杜兰大学音乐系的使命是培训和启发有抱负的专业人士以及爱好者，使他们终身参与音乐的各个方面。该指导由才华横溢的表演者，历史学家，民族音乐学家，理论家，作曲家和技术专家提供，他们尊重并建立了该部门杰出的音乐传统。通过自由发挥这些优势和资源，并提供教学指导并丰富校园内外的表演，该系的影响力在更大的新奥尔良社区引起共鸣。它植根于这座城市独特而富有活力的音乐过去和现在，它致力于为这种文化生活做出贡献，同时加深对全世界音乐创作实践的理解。
The mission of the Music Department at Tulane University is to train and inspire aspiring professionals as well as enthusiasts for lifelong involvement in the various facets of music. This instruction is offered by talented performers, historians, ethnomusicologists, theorists, composers and technologists, who honor and build upon the outstanding music tradition of the department. By giving freely of these strengths and resources, and offering educational guidance and enriching performances on and off campus, the influence of the department resonates in the greater New Orleans community. Rooted in the uniquely dynamic musical past and present of the city, it seeks to contribute to this cultural life, while fostering an understanding of the broader practice of music-making worldwide.