Lessons

Request info on lessons and ensembles

Complete this form to express your interest in lessons and ensembles. Your inquiry will be sent to all faculty indicated.

Private lessons are available for voice, piano, jazz piano, guitar, organ, harpsichord, conducting and most orchestral instruments. Lessons may be taken with or without academic credit. Fees apply but are waived for majors. Contact your instructor to inquire about scholarship assistance.  Credit lessons have co-requisites. See below for details.

Noncredit lessons

  • Auditions: None. No experience is necessary.
  • Fees:

$335 for twelve 30-minute lessons
$500 for twelve 45-minute lessons
$670 for twelve 60-minute lessons

Fees are billed through Student Financial Services and are non-refundable after the end of the registration period.

Credit lessons

  • Credit: Credit lessons award 1/2 credit per semester for 12 private 60-minute lessons per semester, or the equivalent
  • Lesson registration:  Your instructor will provide you with the Lesson Registration Form link.  It is important to fill this form out in consultation with the instructor, who can answer your questions.
  • Fees: A private lesson fee of $500 per semester will be billed through Student Financial Services. The fee is waived for declared music majors. If fees would prevent you from taking lessons, contact your instructor, who can nominate you for scholarship assistance.
  • Auditions: Basic proficiency is required for credit lessons. Contact an instructor to schedule an audition.
  • Co-requisites: To earn academic credit for lessons, students must also take one additional course in the Music Department each year. See the schedule of co-requisites below.
  • Practice: 6 hours of practice are required weekly
  • Exams: Credit lessons require a performance exam, which will be scheduled during Exam week.  As with other college exams, attendance is mandatory, and students should contact their instructor to learn the exam date before scheduling any end-of-semester travel plans.

Pre-/co-requisites for credit lessons

To earn academic credit for lessons, students must also take one additional course in the Music Department each year. Co-requisites must be taken before or during the 2nd, 4th, and 6th semesters of credit study. Eligible courses for co-requisites:

  • MUSC 113 Intro to Music Theory
  • MUSC 114 Theory I
  • MUSC 115 Theory II
  • MUSC 214 Theory III
  • One year’s co-requisite may be any MUSC course at the 200 level or above.

If you are not able to meet the co-requisites in your 2nd, 4th, and 6th semesters of credit study, you should instead take non-credit lessons until you can meet the requirements, or you may contact the Director of Performance to request a one-time exception.

To learn which Theory course is best for you, take the Theory Placement test.

Further details on lessons

Auditions and placement: To qualify for performance study with academic credit, a student must meet with the instructor. Placement auditions are scheduled during orientation and may also be scheduled privately with the instructor at the start of each semester. Levels of study are assigned by the instructor.

Beginners: A minimum level of proficiency is required to receive college credit for lessons. Beginners should take non-credit lessons until they qualify for credit lessons. The exception is Music Majors, who may take beginning lessons at the 000 level.

Group lessons: Depending on student interest, group lessons may be offered for voice and some instruments. Class size is limited to four to six students and the students will share the fee for one-hour, noncredit lessons. An offering of group lessons is contingent on the number of students interested and their level of play.

Major declaration: Students may normally declare a music major as early as the second semester of their first college year. But first-semester students may contact the Music Department Chair for permission to declare their major early, provided that they are enrolled in Wheaton’s music classes, and can demonstrate commitment to majoring in music.

Multiple lessons:  While lessons on a secondary instrument are permitted, triple lessons require the approval of the Director of Performance. To be eligible, students must have received As (not A-) in two simultaneous lessons taken during their previous semester of lessons.

Off-campus lessons: Students must assume the cost of credit or noncredit lessons taken off campus.

Registration: Registration for all lessons, whether for credit or not, is administered an online form. Contact your instructor in order to receive a link to the registration form.

Questions: Contact the Music Department Chair.