Our Mission

Our department’s mission is threefold: to create music through performance and composition, to understand the structural organization of sound in different music traditions, and to explore the social, political, economic, and historical roles and meanings of musical culture around the globe. Our scholarship and practice ranges widely from music cognition to ecoacoustics, from music of the Western classical tradition to musics from specific cultures around the world.

reed

A Degree in Music

For applicants to the university looking to explore the degree programs offered in the Department of Music.

students

Undergraduates

For music majors, minors, and those who might want to be—explore opportunities to study, learn, and play music at UC Santa Barbara.

Cello grad student

Graduates

For currently enrolled graduate students in Music—resources, advising, and referrals to resources.

geiringer

Community

For the music lover. Explore the Department of Music's diverse events calendar, including lectures, concerts, recitals, and masterclasses. 

Music Newsroom

 

News

UCSB Music Faculty Ben Levy Extends International Dialogue on Music Theory

Read More

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” - Plato

Voices

Students talk about what it's like to study music at UC Santa Barbara

"One of my favorite aspects of studying music at UCSB is being able to collaborate with, engage with, and learn from such a diverse community of students and faculty. It has been so interesting to connect with those of different backgrounds and experiences, while maintaining a similar passion for music." 

Alexis Mancilla
Bachelor of Music | Flute
Class of 2023

alexis

"I was looking for places to enjoy the ocean, play music and live the college experience—and at UCSB I’ve found all three. I was made aware that UCSB’s music department has a lot of knowledge and resources to offer, including groundbreaking research and the amazing feat of human creativity that is the AlloSphere." 

Joel Jaffe
Bachelor of Arts | Music Studies
Class of 2024

joel