About Our Department
Mission and Goals
Mission Statement
The Music Department at SUNY Buffalo State is committed to providing students with a practical and comprehensive education, driven by the diverse needs of the 21st-century musician. Working within a supportive and collaborative environment, Buffalo State music students will develop strong musicianship and professional skills allowing them to take an active role as artists and leaders in the global community.
Goals
- To engage music majors in theoretical, pedagogical, and applied learning experiences through active participation in coursework, performances, research projects, field experiences, and internships.
- To provide innovative and creative approaches to instruction and curriculum development, based on current research, best practice, and technological advances in teaching and learning.
- To provide a general education curriculum through which Buffalo State students can explore diverse musical genres and the role of music in society.
- To contribute to the cultural enrichment and music education of all members of the Western New York community by providing a variety of musical experiences and educational opportunities to the public.
- To recruit, admit, and prepare traditionally under-represented students—including students who are economically disadvantaged and those representing diverse cultural and racial backgrounds.
Program Features
Superior Job Placement
We have a 100% placement rate for graduates who have received New York State initial teaching certification. Buffalo State music education graduates have received music teaching jobs locally, state-wide, and nationally.
Hands-On Community Engagement
We partner with local and international organizations to provide hands-on and real-world applications for our students and to contribute to the cultural enrichment of our Western New York community.
International Teaching and Study Abroad Opportunities
Students have the opportunity to travel to Italy for short-term teaching experiences or a student teaching internship. Music majors have pursued study abroad programs in Ireland and the UK, Italy, Spain, and Africa.
Alumni
We are proud of our alumni for making an impact locally, regionally, and nationally. Many of our graduates stay connected to our department through hosting student teachers and giving guest presentations for current students.
Pictured: Stephen McLean, BA, Trumpet, 2013
Music Educator of the Year Awards
Each year, Buffalo State faculty and students collaborate with dozens of dedicated and talented music educators from around western New York. We choose to recognize a few colleagues each year who have made outstanding contributions to their students, their institution, and the field of music education.
Pictured: Eve Roushey, Instrumental Music Educator of the Year
Guest Artists
Each semester, we host a variety of guest artists for workshops, performances, and master classes. Many guest artist events are open to the public.
Pictured: JoAnn Falletta, Symphony Conductor and Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Our History
The music department was originally founded as a stand-alone department housed in the basement offices of what is now the Albright Knox art gallery. During the college-wide re-organization of the 1970’s, the music department was partnered with the theater department and the dance department into one large Performing Arts Department. In the 2000’s, the music department joined the School of Arts and Humanities.
The 1960s
The Buffalo State Music Department was on the cutting edge of electronic music, when work with synthesizers and computer-generated sound was popular. The music department also had several composers on its faculty who had their music performed as part of the Buffalo and New York City music scene. Such artsits as Bob Cantrick, James Mabry, Anton Wolf and others collaborated with the music department at the University of Buffalo.
More recently, the music department has held as its primary focus the field of music education, though the Bachelor of Arts program continues to thrive and leads students to fulfilling lives as musicians and scholars.
1998: The Bachelor of Music Education degree was proposed. The music education program has graduated nearly 200 graduates since its inception, most of whom are working in the field of music education as full-time music teachers.
2014: SUNY approved the first fully-online Master’s of Music Education degree program in the SUNY system, graduating nearly 50 students with Master’s Degrees. The program is a highly competitive and sought after MMED program in New York state and beyond.
Future Plans
The department returns to the roots of the 1960s, branching to the field of electronic music. The department plans to offer a Bachelor of Arts in Digital Music Production. Members of the music faculty will build and oversee this degree with dual tracks in Electronic Music Composition and Audio Recording.
Full-time faculty who have served in the department:
Paul Homer
Joseph Wincenc
Andrew Brown
Raymond Tymas-Jones
Kenwyn Boldt
Bill Champion
Bob Cantrick
Anton Wolf
James Mabry
Crystal Reinoso
Ricky Fleming*
Thomas Witakowski*
Sarah Meredith
Bradley Fuster
Lisa Hunter
Vicky Furby*
Emily Boyce*
Holly Bewlay*
Tomas Henriques*
Ivan Docenko*
Carolyn Guzski*
Kerry Renzoni*
Mark Filsinger*
Thilo Schaller*
* Full-time faculty members
Paul Homer*
Jim Mabry*
Myron Nadel *
Donna McCarthy*
Bradley Fuster
Emily Boyce
Victoria Furby
*Performing Arts
SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor
1978: Joseph F Wincenc
President’s Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity
1997: Charles Mancuso
Student Awards
SUNY-Chancellor’s Award
2014: Sara Cripps
2019: Zhanna Reed
Dean’s Award
2015-2016: Hannah Clark
2016-2017: Rachel Birkman
2017-2018: Kristine Murnieks
2018-2019: Shayne Jones
2019-2020: Tanner McMullen
Paul Homer Award
2015-2016: Kristine Murnieks
2016-2017: Zhanna Reed
2017-2018: Madison Brown
2018-2019: Tracy Clark
2019-2020: Leonardo Bartholomew
Lenore Rollett Wright Award
2015-2016: Ellen Pieroni
2016-2017: Sarah Rice
2017-2018: Elliot Michki
2018-2019: Gabriel Baquero
2019-2020: Peter Karda
Louis P. Ciminelli
LeeAnn Grace
Paul and Kathryn Homer
Jacqueline LoRusso
Steinmiller/Richmond Family
Lois Klein
Rowland Family
Mary J. Kontos
Barbara and Charles Nelson
Eckert Family
Lenore Rollett Wright
Mary Mancuso
Andrew Brown
Joseph Wincenc