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Studio Faculty Handbook

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Department of Music provides all Princeton University students—whether they major in Music or another concentration—with the opportunity to learn from a world-renowned faculty of composers, historians and theorists; take instrumental or voice lessons in the private studios of eminent professional performers and performance courses in chamber music, opera, vocal ensembles; audition to perform with our faculty-led ensembles, and share their passion with local youth through programs offered by Trenton Arts at Princeton. Studio faculty play a vital role in the overall experience of undergraduate students at Princeton. The information contained in this handbook serves as a guide and reference resource for university and department policies and procedures. It supplements the official faculty handbook found on the Office of the Dean of the Faculty websiteand the University’s Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities.

Directory of Faculty, Staff, and Campus Services

Music Department Faculty

For the most up-to-date personnel list for the Department of Music, please visit https://music.princeton.edu/people/

Faculty

Tyondai Braxton, Assistant Professor

Donnacha M. Dennehy, Professor of Music

Wendy Heller, Scheide Professor of Music History & Director of Undergraduate Studies

Nathalie Joachim, Assistant Professor of Music

Andrew C. Lovett, Research Specialist

Steven Mackey, William Shubael Conant Professor of Music & Director of Graduate Studies

(Composition)

Elizabeth H. Margulis, Professor of Music & Director of Graduate Studies (Musicology)

Simon Morrison, Professor of Music

Jamie Reuland, Assistant Professor of Music

Juri Seo, Associate Professor of Music

Gavin Steingo, Professor of Music

Daniel L. Trueman, Professor of Music &Chair of the Department of Music

Dmitri Tymoczko, Professor of Music

Anna Yu Wang, Assistant Professor of Music

Rob C. Wegman, Associate Professor of Music

Barbara White, Professor of Music

Performance Program Faculty

Program Directors

Michael Pratt, Director, Program in Music Performance & Conductor, Princeton University

Orchestra

Gabriel Crouch, Director of Choral Activities

Rudresh Mahanthappa, Anthony H.P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz

Jeffrey O. Snyder, Director of Electronic Music & Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk)

Ensemble in Residence

Sō Percussion

            Eric Cha-Beach

            Josh Quillen

            Adam Sliwinski

            Jason Treuting

Performance Faculty

Darcy James Argue, Creative Large

            Ensemble

Matthew D. Clayton

Christopher Arneson, Voice

Brian Brown, Tuba

Geoffrey Burleson, Piano

Ron Cappon, Voice

Ted Chubb, Jazz Trumpet

Yousun Chung, Oboe

Kevin Deas, Voice

Vincent Ector, Contemporary Percussion

Martha Elliott, Voice

Rochelle K. Ellis, Voice

Alan Feinberg, Piano

John Ferrari, Percussion

Jack Hill, Double bass

Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek, Voice

Margaret Kampmeier, Piano

Francine Kay, Piano

David Kellett, Voice

Christopher Komer, French Horn

Brian Kuszyk, Classical Trumpet

Sunghae Anna Lim, Violin & Viola

Michelle Lordi, Jazz/Contemporary Voice

Matthew Melore, Classical Trombone

David Miller, Jazz Trombone

Clancy Newman, Cello

Ruth Ochs, Princeton University Sinfonia

Miles Okazaki, Jazz Guitar

Laura Oltman, Classical Guitar

Alberto Parrini, Cello

Matthew Parrish, Jazz Bass

Sarah Pelletier, Voice

Eric Plutz, Organ

Barbara Rearick, Voice

Stacey Shames, Harp

Sarah Shin, Flute

Solon Snider Sway, Playhouse Choir

Jo-Ann Sternberg, Clarinet

Arnie Tanimoto, Viola da gamba & Baroque

Cello

Olivier P. Tarpaga, African Music Ensembles

Jessica Thompson, Viola

Julius Tolentino, Jazz Saxophone

Sumi Tonooka, Jazz Piano

Elio Villafranca-West, Jazz Piano

Robert Wagner, Bassoon

Nancy Wilson, Violin & Baroque Violin

Eric Wyrick, Violin

Wendy Young, Early Music Princeton&

Harpsichord

Music Department Staff

Listed in alphabetical order.

Jacqueline Appleby, Director of Administration and Operations

Head of all administrative and financial operations for the Department of Music.

Katherine Baltrush, Program Manager for Performance Activities

Primary contact for studio and performance faculties, and students participating in studio lessons, faculty-led ensembles, and the music department’s minor degree programs.  

Collin Costa, Production Manager

Head of the department’s production, operations, and audio engineering staff. Manages department spaces and use of production equipment, instruments, and production personnel resources.  Oversees the music department venues and the department’s master calendar of performance and curricular events. Also serves as primary representative of the department with Campus Performing Arts Services, Richardson Auditorium, the Lewis Center for the Arts, and more.  

Renata Kapilevich, Engagement Manager

Manages the department’s public-facing activities including print materials, website/social media promotion, advertising relationships, and communication about courses, research achievements, and departmental activity across campus. Renata will be in touch with students giving required recitals about relevant materials and may be in touch with faculty about research and performance projects.  

Deborah Koenigsberg, Assistant to the Chair

Supports the Department Chair in required actions of the faculty, manages the Chair’s calendar, and serves as primary administrator for faculty appointments. Deborah will be in touch with you about your Faculty Appointments and Compensation Review Reports.

Mike Langley, Technical Support Manager

Manages computing and other technical equipment and resources for the entire department, and key person responsible for supporting our compliance with university e-security policies and programs. Mike is the best person to contact if you are having trouble logging into your Princeton account.

Jeanne-Marie Procaccini, Production Manager Assistant

Supports the department’s production operations and serves as primary administrator for teaching studio bookings. Jeanne-Marie will be your main contact for booking teaching studios for weekly instruction and spaces for required student recitals, as well as any elective studio recitals/studio classes.

Maureen Riggi, Finance & Academic Coordinator

Supports the department’s administrative and business operations, primarily focused on contracts and payments. Also supports planning for academic engagement activities.  Maureen is the best person to go to for questions about the processing of contracts for special projects.

Beth Schupsky, Business Manager

Responsible for all financial operations of the department including budget management, payroll, execution of contracts, distribution of research funds, and more.  Beth is the best person to go to for questions about your paycheck and any other compensation.

Gregory Deane Smith, Academic Programs Administrator

Responsible for all academic operations of the department, including course planning, managing degree progress for graduate programs and the undergraduate major, and more.

