Bennington: Music

A Tribute to Milford Graves

On November 19, 2012, close to 200 alumni, students, faculty, and friends gathered in Brooklyn to honor the Bennington legacy of retired faculty member Milford Graves. Alumni and current students shared the stage in musical tribute to a beloved teacher and mentor.

Copy to share:

Composer's Salon

During FWT 2012, music faculty member Kitty Brazelton invited professional singers and music students to her home to workshop students' compositions, explore the composing process, and eat homemade apple pie.   At Bennington, students work in close collaboration with faculty members who themselves are actively practicing in their fields. This teacher-practitioner model helps students discover their distinctive intellectual passions and drives their work in the most compelling directions.

Copy to share:

Music

Whether it’s being made in the Jennings Music Building or Visual and Performing Arts Center (VAPA), or played in a performance space or in one of the student houses, music permeates every corner of the Bennington campus. It’s no wonder that Late Show with David Letterman, Rolling Stone magazine, NPR, Pitchfork, and Spinner.com are just a few of the news and entertainment outlets that have featured music by Bennington students or alumni in recent years. These are the spaces where some of them got their start.

Copy to share:

Music by Bennington Faculty

Bennington’s music faculty is made up of renowned musicians, composers, and performers. They have premiered operas at the Lincoln Center, toured festivals around the globe, and performed at such legendary venues as the New York punk rock club CBGB. Here’s a sample of their work.

Copy to share:

Bennington Music Playlist: Bits of Pieces at Bennington 2010-2011

For your listening pleasure: a collection of music composed and performed by Bennington students and recent alumni. Spanning the genres from indie rock to Celtic to classical, it's a lively (but by no means exhaustive!) sample of what we're playing and listening to right now. Compiled by Music Librarian Susan Reiss ’79 and Dmitri E. H. Glickman ’12.

Copy to share:

A Bennington Legacy

Pioneering musicians and composers have long found fertile ground at Bennington. Their work serves as models for students and recent alumni who today are catching the attention of Rolling Stone, NPR, Pitchfork, and the Late Show with David Letterman for their emerging sounds.

Copy to share:

Make music.

At Bennington, music students integrate the study of theory, history, composition, improvisation, and performance through hands-on music making. All music faculty are active professional musicians who, along with teaching at Bennington, also work as composers and performers. Courses are offered in composition, fundamentals, improvisation, theory, performance, instrumental and voice study, sound design and recording, music history, and music healing.

As a music student at Bennington, your academic knowledge and technical artistry develop as you explore your own music and hone your performance skills. Sound design/studio recording facilities and classes allow you to record and mix your own music. Ensemble work, collaborations, and Field Work Term add enriching and inspiring dimensions to your individualized plan of study.