SEMO Music Students Build Professional Experience Through Performance Opportunities

In recent years, SEMO students have performed at venues including Carnegie Hall in New York, Cincinnati Music Hall, Powell Hall in St. Louis, multiple performance venues in Italy and even the Great Wall of China. These experiences are part of a broader emphasis on preparing students for careers in music through hands-on performance.

For Dr. Nicholas Kenney, assistant professor of music, that preparation begins with a focus on student potential.

"We don't just look at what a student is doing today," Kenney said. "We accept students with potential and get them where they need to be. By the end of the program, they're doing the work at a professional level."

That approach was reflected in the University's horn ensemble, which earned selection to perform through a competitive, blind audition process at the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference. The ensemble was one of only two selected in its category statewide and stood out as a group made up entirely of undergraduate students.

"For us to be selected, it was something the students and I built together," Kenney said. "They took ownership of the process, and that made a difference."

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Experiences like these are designed to mirror the expectations students will face in their careers. Kenney said preparation often requires balancing technical growth with performance readiness in a short timeframe.

"You have to be strategic," he said. "We meet students where they are and then push them to the professional level. That's how they grow."

Students also benefit from opportunities to perform for audiences that include educators, peers and industry professionals, gaining exposure that extends beyond campus. For many, those experiences help shape their goals and open doors for what comes next.

Jordan Pavelka, a French horn student and recipient of the Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award, has already performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles as part of the Fresno Music Festival (FOOSA). Kenney said experiences like hers reflect what is possible for students in the program.

"She represents the best of what we do here," he said.

Pavelka said the experience gave her a clearer understanding of what it takes to succeed at the professional level.

"My experience at FOOSA was crucial to my development as a musician," Pavelka said. "Performing challenging repertoire at that level as an undergraduate gave me real-world experience in a setting that closely reflects the professional music world."

Faculty in the Department of Music bring professional experience into the classroom, helping students connect what they learn in rehearsals to real-world expectations. In addition to classical training, students have opportunities to explore a range of performance settings, from traditional ensembles to commercial music experiences.

"We are working professionals, not just teachers of what we do," Kenney said. "That perspective helps students understand what it takes to succeed in the field."

For students, the result is a program that emphasizes growth through experience, preparing them for graduate study, performance careers and roles across the music industry.

"I feel extremely passionate that this place is going to give you experiences you cannot get anywhere else," Kenney said. "SEMO is a difference-maker."

Pavelka said opportunities like FOOSA are a direct result of the culture at SEMO.

"The many opportunities I've had are a direct result of the strong culture at SEMO, where students are supported and pushed to achieve goals that once felt out of reach," she said.

Pavelka is returning to FOOSA with fellow student Dyllan Day, another SEMO music student this month. FOOSA Festival 2026 takes place June 13-29 in Fresno, California.

At Southeast Missouri State University, students in music are supported by faculty mentors and performance opportunities that help them develop the skills, discipline and experience needed to succeed after graduation.

For students ready to grow as performers and professionals, SEMO's music programs provide hands-on opportunities from the start. Visit semo.edu/music.

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