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William Paterson University is accredited by National Association of Schools of Music
Our outstanding Department of Music prepares you for careers in classical performance, jazz performance and composition, sound engineering arts, music education, music and entertainment industries, and popular music. Our music students work directly with world-renowned faculty who are also in-demand performers. They benefit from exceptional student performance opportunities with ensembles, both on campus and throughout the New York metropolitan area. They also gain hands-on experience in our state-of-the-art music production and recording studios.
WP Music welcomes students who may have suffered from recent collegiate program closures and we are committed to helping them finish their degrees in music. We are one of the most stylistically diverse programs in the nation, with many options for aspiring performers, composers, educators, sound engineers, and music businesspersons. We are happy to facilitate transferring to WP. Please click Apply/Audition and reach out to our Chairperson Dr. Payton MacDonald and Director of Music Admissions Skyler Hagner.
Alumni in arts, humanities, and social sciences are employed or in graduate school within 6 months after graduation
Average starting salaries in Music (NACE)
Noteworthy Music Jobs and Mid-Career Salaries with 8+ Years of Experience (PayScale)
Billboard Magazine, the top trade magazine for the music industry, has listed William Paterson University in New Jersey as having one of the top music business programs in the country.
View academic program requirements and course descriptions in the University Course Catalog:
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The music education program is designed to provide future music educators with a solid basis for professional success as a teacher through courses in performance, theory, music history, music education, education, and liberal studies.
This program, for students who possess both exceptional performance abilities and aspirations, demands an intense commitment to both music practice and academics.
The jazz studies program is unique among college programs, offering an emphasis on small-group playing and a genuine commitment to the jazz tradition. One of the nation's five longest-running jazz degree programs, its faculty are all top New York professionals. Students currently come to the jazz program from 23 US states and six foreign countries.
The music major at William Paterson University offers a platform for surveying the professional musical landscape. Students learn about all areas of the music world: performance, business, education and technology while interacting with students and professionals in those respective areas.
This program is for students whose primary instrument is the laptop or computer or other digital and electronic machines. The BA DMC is centered around creativity and composition within the realm of digital music, including EDM, Hip-Hop, and other genres where beats and digital music are the focus. Students will also explore elements of audio production. A minor in music business is an option for students who want more business knowledge and career opportunities.
The bachelor of arts with popular music emphasis examines contemporary popular music from a global perspective and through the study of social media and songwriting.
The William Paterson University Sound Engineering Arts program offers students the essential combination of the technical, theoretical, practical and musical areas of the audio arts. More Info »
This minor is for students interested in recording, producing, arranging, mixing and mastering music; using the laptop as a complete production tool. The two main courses - Digital Music Creation I and II - will step the student through the process of creating a complete and compelling musical production beginning with the very basics of digital audio workstations and ending with a completed album in collaboration with other musical creators.
Led by an experienced faculty, the minor in Music & Entertainment Industries program is structured to provide the background you need to secure a career in the music and entertainment business.
The musical studies minor at William Paterson University offers a platform for surveying the professional musical landscape including performance, business, education and technology.
The jazz studies concentration offers a comprehensive experience in enhanced small jazz ensemble, solo performance, and arranging/composition and the potential for high-level, primary source research and writing only available in the New York area. More Info »
The music education concentration allows students to enhance teaching skills, bring performance skills to a higher level, and gain greater personal insight into the field of music education. More Info »
This 12-credit certificate program for practicing music educators whose specialty is not jazz consists of 3 courses and a semester of applied lessons. It can be completed in one year and can be stacked with other courses to complete a Master of Music. More Info »
This 16-credit certificate program for classical musicians who have completed college and wish to hone their performance skills consists of 2 semesters of applied lessons, ensembles, and electives, and culminates in a certificate recital. It can be completed in one year and can be stacked with other courses to complete a Master of Music. More Info »
This 16-credit certificate program for jazz musicians who have completed college and wish to hone their performance skills consists of 2 semesters of applied lessons, ensembles, and electives, and culminates in a certificate recital. It can be completed in one year and can be stacked with other courses to complete a Master of Music. More Info »
In our music programs, students learn in-demand skills that employers have identified as critical for job candidates, including:
Graduates with the BM degree pursue careers as classical performers and composers; jazz performers, composers, and arrangers; singer/songwriters, sound engineers, music teachers, and music licensing and music marketing professionals, among others. Opportunities for those with the BA in music studies include performer, producer, music booking agent, music editor, music critic, and other positions in the legal areas of the music and entertainment industry. The BA with a popular music emphasis can lead to a career as a professional performer, singer/songwriter, music producer, promotions director, or music composer for social media or video games.
