The NECC Chorus, under the direction of Professor Alisa Bucchiere, is one of the many ensembles NECC music majors will have the opportunity to join under the new music program requirements.

Students enrolled in the associate in art degree: music option program are now required to take private instrumental or voice lessons and participate in one of the college’s music ensembles every semester. Private music lessons are available from NECC faculty for piano, guitar, voice, all brass instruments, all string instruments, all woodwind instruments, and percussion. Additional adjunct music faculty have been hired to accommodate all music students. The students can select from NECC’s chorus, chamber chorus, concert band, jazz/rock ensemble, and small ensembles class.

According to Ken Langer, NECC Music Program coordinator, every four-year music program requires students to take private lessons as well as participate in the institution’s ensembles.

“The goal of the NECC Music Program has been to be a program equal in quality and depth to the first two years of most four-year music programs and it has taken another few steps closer to that vision,” he said.
With these requirements in place, Langer said, NECC music program graduates can now transfer into UMass Lowell’s music program as a junior.

An added benefit of the changes is that the various ensembles will appreciate an increase in participation. Larger ensembles should mean more robust performances, according to Langer, so both the music students and college community benefit from the changes.

Over the past few years the NECC music program has raised its profile and for the past two years has been at maximum capacity.