Has anyone taken music lessons through their university?

[afk1994]

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I have a good 4 hour gap between classes this semester and I'm a commuter so I really can't afford to drive home and back twice a day. I was considering taking piano lessons through my university as a way to kill time. I've also wanted to learn how to play the piano for a while so I felt like this would be a good investment. I'd also get some college credits in the process.

For those of you who have taken lessons through your university, was it worth it and did you enjoy it? It would only be 50 minutes a week for me so is that enough time to make an impact?

 

[Ismet]

I have a good 4 hour gap between classes this semester and I'm a commuter so I really can't afford to drive home and back twice a day. I was considering taking piano lessons through my university as a way to kill time. I've also wanted to learn how to play the piano for a while so I felt like this would be a good investment. I'd also get some college credits in the process.

For those of you who have taken lessons through your university, was it worth it and did you enjoy it? It would only be 50 minutes a week for me so is that enough time to make an impact?

I'm not sure how it will work for beginning to play, but I guess it depends on your school and the music program. I took cello lessons throughout undergrad, but I had already been playing for 11 years and I was an advanced student. The only cello teacher at the school only took 4 students. But hey, if you can get a spot, why not? Good productive way to kill time that works the creative side of your brain 🙂 you'll have to practice outside of your lesson so it will be more than 50 minutes per week. You get out of it what you put into it.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

I took violin lessons (mostly just to keep playing as I had been for ~12 years and was pretty advanced at that point). My teacher was a very chill, older Grad student (he graduated the year after I stopped lessons due to lack of time) and I enjoyed it a lot. But it'll be hard to determine how it will be for you since each person's temperament toward teaching is very different.

I'd imagine most of the GTAs that do music lessons are doing it as part of their degree requirement so you'll likely encounter some less than enthusiastic ones. It might be more difficult if you are a complete beginner (that is, they might not see it as worthwhile to invest time in you), so I would contact the music department first and see what they can do for you.

But above all, just enjoy it. It'll be one of the rare times you can be completely detached from sciences and studies, and sometimes it'll be exactly what you need.

 

[Gauss44]

I have a good 4 hour gap between classes this semester and I'm a commuter so I really can't afford to drive home and back twice a day. I was considering taking piano lessons through my university as a way to kill time. I've also wanted to learn how to play the piano for a while so I felt like this would be a good investment. I'd also get some college credits in the process.

For those of you who have taken lessons through your university, was it worth it and did you enjoy it? It would only be 50 minutes a week for me so is that enough time to make an impact?

Beginner group piano classes at a university are generally good. Private lessons really depend on your instructor.

I preferred to take private lessons outside of the university. This is primarily because: I was allowed to learn at my own pace, focus on what I wanted to learn (not a lesson plan), and choose the instructor. I personally tried out a few before finding one that was a good match for my interests, skills, and learning style. (You might be able to pay a university instructor privately, not for a grade, so you can try out lessons and cancel any time.)

A friend of mine experienced a real nightmare with individual lessons: He enrolled in private individual lessons as a class for credit, then his instructor didn't show up for lessons. He complained, but the instructor lied and pointed his finger back at the student. He got a bad grade and no lessons! I don't think I'll ever take individual private lessons for a grade after hearing that story. Or maybe I would, only if the instructor was known, and had a good reputation.

 

[music2doc]

Beginner group piano classes at a university are generally good. Private lessons really depend on your instructor.

I preferred to take private lessons outside of the university. This is primarily because: I was allowed to learn at my own pace, focus on what I wanted to learn (not a lesson plan), and choose the instructor. I personally tried out a few before finding one that was a good match for my interests, skills, and learning style. (You might be able to pay a university instructor privately, not for a grade, so you can try out lessons and cancel any time.)

A friend of mine experienced a real nightmare with individual lessons: He enrolled in private individual lessons as a class for credit, then his instructor didn't show up for lessons. He complained, but the instructor lied and pointed his finger back at the student. He got a bad grade and no lessons! I don't think I'll ever take individual private lessons for a grade after hearing that story. Or maybe I would, only if the instructor was known, and had a good reputation.

I think your friend's experience is very much in the minority or urban myth category.


I took lessons as a performance major at my school. They were always great. However, if this is your first experience w/ the piano, I don't even know that they would allow you to take private lessons. At least at my UG, they required you to pass a piano proficiency exam to get private lessons because they offered a piano class to get you to that level of proficiency. (The piano proficiency exam required the ability to play all major and minor scales in all keys x4 octaves both hands ascending/descending w/ all primary cadence patterns + a few songs + a 4-part chorus and a few other requirements. Definitely not something you can learn to do in a few weeks.)

 

[Texmed27]

I took piano lessons my junior year and am signed up for them again this year. If you want to get something out of them you have to put in some outside practice time. I find it to be very relaxing and is a good break from normal engineering hell! I would recommend finding some modern songs you like and learn those. It's much easier to learn something you like than Bach's 32 quarterto or something rediculous like that.

 

[apples5]

i took a beginner class for another instrument, and it was an easy A and fun! i say go for it 🙂

 

[Bamfu]

I took lessons as a music education major (which includes every single music performance class =P) at my school.

