Crane School of Music

Listen. Create. Inspire.

Founded in 1886, SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music has a long legacy of excellence in music education and performance. Life at Crane includes an incredible array of more than 300 recitals, lectures and concerts presented by faculty, students and guests each year. The Crane School of Music is SUNY’s only All-Steinway institution and in 2021 was named one of only ten Yamaha Institution of Excellence programs nationally.

The Crane School of Music offers rigorous undergraduate and graduate programs with a strong emphasis on performance and practice, in a tightknit atmosphere. You’ll benefit from working closely with our distinguished and dedicated full-time faculty artists, teachers and scholars.

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Crane to the World: Vallejo’s Journey

Jessie Vallejo ’07, a SUNY Potsdam alumna, has taken her passion for mariachi music from the Crane School of Music to global stages, performing at venues like Dodger Stadium and the Latin Grammy Awards. After earning her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology, she now teaches at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, while also returning to Potsdam to support the college’s mariachi program, Los Osos del Norte.

Musical Connections

From classrooms and performance halls at Crane to the stage of the Lake George Music Festival, Alexander Lombard '07 & '09 is connecting the next generation of musicians with real-world opportunities. After more than a decade of festival success, he's giving back to his roots, offering music business students an exclusive internship to experience the magic behind the scenes.

Tuned for Success

Hustling past a rack of ukuleles and a row of cymbals, Holland Goddard '25 restocks music books at Brick & Mortar Music in downtown Potsdam. As customers enter the store, walking past a beautifully exposed brick wall featuring a mix of acoustic and electric guitars, she greets them with a smile, answers questions, and restrings instruments at the beloved local music shop. The SUNY Potsdam junior, who is pursuing a double major in music business and music performance at Crane, is gaining valuable real-world experience this semester at the community-centric music store, owned and operated by SUNY Potsdam alumni Jeremy '99 and Allison Carney '99.

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Music Educator Turned TikTok Influencer

With nearly 65,000 followers on TikTok, Laura Beth Wendelin ’17 & ’19—a self-proclaimed orchestra dork teacher—has become a surprise influencer overnight, sharing witty videos about instrument repair and providing advice to other teachers in the field as she launches her career as an elementary school music teacher. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s degree in music education from Crane, Wendelin landed a job as an orchestra director at a middle school in eastern Connecticut, now inspiring students in the classroom and music teachers and students around the world through her social media presence.

The Crane Candlelight Concert is a beloved tradition that has stood the test of time, celebrating the dedication, talent, and collaboration of Crane students, faculty, and staff. Ricky Chui '25, Olivia Pierotti '25, and Virginia Bednarski '26 recently shared their experiences in contributing to this year's performance, reflecting on the intricate process and hard work that goes into making the concert a success.