long enjoyment of the art. All students in the music program should gain a broad knowledge and appreciation of important music within historical, cultural, and global contexts; achieve proficiency in aural, reading, and keyboard skills; learn music theory and apply that learning to critical analysis and musical creation; and develop expertise as solo and ensemble performers. The Department strives to foster a community of musicians who care about music for the aesthetic and affective richness that it brings to the world, and conversely, who value their knowledge of the world and its relationship to music.
Our Institutional Partners
