Assignments for Music Performance Study and Lessons

The dean of the School of Music assigns students to teachers on the basis of student requests and teacher availability. While the School of Music makes every effort to honor teacher preferences, it cannot guarantee specific studio assignments. The assignment takes place during the first week of classes of each semester for students who have not preregistered for a particular teacher. Such preregistration is accomplished only with the written authorization of the requested teacher.

Performance instruction in individual lessons or a combination of individual and small group lessons is at the discretion of the teacher. A student who cannot attend a scheduled lesson is required to notify the teacher at least 24 hours before the beginning of the lesson; otherwise, except for illness immediately prior to a lesson, the student forfeits the right to a make-up lesson. Students absent without excuse from more than three half-hour lessons in any one performance course during a semester fail in that course, but their lessons are not discontinued. Lessons missed by the teacher are made up at the mutual convenience of the student and teacher.

The number of lessons in a semester depends upon the number of lesson hours falling on regular school days, not including university holidays. Practice time is assigned on a weekly basis. The student is expected to practice a minimum of three hours a week for each hour of credit and is assigned this amount of time in School of Music practice rooms, as space allows. To secure an assigned practice time, a student should complete an application for practice room assignment; this application is available at the practice room supervisor's desk. Application for practice time should be made each semester as soon as the student completes a daily class schedule. All practice room applications are due Friday of the first week of classes. Assignments are available from the practice room supervisor during the second week of classes. Practice room assignments are made in hourly intervals, beginning half-past each hour. Assigned rooms may be claimed between half-past and 20 minutes before each hour. Any music student may use an unoccupied or unclaimed practice room for the remainder of that practice hour.

Any student taking a music performance course during a fall or spring semester must enroll for at least two hours of credit in that performance course. B.M.E. students in the semester of student teaching are exempt.

Return to Top

Examinations and Goals in Performance

Level of Achievement
Upper-Division Examination
Other Examinations in Music Performance Courses
Hearings and Recitals
Length of Recitals

Return to Top

Level of Achievement

Each student taking performance courses must make satisfactory progress each semester as determined by the various examinations in performance.

Return to Examinations and Goals in Performance

Upper-Division Examination

The purpose of the upper-division examination is to assess the undergraduate student's general progress and to determine continuation in the chosen curriculum. The examination is administered, usually in the last week of classes, at the end of the fourth semester of study or at the end of the semester in which the student expects to complete at least 60 credit hours. Transfer students who enter a degree program with fewer than four semesters to be completed should be accepted directly into the upper-division examination at the end of the first semester in residence. Students who have a valid reason to postpone the examination may petition the director of undergraduate studies of the School of Music. The exam should not be postponed past the time when an estimated four semesters of degree work remain to be completed.

A committee composed of the student's major department faculty members and a representative of the dean's office administers the examination and makes recommendations for the student's junior and senior years of study. A written report of the committee's comments is compiled in the Office of Undergraduate Studies and furnished to the student after the upper-division examination.

In addition to the performance portion of the examination, all students working toward music education degrees have interviews with the music education faculty.

A student majoring in recording arts, composition, jazz studies, opera scenic design, or opera stage direction is required to take a special examination and should arrange a meeting with the departmental chairperson prior to the upper-division examination. The chairperson reports the results of this examination to the upper-division committee. In areas where there is no assigned chairperson, students should report to the director of undergraduate studies.

Each student is graded on performance on the upper-division examination, and this grade is the final grade for the semester's work in the principal performance field. The student's teacher gives two grades, one for the semester's work and one for the performance at the examination; every other member of the committee gives one grade for the examination. The student's final grade is the average of all these grades.

Return to Examinations and Goals in Performance

Other Examinations in Music Performance Courses

Examinations by a committee composed of the student's teacher and two other members of the major field faculty, or a closely related field, are held as follows:

B.M. majors in performance: end of semester I for all performance areas except string and woodwind majors, who have examinations at the end of semester II. The upper-division examination and junior and senior recital hearings constitute examinations for second, third, and fourth years.

B.M.E. concentrations, B.S. concentrations, and B.M. composition majors: semester II of the first year of study. The upper-division examination and the senior recital constitute examinations for the second and fourth years.

Non-music majors in elective performance (undergraduates and graduates): each semester.

Music majors in secondary performance, master's degree students with a cognate in performance, doctoral minors who have not completed qualifying examinations: semester II.

Master's degree majors: no examinations (graduate recital only).

It is the prerogative of the teacher to ask for a committee examination of any student who is making doubtful progress in the curriculum. The teacher's grade on the semester's work is prepared before the examination and counts as one-half of the final grade. The committee decides the grade for the examination. The average of the teacher's and the committee's grades is the final grade.

