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Giving & Alumni
College of Music
Giving & Alumni
College of Music

Student Resources

Private Lessons

Enrolling in Lessons

Private lessons on a specific instrument or voice are required of all students seeking a degree in music. Each degree program requires a set number of credits in each level of private study. There are two levels, lower division (100 level) and upper division (300 level). Be sure you monitor the number of credits at each level.

Number of Credits

Each applied faculty member arranges their lesson schedule individually. Contact your applied instructor for information to arrange for a regular lesson time. Each student receives 15 lessons (or time equivalent) per semester. The number of enrolled credits determines the amount of time per lesson:

  • 1 credit 30 minutes
  • 2 credits 40 minutes
  • 3 credits 60 minutes

Lesson Attendance

Students are expected to attend lessons as scheduled. Unexcused absences other than those caused by illness will be rescheduled only at the discretion of the applied teacher.

Studio Assignment of New Students

  • All new students will have an opportunity to list their teacher preference(s) at the time of the audition or subsequently prior to enrollment.
  • At the end of the academic year area chairs will ask the applied teachers in their areas for a list of their students who are returning in the subsequent year.
  • Area chairs will communicate to applied teachers in their areas the incoming students who have requested them as teachers for their comment.
  • Area chairs will make a good faith effort to assign new students taking into consideration the following factors:
    • student requests
    • faculty load availability (if a faculty member with a full load desires to take on additional students, this is possible if that individual is willing to accept an overload); it is understood that students assigned to an individual’s studio can expect a commitment from that faculty member for instruction for the duration of their degree work.
    • faculty input at time of audition (area chairs will try to avoid assigning any new student to a teacher who vote to not accept that student as a music major)
    • equalizing as much as possible, student ratio with regard to applied and non-applied, graduate and undergraduate

After all issues have been considered, the student must accept the faculty member assigned to them and faculty member must accept the student assigned to them.

College of Music Policy on Studio Teaching Assignments

  • All teaching assignments within the College of Music are ultimately the responsibility of the Dean of the College of Music.
  • The specific assignment of applied students to particular teachers is delegated to the respective applied area chairs.
  • No guarantee can be made of a specific teacher to a specific student.
  • In instances when problems arise, the Dean or his or her designate, will make the final decision.
  • In areas where there is more than one instructor per instrument or voice, each student is invited to express a choice of teachers including alternates.

The College of Music recognizes that on occasion, significant conflicts can arise between teachers and students. When such cases arise, the College will endeavor to make more compatible assignments.

When a current student desires to change a studio:

  • The student should speak directly with the instructor.
  • If this is not possible the student should speak with the area chair or the appropriate Associate Dean of the College of Music.
  • The area chair (or appropriate associate dean if the transfer is requested from the studio of the area chair) must be consulted.
  • Approval must be granted for a change in studio assignment to take place.
  • Any decision may be appealed to the appropriate associate dean or the dean of the College of Music.
  • The student must speak with a prospective teacher to see if there is room available in that studio.
  • The student should speak with and inform the current teacher about the reassignment.
  • Reassignment takes place

When a faculty member believes there may be a need to change a teacher-student assignment, the following procedure is suggested: (There is an expectation that once assigned to a given studio, all effort will be expended to ensure that there is a positive learning experience for the student and that the student will remain in that studio for the duration of their degree work. Reassignments will take place only in the case of irreconcilable differences).

  • If a teacher believes that a problem is developing, it is the responsibility of the teacher to communicate this to the student outlining measures to improve the situation. At the time a decision may be made to reassign a student, it should never be a surprise to the student that the teacher perceived there was a problem.
  • If a problem is irreconcilable and the current teacher desires a given student be reassigned, that teacher must consult with and gain the approval of the area chair. If the teacher in question is an area chair, he/she must consult with the appropriate associate dean of the College of Music.
  • Any decision may be appealed to the appropriate associate dean/dean of the College of Music.
  • Once approval is given for a change in teacher assignment, the teacher/area chair/associate dean must speak with prospective teacher to see if there is room available in that studio.
  • The teacher should speak with and inform the student about this situation.

If there are problems at this level, any party should consult the appropriate associate dean. Ultimately, teaching assignments are the responsibility of the Dean of the College of Music.

Performance Juries

Performance juries are required of each student in the College of Music. Performance areas determine the frequency of juries.

All students in the College of Music must successfully perform a barrier jury in order to advance from

100-level to 300-level lessons, and an exit jury to complete applied music requirements.

Probation in Applied Music

If, in the judgment of the student’s primary applied faculty, in consultation with the student’s performance area, adequate progress is not being made in applied lessons, a student can be put on probation. The student then must successfully perform a jury in the following semester to determine whether he/she will be allowed to continue applied lessons. If this probationary jury is not successfully completed, the student will not be allowed to continue in applied lessons. In order to be re-admitted to applied study, that student must successfully complete an admission audition for the appropriate faculty.

Policy on Combining Jazz and Classical Applied Studies

Any combining of jazz and classical private lessons will be determined on an individual basis by the respective applied areas. This policy will serve to assure that sufficient attention is given to the acquisition of the necessary repertoire and skills, especially in the primary area. If a student wishes to change from classical to jazz or vice versa, an audition will be required prior to the final decision.