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Private Music Lessons

Lessons available on most instruments for non-major students and for music majors studying an additional instrument.


Private lessons on most instruments are available for non-major students and for music majors seeking study on a secondary instrument. Lessons are intended for students with prior experience. The School of Music does not offer lessons for beginners.

If interested in enrolling in private lessons, students should:

  • Preview the information about studio availability, lesson guidelines, and audition requirements listed below and on linked pages.
  • Complete and submit the lesson request form below.

Your acceptance as a private music lesson student is subject to instructor and School of Music approval. Enrollment is departmentally controlled and will be added to your schedule.

Lesson fees are required for individual instruction: $175 for one credit; $250 for two or three credits. Music fees should be paid at the Bursar’s Office, 103 Shields Building, upon receipt of your bill.*

You will be contacted by the instructor to schedule your lesson time or to inform you that a lesson is not possible for the semester.

*Because private music lessons involve one-on-one instruction, they are inherently more expensive than most university classes. Thus, it is usual for institutions to charge an additional fee to assist with the extra costs of one-on-one instruction.

Piano instruction with faculty and student.

Details by Instrument

Bassoon

Please contact Professor Margaret Fay (mpf5656@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment.

Cello

Cello lessons for non-majors are generally taught by graduate teaching assistants (TA). Priority is given to students who will be performing in one of our School of Music orchestras, but others may be accepted based upon available instructor hours.

Successful applicants will be assigned to a TA and enrolled in lessons by the music office during the first week of the semester. You will be contacted by the TA to coordinate your lesson. Lessons begin during the second week of classes. Students who are not accepted will be so notified by email.

Please contact Professor Kim Cook at kdc3@psu.edu for further questions.

For more information about the cello studio, please visit http://kimcookcello.weebly.com/penn-state-cello.html

Clarinet (Meeting and Audition Required)

There are always more requests for lessons than can be accommodated. An audition/meeting is required during the first week of classes.

Priority for lessons is given to:

1. music majors who are studying clarinet as a secondary instrument;
2. non-majors particpating in a School of Music ensemble;
3. highly qualified non-major applicants.

Please contact Professor Anthony Costa (ajc26@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment.

Double Bass

Please contact Professor Patricia Wietzel (pvw5227@psu.edu@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment.

Flute

There are always more requests for lessons than can be accommodated.

Priority for lessons is given to:

1. music majors who are studying flute as a secondary instrument;
2. non-majors particpating in a School of Music ensemble;
3. highly qualified non-major applicants.
Questions?

Please contact Naomi Seidman at nks11@psu.edu or 814-865-0175.

Guitar

Please contact Professor Jonathan Gangi (jjg27@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment in School of Music guitar lessons.

Harp

The School of Music offers harp lessons taught by Ruth Hunter. Lessons are available for beginning and advanced students.

For details, fees, and scheduling, please contact Ruth Hunter at ruthe@ruthhunter.com

Horn

There are always more requests for lessons than can be accommodated. An audition/meeting may be required during the first week of classes.

Priority for lessons is given to:

1. music majors who are studying horn as a secondary instrument;
2. non-majors particpating in a School of Music ensemble;
3. highly qualified non-major applicants.

Please contact Professor Sarah Schouten (sms642@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment.

Oboe

Please contact Professor Andreas Oeste (abo5235@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment.

Organ

Organ lessons are delivered by Heike Burghart Rice (hsb5187@psu.edu).

Percussion

To determine if you are eligible for enrollment for percussion lessons, please contact:

Percussion
Isabella Grace Scotti
ivs5158@psu.edu

Percussion (Drumset)
Ronen Itzik
rfi5052@psu.edu

Piano

Interested students should note that there is a significant difference in audition requirements for half-hour vs. one-hour lessons. Please read the following audition requirements before requesting lessons in the form below.