Key Princeton Campus Services & Guidelines

Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities

Princeton University’s Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities provides a reference and guide for all members of the University community, covering policies and expectations of conduct in an array of areas ranging from Title IX to Health and Safety Policies to tax-exempt status, and more.

Public Safety

All Emergencies: 9-1-1
Non-emergencies: 609-258-1000 (Link opens phone app)
University weather alert hotline: 609-258-SNOW

This is the campus office responsible for safety and security support across campus and liaising with local police services when needed. This includes reporting possible physical or personal safety issues, campus alerts for weather or suspicious activity, contact with police, and more.

Emergency Wellness Check

If there is reason to believe that a student is in an emergency and/or crisis, the Residential Colleges are another valuable resource.  The RCs are at the center of undergraduate life and their staffs provide community building and support for students.  In an emergency, after calling 911, the student’s Residential College Office staff can provide additional assistance, if needed.  Please contact a member of music department staff if you need assistance connecting to the Residential Colleges.

Mental Health Support Services

Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS): 609-258-3141

**confidential

Medical Services: 609-258-3141

**confidential

Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources, and Education (SHARE): 609-258-3310

**confidential

Office of Gender Equity and Title IX

Princeton’s Office of Gender Equity and Title IX Administration provides information to students, faculty, and staff regarding resources and options related to sexual misconduct, including providing assistance in obtaining supportive measures.  This office also conducts investigations related to sexual misconduct, and is committed to investigating and adjudicating sexual misconduct matters in a manner that is fair and equitable to all parties involved.  In addition, the Office of Gender Equity and Title IX Administration facilitates alternate resolution processes, oversees University policies and processes related to sexual misconduct, and develops and provides trainings related to preventing sexual misconduct.

Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity

The office of institutional equity and diversity commits to bringing renewed energy to structural change that makes Princeton more demographically diverse, more inclusive and accessible, more accountable, and more self-aware. They continue to do everything that they can to protect our campus community from manifestations of bias, discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct.

Human Resources

The Human Resources office supports all University employees to access and understand the array of resources and benefits that complete the compensation packages, hiring practices, and more.  

Office of the Dean of the Faculty (ODOF)

The ODOF is charged with ensuring the success and well-being of the faculty, professional researchers, professional specialists, and professional librarians who work at Princeton.  The Music Department works with ODOF to file faculty appointments for teaching work.

Ombuds Office

The Ombuds Office of Princeton University offers a confidential place to discuss academic concerns, administrative issues, workplace issues, explanation and interpretation of policies and procedures, and many other issues and concerns with a confidential, impartial resource that is intentionally not part of any formal University process. Their team does not take sides in disputes and they operate independently of the University to help define the problem, explore options, outline strategies, review policies, inform about applicable resources, and manage expectations. The Ombuds Office is a confidential resource that adheres to and upholds Ombuds Standards of Practice established by the International Ombudsman Association (IOA).

 

Facilities

The campus Facilities office supports every Princeton building with janitorial and maintenance services. 

Navigating Princeton

Campus Map

This link will take you to an interactive Princeton University campus map maintained by the Facilities Department.  This interactive map is downloadable to IOS and Android devices.

Parking & Transit

Princeton’s Transportation & Parking Services website centralizes information about faculty parking permits, the campus bus services known as TigerTransit, bicycle registration, carpool and van services, and more.

TigerCard

Many of the Princeton Campus spaces, including most Music Department spaces, are accessible only via TigerCard (or prox card) access.  The TigerCard serves as an identification card, key card, and carrier for points balances for use making select purchases both on and off campus. 

To obtain or replace your TigerCard, please visit https://tigercard.princeton.edu/

HotSpots & Updating TigerCards

At least once per year, usually in November, faculty and staff TigerCards are required to undergo a one-time system refresh. This requires card carriers to update their card at a so-called HotSpot for it to remain active.  Additionally, anytime your access is changed (such as being granted access to a new space), you’ll have to update your card.

HotSpots are electronic plates with a small LED light that look like this – you’ll find them in most buildings on campus:

To update your card, simply touch and hold your TigerCard to any Hot Spot on campus.  The vertical LED light should start to flash a blue color.  After a few seconds of flashing, the LED light should turn solid green.  Once that happens, you can release your card from the plate and you should be able to continue your existing or updated access.  However, if the LED light flashes or turns red, the update did not go through.  If that happens, try to update it at least once more before contacting the TigerCard Office for assistance.

Princeton NetID & Email

Policy Regarding Email Communication

Per the university’s policy regarding email communication, all university business must be conducted using your Princeton e-mail address.  This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Communications with Students (current or prospective)
  • Communications with Fellow faculty
  • Communications with Music Department Staff or Central Campus Departments
  • Communications conducted with outside entities or organizations in the course of Princeton business.

This policy helps ensure the security of all Princeton related business and information.

If you would like to install your Princeton email address on any of your devices, you can follow the steps outlined here at Setting up your Princeton email

If you wish to set up and alias email address, you can do so here: Alias email 

Princeton Account Activation

New studio faculty will receive notice from the music department Technical Manager with their email address and Net ID.  To activate this account, start by contacting the Help Desk at (609) 258-4367 and tell the HelpDesk staff that you are new and have never activated their account before.

Once your account has been unlocked, you’ll be prompted to set a password of your choosing.

Next, you’ll need to set up your DUO account.  The help desk might walk you through this, but here are the steps if they do not:

  • DUO:  Download Duo Mobile from your App Store (Green icon w white words)
  • Go to Office.com and login with your Princeton email address and password.  This will prompt you to set up DUO for the first time.  Once you are in Office, you have a couple of options.  You can access your email directly in Office.com from the Outlook icon or you can install the entire Office 365 suite on to your computer (you can install the software on up to 5 devices of any kind).  Once you install the software, you will be prompted to sign into the software in order to register the license.

Eduroam

Eduroam is the university wireless connection.  It is accessible from anywhere on campus, a good portion of Nassau Street and several other locations around the world.  In your wireless connections, select eduroam and enter your full Princeton email address and password.  Accept and install any certificates if you are prompted to do so. 

 

VPN

There are a few applications and university websites that can only be accessed by first connecting to the university’s virtual private network.  To connect to that network please follow the steps outlined on this page: Princeton VPN 

Cloud Storage

Your Princeton email address and password give you up to 1TB on each of the following platforms (please click on each link to activate them):

 

Adobe Creative Cloud

Your Princeton netID also gives you access to the full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite as well as Adobe Acrobat.  Please follow the steps below to install Adobe Creative Cloud.  Once you have done that, you can launch the app to install and of the eligible Adobe products:

  1. To install Creative Cloud, go to creativecloud.adobe.com to claim your license and sign-in with your Princeton netID. If you are not already logged in, you may be prompted to authenticate your identity via CAS and Duo two-factor. 
  • If prompted to choose an account type, select Company or School Account.
  • In the list of available apps, locate Creative Cloud and select Download.
    Note:     If you do not have access to all Creative Cloud apps after initial login, please log out of the Adobe website and try again in 30 minutes.