Return to Examinations and Goals in Performance

Hearings and Recitals

A prerecital hearing is required for all undergraduate and master's degree recitals that are in partial fulfillment of academic requirements. At the discretion of the faculty, other recitals may also be given a committee hearing. It is the teacher's responsibility to schedule a hearing so that it can be completed and the recital performed within the deadlines established each semester by the dean of the School of Music. These deadlines, which are posted, vary according to the curriculum level of the recital. While every effort is made to schedule the recital at a time desired by the teacher and student, at least two weeks must elapse between the date on which the performance time is chosen and the performance is given so that programs can be printed and public announcements can be made. Because of crowded performance schedules, students should have their hearings and perform their recitals as early as possible in the semester. B.M.E. students may give their senior recital during the student teaching semester, provided that it does not occur during the student teaching quarter. No recitals may be given during the examination period.

Hearings should normally be completed during the fall or spring semesters even if the recital is to be given at a later time. Students wishing to have a recital hearing in the summer must have prior approval of the chairperson of the department and the director of undergraduate or graduate studies. This is necessary to insure that the appropriate faculty committees are available to attend the hearing.

For undergraduate recitals, the recital grade shall be assigned by an average of the grades of all those faculty members from the hearing committee who attend the recital. Organ recital grades are based on the recital hearing.

With the recommendation of the teacher, a student may elect to perform in a required or non-required recital a work that calls for one or more musicians or a small ensemble in addition to, or instead of, a keyboard accompanist; in the case of required and non-required composition recitals, this situation will almost always obtain. In such instances the following regulations must be observed:

1. No ensemble using multiple players on a single part or requiring a conductor may be included. An exception to the policy regarding use of conductors will be made in the case of degree and non-degree composition recitals.
2. There is no restriction on the number of assisting players, provided that the rules under (1) are followed.
3. The teacher of the candidate is charged with the responsibility of judging the validity of the chosen repertoire with regard to the sufficiently soloistic nature of the candidate's part and to the likelihood of good all-around performance.
4. Special instructions available from the choral and instrumental conducting departments apply to student conducting recitals (G603, G801, G810, and G811) that utilize regular School of Music ensembles, or ensembles formed especially for recitals.
5. No ensemble or recital credit will be given for assisting in a solo recital unless the students assisting have specifically registered for that particular assignment as ensemble or recital credit. Such participation may in no way interfere with a student's responsibility to the required ensemble activities or responsibility for assignments made by his or her performance teacher.

The specific procedures for all School of Music recitals are available from the recital scheduler in the main office of the School of Music.

Return to Examinations and Goals in Performance

Length of Recitals

The following are the time limits in minutes for the categories indicated:

	Minimum	Maximum
Junior	40	50
Senior Composition	30	60
Senior and Master's	50	60
Artist Diploma	40	45
Performer Diploma	50	60
Doctoral Period	40	45
Doctoral Final	60	75
Voice, Senior and Master's	40	50
General nonrequired		60
General with ensemble (15 or more)		50

For master's composition recital: 30-40 minutes of student's own composition in which the student takes part as performer and/or conductor. For master's electronic and computer music recital: 30-45 minutes of student's own composition. For doctoral composition recital: minimum of 45 minutes. For brass and woodwind instruments: 10 minutes less for all categories in the above list. For concentration recitals: minimum of 25 minutes, maximum of 50 minutes.

Return to Examinations and Goals in Performance

Return to Top

Performer's Certificate

Undergraduate students, master's degree students, and Performer Diploma students are eligible for the Performer's Certificate, which is awarded as special recognition of musical understanding and technical proficiency demonstrated in recital. Award of the Performer's Certificate is a three-step process involving the hearing, the recital, and a special jury. Details are available in the undergraduate and graduate offices. The following procedures are to be observed:

