NC State Music

Apr 8, 2020

The presidential playlist

Three Raleigh-based musicians with ties to NC State got the surprise of their lives when their song “Raleighwood Hills” made President Obama’s top music of 2019 list in December. There are moments in our lives that stay with us forever, shape who we become from that point forward, or alter the way we see the…

Apr 8, 2020

Innovation in the piano classroom

Olga Kleiankina and a development team at DELTA are reimagining the way introductory piano courses are taught for a new generation of students. As the Department of Music expands its program offerings that explore the intersection between music and technology, faculty are seizing upon opportunities to incorporate new technologies into the classroom and innovate the…

Apr 7, 2020

Bringing new music to life

Author’s note: This article was written and published in our spring 2020 issue of Wolf Tones prior to the decision to cancel on-campus events due to the coronavirus outbreak. To reduce confusion, we have removed information originally included at the end of the article regarding the dates of the spring orchestra concerts. It can be…

Apr 6, 2020

A passion for music and rocket science

Tuba performance minor John Inness revives the NC State Brass Quintet during his final year studying aerospace engineering before he takes off for NASA and the Brass Band of Huntsville, Alabama. When tuba performance minor John Inness returned to NC State after his co-op at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama in the…

Mar 18, 2020

Department of Music Coronavirus Updates

LAST UPDATED: Friday, January 8, 2021 The health of our students, faculty, staff and community is our top priority, and we will continue to communicate with you as this situation evolves. Please refer to go.ncsu.edu/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information on the university’s policies regarding the coronavirus.

Feb 10, 2020

Video contest: How does music impact your NC State experience?

We’ve extended the deadline to March 18!  Has music made an impact on your NC State experience? We want to hear about it! Send us your videos—30 seconds or less—about how music has shaped your time on campus. It can be anything! We want to hear your voice, in whatever form that takes, and see…

Jan 23, 2020

Hip Hop Project breaks down collaborative barriers with new music tech partnership

Hip Hop Project officers Meredith Howell, Kendall Griffith and Akeem Blalock-Cotton are breaking down barriers for musicians and artists on campus while cultivating and promoting hip hop culture. Their partnership with Quadio brings new opportunities for collaboration and growth. Photos by Erin Zanders. [lead]Music can certainly be made by an individual. You can compose a…

Jan 21, 2020

Student-led gospel choir builds community through song

The creation and performance of music is a shared experience that has brought people together across centuries, cultures and geographic borders. Gospel music in particular is a deeply communal experience, with roots in the black oral tradition and African-American religious practices, tracing back to the early 17th century. The music typically incorporates repetition and call-and-response,…

Nov 26, 2019

New holiday album showcases local jazz talent

Keenan McKenzie didn’t set out to write a Christmas album. The music department’s applied lecturer of saxophone was writing a few songs for a project that ultimately fell through, then he wrote a few more and before he knew it, he had a full album on his hands.  “At first I said, well, I might…

Nov 25, 2019

Whistlin’ their own tunes

The students in the NC State Jazz Combo went from strangers to bandmates to family. Now they’re releasing an album of mostly original songs and reflecting on their time together doing what they love. It’s a science and an art, figuring out where each student-musician’s strengths will best fit in order for them and their…