“I want to see students from Liberty saturate the greater music community as skilled, professional, Holy Spirit-filled musicians. I want to see our musicians reclaim the arts for the kingdom of God.” J O E L CO L E M A N

-Dr. Vernon Whaley, Dean, School of Music

Trumpeting Liberty’s new

School of Music BY DREW MENARD

There is a sweet, sweet sound ringing from Liberty Mountain, reverberating through the campus of Liberty University, and echoing across Central Virginia to the world. The source is the new Liberty University School of Music, which officially launched on Sept. 1, 2012. Already more than 1,000 students strong, it is the nation’s seventh largest school of music. “This new School of Music is a demonstration of Liberty’s commitment to Training Champions for Christ in all professional endeavors — business, law, communication, and the arts,” said Dr. Ron Godwin, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “Liberty is dedicated to being a teaching university, and the faculty and staff within the School of Music are committed to providing an exceptional educational experience to every student and equipping them for their career,

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whether in ministry or the secular work-force.” Before the school was announced, Godwin cast his own vision to see it rise to become the largest and most respected music school in the world. As Liberty’s campus undergoes a major transformation — including the state-ofthe-art Jerry Falwell Library, a high-rise residence hall, and a new baseball stadium — plans to construct a new academic building for the School of Music are now under way. The building will be located

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directly across the courtyard from the Arthur S. DeMoss Learning Center. Chancellor Jerry Falwell, Jr., the Provost’s Office, and faculty