Thank you for visiting the UW-River Falls Music Education page. Please take a look around to learn about our MUED program, including our revamped Bachelor of Music Education degree, NAfME Collegiate events, and more!
Contact Dr. Paul Budde for more info or to schedule a visit.
UW-River Falls Students Receive Honors
Congratulations to UW-River Falls Music Education major Mark Buchmann, who is one of two recipients for the 2024 Wisconsin Music Educator Association (WMEA) Richard G. Gaarder Award. This annual award recognizes Wisconsin undergraduate music education students who have shown exceptional leadership, musical excellence, and service to campus and community. Way to go, Mark!!
Mark joins Cassidy DeWitt, who was one of two 2023 Richard G. Gaarder Award recipients, Robyn Pfeifer, who was one of two 2022 Richard G. Gaarder Award recipients, as well as Marissa Woletz (Altendorfer), who was the 2020 Richard G. Gaarder Award recipient and also received the 2020 National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Collegiate Professional Achievement Award and the 2020 NAfME Shannon Kelly Kane Scholarship.
Congratulations to all - we couldn't be more proud of you!
Please help us to congratulate Drew Olson, who took 3rd Place in The American Prize in Instrumental Performance, 2024 - college/university division. Drew, a tuba player, is a fourth-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education degree at UW-River Falls. Congratulations, Drew!
As stated on their website, The American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts is the nation's most comprehensive series of contests in the performing arts. The American Prize is unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, directors, ensembles and composers in the United States at professional, college/university, community and high school levels, based on submitted recordings.

Ten UWRF students have been selected to receive the 2024 Chancellor's Award for Students - including our very own Mark Buchmann, a music education major at UW-River Falls. The Chancellor's Award for Students is the highest non-academic honor our students can receive. It recognizes students who have shown distinguished leadership and service while on campus.
Congratulations, to Mark - and all recipients of this prestigious award!!!
Bachelor of Music Education - Exciting Changes!
At UWRF, we rebuilt our music Bachelor of Music Education degree from the ground up. The result is a forward-thinking, holistic, interconnected, and student-centered degree that is designed to help the teachers of tomorrow change the world.
- PK-12 certification for ALL music areas
- 130 total credits to degree
- Innovative course offerings and opportunities
- Four total years to completion (including student teaching)
Click on the dropdowns below to learn more!
2024-2025 Music Education Events
We have a terrific lineup of events for the 2024-2025 adacemic year.
Click below for the full schedule - and please join us if you're able!
NAfME Collegiate
Please visit our NAfME Collegiate page for info about meetings and events. We have a terrific lineup of guests for the 2023-2024 academic year. Please join us - we'd love to learn and grow with you!
NAfME Collegiate

Questions? Contact Dr. Paul Budde for more information.
Join the Falcon Family
Interested in studying music education? Visit our Prospective Students page to learn more - and to register for a Music Major Entrance Expo!
Prospective Students Page