Do you love to sing or play an instrument? Study music at Dordt, and you'll be able to focus on music education, performance, church music, or music management.
In addition to taking private music lessons and participating in ensembles, you will learn about music theory, ear training, music history and literature, conducting, music and digital technology, and more.
Learn how to advance your music skills and make a joyful noise, praising God for the gift of music.
Program Options
Music performance and pedagogy major: prepares you for a vocation in performance, studio teaching, and graduate school.
- Music management major: combines music and business courses to prepare you for a career as an administrator of professional music organizations.
- General music major: provides a range of courses and experiences that will prepare you for graduate school. It is suggested that students interested in a career in music therapy select the general music major and minor in psychology.
- Church music major: prepares you for leadership in churches and for service as organist, pianist, or director of choral or instrumental ensembles.
- Music education major: prepares you for teaching with emphases ranging from elementary through high school.
- General music minor: provides a fine complement to majors in other fields.
- Music education minor: prepares elementary school teachers to teach music in the classroom or to be specialists in music.
- Music performance minor: prepares outstanding non-majors for performing after college.
Opportunities
Music majors and non-majors participate in a variety of small ensemble, community, and church performances in addition to those ensembles provided by Dordt. Many Dordt students provide area school children with private lessons, and several churches rely on the professional services of Dordt College organ students and choir directors.
The Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra (NISO) provides advanced students with a valuable ensemble experience with their pre-professional training. Many of Dordt's adjunct faculty perform as principal players in the orchestra.
Dordt's music ensembles include:
- Concert Band
- Campus-Community Band
- Chamber Orchestra
- Concert Choir
- Bella Voce Women's Chorus
- Chorale
- Jazz Band
- Kantorei
You can also create your own small group or band.
Resources
The B.J. Haan Auditorium is a 1,500-seat facility for concerts and solo performances that has some of the best acoustics in the region. It features a 57-rank, three manual, mechanical action Casavant pipe organ, a Steinway Model D concert grand piano, and a Kawai concert grand piano.
- The music department wing includes mechanical action and electro-pneumatic pipe organs, upright and grand piano practice rooms, and instrumental practice rooms. Dordt also has a Yamaha Disklavier and a two-manual Dekker harpsichord.
- A state-of-the-art digital music studio for composition, arranging, or editing of digital sound is one of the most recent additions available to musicians at Dordt College.
Learn More
Check out our program strengths and get to know our facilities.

Dr. John MacInnis
Associate Professor of Music
Department Chair
MB 28
(712) 722-6202
John.MacInnis@dordt.edu

Ryan Smit
Instructor of Music
MB 113
(712) 722-6203
rmsmit@dordt.edu

Dr. Karen De Mol
Assistant Adjunct - Music Department
MB 25
(712) 722-6205
Karen.DeMol@dordt.edu

Dr. Daniel Baldwin
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
Daniel.Baldwin@dordt.edu

Andrea Carlson
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
Andrea.Carlson@dordt.edu

John Casey
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
MB 21
(712) 722-6222
John.Casey@dordt.edu

Marian Casey
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
Marian.Casey@dordt.edu

Pam De Haan
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
MB 30
(712) 722-6206
Pam.DeHaan@dordt.edu

Jennifer Frens
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
(712) 722-6222
Jennifer.Frens@dordt.edu

Matthew Geerlings
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
(712) 722-6222
Matthew.Geerlings@dordt.edu

Dr. Beverly Gibson
Assistant Adjunct - Music Department
(712) 722-6222
Beverly.Gibson@dordt.edu

Geoff Gunderson
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
(712) 722-6222
Geoff.Gunderson@dordt.edu

Christopher Haak
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
Christopher.Haak@dordt.edu

Stephanie Kocher
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
(712) 722-6222
Stephanie.Kocher@dordt.edu

Kevin Linder
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
(712) 722-6222
Kevin.Linder@dordt.edu

Lisa Miedema
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
MB 21
(712) 722-6222
Lisa.Miedema@dordt.edu

Vance Shoemaker
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
(712) 722-6222
vshoemaker@dordt.edu

Deb Vogel
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
MB 30
(712) 722-6206
Deb.Vogel@dordt.edu

Anna Vorhes
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
MB 21
(712) 722-6222
Anna.Vorhes@dordt.edu

MaryLou Wielenga
Assistant Adjunct - Music Department
MB 27
(712) 722-6213
MaryLou.Wielenga@dordt.edu

Carol Flower
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
MB 27
(712) 722-6213
Carol.Flower@dordt.edu

Spencer Jones
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
Spencer.Jones@dordt.edu

Karin Swanson
Tutorial Adjunct - Music Department
Karin.Swanson@dordt.edu