Music at WPI

WPI Orchestra

Music is wonderful for many reasons—it’s eclectic, it offers chances to collaborate and form communities, it allows us to express emotion to others and for them to empathize with what we’re saying. At the same time, music can mean different things to different people. It comes in diverse forms, even when those making it use the same tools, inspirations, and rules (or lack thereof).

The opportunities are endless, just like they are at WPI.

We know music may not be the first thing you think of when you start looking into a STEM school, but it’s just as prevalent here as, well, STEM itself. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or have a passing interest in music and performance, you’ll have the opportunity to explore your passion for music in whatever form that may take:

And this is just the beginning—after all, what’s a great song without an even better hook? Check out the resources below to see how you can make music come to life at WPI. 

Dive into the Back Catalog

Looking for even more on what it’s like to be a music student at WPI? There’s no better way to learn than by exploring the opportunities available to current students. Visit the Music @ WPI website, curated by members of WPI’s music faculty, for more information on performance opportunities and student groups, research labs, courses, music-oriented jobs on campus, and more.

The 2021 WPI Concert Band's Virtual Exhibition, APART, is an engaging and creative presentation including aerial drone footage of the campus during the last piece. Performance order: Percy Grainger's "Shepherd's Hey", David Biedenbender's "Melodious Thunk" and Rossano Galante's "Journey Through the Stratosphere."

Music by the Numbers

Preview

Blending music and STEM is nothing new at WPI, which is why we’ve created an at-a-glance look at different musical extracurriculars offered on campus

  • 9 symphonic ensembles and quintets 
  • 9 choir and a cappella groups 
  • 3 jazz groups 
  • 2 orchestras 
  • 2 drumming and percussion groups 
  • 1 musical theatre group 
  • 1 student rock association 
  • 1 radio station 

Music News

DIY Music Technology

The Electric Guitar Innovation Lab was founded nearly four years ago by music professor V.J. Manzo as an informal space to experiment with new ways of evolving the guitar. In both 2020 and 2021, it received funding from the Les Paul Foundation for its work on projects that address the needs of performers, instrument makers, and others who work with guitars or guitar innovation.

Robotic Music to Our Ears

Associate professor of music Scott Barton worked with his students to produce a first-of-its-kind concert pairing human musicians with artificially intelligent musical robots at nearby Mechanics Hall. Called Sound Fusion, the concert ranged from Bach to rock, and was an event that Barton hoped would allow people to “experience musical pieces they have known in a whole new kind of light.”

Open-Ended Art, Serendipitous Results

After five years of research, associate professor of Interactive Media and Game Development and Humanities & Arts Joshua Rosenstock unveiled the Fermentophone—an edible musical instrument—at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in February of 2020. Read more about his research and how, in his words, “Different foods provide different grooves.”

Meet the Music Faculty

News

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