Music Program and Courses | San Diego Mesa College

The Music Department at San Diego Mesa College offers 82 active courses, providing entry level music curricula comparable to those in four-year institutions. We are training students to transfer to four year universities as well as to take part in the growing entertainment field in California and elsewhere. The Music Department has demanding and rewarding classes in applied music, jazz, audio engineering/production, music theory, ear training, composition/electronic music, guitar, piano, voice, world music, classical music, and popular music that provide non-music and music majors the opportunity to learn about and create music. Since 1995 we have awarded $30,000+ in scholarships to music majors transferring to 4-year institutions. If you care about music and want a superior music education, San Diego Mesa College is a great choice.

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Participate in an Ensemble

Explore the art of music performance at San Diego Mesa College and see how our instrumental ensembles & choir bring students together from across the college. Choose from Jazz Ensemble (small group), Guitar Ensemble, Choir, *Jazz Big Band, or *World Music Ensemble (*currently not offered) and perform with your talented peers at events and venues on campus and around the city.

Explore Music Ensembles at Mesa

Attend a Free Weekly Recital Hour Concert

Each week, the Music Department hosts Recital Hour featuring the talents of international performers, music faculty, and music students. Recital hour concerts are free and open to all students and the general public. You may also choose to enroll in the Recital Hour course and take the class up to four times for credit.

View Upcoming Performances

See Past Recital Hour Concerts

Become a Performance Major and Prepare Your Audition

Our AA Music Performance Degree and the AA Music for Transfer Degree includes courses in Individualized Study 1-4 (MUSI 174A-D) or Applied Music 1-4 (MUSI 274A-D), which provides individual instruction on your instrument (274 level only), performances in weekly master classes, and participation in music department recitals. An audition is required for enrollment in these courses (174A & 274A).

Learn More About How to Audition

Test Out of Basic Musicianship

FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED AT MESA ONLY: MUSI 150A Basic Musicianship is a required course for music majors that can either be taken during the semester or passed via examination. For the latter, you will need to assessed by contacting our music theory professor Gina Jung.

Explore Our Music Facilities

Discover the facilities and technology designed for a music major's success.

Maas Music Lab: C-109 / Schedule

The Maas Music Lab, located in room C-109, is available to enhance your studies of music theory, ear training, and music technology. Its 19 work stations are equipped with 2022 iMacs with the latest versions of:

Music Notation Programs - Finale, Sibelius, Muse Score, and Aria Player with Garriton Instrument Suite
Music Theory and Ear Training Practice - Musition, Auralia, Practica Musica, Ear Training Companion, and Pitch Blaster
Audio Recording Software - Pro Tools, Logic, Adobe Audition, Audacity, and Midi Keyboard
Video Production Software - Adobe Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro
Office Tools - Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and Scanner and Printing Station
CZUR Shine 2.3.1 - Book/Sheet Music Scanner and Visual Presenter

Recording Studio: C-222 / Schedule

Our recently renovated Recording Studio has a wide variety of sound equipment and computer workstations for recording, mixing, scoring, and production in both digital and analog forms. Whether you take the Introduction to Music Technology (MUSI 190) course or more advanced courses such as Music & Social Media, Recording Arts, Computer Music, Large Console Audio Recording, or Recording Studio Internship 1-2, you will gain immediate access to the digital and electro-acoustic technology you need to start building a portfolio of technology based music.