Information for Current Students

Individual Music Lessons:

Interested in taking Individual Music Lessons on your voice/instrument through Lafayette? For an additional fee, our Music Department is proud to offer lessons with outstanding professional musicians. Anyone can register for private lessons either for ¼ credit (MUS 141) or not-for-credit (MUS 941).

If you would like to register for private lessons, and need a little help affording those lessons, please consider applying for a Sheng Family Music Lessons Scholarship. See below under Forms and applications.

Lesson Scheduling

Registering for lessons is a two-step process:

1. During the first week of school, register for either MUS 141 (1/4-credit) or MUS 941 (no credit). In the Drop/Add periods, you will need Permission of Instructor in order to complete your registration. Contact the Department Head for Music Jennifer Kelly (kellyjw@lafayette.edu) to obtain this permission. Note that you may also need to submit an online overload petition if you are choosing MUS 141 and that brings your total credits to 4.5 or higher. After your advisor endorses your overload petition, you will be able to register. Lessons begin in the second week of school, so be sure to register in the first week of school to ensure that you have all of your lessons.
2. When you have completed your registration process in Banner, your lesson instructor will contact you through your Lafayette email to schedule your lessons. If you register for MUS 141 for credit, you will have a “Jury” at the end of the semester, where you will present for your teacher and one other faculty member an example of what you have learned this semester.

To summarize: 1) register in Banner; 2) look for an email from your lesson instructor; 3) enjoy your lessons!

Reserving Classrooms:

Conditions of Use:

1) No food or beverages of any kind may be brought into the room. Closed water bottles are permitted, but must be removed when you leave.

2) No personal items or equipment may be stored in the room without prior authorization from the Department of Music.

3) The room must be returned to its default state (posted on the door) before you leave. This means that all trash is disposed of properly, all chairs and stands are returned to their racks, all equipment is powered off, and all instruments are stored in their proper location.

4) Use of the room  is reserved for individual student practice, rehearsals related to Department of Music ensembles and lessons, private lessons, and other Department-sponsored events. No non-Departmental rehearsals are permitted. Non-curricular ensembles (i.e. Rock Bands, etc.) are asked to secure practice space in Hogg Hall. Contact the college radio station for more information.

5) Students who play large string instruments (Cello, Double Bass, Harp) may store their personal instruments in the room with the permission of Department faculty. They must be kept on the provided racks and not on the floor.

6) Requesting a room does not guarantee that permission to use the room will be granted. The room may not be available when you need it. The Department of Music has sole authority with respect to granting permission to use the room.

Failure to adhere to these polices will result in the loss of the use of the room for the remainder of the semester.

Ensemble Information:

All rehearsals take place in the Williams Center for the Arts (main campus)

Concert Choir – MW 4:15-5:30pm, Rm 123

Chamber Singers – MW 5:30-6:15pm, Rm 123

Concert Band – TTh 4:15-5:45pm, Rm 123

Chamber Orchestra – W 6:30-9pm, Rm 123

Marquis Consort – T 7pm-9pm, Rm 215

Jazz Combo – M 4:15-6pm, Rm 215

Jazz & World Ensemble – T 7pm-9pm, Rm 123

Latin American Ensemble – W 7pm-9pm, Rm 215

Saxophone Ensemble – Th 7pm-9pm, Rm 123

Percussion Ensemble Workshop – M 6:20-8pm, Rm 123

Sheng Family Lessons Scholarship:

The Sheng Family Music Lesson Endowment provides a limited number of scholarships to qualified students wishing to take private lessons for academic credit (MUS 141). In order to qualify you must be an active member of a Music Department Ensemble. While preference is given for students currently receiving financial aid from the College, any interested ensemble member is encouraged to apply.

If selected, you must register your lesson for credit (MUS 141) and are expected to demonstrate commitment and progress throughout the semester and at your end-of-semester jury. At the conclusion of the semester, you will complete a brief online self-evaluation including a statement indicating whether you wish to be considered for an additional semester of Sheng sponsored lessons.

Application deadline is 11:59 pm Sunday, August 30, 2026

To apply for consideration of a Sheng Family Music Lesson Scholarship, please fill out the online application. Scholarship notifications will be sent out by Tuesday, September 1:

Sheng Family Lessons Scholarship Application F26

Practice Rooms:

The practice rooms in the Williams Center for the Arts are open for anyone and available at all times the building is open.

All students enrolled in a Music class, ensemble, and/or lessons may have fob access to the practice rooms in South College. These practice rooms remain open, and you may access the practice rooms via the west entry door: the door on the parking lot side closest to Marquis Hall. To request fob access, see Kimberly Bartholomew in the Music Office.