Hone your craft, perfect your performance, utilize digital media, and gain excellent technical skills.
Perform live with bands, record with state-of-the-art studios, and develop as both performer and engineer. Get personalized attention from caring professors and industry pros committed to making you the best you can be.
Were you born to be on stage? Were you born to make the stage event happen? This degree provides a strong foundation in a main area of study with the flexibility to add other areas of specific interest and suit students’ future desires.
Commercial Music Performance covers all aspects of music performance - vocal and instrumental musicianship, stage presence, artistry, live performance of all commercial musical styles - and provides foundations in studio recording, producing, and live audio sound reinforcement.
Our graduates work in all aspects of the music industry at the highest levels and are desired for their capabilities and character. All information within the degree is provided in a hands-on format as a primary way of integrating the skills, and the students are connected every semester to the degree, beginning on the first day of classes. The flexibility, cooperation with related areas, the ability to craft a degree that fits future goals, along with all GU's resources (5 recording studios, multiple performing facilities, touring systems (audio, staging, and lighting), recitals, concerts, and ensembles), prepares you to move directly into the industry when you graduate.
Be prepared for various jobs upon graduation through a broad-based set of skills and flexibility. Today’s market demands an employee to be well-versed in many aspects, not a “master of one.” In fact, many students double major in Audio Engineering and Commercial Music Performance (a unique feature of our program) or even triple major in conjunction with Worship Arts.
Graduates of our program work as independent artists, singer/songwriters, and session musicians, function as the house band for venues, or even lead worship at churches around the world.
“Projects” are the centerpiece of the Commercial Music Performance and Audio Engineering degrees, where all of the different areas (studio, live audio, performing, promotion, touring) work together in a tight, integrative manner toward a common goal. Core courses strengthen individual areas and connect through the "Projects" course as an integral part of a whole. Students will hone their craft and integrate Christian values at the core of their work, prepared to present themselves as moral and responsible Christian professionals.
GU in a View
Audio Engineering
Practice your craft with 24/7 access to recording studios with Pro Tools and Logic. Produce industry standard music in state-of-the-art studios with projects courses where you engineer, produce, write, and perform. Don’t just learn about audio engineering, engineer and produce it! GU has produced alumni artists like Grammy Award winner Andre Anjos (RAC), Jars of Clay, Paper Route, and Augustana. GU grads work at major companies like Universal Music Group, CTS, and in-house production team like Ramsey Solutions.
GU in a View
Commercial Music Performance
Hone your craft, learn to perform, utilize digital media, and gain excellent technical skills. Perform live with bands, record with state-of-the-art studios and develop as both performer and engineer. Get personalized attention from caring professors and industry pros committed to making you the best you can be. Learn to be an independent artist. Each semester, you’ll be part of a Producers Group including a Producer, main and assistant engineers, live audio, and lighting designers. Don’t just ‘learn’ what it means to be a performer, be one at GU!
GU in a View
Contemporary Music Center - Nashville
Study the music industry for a semester in Nashville, TN with GU’s partner in an immersive experience. Gain experience in studio recording, live audio production, lighting design, commercial music performance, and a thorough understanding of the music industry. Get real-world experience at The Contemporary Music Center in Nashville, Tennessee, a semester-long, 16-credit hour program that prepares college-age students for careers in the entertainment industry. Thirty students live, work, and create music together in a facility with 24/7 access to world-class gear. Faculty are music industry pros who keep the program relevant and practical. The “Final Exam” is a week-long Road Tour at the end of the semester.
Why GU
Complete Portfolio
Graduate with a complete portfolio of recordings, music videos, photographs, and performances!
Weekly Performances
Perform at weekly concerts at our own campus venue, the Black Room!
Double or Triple Major
Double or even triple major in related fields! The Commercial Music Performance degree is easily paired with degrees in Audio Engineering and/or Worship Arts.