1. For students who wish to be considered for the Performer's Certificate, the deadline for a recital hearing is the Friday of the tenth week of the semester (Friday of the fifth week of the second summer session). Students whose hearings occur after these dates are not eligible that semester for consideration for the Performer's Certificate. Regular recital hearing deadlines hold for other students.
2. For students who wish to be considered for the Performer's Certificate in a current semester, the deadline for a recital to be attended by the entire departmental faculty is the Sunday of the second to the last week of each fall and spring semester and second summer session. Regular recital hearing deadlines hold for other students. Students whose recitals occur after this deadline are not eligible for consideration for the Performer's Certificate that semester.
3. Students unable to meet these deadlines should consider delaying their recitals until the beginning of the following semester.
4. The All-Faculty Performer's Certificate Committee hearings are conducted Tuesday afternoons; additional hearings are conducted as needed on the Wednesday and Thursday of the last week of classes during the fall and spring semesters and the second summer session. No hearings are held after Thursday of the last week of classes.
5. The required quorum for attendance at the recital hearing is three faculty members. Based on the number present, the necessary number to be nominated for a Performer's Certificate is shown in parentheses: 3 (2), 4 (3), 5 (4), 6 (4), 7 (5), 8 (6), 9 (6), 10 (7), 11 (8), 12 (8), 13 (9), 14 (10), 15 (10), 16 (11), 17 (12), 18 (12), 19 (13), 20 (14), 21 (14). Nomination for the Performer's Certificate means that members of that performance study faculty (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, piano, harp, organ, voice, early instruments, or jazz studies) must attend the recital (see item 6 below).
6. The required quorum for attendance at the recital is five faculty members or two-thirds of the faculty members of the particular performance study department, whichever is larger. Departments with fewer than five members must arrange for faculty members from other departments to attend. Departments unable to meet these criteria may not offer the certificate during the eight-week summer session; the chairperson of the respective department is responsible for informing the students in the department. Of those present, the number of positive votes required to be nominated for hearing by the All-Faculty Performer's Certificate Committee is 5 (4), 6 (4), 7 (5), 8 (6), 9 (6), 10 (7), 11 (8), 12 (8), 13 (9), 14 (10), 15 (10), 16 (11), 17 (12), 18 (12), 19 (13), 20 (14), 21 (14).
7. Students nominated for hearing by the All-Faculty Performer's Certificate Committee should go immediately to the dean's office to schedule a hearing.
8. The regular size of the All-Faculty Performer's Certificate Committee is seven members; the required quorum is five members. Of those present, the number of positive votes required to award the certificate is 5 (4), 6 (4), 7 (5).
9. The scheduled length of the All-Faculty Performer's Certificate hearing is one-half hour for all recitals with 45 minutes of playing time or less. The student selects the music for the first 10 minutes and the chairperson of the committee, in consultation with other committee members, chooses the repertoire for the remaining time. For recitals lasting more than 45 minutes, the chairperson of the committee consults with the student and the chairperson of the department involved to determine a suitable length of time for the hearing.

Outside Instruction and Performance

Students are not permitted to use state property for private enterprises such as the teaching of lessons in university buildings.

Students are encouraged to consult with their faculty instructors before accepting an appearance as a soloist on public programs or before participating in music ensembles outside the School of Music.

Return to Top

Official Dress

The official dress for public performances of School of Music ensembles is as follows: tuxedos for men; long-sleeved black blouses and floor-length black skirts or black dress slacks for women. The School of Music requires that students own concert attire by the beginning of the academic year. Certain ensembles specify other types of attire and make this known at the beginning of each semester.

Return to Top

Use of School of Music Instruments

School instruments are available only to students enrolled in School of Music courses, e.g., ensemble or performance lessons. Rental and deposit may be charged as approved by the Indiana University Board of Trustees. Non-music students must pay a rental fee.

The School of Music cannot give exclusive use of an instrument to one individual. Thus instruments may be assigned for use by more than one person. For this reason, each instrument must be kept in the locker assigned to that instrument when not in use.

A prescribed method of sign-out and return of instruments is essential to their efficient use. Failure to follow sign-out or return procedures subject the student to a minimum fine of $30 plus $1 per day until the student is released of responsibility.

Instruments are assigned for a specific period of time, which is never to extend beyond the last day of classes each semester. Students needing an instrument after the last day of classes must obtain special permission from the Instrumental Rental Office or be subject to the fine policy.

A student using a school-owned instrument is responsible for the care of the instrument; any damage incurred, other than the usual wear, is the responsibility of the student. Repairs are made by the university and charged to the student.

Return to Top

Check List

Students who have not returned equipment, music, instruments, keys, locks, etc., to the Music Operations Office or other appropriate area by the designated date are fined and placed on the check list. A student on the check list may not register in the following semester, receive honorable dismissal to enter another institution, or obtain a degree. If the item is not returned, the student is charged for its value plus necessary fines to cover administrative expenses. The cost of a complete lock change, made necessary by the loss of a key or failure to return a key, is charged to the student. A fine is charged for late return of keys. Locks are changed one week after the deadline for return of keys.

Students who are dismissed from the School of Music will also be placed on check list and not allowed to register for future semesters until admitted by another academic unit at Indiana University.

Return to Top