Department Profile

Please fill out the following form to have your department profile created and displayed on our website: Department Profile (Please email me a photo to have displayed on the website when you complete the form) 

Information Security at Princeton

The following links provide resources to learn how to keep your information secure and private while on the Princeton network.

TigerAlert

TigerAlert is an emergency notification system that allows authorized Princeton officials to send news and instructions simultaneously to individuals through landline phones, cellular phones, text messaging and e-mail. The benefit of the TigerAlert system is its immediacy and direct access to individual campus members through multiple points of contact.

TigerAlert complements tools the University already has in place to communicate with the University community during events such as weather-related closings, public health crises, public safety emergencies and other unique emergency situations. In the event of an actual emergency, the University will continue to relay critical information using the most appropriate options from a full range of notification resources: TigerAlert, Web announcements, e-mail, an automated message line, the Tiger TV emergency alert system, local radio stations, door-to-door notifications and posters.

Members of the university community can manage how they receive non-emergency messages via the TigerAlert system. 

The Department of Music

Music Degree Programs

The Department of Music offers rigorous degree programs for undergraduate and graduate students, including:

All undergraduate students are permitted to select their major and up to two minor and/or certificate programs no earlier than spring semester of their sophomore year.  Their selections/admissions will go into effect in fall of their junior year.

To learn more about these degree programs, please visit the Music Department website, and click “Academics.”

Music Department Spaces

The department calls the following Princeton campus buildings “home,” and manages the day-to-day operations of these spaces.

Woolworth Center for Musical Studies

Woolworth is the department’s original and primary building.  This building is located just beside the Frist Campus Center and houses most of our classroom spaces, academic and performance faculty offices, our main administrative office, the Mendel Music Library, and several teaching studios and practice rooms. 

McAlpin Music Room

Located in Woolworth, McAlpin is used as a classroom, a rehearsal hall for several faculty-led ensembles, recordings, and smaller internal and public performances.   

Mendel Music Library

The Mendel Music Library, located in Woolworth, supports the complex and varied research and performance needs of Princeton’s music faculty, graduate students in musicology and composition, undergraduate music majors, music and music performance minors, non-majors participating in various performance ensembles, and Princeton students, faculty, and staff from all subject areas who include music as part of their interdisciplinary study or personal interest. This library is open to the public, and so its collections are also widely used by researchers from all over the Northeast and beyond. The Mendel Music Library also houses collections supporting the dance and music theater programs.

The Mendel Library is operated by the campus’ Library Services network, not by department of Music Staff.  Mendel staff can be reached at or 609-258-3230

Effron Music Building

The Effron Building was opened in 2017 as part of the Lewis Center for the Arts Complex.  Just steps from Princeton Station on New Jersey Transit (NJT), Effron is home to rehearsal studios that support several of our faculty-led ensembles, offices for several members of performance faculty and music department staff, and several purpose-built teaching studios and practice rooms.

 

Lee Rehearsal Room

Located in Effron, Lee is used as a rehearsal hall for several faculty-led ensembles, classes, recordings, and smaller public performances and, in recent years, the Music Department’s Class Day events celebrating our graduating seniors each year.

Taplin Auditorium

Located Fine Hall (a Mathematics building), Taplin is our primary recital hall for solo recitals, course culminating performances, concerts for smaller faculty-led ensembles, Princeton Sound Kitchen, and more.

Teaching Studios

Both Effron and Woolworth have several dedicated studios for private instruction. 

Use of music department teaching studios is intended for Princeton activity only.  Teaching studios are in high demand, and in order for us to accommodate last-minute changes in faculty schedules, the department needs to limit the use of teaching studios to Princeton-related activity only.  Therefore, teaching studios may not be booked or used for instruction of non-Princeton students, meetings for non-Princeton activity, or any other activity unrelated to Princeton University business.

Given the size of our Studio Lessons program, our teaching studios are in high demand – All teaching studios are shared for use by multiple studio faculty members and visited by hundreds of students per week.  They should not be considered private offices for any individual faculty member, and faculty are encouraged to be considerate of all colleagues who use these shared studios throughout the week. As such, studio faculty who elect to post or store personal belongings in teaching studios do so at their own risk – the Department of Music and Princeton University are not responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged personal belongings.

Booking Teaching Studios

Once studio faculty work out a teaching schedule with their confirmed students, they can coordinate with our Production Manager Assistant to book teaching space.  Staff make every effort to accommodate as many requests and preferences as possible, but it may not be possible to do so in every case. Making requests early maximizes the staff’s ability to accommodate.

Woolworth Teaching Studios

Each teaching studio in Woolworth is equipped with a piano.  Woolworth studios are named as follows:

  • Studio 1
  • Studio 2
  • Studio 3
  • Studio 4
  • Studio 5
  • Studio 16

Effron Teaching Studios

Several Effron teaching studios are outfitted with specialty equipment, as noted:

  • E 209 – Dedicated Piano Teaching studio with 2 pianos, side-by-side
  • E 210 – Dedicated Piano Teaching studio with 2 pianos, side-by-side
  • E 304
  • E 307 – Includes amplifier and microphone for jazz/contemporary voice instruction
  • E 308 – Upright piano only
  • E 320 – Upright piano only
  • Harp Studio – For use only by harp faculty and students
  • Percussion Studio – for use only by percussion faculty and students taking percussion lessons and/or playing percussion in faculty-led ensembles.

 

Lee Jazz Studio

The Jazz Studio, located in the Effron building, is the primary home for all of the department’s jazz programing in heavy use for jazz classes, jazz faculty-led ensembles, and a teaching studio option for jazz-tradition studio faculty.  To request to book the Jazz Studio, please contact Rudresh Mahanthappa.

Practice Rooms

Both Woolworth and Effron house several practice rooms, most with baby grand pianos.  These spaces accessible only to students enrolled in studio lessons, faculty-led ensembles, Music degree programs and, when necessary, students enrolled in music department classes. Music department faculty and staff also have access to practice rooms. Practice rooms are not typically reservable, but are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Studio Faculty Portal

The Department of Music maintains a bespoke Studio Faculty Portal as a one-stop shop for accessing your roster of private students, a brief form to share teaching preferences, and other key departmental and University information.  No information hub can ever capture everything going on across campus comprehensively, but we aim to make it as easy as possible for studio faculty to access the most pertinent information via this tool.

