Director's Welcome

As the new director of the School of Music and Dance at San Diego State University, I am very pleased to work with such an accomplished, energetic, and dedicated faculty and staff who are actively engaged in promoting the professional growth and development of our talented students.

For prospective students, I encourage you to keep San Diego State University at the top of your list. Why? Here’s a short list!

A vibrant school offering a broad variety of programs to suit your professional aspirations and goals.
Nationally and internationally recognized faculty who are committed to the students they teach and mentor.
A major city with all the cultural opportunities that only a world-class city can provide. The School of Music and Dance has active ties to many of the cultural organizations in San Diego and our students benefit from these relationships by being able to attend major cultural events, participate in master classes presented by leading international artists, and other opportunities.

Our alumni are accomplished musicians, dancers, choreographers, educators, composers and arts leaders holding leadership positions in the arts throughout the U.S. and abroad.

The San Diego State University School of Music and Dance is among the very unique programs in the country in that each student’s training is informed not only by the wonderful traditions of western artistic practices, but also non-western cultures, distinctly American traditions such as jazz, and emerging modes of expression in music and dance. The School presents hundreds of performances and master classes each year to thousands of students, faculty and community members.

Along with our vibrant and rigorous curriculum, we actively promote the engagement of our students in the community. As more and more leading arts organizations move in this direction, it is clearly time for university programs to prepare future musicians and dancers for the professional engagement and leadership in communities that they will assume in their careers. Our music education faculty and student involvement in the San Diego public schools, the Adams Project, and student ensemble engagement at the Monarch School (an accredited high school that serves homeless and at-risk youth) are just a few examples.

The importance of the arts has always been well known to those whose passions are in the creative fields. While economic difficulties often have serious and long lasting implications for music and dance professional organizations, there is an resurging understanding by educators, politicians, and community leaders that the arts have profound influence on communities and the health of our society. I encourage you to visit the National Endowment for the Arts website for interesting information about arts participation and civic involvement as well as the other ongoing research the NEA has regarding arts participation in our country.

If you have any questions about our programs, or would like to make a contribution to support our efforts, please feel free to contact me directly.