Faculty FAQ

Essentially, all events that utilize a space within the College of Music facilities require a contract. This includes all student ensemble events, faculty and guest recitals, and featured series such as Showcase, West Circle, Early Music, Cello Plus, and Jazz Spectacular.

• Cook Recital Hall
• Murray Hall
• Hollander Hall
• Fairchild Theatre
• Alumni Chapel
• Cobb Great Hall, Wharton
• Demonstration Hall Ballroom

Ticketing and fees for patrons will be applied to most events, often with the exception of lectures and presentations, masterclasses, and workshops. While exceptions are sometimes made for performance events, admission fees are typically charged to help offset costs incurred by the College, including staff for the box office, stage crew, and front and back of house, publicity, printed programs, piano tuning, and venue fees when applicable.

• Working in advance with Recording Services to determine audio and video needs and requests to ensure that performers and technical staff are in agreement on details prior to the event. This includes topics such as sound reinforcement and microphones, and video projection.
• Working in advance with Piano Technology staff on keyboard needs including piano, harpsichord, organ, etc.
• Providing a description, theme and/or composers for the event that will be used in promotions.
• Providing program content including repertoire, a complete list of performers (with proper spelling) and instrument, artist bios, head shots, and other details as needed.
• Working in advance with lead facility staff regarding all staging and artist/instrument needs, including stage setup such as chairs, stands, risers, acoustic shells/shades, and lighting.
• Collecting and coordinating agreements with guest artists, including tech-riders and contracts if needed.

As early in the process as possible, lead faculty on an event should provide program content including repertoire, a complete list of performers (with proper spelling) and instrument, artist bios, head shots, and other details as needed. The more precise lead faculty can be with program details, the smoother the process will be to build and print event programs. Please see the College of Music Program Production page for details and review the Program Style Guide for information on program format standards.

Note: concert programs will not be printed without final approval from the faculty member listed on the event contract. 

Visit Complimentary Ticket Policy for complete information.

General classroom support is available for the College of Music through MSU IT Classroom Support. Call the MSU IT Service Desk at (517) 432-6200 or toll free at (844) 678-6200 for help with classroom support.

Classroom Support Hours:
Fall/Spring Semesters
Monday to Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Friday, 6:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Sunday, 12:00 noon-9:00 p.m. (fall semester); 3:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. (spring semester)

Summer Semesters
Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, 3 – 7 p.m.

(Closed for university holidays.)

Specialized support for the classroom areas specific to the College of Music can be obtained by either contacting Jen Shangraw or Justin Baker.

Get started by following the guidelines on the Faculty-led Events: Taking the First Step page and related resources for faculty-led events.

The College of Music has several inventories, with instruments available for short-term and semester-long loans. Visit the Instruments page for more information on the policy and process.

Unfortunately, no. With the high demand and use of pianos in classrooms, rehearsal spaces, and performance halls, the technicians need all the time they can get to work on these pianos over several hours across several days of the week. Without this blocked time, the pianos would not be maintained to the College of Music standards for rehearsals and performances.

General classroom support is available for the College of Music through MSU IT Classroom Support. Call the MSU IT Service Desk at (517) 432-6200 or toll free at (844) 678-6200 for help with classroom support.

Classroom Support Hours:
Fall/Spring Semesters
Monday to Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Friday, 6:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Sunday, 12:00 noon-9:00 p.m. (fall semester); 3:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. (spring semester)

Summer Semesters
Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, 3 – 7 p.m.

(Closed for university holidays.)

Specialized support for the classroom areas specific to the College of Music can be obtained by either contacting Jen Shangraw or Justin Baker.

Unfortunately, due to liability issues, support/repair cannot be provided for home computers.

Have you followed the information to contact the IT Administrator for the College of Music about your hire date and what machine configuration you prefer? If not, please contact Justin Baker immediately to make a request. Please note that new equipment requires a lead time of two weeks at a minimum. This time is required for ordering, shipping, and setup of the new machine.

MSU IT Classroom Support provides one-on-one training workshops to MSU faculty, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants throughout the academic year on standard technology classrooms and the use of technology. Most services directly related to instruction in the classroom for MSU faculty are available at no charge.

Classroom assistance is available prior to the start of class on a pre-arranged basis. Please allow at least 48-hour notice to schedule assistance.