Here is the link to this portal: https://music.princeton.edu/studio-faculty-portal/. To login, simply use your University NetID and password.

This portal is constantly updated, so do login in and check in often.

Faculty-Led Ensembles

Each year, hundreds of Princeton students make great music and life-long friendships in the Music Department’s faculty-led ensembles, which include two symphony orchestras, three choral groups, several jazz ensembles, contemporary and early music ensembles, two African Music Ensembles, and more. Together, these groups perform on campus dozens of times a year, often with internationally acclaimed artists.  Some of them have even brought Princeton music-making to international destinations from Hong Kong to Buenos Aires and from to Cape Town to Vienna.

The department’s Faculty-Led Ensembles include the following (in alphabetical order):

  • African Music Ensemble
  • Chamber Choir
  • Creative Large Ensemble
  • Early Music Princeton
  • Jazz Vocal Collective
  • PLOrk (Princeton Laptop Orchestra)
  • Princeton Playhouse Choir
  • Princeton University Glee Club
  • Princeton University Orchestra
  • Princeton University Sinfonia
  • Jazz Small Groups A, X, I, and Z

Instruments & Accessories

Piano Maintenance

All pianos in department-managed spaces are tuned regularly by professional whom the department independently contracts.  Dedicated tunings are scheduled by music department staff as needed for select departmental performance and recording activities. 

The Department of Music and the university have made significant investments to improve our piano inventory in recent years.  We ask that everyone help us we keep them in top condition by closing lids and keyboards, avoiding putting food and drink, coats, laptops, and any other personal items on the piano surfaces.

To report an issue with a piano in the Effron Music Building or the Woolworth Center for Musical Studies, please complete the following form or contact music department staff.  A link to this form can always be found on the landing page of the Studio Faculty Portal.

Music-Department Owned Instruments

The music department owns a limited number of instruments and related equipment. These items are acquired specifically for use in faculty-led ensembles when instrumentation or similar needs arise, and when the department has adequate resources available.

In limited circumstances, Music Majors, Music and Music Performance Minors, Jazz Studies Certificate students, and Music Graduate Students may be eligible to borrow department-owned instruments/equipment for curricular and research purposes.  To request an instrument loan, these students may contact .

Personal Instrument/Item Loan Policy

If a faculty member or guest artist wishes to provide any personal instrument(s), related equipment, or any other personal item(s) to any student(s), they do so on a strictly voluntary basis and at their own risk. Princeton University and the Department of Music are unable to accept any responsibility for any loss of, damage to, or non-return of personally loaned instruments, any accompanying accessories (case, mutes, reeds, strings, mouthpieces, etc.), or any other personal items, scores, etc. Further, any personally loaned instruments/equipment are not insured under the any Department of Music or Princeton University policies.

By being provided with and having read this policy, you acknowledge that you understand these terms and accept any risks as outlined above, should you elect to provide a personal instrument or any other personal belonging to a student.

Faculty Appointments

All faculty members are appointed for specific assignments each semester.  Academic departments are required to file all appointments with the  Office of the Dean of the Faculty (ODOF) according to ODOF’s timelines, processes, and parameters.

Faculty members are expected to perform all assignments and duties as outlined in the faculty appointment for the given semester.  

Durations of Studio Faculty Appointments

Typically, studio faculty are appointed on a one-semester basis.  The department manages all studio faculty appointments on a semester-by-semester basis.

For Fall Semesters, appointments run from September 1 – January 15.

For Spring Semesters, appointments run from January 16-May 31.

Studio Lesson Appointment Structure

Studio lessons are appointed at 1.5 units per assigned student.This means that each lesson constitutes 1 unit of contact time (the lesson itself) and 0.5 units for research and any other preparation for that lesson.  These 1.5 units are compensated at the posted rates, and count toward duty time minimums that determine eligibility for some University benefits.

Course Teaching Appointment Structure

Occasionally, studio faculty will be offered the opportunity to teach or co-teach a course. Course-teaching is appointed based on a number of units determined by the time commitment of the course itself, which may differ course-to-course.  Assigned units for course teaching are compensated in accordance with university-established rates and may count toward duty time minimums that determine eligibility for some University benefits.

Studio Faculty Appointment Timelines

By arrangement with the Office of the Dean of the Faculty (ODOF) studio faculty appointments are filed no more than 3 times per year, in the following periods:  

  • Late May: Placeholder Appointment for the upcoming Fall Semester
    • This appointment is predicated on each faculty member’s studio lesson enrollment from the prior Spring semester and any confirmed course-teaching assignments for the upcoming Fall semester.
    • This appointment best ensures continuing studio faculty maintain access to buildings, libraries, and Princeton internet resources during the summer. It also maintains benefits coverage through the summer months for those who qualified the prior semester.
  • Early September: Updating Fall Semester Appointments
    • This is a hard deadline, as it’s the absolute latest date on which the music department can file appointments to ODOF that allow ODOF to process and coordinate with Payroll accordingly to facilitate accurate September paychecks.
    • The exact date is determined by Payroll Office deadlines set each year.
    • If this appointment differs from the one made in May, it will apply any resulting changes to compensation retroactively to September 1 of that year. 
    • Once this appointment is filed, studio rosters are considered finalized, which means that:
      • students who are not already enrolled in lessons will not be added to faculty rosters
      • changes to lesson durations for enrolled students will not be possible until the next enrollment period
      • will continue to be compensated for any students who may drop out of lessons during that semester.
  • Early January: Spring 2024 (Re)appointment
    • This appointment ensures continued and updated compensation after January 15 of each year for those who are continuing studio instruction from the prior semester.

Meeting these deadlines (set by ODOF and Payroll) – especially the September appointment period – are essential to achieve timely, reliable, accurate, and stable compensation for studio faculty members.  Meeting these deadlines requires committed attention and prompt action from everyone involved in our studio lessons and academic programs, including staff, studio faculty, the Studio Lessons Committee, and students.

