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Procedures

Practice Cards

Practice cards may be required at the discretion of the studio teacher.  Cards are found in the music office.

Practice Rooms

Houghton College is pleased to be able to offer student musicians practice facilities that are the envy of many institutions, often institutions that are much larger or more widely known. One important part of maintaining our excellent facility in a pleasant, professional, and appropriate manner relates to treatment of our practice spaces.

All persons using Houghton’s superb music facilities, including its musical instruments and practice spaces, are expected to do so responsibly and professionally, in a spirit of mutual uplift and support as we grow together as musicians. Accordingly, the following guidelines are adopted by the music faculty with the goal of maintaining the quality and professional standards of our practice spaces.

• Students’ personal belongings and instruments‡ are not to be left in practice rooms between practice sessions. Music may be stored in the bookshelves provided for this purpose, provided that another person’s practice is not disturbed in the retrieval of same. This guideline is for the security of personal property, as well as out of consideration for other students who use the same practice space.

• Food and beverages are not allowed in practice rooms. Water bottles—the one exception—must be kept tightly closed when not in use.

• Personal decoration is not permitted in practice rooms. These are professional spaces, not dormitory rooms; please treat them as such.

• Students are not allowed to cover the windows of the practice room doors. The windows must remain clear, as a matter of safety and mutual protection for all.

• No objects of any kind should be placed on pianos, except for pencils, music and metronomes, which should be placed on the music rack of the piano.

• All music practice spaces are available to students enrolled in private music study on a first-come, first served basis.

• There is a two-hour limit on use of any one room for any one practice period. At the end of that time the room must be surrendered to any other student registered for private study wishing to use it. Monitoring of this matter involves personal integrity and peer diplomacy.

• CFA Rooms 231, 245, 333, 335, 341, 343 are subject to priority use as posted.

Piano Care and Room Condition

The School of Music maintains 55 pianos for the use of its faculty and students. Such a collection of instruments represents a significant investment, as well as confidence in those who use it. It is extremely important that all students do their part to help keep and maintain the pianos in practice rooms and performance venues in their best possible condition. To that end, avoid using excessive force that could result in broken strings and accelerated wear to piano actions. Avoid sitting on, standing on, or defacing in any manner any instrument; in particular, take care in the proper use of piano benches: no standing on, leaning back on two legs, etc. In short, use common sense. If you find any needs related to a piano (broken strings, sticking keys, etc.), please send notice of same to Dr. Galloway, who coordinates piano maintenance.

All windows and piano lids must be closed when leaving any room. Your room must be left in neat condition for the next occupant, regardless of the condition in which you found it. If a practice room or rehearsal room is found in sub-standard condition, you must leave it up to standard, and report any deficiencies to the Music Office.

‡ The following instruments are specifically permitted to be left in a practice space, provided they are in their case or covered, and provided their subsequent removal does not interfere with the practice of others:

• Double bass

• Cello

• Tuba

All others are to be removed (a completely normal practice nationwide). We strongly and urgently recommend the use of the student locker system for instrument storage.

These spaces are intended for music practice and preparation as a first priority. When all rooms are full, a student seeking practice space is entitled to request that students using a room for study, computer use, or other non-practice activity please vacate the space so that appropriate practice can occur.

Accompanying Guidelines

All Piano and Organ Majors (Applied and Music Education) are required to accompany two upper-class music majors (Applied or Music Education) per semester. BA Piano Majors are required to accompany one music major. A major ensemble assignment is considered an accompaniment assignment. If you wish to accompany more than your required number of assignments, the accompanying coordinator will require the written approval of your piano professor, or your organ professor if you are an organ major, before authorizing payment.

Please think carefully and take time to pray before you request an extra accompaniment assignment. When you agree to be a student’s accompanist, you are making a serious commitment: you become a partner in that person’s work for the entire semester or until the recital and the ensuing jury are finished. You may not decide midway through the semester that your workload is too heavy, or you have found a person who is more compatible, or any other reason for cancellation of your commitment except a real emergency. If there are any problems or needs for adjustment, come to me and we will work on a solution.

A total of 2.5 hours weekly is the maximum time allowed to work with each music major that you accompany, including lesson time, rehearsal time, and your individual practice of the accompaniments. If you are rehearsing for a required recital, the time is increased to 3.5 hours weekly. Up to one hour of those 3.5 hours will be allowed for your own practice of the accompaniments. If you have received permission to accompany more than the required number of music majors, the same time restrictions apply. After you have arranged for the extra accompanying commitment with the professor in charge of accompaniments, you must contact Student Payroll to be authorized for payment and then fill out weekly time cards, which you can obtain in the Music Office. The accompanying coordinator will sign the time cards, and you will be paid at current student work-study pay scale. The same time limitations apply for accompanists who are not piano or organ majors.

PLEASE NOTE: It is ideal that your accompaniments be given to you no less than three weeks in advance of any lesson, departmental recital, jury, or any other public performance or rehearsal. Once you have received the music, practice it. If you cannot play your part in the lesson then your soloist cannot function, either. If you need extra time to learn the music before your first rehearsal, make that clear to the student you are accompanying. If you do not receive the music at least three weeks in advance, you will not be required to accompany for that performance.

You are encouraged to ask your piano professor to help you with your accompaniments. Unfortunately, the only time your playing will be heard by some of the faculty is in your accompaniments, whether in performance or in lessons. and they are the people who will be deciding issues concerning future scholarships, etc. Also, some accompaniments may appear easy to play, but ensemble and accompaniment styles are very different from solo playing. (Hint: use pedal sparingly!!)

The faculty coordinator of accompanying will make accompanying assignments for each semester.  If you have a preference, notify the appropriate faculty member IN WRITING!

Pay is available to accompanists who qualify for the work-study program.  See the director for details if interested.

Please contact the accompanying coordinator if you have any questions.

Tutoring

Tutoring is available for Theory, Music History, and certain other courses.  To obtain tutoring, see your professor.

Pre-Registration ("Course Selection") Procedures

Pre-registration occurs twice each year, normally in October and in March.  Prepare for your pre- registration appointment with your advisor by a) obtaining a current copy of your balance sheet from the Academic Records Office (second floor of Luckey Building) and b) completing a rough copy of the pre-registration form. Go to your pre-registration appointment (or meeting, depending on how your advisor works) with that form filled out.  This will save your time and your advisor's time.  Do a little homework ahead of time so that you know exactly how you stand (if possible) and know what courses you want to take and (preferably) with whom you wish to take them.

Instrument Class Sequence (strongly preferred, not required):

Instrumental Music Ed Majors – Brass    

Instrumental Music Ed Majors – Woodwinds

Instrumental Music Ed Majors – Strings

Instrumental Music Ed Majors – Keyboard

Instrumental Performance Majors

Vocal Ed Majors       

Composition Majors                        

Assignment of Instructors

Assignment of applied music teacher is made by the director of the Greatbatch School of Music in consultation with studio faculty, due consideration being given to the student's preference.  These assignments are made on a yearly basis, although study of a single semester is permitted.