Classrooms & Rehearsal Rooms

Music instruction and performances occur in a main building in separately named segments (Music, Music Library, Drama Music) and in von der Mehden Recital Hall. Less frequent use is made of other classroom buildings and nearby church spaces, as well as Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts and the Benton Museum of Art. The use of any University/State facility for personal gain (i.e., offering private lessons) is expressly prohibited.

Except for the School of Fine Arts Resource Center, which has its own hours (see http://lib.uconn.edu/libraries/fine-arts-resource-center/), the main building is open daily from 6:00 a.m. until midnight. In general, keys to locked spaces are distributed only to faculty members and teaching assistants; temporary use of keys may be available to students for specific, authorized use.

As of summer 2016, several large classroom spaces are equipped with card swipe access. These spaces may be available for student use. Request forms can be found here.

Practice Rooms

Practice Rooms are located on the ground and second floors of the Music Building and the second floor of the Drama Music Building. Except for those designated for restricted use, practice rooms remain unlocked. Students are asked to observe the following rules for the use of practice rooms:

1. Only non-amplified instruments may be played in the practice rooms.
2. Percussion instruments may be used in percussion rooms only.
3. Rooms are to be occupied by five (5) or fewer, with the exception of the practice rooms located on the second floor of Drama Music, which may be occupied by ten (10) or fewer.
4. With the exception of covered water, no food or beverages are permitted.
5. No items may be placed on top of pianos.

Students may place reservation requests for practice rooms by filling out the Room Reservation Form, found here.

Computer Lab (L008)

The Department of Music maintains a computer/music laboratory in room L008 of the Music Library Building. The facility houses a number of Macintosh computers equipped with MIDI keyboards, as well as office, sequencing, musical notation, and DAW software. The facility is used by several classes in the department. Food and drink is prohibited in this facility, and students are not permitted to install or modify software on department-owned computers.

Recording Studio (L007)

The Department of Music maintains three recording facilities: a main recording control room and mastering studio (L007) reserved for instructional and faculty use; a remote recording facility in von der Mehden Recital Hall, used for documenting concerts and recitals, and for recording sessions for both faculty and students; and a project studio in the Music Building for use by student recording staff and students enrolled in audio, electronic music, and certain composition classes as assigned by faculty. Off-campus recording also can be arranged.

The department does not lend equipment to students other than those who work as student recordists and those who use the equipment in class work.

von der Mehden Recital Hall

von der Mehden is the venue for most of the department’s performances, including recitals and concerts. It also provides rehearsal space for some ensembles and instructional space for a few of the university’s large lecture classes. As the schedule permits, the hall sometimes can be scheduled for individual student practice.

Lockers

Most lockers are assigned at the beginning of each semester, but locker requests can be made throughout the academic year. For maximum security, locker combinations are changed every semester. A locker request form, found here, must be submitted to obtain a locker.

Pianos

The Department of Music owns a large collection of pianos that are tuned and maintained during a weekly visit by a piano technician. While the technician’s first weekly concern is the von der Mehden grands, he attends to others on an as-needed basis. Forms for indicating tuning/maintenance issues are available here. Any student or faculty member can make such a request, and all have responsibility for doing so. Respecting and protecting the collection is essential and includes preventing contact with food and beverages as well as personal belongings. It is useful to remember that pianos are instruments, not furniture.

The Department of Music is en route to becoming an all Steinway school, hosting Steinway and Sons and Boston (a Steinway make) grand and upright pianos. As of summer 2016, the department has a Steinway ratio of 46%.

Instrument Collection

Another large collection is the department’s store of instruments, both student grade for use in pre-teaching classes, and professional quality, such as specialty instruments for temporary use in lessons or ensembles and those used by the Collegium Musicum. The latter are overseen by Dr. Eric Rice and are loaned to students specifically for use in the ensemble; borrowing of others can be done through the Music Office. Borrowing requires signing a contract, found here that specifies the borrower’s responsibility for maintaining and securing the instrument and reporting immediately any need for repair. An instrument lost or stolen is the responsibility of the borrower; replacement cost is indicated on the contract. An instrument shared by more than one student is the responsibility of the student signing the contract.