Studio faculty can help meet these critical deadlines in the following ways:

  • Read and respond to emails to your Princeton account.
  • Share feedback about potential new students clearly and promptly to staff.
  • Carefully review your roster and related documents, even though they will come with tight turn-around times.
  • Communicate with students early to ensure that your schedules align for work together – this may be an ongoing communication as student’s schedules continue to shift during their academic course add/drop periods. 
  • Report changes to your availability with staff right away. (i.e. if your day at Princeton changes, if you take on a recording or performing project, etc.).
  • Ask questions – if something looks amiss, seek help from staff so it can be resolved before the appointment is filed.

Studio Lessons

Each year, the Department of Music provides hundreds of students across campus the opportunity to receive one-on-one instrumental and vocal instruction.  The following outlines how students access lessons, how students are assigned to studios, and more.

Enrollment Size of the Lessons Program

Actual enrollment varies from semester to semester based on several factors.  One of these factors is a cap on the total number of sets of lessons that we can reliably and sustainably provide each year.  The cap, or maximum number of sets of lessons the department can support in a given year, was initially determined based on the enrollment of students already in the program at that time, and is driven each year by variables including available teaching space, funding, student interest, and more.

Sets of Lessons

A set of lessons is defined as a package of individual lessons to be given by a studio faculty member to each of their enrolled students per semester.  In most cases, each student receives only one set of lessons.  But we do have cases in which a single student enrolls in lessons in more than one instrument.  In planning and running this program, the department factors for the number of sets of lessons rather than the number of individual students, for accuracy.

Currently, the department’s standard package is 10 lessons per student, per semester. This standard package is the basis for faculty appointments for studio teaching.

Students enrolled in the Minor in Music Performance will receive a package of 10 lessons plus 2 lesson equivalents per student, per semester.

  • The 2-lesson equivalents will vary depending on the specific needs of each student; studio faculty will determine the most appropriate way to allocate these lesson equivalents. Examples include:
    • additional lessons
    • special coachings
    • attending the students’ recital dress rehearsal
    • preparation for the concerto competition or a masterclass
    • other activity as mutually agreed by the student and the studio faculty member each term
  • These equivalents will be automatically processed by the department as an add-to-pay for all relevant students at the established base rate of compensation for studio teaching. There is no need for tracking/reporting of these sessions at this time.

Student Enrollment

Each semester, students are given the opportunity to request enrollment in lessons. 

For Fall semesters there are two enrollment periods, one in the previous spring intended for students returning to campus in the fall, and one in the first week of classes.  This ensures students who are new to campus, and students who missed spring registration, can still have an opportunity to request to enroll.

For Spring semesters, there is only one enrollment period which takes place near the end of the previous fall. 

Enrollment practices differ for students new to taking lessons and returning students.

New Student Enrollment

Students who have never taken lessons through the Princeton Department of Music, or who have taken more than one semester off from Princeton lessons, may request to take lessons by completing the Music Lesson Request Form on the music department website. 

Students may be asked to give a placement audition and/or interview for a panel of studio faculty to facilitate teacher assignments. Details for requiring/scheduling any placement auditions/interviews will be communicated and administered by music department staff, in consultation with relevant Program Directors and studio faculty members.

Students are placed in lessons based on a number of factors, including student requests, teacher availability, schedule alignment, and more.  It is not mandatory to place every interested student, including beginners, in lessons, and in some cases students may not be able to take lessons that semester due to lack of flexibility in their own schedules.

Returning Student Enrollment

Students who are continuing lessons from the previous semester, or who are returning to lessons after a one-semester study abroad, leave of absence, or other short-term hiatus must complete a Lesson Renewal Form when prompted by the department in order to hold a slot for the following term.

Returning students do not need to re-audition unless they are requesting a new teacher or a change in instrument.

Waitlist

Students may express interest in lessons outside of the formal enrollment periods by completing a Waitlist Request on the music department website.  Music department staff will maintain a rolling waitlist. Students who elect to add themselves to the waitlist will be considered for enrollment as soon as space is available. 

Additionally, students on the waitlist may be given the opportunity for late-placement in lessons in a given semester in instances when a set of lessons opens up unexpectedly.  For example, if a student taking lessons unexpectedly withdraws from the University a few weeks into the semester and therefore cannot continue their lessons, the department may work with that studio faculty member to see if a student on the waitlist may be eligible to make use of the remaining lessons in the set.  A number of factors may impact whether such a late-placement is possible, but this mechanism gives us the opportunity to try. 

As with new students, it may not be possible to place every waitlisted student in lessons. 

Teacher Changes

Students may request to change studio faculty for the same instrument by completing a Studio Faculty Change Request Form. Submission of this form will begin a review process by the Studio Lessons Committee to determine the best path forward on a case-by-case basis. Every effort will be made to handle requests for faculty changes in a discrete and sensitive manner. Typically, studio faculty changes will not be possible mid-semester, but exceptions may sometimes be made depending on the specific circumstances.  Studio faculty members involved in such a request will be consulted as necessary by the Studio Lessons Committee, including staff and/or Program Directors.

Instrument Changes

Students may request to change instruments as follows:

  • Non-Minor in Music Performance students may simply decline lesson renewal for the following semester and apply for lessons in the new instrument instead, subject to the new student enrollment process. Doing so may result in a change to applicable subsidies.  Typically, instrument changes will not be possible mid-semester.
  • Students enrolled in the Minor in Music Performance program are required to take lessons in the instrument and performance tradition for which they were admitted into the program.  Any request to consider a change must be made in writing to the Program Manager for Performance Activities and will be reviewed by the Program Director(s) in consultation with the Department Chair to make a determination.  Such requests will rarely be approved.

Studio Assignments Process

Studio Lessons Committee

The Music Department maintains a faculty committee which collectively makes studio assignments and undertakes other related duties, such as determining subsidies, confirming lesson-progress toward completion of Minor in Music Performance, managing the overall size of the program, addressing requests for teacher changes and instrument changes, and more.

Members of the Committee include

  • Daniel L. Trueman, Chair of the Department of Music
  • Michael Pratt, Director of the Program in Music Performance
  • Gabriel Crouch, Director of Choral Activities
  • Rudresh Mahanthappa, Anthony H.P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz
  • The Committee members are aided administratively by select members of music department staff.

Priority for Lessons Access

Priority consideration is given to the following students when assigning lessons:

  • Music Majors
  • Students enrolled in the Minor in Music Performance program
  • Graduate students in musicology and composition
  • Undergraduate and graduate students participating in faculty-led ensembles who are taking lessons in the instrument applicable to the ensemble
  • Students enrolled in the Minor in Music program
  • Any other undergraduates

Factors Contributing to Studio Assignment Decisions

The Studio Lesson Committee considers numerous factors assigning lessons including:

  • Student’s stated request for a given teacher;
  • Student’s goals for lessons aligning with teacher’s stated preferences (i.e., a student states that they wish to study more musical theater-style repertoire, and a faculty member indicates to the committee that they would like to work with students interested in musical theater-style repertoire);
  • Studio faculty preferences for teaching schedule, experience level of students, and other factors they’d like the Committee to consider when making assignments.

