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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.
The William Paterson University Music Department will host Guitarfest 2026, a one-day festival devoted to the classical guitar, on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 11:00 to 9:00 p.m. The day’s events, all held on the University’s campus in Wayne, include a concert and master class presented by internationally acclaimed guitar soloist and chamber musician José Gabriel Maldonado Suárez. All events take place in Shea Recital Hall 101.
This annual celebration of the classical guitar is a focal point for guitar students at the University and a showcase for world-class artists of the classical guitar. Each year, the festival presents a featured artist whose performance in concert and master class teaching are the core events. Other events include a concert of solo and ensemble music by William Paterson guitar students; a performance by the New Jersey Guitar Orchestra led by Jayson Martinez; and a presentation on the Suzuki guitar school. The program is open to the public. Admission is $20 for the day, and free for William Paterson students.
The festival begins at 11 a.m. with a performance by William Paterson students studying in the guitar program. At 1:00 p.m., guitarist and William Paterson University guitar instructor Seth Himmelhoch will give a presentation on the Suzuki guitar school, including a screening of the short film Sounds of Success, followed by a question-and-answer session. The New Jersey Guitar Orchestra, led by Jayson Martinez, will perform at 2:15 p.m. The Maldonado Suárez master class will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., followed by Maldonado Suárez in concert at 8:00 p.m.
Maldonado Suárez is a guitarist and educator who studied and researched music across a wide spectrum of sources and eras, with a particular focus on music of his native Puerto Rico. He is active both as a soloist and as a duo partner in two collaborations, Duo Copla (two guitars) and Weiwei & José (guitar and piano). Duo Copla has released three recordings and has performed internationally, including at the Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, and at the Festival Internacional de Guitarra Ximénez Abril in Perú. Weiwei & José, a classical guitar and piano duo, has performed extensively throughout the New York City area, with appearances at John Jay College, Bloomingdale School of Music, the Brooklyn Classical Guitar Society, and more. Maldonado Suárez is a resident teaching artist and director of guitar studies at Bloomingdale School of Music and is a faculty member at John Jay College, City University of New York. He holds doctor of musical arts and master of music degrees from Stony Brook University.
Martinez is an award-winning music educator and guitarist whose accomplishments include winning the 2018 Teacher of the Year Award and being a nominee for the GRAMMY Music Educator’s Award in 2024 and 2025. He is the owner of Tremolo Music Studio in Clifton, and serves as the supervisor of visual and performing arts for the Newark Public Schools. In 2021, Martinez founded the New Jersey Guitar Orchestra, for which he serves as conductor. In 2022, the NJGO was featured at Merkin Hall in New York, performing with the United States Guitar Orchestra. In 2024 and 2025, the NJGO performed at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall as featured guests for the Laureate Gala Series.
To learn more about William Paterson University Guitarfest 2026, contact Professor Seth Himmelhoch at 201-486-7744 or at himmelhochs@wpunj.edu.
