Lauren K. Woods Theatre

Monmouth University’s Music Industry program focuses on industry areas including publishing, recording, marketing, talent acquisition, concert production, media relations, and merchandising. Monmouth is one of only a few schools around the country to offer a concentration in music industry, and the program is consistently recognized as a Billboard Magazine Top Music Business School. With partners and graduates across music and entertainment media organizations, such as Warner Music, Sony, Apple, Spotify, and the GRAMMY Museum, Monmouth students have exclusive access to events and internship opportunities to help launch their careers. 

Students in the Musical Theatre concentration are trained in music, theatre, and dance, as well as the various forms of theatrical production and design. We prepare students to enter the professional theatre world or go on to specialized theatre graduate programs. Our unique program is the only one of its kind that teaches its students all aspects of Equity production, including in-depth study of multiple Actors’ Equity Association contracts. 

Music and Education majors gain hands-on knowledge working with students during their initial field teaching experience and subsequent student teaching experience. The Department of Music and Theatre Arts takes pride in providing a personalized learning experience. This enables students to grow as music educators while they incorporate their unique backgrounds and interests into their professional training and preparation.

In the B.A. in Music, students can explore applied music study in voice, piano, woodwinds, brass, guitar, and percussion while learning from award-winning producers, musicians, vocalists, theater professionals, and music industry executives. Private, weekly instrumental or vocal instruction with a professional instructor is provided for students taking applied music throughout a semester.

MU Players is Monmouth’s premier student-run theatre club in which members direct, design, and perform a full season of events each year, with a fully staged musical production presented in the spring semester. Recent shows include sold-out runs of RENT, The Addams Family, and Sweeney Todd, as well as a production of Cabaret for a Cause.

Monmouth’s student-run record label Blue Hawk Records takes students through the process of creating an album from idea conception to finished product. Participants learn to brand artists, execute marketing strategies, and coordinate live events. Club members also have the opportunity to record music at nearby Lakehouse Recording Studios in Asbury Park.