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Lessons Offered
Calvin offers private lessons for brass, guitar, organ, percussion, piano, strings, voice, and woodwinds. Private lessons may be taken for various amounts of credit (0, 1, 2, or 3 credits) based on the level (100, 200 or 300 level) and length of lesson (1/2 hour or 1 hour). Consult the College Catalog for information on the various lesson levels.
Fees
The fee for a semester (12 lessons) is as follows:
½ hour lessons – $265
1 hour lessons – $525
Applied music concentrates will receive a discounted private lesson fee:
100 or 200 level (2 credits, 1 hour) – $400
300 level (3 credits, 1 hour) –- $440
These are additional fees which will be applied directly to your tuition.
Placement Auditions
Private lesson placement auditions are helpful in determining the best placement for students for teacher assignment and private lesson level (½ hour/1 hour.) Voice, piano, and organ students must do a placement audition. First-year students- contact the Music Department; upperclass students should schedule auditions with the applied music instructor directly. Any questions about private lesson auditions should be directed to the Music Department.
Registration
You may register for private lessons at the Registrar's office or on-line during registration period each semester. Think carefully about what level lessons you would like to take. The range is from 0 credits to 3 credits. The lessons are also offered at different levels. All students taking lessons for the first time at Calvin must begin with the 0xx (non-credit) or 1xx level. All other levels (2xx or 3xx) must be approved by your private lesson teacher. A form for 2xx or 3xx level lessons is available in the Music Office. Some private lessons require a placement audition in which case you will be contacted to set up an audition time. The deadline for registering for private lessons or for changing from non-credit to credit (or vice versa) is September 18 at 5:00 pm (for the fall 2008 semester) and February 12 at 5:00 pm (for the spring 2009 semester.)
Credit
Private lessons are offered at four different levels and may be taken for 0, 1, 2, or 3 credit hours. The level of lessons that a student will take is decided with the applied music teacher. For more information about the different levels of lessons, consult the college catalog or stop by the music office.
Instructors
The Calvin music faculty includes full and part-time instructors in voice, piano, organ, strings (including guitar), woodwinds, brass, and percussion. A complete list of these instructors is available here. Calvin students who study music through Calvin must study with Calvin music faculty. Students will be assigned to instructors by the principal applied faculty in each area. To study an instrument not regularly taught by the Calvin faculty, a student must submit a request to the Student Life Committee. The procedure for submitting such a request is available in the Music Department office.
At the beginning of the semester, your assigned teacher will contact you the first week to set up a lesson time. If you haven't heard from your teacher by the end of the first week of classes, contact the Music Department.
Grading
Grades are given at the end of each semester. Approximately 75% of the grade is determined by the semester’s work, and 25% by the jury performance. For concentrates, the jury performance is given more weight.
Instructor Evaluations
Everyone who takes lessons is expected to evaluate his or her instructor. Students of part-time music instructors may submit an online evaluation. Full-time Calvin faculty use a different form which will be available from the instructor.
Number of Lessons
Each student will receive 12 lessons during the semester- one lesson per week for 12 weeks. If a student is unable to make a lesson because of illness, the student is responsible for re-scheduling the lesson.
Dropping Lessons
If you decide to drop your private lessons you must pick up a drop slip from the Registrar's office, bring it to the music office to be signed and then return it to the Registrar's office. Also be sure that you talk to your private teacher about dropping lessons.
Lesson Refunds
Refunds will be given for students who drop lessons following Calvin's reimbursement guidelines:
- Calendar days 1-10 100%
- Calendar days 11-24 80%
- Calendar days 25-31 60%
- Calendar days 32-38 40%
- After 38 calendar days 0%
These refunds will be automatically calculated by the Financial Services office according to the date the Registrar's Office received the completed drop slip.
Practice Requirements
- 0 credit- 3-6 hours of practice per week
- 1 credit- 6 hours per week
- 2 credits- 12 hours per week
- 3 credits- 18 hours per week
Practice Rooms
The Calvin Music Department maintains a number of practice rooms which may be used by any student studying applied music at Calvin. Students must sign up for practice times on the schedules sheets posted on each practice room door. If a practice room is not occupied ten minutes after the practice time began, it is open to anyone on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Accompanists
Accompanists are provided following this order of priority:
- those students presenting a recital in the current semester
- concentrates
- vocal and instrumental education majors
- more advanced students/ potential concentrates, scholarship winners
- students taking a jury in the current semester
- students not taking a jury in the current semester
All requests for accompanists should be directed to Linda Hoisington (Coordinator of Accompanists).
The scheduling will be more accompanist-schedule driven rather than student-schedule driven. Every effort will be made to meet the needs of the students but within reasonable hours for the accompanist.
The main vocal studios will align concentrates on certain days to create a better flow for the accompanists.
For students without weekly accompanists, the department offers an accompanist free of charge approximately one month before the jury. If students wish to have more services beyond this timeframe, he or she will have to pay an additional fee.
Student accompanists who are assigned by Linda Hoisington as part of their course work (based on repertoire difficulty) will have a maximum of students (normally 2) to accompany for. Any work beyond that, the student accompanist will be paid $5 per half hour lesson and $10 per hour lesson by the student making the request. The fee will be paid directly to the student accompanist. A $50 fee per recital will be paid by the student to the student accompanist if this accompanist is not already playing for the lessons on a regular basis.
Student accompanists will be selected by Linda Hoisington to ensure their capability for such a task.
If a student is not high on the priority list but wishes to have the services of a staff accompanist, he or she will have to contact and negotiate a fee with the staff directly. (Suggested payment of $25 per hour)