Atlanta Christian

Our Purpose
Why study music at ACC? Because the Department of Music offers students opportunities to develop their musical skills in a Christian context, perform a wide variety of music, learn from church and community musicians, and enjoy the rich and diverse cultural opportunities metro Atlanta has to offer. Our department serves ACC by providing degree programs in music, music courses and experiences for non-music majors, and excellent choral groups.

In addition to campus, church and school performances, ACC groups have appeared on television ("Good Day Atlanta"), performed for local civic events (Macy's Holiday Concerts; the "Prayer and Praise Convocation" sponsored by the Georgia Legislators' Prayer Caucus), performed at sporting events (halftime of an Atlanta Falcons NFL football game; the national anthem at Atlanta Braves games), and performed for youth and adult conventions and in concert with other college musical organizations.

Our Program
Atlanta Christian College realizes that musicians must be versatile in order to meet the demands of their churches and communities. Therefore, we've designed a curriculum that gives you training and experience in various styles of music. Music theory students learn Nashville number system as well as traditional Roman numeral analysis. Concert Choir performs the gamut of music from classical to contemporary, traditional to popular, Broadway to Contemporary Christian. Students are required to read music and be able to improvise. Singers study bel canto techniques, popular styles and belt voice. Instrumentalists train as soloists as well as accompanists. We want students to keep their present musical gifts strong and develop new skills to communicate through music. All in all, we want to prepare musicians with a broad musical foundation on which to specialize.

Internship Possibilities
ACC music students have interned in both public and private schools. Those who have served with churches have interned in adult ministries, student ministries, technology, choirs, worship teams and accompanying. Some have interned in music broadcasting with Christian radio stations. Some have interned in megachurches, while others have interned with small to mid-size congregations. Many students have been a part of camp ministries, as well.

Your Career and Ministry
All music graduates are prepared to perform, compose and arrange music. Those who specialize in worship and music ministry are equipped for a variety of service as worship leaders, members of praise bands, choir directors, and full-time and part-time music ministers in churches. Those who specialize in performance and pedagogy are equipped to teach applied music, continue in graduate school, or perform. Graduates from ACC’s music department have traveled and sung professionally; they work in churches and have gone on to graduate school in order to teach either in public or private schools. Many teach from their homes or in music studios, as well. Some have careers in the music industry, and many have been active in professional and community theater productions.

Degree Programs

The department also offers a minor in music for those pursuing majors in other departments.

Students interested in the major in music at ACC audition with the music faculty and complete the Music Aptitude Test and the Music Theory Placement Test before beginning classes. The music major student is a member of the ACC Concert Choir each semester, and declares an applied major and minor. All music majors perform a junior recital or the equivalent in the applied major; those with the performance and pedagogy specialization perform a senior recital.

Music courses are provided without audition for non-music majors, such as music fundamentals, music appreciation and class instruction in applied music. All ACC students are eligible to audition for the ACC Concert Choir and other ensembles.  Applied music instruction is offered to non-music majors if prerequisites are met and permission is secured from the department chair. Other courses in music may be taken by non-majors (as electives) with the approval of the department chair.

Faculty

The men and women of the music faculty do more than teach! They lead and accompany worship, conduct children's and adult choirs, participate in community theater and choral productions, coach musicians for recordings and auditions, compose music for publication, and help prepare special programs such as those presented at Spivey Hall, Six Flags Over Georgia, Stone Mountain Park, Clayton County Performing Arts Center, and at national conventions.

Full-time faculty members:
Byron J. Cartwright, D.M.A. (web page)
Professor of Music, Department Chair

Katie L. Cartwright, Ph.D. (web page)
Professor of Music 

Part-time and adjunct faculty members:
Roger D. Beale
Adjunct Instructor in Music

Denise Coleman
Adjunct Instructor in Music

Deron Garing
Adjunct Instructor in Music

Carolyn Toll Hancock
Adjunct Instructor in Music

Brian Smith
Adjunct Instructor in Music

Allison Spragin
Adjunct Instructor in Music

Staff:
Bonnie Edge Cook
Music Department Coordinator

Lanier M. Motes
Music Department Assistant