Studio Faculty Teaching Preferences

At least once per year, studio faculty will be offered the opportunity to share any information that they’d like the Studio Lesson Committee to consider when making assignments.  This may include:

  • Preferences for students they would like to work with, or not continue to work with
  • Repertoire or styles they are keen to explore with students
  • Teaching schedule and room requests
  • Extended absence notes for personal needs or professional engagements
  • Preferred number of students
  • Any other factors studio faculty members would like to share for consideration

Other factors are considered by the Committee when assigning studio lessons that may result in faculty- or student- stated preferences not always being met, though the Committee will do everything they can to match preferences with assignments. That said, sharing preferences when prompted and/or as preferences shift will best ensure the Committee can factor for individual requests as much as possible.

Student Commitments to Lessons

Ability to Read Music and Instrument Access

Students are expected to have at least some ability to read music in order to be placed with studio faculty. 

Students are also expected to provide or have access to their own instruments for lessons.  While the department does own a limited stock of orchestral and jazz instruments, the instruments will not be made available for semester-long loans to students taking lessons. Instruments owned by the department are acquired and used almost exclusively for the needs of the faculty-led ensembles.

Commitment Letters 

Students who are offered a set of lessons through the assignments process will be asked to e-sign a Letter of Commitment to complete their enrollment.  These letters are issued to students only by music department staff, who will also keep studio faculty informed of the status of letters for their assigned students.

If a student does not e-sign by the given deadline, they will forfeit their slot for lessons for that semester. In these cases, the student will be removed from the studio faculty member’s roster prior to (re)appointment. 

Subsidies for Lessons

The Department of Music offers students either a full subsidy (for students on Princeton Financial Aid) or partial subsidy (for students in faculty-led ensembles) to defray their personal cost of lessons. The availability and types of subsidies remain subject to change year-to-year.  Faculty and students can find the current overview of available subsidies on the studio lessons page of the music department’s website.

Further, subsidies intersect with confidential financial information for students.  Following Princeton’s privacy policies, each student’s financial aid status and eligibility for subsidies are only shared with music department staff who need to know in order to process payments. Information regarding each student’s financial arrangement for lessons cannot not be shared with studio faculty members.

Dropping Out of Lessons

If a student wishes to decline lessons before the deadlines for commitment letters, they may do so at no cost to them.

If a student wishes to drop out of lessons after the deadlines for commitment letters, then:

  • The student will not be eligible for any refund of any costs they directly bear for lessons. 
  • The student may lose eligibility for subsidies and/or access to lessons in the following semester or longer.

Determinations of loss of subsidy and/or access will be made by the Studio Lesson Committee, and communicated to the student in writing by that Committee. In these cases, studio faculty will continue to be compensated as per the most recent Appointment submitted to the ODOF. 

Roster Reviews

Once the studio lesson assignments process is complete and students have confirmed enrollment, studio faculty will have the opportunity to view their final roster via the Studio Faculty Portal and accompanying Compensation Review Report for accuracy before their roster is “locked” for the semester. “Locked” rosters determine the appointment and, therefore, compensation for the semester ahead, and so staff ensure studio faculty receive materials to review before faculty appointments are filed.

Studio Classes & Recitals

The department does not require studio faculty to offer studio classes and/or studio recitals, and will only be able to accommodate them on a limited, case-by-case basis, subject to factors such as availability of venue, time of year, etc. If a studio faculty member wants to pursue scheduling studio class and/or recital in any given semester(s), they may.  Please note there is no additional compensation for holding a studio class and/or recital, and there may not be funding for a collaborative pianist.

To request to schedule a voluntary studio class and/or recital, studio faculty may make a booking request.  

Sample Lessons

Studio faculty members are occasionally approached by students to request sample lessons.  The department invites, but does not require, studio faculty members to offer sample lessons.  Providing sample lessons is strictly voluntarily – there is no additional compensation for offering sample lessons and, per guidance from the Admissions Office, faculty should not ask students to pay them directly for sample lessons. This policy helps to ensure equity of access to current and prospective students, regardless of their financial circumstances.

If a studio faculty member decides to offer a voluntary sample lesson to a student, please adhere to the following standards:

Current Princeton Students

  • Per the University policy regarding email communication, studio faculty are permitted to conduct any Princeton-related communication only via their Princeton email.  This policy applies to sample lessons as well.   
  • The department does not provide funding for summer or Wintersession lessons. The lessons program is active only during academic semesters.

Prospective Princeton Students

  • Faculty and staff may be contacted by prospective students and their families with questions about the University, the music department, and admissions. 
  • These students are often under age 18 and, therefore, minors under the law.  Therefore, Princeton University has outlined a set of Standards of Behavior with Minors to which everyone who engages with a legal minor is required to comply.
    • Studio faculty are required to ensure that a parent or legal guardian is always in the room for any of these kinds of sample lessons.
  • Sample lessons with prospective students must take place either on the Princeton campus or virtually (via Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, etc.).  They may not be scheduled off-campus including private residences, personal studio spaces, venues at other campuses or arts centers, etc.
  • Per the University policy regarding email communication, studio faculty are permitted to conduct any Princeton-related communication only via their Princeton email. This policy applies to sample lessons as well.  
  • Questions about the music department’s degree programs, courses and more, can be referred to the music department website, the Program Director(s), and/or music department staff.

Lessons for Non-Princeton Students Prohibited

The department’s Studio Lessons program is open exclusively to currently-enrolled Princeton University students. With few exceptions, lessons with non-Princeton students cannot take place in music department spaces and will not be compensated. If a faculty member wishes to seek an exception, they may contact the Program Manager who can take appropriate steps, if approved, to ensure that the department remains in compliance with University policies regarding Standards of Behavior with Minors.

If a non-Princeton student is considering applying to/attending Princeton and seeks a sample lesson as a prospective student, they may do so by contacting faculty directly.  Faculty who elect to offer such sample lessons are required to follow the current policies regarding such sample lessons.

Faculty Performance Opportunities

The department does not require studio faculty to offer public recitals on campus, and will only be able to accommodate them on a limited, case-by-case basis, subject to factors such as availability of venue, time of year, etc. If a studio faculty member wants to pursue scheduling a public recital, they may.  Please note there is no additional compensation for these recitals, and there may not be funding for other performing collaborators, recordings, marketing, and more.