And we're ready to help you grow. At William Paterson, we provide students with the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to forge forward as a powerhouse—both in the classroom and in their careers. Apply today to discover your potential.
Three William Paterson University student groups—the William Paterson University Jazz Orchestra and two other small jazz ensembles—will perform at Dizzy’s Club/Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on Monday, March 30, 2026 with sets at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., respectively.
Virtuoso saxophonist and flutist Steve Wilson will join the WP Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of Dr. Mitch Butler, coordinator of jazz studies, as guest soloist for the first set. The set will feature music composed by Steve Wilson and arranged by William Paterson graduate music students, including “Perry Street,” arranged by Hunter Allison; “Grace,” arranged by Duncan Lemay; “Tortola,” arranged by Ernest Royeppen, and “Passages,” arranged by Gabriel Schmid-Doyle.
The second set will feature two William Paterson University small groups: the WP Female Composer ensemble, directed by Bill Charlap, director of jazz studies, and the WP Woody Shaw Ensemble, directed by Bruce Barth.
The ensembles represent three of the 29 jazz groups that are the core of William Paterson University’s historic Jazz Studies Program, currently in its 53rd year. The program is unique among college programs, with an emphasis on small group playing, improvisation, and a genuine commitment to the jazz tradition. Its artist/teacher faculty is made up of world-class, New York-area professionals. Jazz majors come to William Paterson from across the country and around the world; enrollment has included numerous international Fulbright Scholars. The program is one of the five longest-running jazz programs in the U.S.
For more information, or to make a reservation, visit Dizzy’s Club.
The WP Jazz Orchestra features Nate Tota, Clinton, NJ, and Carter Stein, Easton, PA, alto saxophone; James Ambrose, Alexandria, VA, and Fortunato Occhino, Buffalo, NY, tenor saxophone; Evan Gongora, East Hanover, NJ, baritone saxophone; Mayuko Abe, Miyagi, Japan, Seth Burke, Fairbanks, AK, Josh Mercado, Orlando, FL, Violet Mujica, Montclair, NJ, and Dorian Wylde, Brooklyn, NY, trumpet; Bryan Castillo, Paterson, NJ, Eric Goffnet, Bangor, PA, Ron Rybaczuk, Kissimmee, FL, and Brian Simontacci, Denville, NJ, trombone; Simon Bahadoran, Paris, France, piano; Ryan Williamson, Hawthorne, NJ, guitar; Gabriel Schmid-Doyle, Canton, NY, bass; Hunter Allison, Orlando, FL and Phil Perea, Cedar Rapids, IA, drums; and Maya Mirkova-Livni, Norfolk, VA, vibes.
The WP Female Composer Ensemble features Sydney Mecca. Providence, RI, tenor saxophone; Violet Mujica, Montclair, NJ, trumpet; Sally Shupe, Maplewood, NJ, guitar; Joy Cho, Busan, South Korea, piano; Killian Winn, Richmond, VA, bass; and Maria Kolesnik, Bronx, NY, drums.
The WP Woody Shaw Ensemble features Joshua Mercado, Orlando, FL, trumpet; Carter Stein, Easton, PA, saxophones; Brian Simontacchi, Denville, NJ, trombone; Leon Hsu, Taichung, Taiwan, piano; Chris Gomez, Ramsey, NJ, bass; and Jared Spears, St. Louis, MO, drums.
