Welcome and thank you for visiting the Department of Music and Dance website. We are confident that our department is a unique place, and we hope that you will feel the same way. We are located in the communal block just around the Faculty of Arts building (we share the same building with communication studies and African studies). The Department of Music and Dance is a tight-knit community where equal opportunities are presented to every student to flourish.
Our students meet friends in ensembles, learn and teach together in studio classes, and create life-long bonds through the joy of the performance and study of music and dance. We believe in teaching to our students’ potential. Every student is unique and we celebrate and honour their uniqueness by understanding their strengths and weaknesses. Our goal is to prepare our students to make profound contributions to the future of music and dance in Ghana and beyond.
The Department of Music offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Music or Dance. We have optional concentrations in areas such as Music Technology, Performance (that is the learning of instruments), music psychology (music and the brain), and Music Business. Students majoring in other fields may complete a minor in Music or Music Technology and may take music courses as electives.
The Department of Music and Dance offers instruction at a variety of levels to provide a balanced musical education for a broad spectrum of students. Areas of instruction include music theory and composition, music history and literature, music performance, music education (at the postgraduate level), music technology, jazz music studies, film music, and music business. Courses in music theory explore the materials and techniques employed in music composition.
History and literature courses present the evolution of musical styles in the context of our cultural heritage and identify certain works that represent the highest levels of artistic achievement. Performance activities develop individual musical skills through personal and creative involvement. Music Education prepares students to teach music at the nursery, high school, and tertiary levels. Music Technology explores current developments in computers and their applications and impact on the creation, presentation, and recording of music.
We believe in fostering a nurturing climate versus a competitive environment. This enables students to develop skills in organic ways. We encourage group discussions each week in which the students take up the role of facilitators. As the number 1 university in Ghana and also the best university in the West African Sub-Region, we offer the opportunity and funding for graduate research. Our students win grants, perform locally and internationally as soloists, and present at conferences. Our exceptional faculty are at the forefront of their respective fields and are excited to guide our students on their journey.
Our award-winning professors and instructors perform at important conferences and venues, and record albums in our in-house recording studio. Music by our acclaimed composers is published and played all over the country. Students are proud to study, compose, and perform with our faculty. At the Department of Music and Dance, we take pride in the achievements of our students and their collaborative efforts on stage. Our student ensembles tour the country and perform at conference venues throughout the country.
The departmental recording studio allows us to record outstanding musical performances and compositions by students and faculty. Our degree programmes prepare students for careers in the classroom, on stage, in the studio, and in a collaborative enterprise. Whether a student plans to be an educator, performer, composer, or arts advocate, a degree in music at the University of Cape Coast provides a solid foundation for success. I am thrilled by the many opportunities available to our students and faculty and the energetic, welcoming environment of our music community. It is a privilege to be the new Head of the Department of Music and Dance.
I look forward to continuing the department’s long tradition of the highest standards and facilitating new ways to prepare our students for rewarding twenty-first-century careers in the performing arts.
