Classrooms & Rehearsal Rooms

Music instruction and performances are held in the School of Fine Arts Building (Music, Music & Dramatic Arts 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 Collaborative Space (see hours here) and Music & Dramatic Arts Library (see hours here), which has its own hours, the main building is open daily (see hours here). 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. Key loan request forms can be found here. 

Practice Rooms

Practice rooms are located in the basement 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. Practice rooms are open to any UConn affiliates. However, the primary purpose of these rooms is to serve the educational and artistic needs of UConn Music Majors who have ultimate priority regarding use. Students are asked to observe the following rules for the use of practice rooms: 

1. Except for covered water, no food or beverages are permitted. 

1. Do not put objects, instrument cases, or beverages on the pianos.  

1. Do not unplug the piano Dampp-Chasers.  

1. Keep the doors closed when not in use and turn the lights off when you leave. 

1. Only non-amplified instruments may be played in the practice rooms. 

1. Percussion instruments may be used in percussion rooms only. 

1. Rooms are to be occupied by five (5) or fewer, except for the practice rooms located on the second floor of Drama-Music, which may be occupied by ten (10) or fewer. 

1. Do not store belongings in a practice room. 

1. Do not abuse instruments, furniture, or floors, and place any trash in hallway trashcans. 

Students (majors and non-majors) may place reservation requests for larger rehearsal rooms by filling out the Curricular Room Reservation Request or the Extracurricular Room Reservation Request, found here. Please note that preference will be given to music majors and curricular activities. 

Computer Lab (ZFA008/L008)

The Department of Music maintains a computer/music laboratory in room ZFA008/L008 of the Music Building. The facility houses several 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 are prohibited in this facility, and students are not permitted to install or modify software on department-owned computers. 

Recording Studio (ZFA007/L007)

The Department of Music maintains a recording studio that includes a main recording control room and mastering studio (ZFA007/L007), which is reserved for instructional and faculty use, as well as for students enrolled in audio recording, production, and certain composition classes.  

The department does not lend equipment to students other than those who use the equipment in course 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 functions as a rehearsal and instructional space for some ensembles. As scheduling permits, the hall can sometimes be reserved 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 grand pianos, he addresses other issues on an as-needed basis. The forms for indicating tuning/maintenance issues are available here. All students and faculty members are responsible for making such requests. 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. 

Instrument Collection

The department has a large collection 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, like those used by the Collegium Musicum. The latter are overseen by the director of the Collegium Music Ensemble and are loaned to students specifically for use in the ensemble; borrowing of other instruments 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. An instrument shared by more than one student is the responsibility of the student signing the contract.