On-site assistance is available for classroom and non-classroom use at no cost.

For further information or to set up training, call (517) 432-6200.

The Communications Office reviews web edits and additions. In some cases, lengthy additions to a webpage, or entirely new content, may require rethinking webpage organization and navigation. Staff work with faculty to help organize the content and determine locations best suited on the website.

The Communications Office is responsible for promoting all of the events listed in the season brochure and those that are scheduled throughout the year involving faculty, ensembles, series concerts, special events, and other ticketed events. Promotion includes earned media (email alerts to media and patrons, news tips, press releases), paid media (posters, radio and television spots, and newspaper ads), and social media. If you have a need for specific advertising and you have a budget for your event, you can work with the Communications Office to develop a marketing plan. Regarding earned media for activities that advance the MSU brand and reputation, the college Communications Office often works with University Communications at MSU to identify, write, and pitch stories.

Sharing success about the work of our faculty, students, and alumni helps bolster the reputation of our college and leverages our efforts for student recruitment and capital development. The Communications Office can help you evaluate the best methods for publicizing your news. If the news is of regional, national, or international significance, this may warrant the development of a news article, social media message, and sharing with MSU’s University Communications (MSU Today) and the MSU Alumni Office. The Communications Office in the College works with the Dean’s office to review article prominence and distribution.

If you are planning an instrument day, be sure to review your plans with the Admissions Office. Important logistics, planning, and necessary event resources need to be reviewed well in advance of your instrument day. You can contact Ben Ebener via email or phone, (517) 355-2140. The Communications Office has developed some registration materials for print and web to help publicize instrument days. They work closely with Admissions to schedule the production and dissemination of materials.

The Communications Office covers costs for promoting events in the season brochure and digital listings. Some events and sponsored series have dedicated budgets for additional promotions. Check with your finance go-to person to review the budget that may be allocated for advertising.

The Communications Office is pleased to report that studio sites can be created under the umbrella of the main College of Music website. Each area has control over their web content, and studios within areas can do the same. Request a meeting with Communications Office staff to discuss the possibilities.

Communication Office staff place physical compact discs and books in display cabinets in the main hallway of the Music Building and include images of the books and recordings on lobby monitor displays in the Music and Music Practice buildings. Whenever possible, details of new releases are featured as news items on the College of Music web site. Deliver your materials to the Communications Office, 253 Music Building.

If you feel comfortable speaking directly to the media, feel free to proceed accordingly and please inform the Communications Office afterward via email. Please include details about the interview such as where and when it might appear (TV, radio, newspaper, blog, etc.). If you would like to discuss an upcoming interview and get help with key messages and points about the College of Music, contact either Michael Sundermann or Rick Seguin.

Please send bios and any other updates for your faculty bio page to either Michael Sundermann or Rick Seguin in the Communications Office.

Please send new photos and any other updates for your faculty bio page to either Michael Sundermann or Rick Seguin in the Communications Office. Staff can also assist with scheduling a session for a new portrait photo as needed.

The Communications Office arranges for photography of several events each year and also gathers photos for use on the College website and in publications. If you require photography services, staff can arrange that for you, but costs would be incurred. If you are aware that photos were taken at an event and would like to browse options, contact  we have a photo you need, contact Michael Sundermann or Rick Seguin with your request. They will search archives or provide you with links.

Sharing success about the work of our faculty, students, and alumni helps bolster the reputation of our college and leverages our efforts for student recruitment and capital development. The Communications Office can help you evaluate the best methods for publicizing your news. If the news is of regional, national, or international significance, this may warrant the development of a news article, social media message, and sharing with MSU’s University Communications (MSU Today) and the MSU Alumni Office. The Communications Office in the College works with the Dean’s office to review article prominence and distribution.

Contact the Communications Office to arrange a meeting to discuss how to customize recruiting materials for your area or studio. From print to email, advertisements to social media, the office can help determine what could work best for your particular situation.

The Communications Office handles the the displays on the lobby monitors in the Music and Music Practice buildings. If you are planning a master class, a guest presentation, or another event that is not ticketed and being publicized in standard ways, send information to the Communications Office 3 to 4 weeks before the event and ask for it to be included on the monitors.