The availability of credited lessons is going to depend on your university. At a university with a pretty established music department, faculty members are going to fill up their time with the best students possible. There are only a certain amount of hours per week that piano professors can spend teaching private lessons, so it's in the professor's best interest to choose the students that he thinks he can work with. Unless you are already a decent player, you're probably not going to be able to take private piano lessons for credit hours.

That being said, most music schools require all of their non-piano students to be 'proficient' in piano as well. I studied saxophone, but I, and all my instrumentalist and vocal major classmates, had to take 4 semesters of class piano. These classes were designed for students with no piano background. At the end, we had to take the aforementioned piano proficiency exam. After that, students that enjoyed it (NOT ME) could sign up for lessons if a professor had some extra time.

I suggest you go talk to the music department secretary and see what's available in a piano class. You may have access to one similar to the one I took, or, if the university is big enough, there may be a class specifically designed for students like yourself that want to start piano. It's been my experience that music folk like to see non-music majors in their classes sometimes. My wife (then girlfriend) needed elective hours, so I suggested music theory 1 and 2. She loved it, and my theory professor was flattered to have someone in his class that didn't have to be there.

 

[Gauss44]

I think your friend's experience is very much in the minority or urban myth category.


I took lessons as a performance major at my school. They were always great. However, if this is your first experience w/ the piano, I don't even know that they would allow you to take private lessons. At least at my UG, they required you to pass a piano proficiency exam to get private lessons because they offered a piano class to get you to that level of proficiency. (The piano proficiency exam required the ability to play all major and minor scales in all keys x4 octaves both hands ascending/descending w/ all primary cadence patterns + a few songs + a 4-part chorus and a few other requirements. Definitely not something you can learn to do in a few weeks.)

No, it really happened.

Any time it's just you and the instructor, it pays to make sure the instructor is honest or at least has a good reputation. I think the university let that music teacher go (fired) later on, but my friend was already stuck with his grade. Thankfully just one credit.

In a class with multiple students, this couldn't happen. If it's your word against a teacher's who doesn't show up, that's another story. And I doubt my friend was the only one to experience an unreliable instructor. They're out there.

Again, private lessons can be a great experience. You want to know who your instructor is going to be, and what other students think of him or her.

 

[music2doc]

No, it really happened.

Any time it's just you and the instructor, it pays to make sure the instructor is honest or at least has a good reputation. I think the university let that music teacher go (fired) later on, but my friend was already stuck with his grade. Thankfully just one credit.

In a class with multiple students, this couldn't happen. If it's your word against a teacher's who doesn't show up, that's another story. And I doubt my friend was the only one to experience an unreliable instructor. They're out there.

Again, private lessons can be a great experience. You want to know who your instructor is going to be, and what other students think of him or her.

I mean... sure, it could happen (and may have this once), but most SoMs (Schools of Music) require all private lesson students participate in something called a Jury every semester. Juries are essentially the final exam for the private lesson and occur in front of the entire department (i.e., the entire Voice faculty or entire Woodwinds faculty, etc.). One student failing their jury would suck but probably get ignored by the faculty, but every single one of a given instructor's students seemed to have not gotten much coaching or several performed poorly and then a student came forward and said s/he had never had several lessons b/c the instructor never showed up, it is very unlikely no one would investigate. At least in my experience, the SoM itself is also a tight-knit community, so higher-ups like the Dean were incredibly accessible.

 

[juliebethmarie]

I'm at a small liberal arts college, so take from this what you will.

I am a music minor, who has taken 4 private lessons through my school.

My first lesson was violin (self-taught for 5+ years before). Nice teacher, spent way too much time on breaking my bad habits. Anyway, I suspect he was just thankful for the money since he seemed to be struggling paying bills with his orchestra gig. I asked him straight out what my grade was a few times throughout the semester, he said I was going to get an A. I got an A👍

My second teacher was my flute teacher. I've never taken flute, but I do have a LOT of experience with saxophone, so essentially the same fingerings. He was nice, but rambled ALL the time. Told me I was going to get an A, got an A-. 👎 I really hope that no interviewer goes "A minus? In introductory flute?"😕 Doubt it will happen but it's still funny to imagine.

My third teacher was my piano teacher. Very nice, elderly lady. Very professional, but definitely willing to talk and laugh during lessons. I loved that she discussed composers, styles, etc. She really enjoyed my lessons because I had experience (17+ years) and just wanted to expand my skill set and repertoire, so I was pretty open to anything she gave me. Asked her what my grade was, she said A both semesters, and I got an A both semesters. In fact, I asked her to write me a recommendation letter. 😀

So, as you can see, lessons can vary tremendously between professors. They are worth it, I think, if you ask around about who to have before hand. I think they make you look more well rounded and lessons show dedication, because they require at least 30min of practice a day if you want to improve. For advanced classes (like my piano class), I practiced upwards of 2 hours a day, in small chunks of course. I recommend a keyboard with noise cancelling headphones if you do take piano, it makes life SO much easier.