Monticello Live

The University of Arkansas at Monticello announced Thursday that it would be host to the state’s first dedicated Music Residence Hall. Royer Hall, a 1967 residence hall on the Monticello campus will reopen in August as a co-ed living-and-learning community exclusively for students enrolled in choral and instrumental music courses. “The goal for our re-imagining of Royer Hall is to bring together the unique resources a student musician needs under one roof,” said Justin Anders, chair of the UAM division of music. The building will not only house 120 of students, but will also offer nine practice rooms with acoustical panels, a listening lab, study areas, and a lounge.
Residence Hall staff will also be providing programming and activities that are geared especially for music students, something that Chancellor Peggy Doss is excited about. “The on-campus living and learning experience is a vital one. We know that students are more likely to be successful academically and complete their degrees within four years when they have a strong connection to campus – and especially when they live on campus,” said Dr. Doss. “Our plans for Royer are to create an inviting, functional space for residents who already have a lot in common. This model caters to student interests, creates a sense of community, and promotes student success,” she said.

In the fall, Royer Hall will be made available exclusively for music students, with preference given to music majors. Students enrolled in any music course may apply for residency. The UAM Division of Music oversees undergraduate and graduate degrees in music and a number of performance groups. The marching band, auxiliary, symphonic band, and a number of ensembles join the choir as popular groups for the music-minded at UAM. In particular, the Jazz ensembles including, UAM Jazz Band One, have been recognized on a national scale and are often invited to perform around the country.

The residential music facility, unique in the state of Arkansas, will help foster a cohesive freshman experience for music students, but upper-classmen will also make up a large part of the residents. “We think this is not only a great recruitment tool as we continue to sign top-ranked musicians from around the region, but also a wonderful retention tool for our current music students. They’ll be able to continue building our strong community of musicians on campus and enjoy easy access to the resources they want and need,” said Anders.

For more information about the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s music degrees programs and musical groups, contact Justin Anders, chair for the division of music, at (870) 460-1160 or by visiting UAMont.edu.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 6th, 2020 at 1:14 pm and is filed under UAM News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.