GCU Music Student Highlights
About Drumline
Members of the GCU Drumline, a section within the Thundering Heard Pep Band, travel to Florida to compete with the GCU Cheer Team and GCU Dance Team at the UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship Game Day event. The GCU Drumline and GCU Dance Team are back-to-back champions in the 2019 and 2020 Game Day National Competition. Three of the seven-member drumline team are seen here performing their game day routine at a GCU Basketball home game.
About the "Thundering Heard"
The Thundering Heard Pep Band is a high energy ensemble that performs regularly at GCU Men’s and Women’s Basketball, GCU Men’s and Women’s Volleyball, GCU Men’s Soccer (Samba Ensemble), GCU events on and off campus and Phoenix area charity events. Members are on scholarship and the ensemble is comprised of all colleges on GCU’s campus. You do not need to be a music major in order to be in the pep band or on scholarship; however, all members must go through an audition process. Visit gcu.edu/auditions for more information!
Members of the GCU Thunder Big Band
The GCU Thunder Big Band is comprised of music majors, minors and students from other disciplines. Musicians are provided an opportunity to increase their performance skills through an active and challenging involvement with the creative process. The Thunder Big Band also offers non-music majors an avenue in which to continue making music throughout their college careers. The literature performed is selected from the finest contemporary and traditional jazz repertoire. Members are selected through an annual audition open to both music and non-music majors at Grand Canyon University. Prerequisite: Admission into this ensemble by audition only or instructor's permission.
About GCU Wind Ensemble
The Wind Ensemble is comprised of music majors, minors and students from other disciplines. Musicians are provided an opportunity to increase their performance skills through an active and challenging involvement with the creative process. The Wind Ensemble also offers non-music majors an avenue in which to continue making music throughout their college careers. The literature performed is selected from the finest contemporary and traditional repertoire. Members are selected through an annual audition open to both music and non-music majors at Grand Canyon University. Prerequisite: Admission into this ensemble by audition only or instructor's permission.
The Canyon Choral Society is our campus community chorus. It rehearses on Monday nights from 5:30–7:15 pm and performs two to three times a year, usually with an orchestra. This group has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, Symphony Hall in Phoenix and other large venues throughout the Phoenix metro area. The Choral Society performs with the Canyon Symphony Orchestra, a professional symphony orchestra made of some of the principal musicians from the Phoenix Symphony and the Arizona Opera.
For the last eight years, The Choral Society has performed at the annual Handel’s "Messiah" concert, first with The Phoenix Symphony and currently with The Canyon Symphony Orchestra. Specializing in the choral symphonic repertoire, this ensemble has performed Beethoven’s “Mass in C” and “Choral Fantasy,” Brahms’ “German Requiem”, Vivaldi’s “Gloria in D,” Finzi’s “Et in Terra Pax,” Poulenc’s “Gloria”, Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” Haydn’s “The Creation,” Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem,” Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9,” Verdi’s “Requiem,” Bach’s “B Minor Mass” and St. John’s “Passion.” Repertoire also includes Arizona premieres of the works of contemporary living composers Dan Forrest (Requiem for the Living, Jubilate Deo, Lux), Ola Gjeilo (Sunrise Mass) and Kim André Arnesen (Magnificat, The Holy Spirit Mass, Tuvayhun). This ensemble has performed also at the Arizona Musicfest Orchestra Week. The Choral Society made their Carnegie Hall debut on April 23, 2018, performing Morten Lauridsen’s “Lux Aeterna” with the New England Symphonic Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Juan de Dios Hernandez.
There is no audition for this choir, but due to the repertoire we sing, proficiency in sight-singing is expected.
The Canyon Chorale is our collegiate chorale. It rehearses Tuesday-Thursday afternoons 1–2:45 pm. Members of this ensemble are required to participate in The Canyon Choral Society as well. This ensemble does a wide variety of repertoire from choral masterworks to Broadway and jazz including an extensive repertoire of sacred music. The Canyon Chorale presents four to six concerts a season, each with different repertoire.
Auditions consist of a solo selection, classical in nature, although not necessarily in a foreign language. There will also be some sight-singing, pitch matching and listening exercises to assess your level of proficiency and skill.
Critical Mass is our premier vocal ensemble at GCU. It is a traveling vocal ensemble with a strong emphasis on Christian character, student leadership and music that promotes the espoused mission of the university and the vision of the music department. Preparation and availability for touring is required. The ensemble is on the road during the school year, representing Grand Canyon University at churches, schools, special events and other venues. Critical Mass is known for its professional quality performances of a widely diverse repertoire including classical and popular styles, gospel and jazz. Emphasis is placed on musical excellence and individual commitment. All members of Critical Mass are required to participate in The Canyon Choral Society and other ensembles as assigned by the department.
