Private Lessons

Individual lessons in voice and a range of musical instruments are open to any Boston College student upon consultation with the Music Department, on both a for-credit or non-credit basis.

Use this list of instructors to find the right fit for your lesson and schedule preferences. Contact the instructor with your request to be in their section. See “Policies and Expectations” to decide if you want to take MUSP1980 (not for credit) or MUSP1985 (for 1 credit).

Use this list of instructors to find the right fit for your lesson and schedule preferences. Contact the instructor with your request to enroll in their section. See “Policies and Expectations” to decide if you want to take MUSP1920 (not for credit) or MUSP1925 (for 1 credit).

Individual instruction on a musical instrument or in voice is open to any Boston College student by contacting the instructor of their choice and asking to be enrolled in their section. Learning goals (including technique, musicianship, musicality, and repertoire knowledge) are determined and agreed upon by the student and the teacher, depending on the student’s musical abilities and background. Teachers will customize pacing and expectations depending on their own approach and the needs, interest, and experience of each student.

The list of instructors and their expertise may be found under the “Instructors” tab.

Classes (total of 10 lessons per semester) are 50 minutes in length. Students may elect to take lessons for credit (10 lessons, with 4 additional music education hours required over the course of the semester, grading Pass/Fail), or for zero credit (grading Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory). 

Fees and registration are required – see details under “Fees & Registration.”

Fees

Fees for the lessons are added to the term bill, payable at the beginning of the semester. Fees are not refundable after the add/drop deadline.

The fee is $100/lesson for 10 lessons for a semester total of $1,000. 

Registration

Students register for private instruction in voice or on an instrument during the regular registration period. Here are the steps to follow.

  1. Have your course schedule solidified first so you know your available times. 

  2. Review the list of private lesson instructors and find the person who best fits your needs. Be sure their teaching availability matches your availability.

  3. Contact the instructor for approval to register for their section. The instructor may ask you a few questions to see if you are the right fit for this section. 

  4. The exact time of your lesson will be negotiated with the instructor within their listed availability.  

  5. Identify if you wish to take the course for 1- credit or 0- credit.  (See “Policies and Expectations” to differentiate the course requirements.)

  6. Once approved, provide your full name and Eagle number to the instructor who will forward it to the Music Department office for registration. You will be registered in that instructor’s section. 

  7. If, for any reason, you need to withdraw, inform the department immediately so the instructor may find an alternate student. Fees will not be refunded if you withdraw after the add/drop date. 

Expectations for credit and non-credit lessons

Regardless of whether a student is taking lessons for credit or no credit, and regardless of their level of musical experience, the following is expected: 

  • That students, upon receiving communications/inquiries from the Music Department’s administrative director, from their private instructor, and from the program director of their area (instrumental or vocal), will respond by email in a timely and respectful manner (ideally within 24 hours), and will work proactively and expediently towards scheduling mutually-agreeable lesson times with their private instructor.

  • That students are expected to attend all scheduled lessons; “no-shows” are unacceptable. Absences, other than those due to illness, should be cleared with the private instructor at least two weeks in advance. If you need to miss a lesson due to illness, notify your private instructor as soon as possible. In the event of a medical or family emergency, if you are unable to notify your instructor of your absence ahead of time, please reach out with an explanation as soon as possible. It is your responsibility to communicate with your private instructor about what is going on, rather than have them reach out to you. More than two “no-shows,” i.e. absences without prior notification to the private instructor, may result in a F for students taking lessons for credit, and – for any student – may jeopardize continued study with your teacher.

  • Make-up lesson policy: students may receive up to one make-up lesson per semester if they miss a lesson due to an excused absence. A “no-show,” when you miss a lesson without notifying the instructor ahead of time, is NOT an excused absence.

  • That students will practice assigned repertoire and technical exercises on their own between lessons and will make every effort to adequately prepare musical assignments requested by their instructor for each lesson. Students should discuss with their instructor expectations for the number of hours they should be practicing per day/week, on average, and should be forthright about their capacity (on a weekly basis) to balance practice hours with their curricular and co-curricular workload.
     

Additional Expectations for students taking lessons for 1 credit only

  • Additionally, students enrolled for credit must participate in the following to satisfy the 5 additional hours of music education needed to meet Federal guidelines of 15 hours of class time per single credit: 
    • Give a short, 2-5 min performance (formerly known as “jury”) in a group setting, to be scheduled around the final exam period. 
      • With instructor permission, students may opt out of this requirement and elect to submit a recorded performance. 
      • Recordings should be submitted to the program director by email by the date of the group performance. Students must receive permission from their instructor to pursue this alternative, and must notify the program director (with their instructor ‘CCed) within 3 weeks of receiving notification of the group performance date and time. Recordings should be submitted to the program director using this form by the date of the group performance. 
  • Attend 3 masterclasses/workshops or performances (on campus) during the semester. Upcoming masterclass and performance events are available here . 
    • Note: any student concurrently enrolled in a professionally-led musical ensemble (i.e. Astaza!, BC Baroque (spring only), BC bOp!, BCSO, Chamber Music, Flute Ensemble, Marching Band, Popular Styles Ensemble, Piano Ensemble, University Wind Ensemble, Chamber Singers, Vocal Workshop, University Chorale, or Voices of Imani) automatically fulfills the three additional hours. 
      • Note: ensemble participation does not exempt students from participation in the final group performance. 
    • Students should submit documentation of the masterclasses/performances they attended using this form (same form used to submit program notes/recordings).
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