To request to schedule a voluntary recital, studio faculty may make a booking request.  

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Periods

Studio faculty receive monthly paychecks for the duration of their faculty appointment.  Paychecks are issued at the end of each month.  I.e. the paycheck issued on September 30 compensates work completed from September 1-30. 

Compensation for Appointed Work

Compensation for work assigned in the faculty appointment is aggregated into a single lump sum.  That lump sum is then divided over the number of pay periods of that appointment.

Rate of Compensation for Studio Teaching

For the 2024-2025 academic year, the pre-tax base rate for 1-hour lessons is $154.14. This rate is pro-rated accordingly for 45-minute and 30-minutes lessons. 

Add-to-Pay Work

Any non-appointed work offered by the department and accepted by a studio faculty member is compensated as a so-called “Add-to-Pay.”  Rates for such work vary and will be outlined in any specific offer.  The department makes every effort to issue add-to-pays in the month in which the associated work is executed, or as close to it as possible.

Benefits Eligibility

Some faculty are eligible for some employee benefits. Which benefits faculty have access to depend on two factors:

  1. Whether duty time over or under 50%, as determined by the Academic Appointment in a given semester, and;
  2. Whether or not the faculty member holds a J-1 Visa.

The Princeton Benefits Eligibility Tool details which benefits are available to faculty, based on these factors, and also provides access to benefits specialists in the Human Resources department. Questions about benefits eligibility and processes should be addressed directly to HR. The music department staff do not advise on issues related to health benefits.

50% duty time is equivalent to about 13 1-hour studio lesson-sets each semester.50% duty time may also be reached by smaller studio sizes combined with course-teaching assignments, a higher number of 45- or 30-minutes students, or other combinations of appointed work. 

Add-to-Pay work does not count toward appointed duty time, which impacts eligibility for benefits.

Studio faculty eligibility for benefits may shift semester-to-semester as a result of each semester’s appointment process. If/when a studio faculty member’s eligibility for benefits changes due to a change in appointment, they will be notified by music department staff with as much notice as possible and connected to Benefits Specialists in HR to step through any details of adjusting benefits.   

Funding Opportunities

In most cases, studio faculty are appointed as Lecturers and are eligible to apply for any funding opportunities available to Lecturers through the University. If you have questions about your appointment, please let staff know. Also, please note that the rank of Lecturer is different from that of University Lecturer.  Ranks are determined by the Office of the Dean of the Faculty (ODOF).

Minor in Music Performance (MPP Minor)

Overview

The creation of the MPP Minor derived from the long-standing, highly successful Certificate Program in Music Performance and was driven by the passionate commitment to music making through projects all over campus. The goal of the MPP minor is to provide a strong foundation for students who are interested in pursuing performance professionally in a collaborative setting, or for those who want high-level, rigorous training in music performance to enrich their lives going forward, regardless of their chosen profession. The MPP Minor also provides an array of practicum for MUS Majors to advance their studies in composition and musicology in a kinetic way.  At some point, studio faculty members may teach some students in this degree program. 

This is a two-year program open to rising juniors who pass an application and audition process.  

Princeton divides required work towards degree programs into two categories:

  1. Course work, which are classes students are required to take and pass, and;
  2. Independent work, which are non-course, curricular projects that put their classroom learning into practice.  

An overview of this work required for the MPP minor is outlined below, and more information is available on the music department website and the Princeton University Undergraduate Announcement.

Program Directors of MPP Minor

Faculty designated as Directors of this degree program (with the support of music department Staff) oversee the admissions process for program applicants as well as curricular and advising needs of these students.  Studio faculty are not directly called upon to do so.

The Program Directors are:

Michael Pratt, Director, Program in Music Performance & Conductor, Princeton

University Orchestra

Serves as faculty lead for orchestral instrumentalists in the MPP Minor

Effron Music Building – Room E202

609-258-4259

Gabriel Crouch, Director of Choral Activities & Music Director of the Princeton University

Glee Club

Serves as faculty lead for vocal, vocal consort, and piano students in MPP Minor

Woolworth Center for Music – 201

609-258-4238

Rudresh Mahanthappa, Anthony H.P. Lee ’79 Director of Jazz

Serves as faculty lead for jazz instrumentalists and vocalists in the MPP Minor

Effron Music Building – Room E201

609-258-2219

Admissions Process

Rising juniors interested in this degree program must submit an application and give a live audition for the Program Directors, who will render admission decisions.

Auditions are typically held in spring semester each year.  Exact audition dates and requirements, as well as details of what students should include in their application will be updated on the music department website and circulated among studio faculty each year.

Any rising junior enrolled as a Princeton University student may audition and potentially be admitted to the program.  While many applicants are already involved in the department’s studio lessons, faculty-led ensembles, music courses, and other offerings, none of this is required of students prior to auditioning for admission.

Course Work Requirements

Students pursuing this degree program are required to take five (5) courses, as follows:

  • MUS 105
    • Students who place out of MUS 105 (at the discretion of the instructor) are required to replace it with another MUS elective, chosen in consultation with the relevant Program Director.
  • One (1) Materials & Making course (M&M)
  • One (1) Culture & Criticism course (C&C)
  • One (1) Music Performance course (MPP) 
  • One (1) additional MPP or MUS elective, chosen in consultation with relevant Program Director
    • By petition to the relevant Program Director, one of these electives can be outside MUS, though must reflect a coherent plan of study (i.e., a particular African American studies course in support of a plan of study focusing on Jazz Performance).

Lessons for Credit

The department offers a two-semester course in lessons-for-credit: MPP 298 (fall semester) and MPP 299 (spring semester). This course is available only to students enrolled in the MPP Minor or the outgoing Certificate in Jazz Studies program. This course is not required of students in the MPP Minor and does not fulfill any course or program requirements.Lessons for credit is required for the remaining students in the Certificate in Jazz Studies.

Studio faculty are compensated the same way for students taking Lessons-for-Credit as those who are not. The only difference is for students in how their work in lessons appears on their academic transcripts.

Independent Work

Studio Lessons

  • Instrumental/Vocal Tracks (Classical & Jazz)

Studio lessons are required for all instrumental/vocal track students admitted to the MPP Minor in all four semesters of their work in the degree program (junior and senior years).  These students must take these lessons with a member of our studio faculty, and their lessons must be in the instrument and performance tradition for which the student was admitted into the program.

