Music Education

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.

UWRF Students Shine

Banick Boeckermann 2025
On March 12, 2025, National Association for Music Education President Deb Confredo and the NAfME Advocacy and Public Policy team hosted a virtual celebration of the 40th anniversary of Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM). UW-River Falls Music Music Education majors Cassidy Boeckermann and Gavin Banick were invited to be the collegiate reps for this event - and they CRUSHED IT!! Check out the full interview at https://vimeo.com/1065533212.

UW-River Falls Students Receive Honors

Buchmann Gaarder 2024 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!

Drew Olson 2024 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.

2024 Chancellors Award - Buchmann

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!

2022 - Course Lists 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!

Overview - Bachelor of Music Education

Imagine, if you will, a music education degree that:

prepares future educators to teach music to PK-12 students across all music disciplines and in any setting
provides specialized courses and learning opportunities for those interested in teaching choral, instrumental, and classroom music
encourages teaching candidates to develop their own unique musical interests and passion points
explores contemporary approaches, including online teaching and learning, modern music, and more
celebrates music traditions from around the world
cultivates and engages in musical creativity
fosters student-centered approaches to music education that support and empower the students being served
develops leadership skills - both on campus and within the classrooms of partnering schools
features purposely-sequenced and interconnected coursework

Now, imagine all of this being possible in four years.

Our revised degree plan at UWRF is all this and more. To learn more, check out our YouTube video (below). In addition, click on the dropdown below to view required course lists as well as recommended course sequences for choral and instrumental emphases.

Bachelor of Music Education - YouTube Overview

The Details - Bachelor of Music Education

Degree Summary - 130 total credits

Foundations & Core Courses - Music (40 credits)
Techniques Courses - Music (4 credits)
Applied Music Courses (9 credits)
Ensembles (10 credits)
Music Education Courses (15 credits)
Professional Education Courses (24 credits)

Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Music Education

Singular Degree - Plus Areas of Emphases

Although the Bachelor of Music Education is a singular degree that leads to certification for ALL music (PK-12), students have the option to focus on a Choral or Instrumental emphasis throughout their studies. Click on the links below to see required coures lists and recommended course sequences within each area of emphasis.

Bachelor of Music Eduation - Choral Emphasis

Required Course List - Choral

Recommended Course Sequence - Choral
Bachelor of Music Eduation - Instrumental Emphasis

Required Course List - Instrumental

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!

2024-2025 Music Education Events

September 7 - Fall Workshop - 12:00 - 4:00 PM - Orff Workshop (KFA B94 and KFA 129)
September 7 - Fall Picnic - 4:00 - 6:30 PM (KFA Outdoor Classroom)
September 19 - NAfME Collegiate Meeting - 7:00 - 8:00 PM (KFA B94) - NAfME Overview & Group Photo
September 20 - Campfire - 6-8 PM
October 15 - Hudson High School Band Concert - 7:00 PM
October 17 - River Falls High School Choir Concert - 7:00 PM
October 23-26 - Wisconsin State Music Conference (Madison, WI) - register by September 15 for the early-bird discount
November 12 - NAfME Collegiate Meeting - 7:00 - 8:00 PM (KFA B94)
February 13-15 - Minnesota Midwinter Convention (Minneapolis, MN) - register by December 1 for the early-bird discount
May 12 - Music Program Spring Picnic - 4:00 - 8:00 PM (Location TBD)

Calendar Updates

Scan the QR code below to subscribe to our MUED Events Calendar (auto-updates as events are added or updated)

MUED Events QR Code

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

NAfME Fall Picnic 2022