Keyboard 100 (half-hour lessons): one or two repertoire selections of your choice, representing your most recent study. These repertoire selections should be from classical music styles (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th, 21st century) since that is the focus of all applied study in piano at Penn State. Keyboard 100 is a half-hour lesson per week, non-juried course for one credit. Note: Music majors do not need to audition for Keyboard 100.

Keyboard 110 (one-hour lessons): three repertoire selections, one of which should be memorized. These repertoire selections must come from the standard performance repertoire of classical repertoire (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th, 21st century).  One of these pieces must be a contrapuntal work by J. S. Bach (two or three-part invention, prelude and fugue, toccata, or movements from a suite). The others may be works of your choice from other standard performance practice eras. Keyboard 110 is a one hour lesson per week, non-juried course for two credits.


For additional details regarding piano study, please follow this link: https://arts.psu.edu/music/piano-study/

Saxophone

Private Lessons are by audition and permission of instructor. Enrollment is extremely limited. Beginning lessons are not offered.

Please contact Professor David Stambler (dbs12@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment.

Trombone

Please contact Professor Mark Lusk (marklusk@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment.

Trumpet

Trumpet lessons for non-majors are generally taught by graduate teaching assistants (TA).

Successful applicants will be assigned to a TA and enrolled in lessons by the music office during the first week of the semester. You will be contacted by the TA to coordinate your lesson. Lessons begin during the second week of classes. Students who are not accepted will be so notified by email.

Lessons for non-majors are taught by graduate teaching assistants.

Please contact Professor Langston Fitzgerald (ljf11@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment.

Tuba and Euphonium (Audition Required)

Non-major students wishing to pursue private tuba or euphonium lessons must audition.

Please contact David P. Stone Professor Velvet Brown (vmb10@psu.edu) for audition information.

Viola

Please contact Professor Timothy Deighton (tjd8@psu.edu) to determine if you are eligible for enrollment.

Violin (Audition Required)

Violin lessons for non-majors are generally taught by graduate teaching assistants (TA). Priority is given to students who will be performing on violin in one of our School of Music orchestras, but others may be accepted based upon available instructor hours.

Depending on the number of applications, auditions MAY be required to determine the most eligible students for the limited spaces. If an audition is required, it will be held during the first week of classes.

Successful applicants will be assigned to a TA and enrolled in lessons by the music office during the first week of the semester. You will be contacted by the TA to coordinate your lesson. Lessons begin during the second week of classes. Students who are not accepted will be so notified by email.

Generally, late requests for lessons will not be accommodated. Please contact Professor James Lyon (jpl5@psu.edu) if you have questions not answered by the preceding material.

Voice (Audition Required)

Voice Study is available to non-majors by video submission. Please submit a private YouTube link to Professor Norman Spivey at nspivey@psu.edu.

Videos are due by the end of the second full day of the semester.

Simple, unedited videos are best. Please start by introducing yourself and letting us know what your major is, what year of study you are currently in at Penn State, what kind of previous music study you might have had, if any, and your current goals for voice study. Sing a song you enjoy. Any style of music is fine, though our teachers tend to specialize in classical or musical theatre singing.

Please also attach a copy of your class schedule so we can know your availability for scheduling individual lessons.

Students who have submitted auditions will be contacted with results via email during the first week of class.

PRIVATE LESSONS

Voice 100 is a one-credit course that includes a weekly 30-minute lesson. All students are eligible for private voice study, but space is limited. Priority is given to students who need voice as a curricular requirement and to students who are in disciplines that have professional voice requirements (theatre, communication disorders, etc.).

Lessons are typically with graduate teaching assistants. Every effort will be made to place students with the teacher of their choice, based on studio availability.

There is no jury examination required, but students who wish to continue private study must re-audition every semester. The course carries a fee of $175.

Voice 500 is a graduate course that parallels V100, but auditions are handled separately. Interested students should contact individual voice faculty members regarding availability and auditions.

Private lesson sign-up