Music and Fine Arts 

Bring Your Talents to The Cliff

The Department of Music and Fine Arts seeks to provide a means for spiritual, intellectual, and artistic development consistent with a liberal arts education. This department offers students:

• a consistent schedule of performances featuring a wide variety of repertoire
• a variety of local community choral opportunities 
• yearly choir tours
• a faculty of accomplished artists

This department is proud to provide our campus and the greater Siouxland community with countless opportunities to develop, explore, and experience the gift of music.

Four Reasons to Join 

• Musicality
  It has been proven time and time again that singing in a choir or playing instruments improves your innate musical ability, intensifies your appreciation of harmony, and organically strengthens your ear. Band and choir members quickly become aware of how harmonies combine and complement each other.
• Mental and Physical Health
  We like to refer this department as Briar Cliff's "unofficial GPAC sport." Although less physically intense than Charger athletics, a proper band or choir practice includes warming up, breathing from the diaphragm, and accessing core strength. Music-making can help release endorphins, develop mental functions, improve posture, and reduce symptoms of stress and depression.
• Confidence
  Most people don’t imagine they will ever perform in front of an audience, and to experience this for the first time as part of a group can be life-changing. The truth is that anyone can learn to sing. Singing or playing with a community of your peers gives you permission to express yourself and help expand your confidence.
• Belonging
  We know that participating in a band or ensemble quickly helps forge social bonds. This is especially true at Briar Cliff. Our groups of valued musicians spend countless hours creating music, and that process creates friendships that last a lifetime.

Collaborating with the Music and Fine Arts Department at The Cliff will help improve your musicality, mental and physical health, confidence, and provide you a place to belong.

Audition for a Music Scholarship

Do you love music? Use it to help finance your education at Briar Cliff! The Department of Music awards scholarships that recognize and encourage talented student musicians who are searching for a liberal arts education, regardless of major. The department awards these annual renewable scholarships based upon talent and musical leadership. Award amounts vary and are based upon an audition.