To name a few, internationally renowned jazz violinist Regina Carter (CAS ’85) graduated from the newly created department in 1985 and is currently artistin-residence at Oakland. Opera singer Jacquelyn Wagner (CAS ’03) performs lead roles regularly in the major opera houses of Europe and recently made her debut at “La Scala.” There is also Caitlin Burke (CAS ’01), a well-known Gilbert and Sullivan performer in the U.S. and England, and Esau Pritchett (CAS ’99), who has an extensive career as an actor on stage, in movies and television.

Last year, Oakland University’s Board of Trustees voted to officially establish a new School of Music, Theatre and Dance (SMTD) within the College of Arts and Sciences. For students, faculty and staff in the new school, the designation came with great fanfare because it acknowledged the department’s progress, presence and boundless potential.

“We needed to be recognized for what we were — that we had grown to the size, stature and quality of a school” says Distinguished Professor of Music Education Jackie Wiggins, SMTD’s founding director. “For our students and for the community, we offer artisticallygrounded academic programs and diverse performance opportunities.”

In total, SMTD has 21 degree programs — bachelor’s through doctoral — and produces more than 200 performances a year. While students and faculty focus energies on learning and teaching their own disciplines, they also enjoy collaborating across disciplines; the fruits of which are often shared with the community.

“Part of our engagement with society is dialogue, is conversation, is exposure,” explains Jeremy Barnett, coordinator of the theatre technology and design program and assistant professor of theatre. “We do discuss heavy themes, but we also discuss light themes, like joy and mirth. Sometimes you listen to music that is simply joyful. Sometimes you enjoy seeing a dance or being a dancer because there is joy in simply watching or being that.

“Now you might not be able to solve all the world’s problems with a single piece of art, but being able to listen to that piece of music or enjoy the recital because it is joyful, that then opens you up to the next piece, which maybe confronts some of the world’s issues,” Bartnett adds. “We are really dexterous across all areas, and we help students find the path that’s going to be the most meaningful academically for them, but also to take them in a specific direction that they’re looking to go professionally. We’re not churning out degrees; we’re helping to create artists.”