The Department of Music at Harper College is committed to creating an inclusive educational
experience that fosters creativity, expression, and a supportive musical community
for students of diverse cultures, backgrounds and interests. We maintain a proud level
of academic excellence, and our goal is to build both academic and creative career
paths for our students with opportunities to find representation and identity in their
musical studies. Our students can expect an educational experience which fuses vital
ideas and modern technologies with the traditional study of musical creation, performance
and history across various genres and cultures. We care greatly about our surrounding
community and have created a place for members to craft their musical interests into
fruitful careers, personal enrichment, and stronger engagement with music.
Our campus office and programs occupy the ancestral lands of the Ojibwe, Odawa, Kiikaapoi
(Kickapoo), Peoria, Bodéwadmiakiwen (Potawatomi), Myaamia, Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux)
and other Peoples. We are ever mindful of our present participation in colonial practices.
We affirm that awareness and ongoing education are the first steps in confronting
the legacy of colonialism and in honoring the original custodians of the lands we
occupy.
Start at Harper. Finish at a four-year university.
The Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree prepares you to transfer to a four-year college or university to complete
a bachelor's degree in music or music production. Speak with your advisor about the
best courses to take to meet your academic goals.
Harper also offers institution-specific transfer information to help prepare you to
transition to a four-year university. To learn more, visit our Transfer Information page or see your advisor.
Earn a workforce credential
Jumpstart your career by learning new skills through a certificate program.
Learn more about career outcomes for Harper's Music degree/certificate programs. Each
career profile offers a complete picture on the local job market, including salaries,
open positions, top local employers and more. To learn more, visit our Music Careers page.
Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as
painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged
in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Core tasks:
Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and
papers.
Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Set up, maintain, and dismantle audio and video equipment, such as microphones, sound
speakers, connecting wires and cables, sound and mixing boards, video cameras, video
monitors and servers, and related electronic equipment for live or recorded events,
such as concerts, meetings, conventions, presentations, podcasts, news conferences,
and sporting events.
Core tasks:
Notify supervisors when major equipment repairs are needed.
Diagnose and resolve media system problems.
Compress, digitize, duplicate, and store audio and video data.
Direct and coordinate activities of assistants and other personnel during production.
Operate television, video, or film camera to record images or scenes for television,
video, or film productions.
Core tasks:
Compose and frame each shot, applying the technical aspects of light, lenses, film,
filters, and camera settings to achieve the effects sought by directors.
Operate television or motion picture cameras to record scenes for television broadcasts,
advertising, or motion pictures.
Adjust positions and controls of cameras, printers, and related equipment to change
focus, exposure, and lighting.
Confer with directors, sound and lighting technicians, electricians, and other crew
members to discuss assignments and determine filming sequences, desired effects, camera
movements, and lighting requirements.
Quick facts:
Film and Video Editors
Film and Video Editors
* Data sampled April 2025. Visit the Film and Video Editors career profile for most current data.
$45,306 Median Salary
12.6% Projected Job Growth (2025-2032)
20 Job Postings
Description:
Edit moving images on film, video, or other media. May work with a producer or director
to organize images for final production. May edit or synchronize soundtracks with
images.
Core tasks:
Organize and string together raw footage into a continuous whole according to scripts
or the instructions of directors and producers.
Edit films and videotapes to insert music, dialogue, and sound effects, to arrange
films into sequences, and to correct errors, using editing equipment.
Select and combine the most effective shots of each scene to form a logical and smoothly
running story.
Review footage sequence by sequence to become familiar with it before assembling it
into a final product.
Conduct, direct, plan, and lead instrumental or vocal performances by musical artists
or groups, such as orchestras, bands, choirs, and glee clubs; or create original works
of music.
Core tasks:
Use gestures to shape the music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing,
tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
Direct groups at rehearsals and live or recorded performances to achieve desired effects
such as tonal and harmonic balance dynamics, rhythm, and tempo.
Study scores to learn the music in detail, and to develop interpretations.
Apply elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies
and melodies.
Quick facts:
Music Therapists
Music Therapists
* Data sampled April 2025. Visit the Music Therapists career profile for most current data.
$69,344 Median Salary
10.9% Projected Job Growth (2025-2032)
6 Job Postings
Description:
Plan, organize, direct, or assess clinical and evidenced-based music therapy interventions
to positively influence individuals' physical, psychological, cognitive, or behavioral
status.
Core tasks:
Design or provide music therapy experiences to address client needs, such as using
music for self-care, adjusting to life changes, improving cognitive functioning, raising
self-esteem, communicating, or controlling impulses.
Design music therapy experiences, using various musical elements to meet client's
goals or objectives.
Sing or play musical instruments, such as keyboard, guitar, or percussion instruments.
Communicate with clients to build rapport, acknowledge their progress, or reflect
upon their reactions to musical experiences.
Quick facts:
Musicians and Singers
Musicians and Singers
* Data sampled April 2025. Visit the Musicians and Singers career profile for most current data.
$57,534 Median Salary
2.2% Projected Job Growth (2025-2032)
48 Job Postings
Description:
Play one or more musical instruments or sing. May perform on stage, for broadcasting,
or for sound or video recording.
Core tasks:
Perform before live audiences in concerts, recitals, educational presentations, and
other social gatherings.
Sing a cappella or with musical accompaniment.
Interpret or modify music, applying knowledge of harmony, melody, rhythm, and voice
production to individualize presentations and maintain audience interest.
Specialize in playing a specific family of instruments or a particular type of music.
For more information about starting your college education at Harper, please contact
Admissions Outreach at 847.925.6700 or fill out our request information form.