  • Vocal Consort Track

Studio lessons are required for at least one academic year. These students must take their required lessons with a member of our studio faculty, and their lessons must be in the instrument and performance tradition for which the student was admitted into the program.

  • Conducting Track

Studio lessons are required for at least one academic year and up to all four semesters in the junior and senior years. Lessons may be in an instrument/voice and/or conducting, upon approval of the relevant Program Director(s) and studio faculty member(s). Conducting lessons may take the form of individual and/or small group lessons with regular meetings during both semesters.

  • Juries

At the end of their first two semesters in the program (i.e., spring of their junior year), students will be required to give a juryfor a panel of studio faculty and/or the faculty program directors.  Details for jury repertoire requirements and guidelines for faculty assessment will be shared with studio faculty and applicable MPP program students each year.

Ensemble Participation

  • Instrumental/Vocal Tracks (Classical & Jazz)

Participation is required in an approved faculty-led department ensemble in which the student is playing the instrument/singing in the tradition for which they were admitted into the Minor. This requirement applies in all four semesters of the program.

In cases when an approved faculty-led ensemble is not applicable (i.e. piano, classical guitar, etc.), ensemble participation requirement is met via the following:

  • Participation in an alternate faculty-led ensemble, pending admission by audition and Program Director approval, or;
  • Completion of at least two (2) approved specialty performance and/or accompanying assignments each year. Assignments are to be made/approved by/and reported to the relevant Program Director(s).
  • Vocal Consort Track

Participation is required in all Vocal Consort performances in all four semesters of the program. Further, participation in an approved faculty-led choral ensemble is also required.

  • Conducting Track

Participation is required in an approved faculty-led department ensemble as devised and/or approved by the Program Director(s) in all four semesters of the program.

Ensemble participation in conducting may take the form of:

Recital/Performance Project

  • Instrumental/Vocal Tracks (Classical & Jazz)

A recital (required in senior year) should demonstrate core study in the student’s instrument and performance tradition.  The repertoire to be performed must be approved by both the appropriate studio faculty member and the relevant Program Director.  Information about this approval process, booking senior recital dates/venues, and other details will be provided to studio faculty and relevant students each year.

  • Vocal Consort Track

Participation is required in all Vocal Consort performances in all four semesters of the program. These performances constitute the recital portion of the program requirements.

  • Conducting Track

A recital or culminating performance is required in senior year, which demonstrates core study with the program approved by relevant studio faculty member and the relevant Program Director(s).

This recital may take the form of:

2024-2025 Calendar of Key Dates

The following list of dates is intended to help you plan your work toward key targets and stay aware of the Princeton academic calendar for the coming year.  These dates remain subject to change throughout the year and this document will not necessarily be updated in all cases.  Please keep a close eye on correspondence and announcements from music department faculty and staff for the latest information.

August 2024

            August 26

– Enrollment Period for Fall 2024 Lessons Begins at 12:01 am

– Deadline to share teaching studio booking requests with staff for the first two weeks of classes

September 2024

September 2 – Orchestral & Choral Faculty-Led Ensemble Auditions Begin

September 3

– First day of Fall 2024 classes

– Studio Teaching for Continuing Students may begin

September 3 & 4 – Jazz Faculty-Led Ensembles Auditions

September 5 – Enrollment Period for Fall 2024 Lessons Ends at 11:59 pm

September 6

– Early Music Princeton Auditions

– Classical Piano Placement Auditions for Lessons

– Last day of Choral Faculty-Led Ensemble Auditions

September 7

– Classical Voice Placement Auditions for Lessons

– Last day of Orchestral Faculty-Led Ensemble Auditions

September 9

– FINAL DEADLINE FOR STUDIO FACULTY TO SHARE FEEDBACK ON POTENTIAL

NEW STUIDIO LESSONS STUDENTS

– Violin Placement Auditions for Lessons

September 16 – Studio Teaching for Newly Assigned Students may begin

October 2024

October 7-11

– Fall Midterm Exams Week

Students often ask to reschedule lessons in this week due to academic commitments.

– Teaching Requests for Spring 2025 solicited this week

            October 12-20 – Fall Break Week

– No Classes or Lessons this week

– Program Manager for Performance Activities Out This Week

            October 21 – Classes & Studio Teaching Resume

October 28-November 3 – Spring 2025 Lesson Renewal Period

November 2024

 November 18-22 – Spring 2025 Courses with Audition Requirement auditions this week

(exact dates/times tbd)

November 22 – FINAL DEADLINE FOR STUDIO FACULTY TO SHARE FEEDBACK ON

POTENTIAL NEW STUDIO LESSONS STUDENTS

November 26 – Operates on a Friday class schedule; Thanksgiving Recess begins after last class

Studio faculty may teach this day, but should be aware that the University may run a Friday class schedule, altering the availability of students.

            November 27-December 1 – Thanksgiving Recess

                        No classes or lessons during this period

December 2024

            December 2 – Classes & Lessons Resume

December 5 – Last day of fall classes & Regular Studio Teaching

December 6- 13 – Reading Period & Make-Up Lessons

During this time, students don’t have regular classes, but may have make-up classes, presentation/performance-based exams, and other academic obligations leading up to final exams

December 14-20 – Final Exams, No Lessons Scheduled this week

December 21-January 26 – Winter Break

            No classes or lessons scheduled during this period.

January 2025

January 27 – First day of Spring 2025 Classes; Studio Teaching may begin

February 2025

N/A

March 2025

March 3-7

– Fall Midterm Exams Week

Students often ask to reschedule lessons in this week due to academic commitments.

– Teaching Requests for Fall 2025 solicited this week

March 8-16 – Spring Break Week (No Classes or Lessons this week)

            March 17 – Classes & Studio Teaching Resume

March 17-21 – Teaching Requests for Fall 2025 solicited this week

March 31-April 6 – Fall 2025 Lesson Renewal Period

April 2025

            April 3 – MPP Minor Program Auditions

April 7-11 – Fall 2025 Courses with Audition Requirement auditions this week

(exact dates/times tbd)

            April 9-20 – Fall 2025 New Student Lesson Request Period

            April 25 – Last day of fall classes & Regular Studio Teaching

April 25-May 6– Reading Period, Juries, & Make-Up Lessons

During this time, students don’t have regular classes, but may have make-up classes, presentation/performance-based exams, and other academic obligations leading up to departmental & final exams

May 2025

May 9-15 – Final Exams, No Lessons Scheduled this week

May 27 – Princeton University Commencement

Appendix

Studio Faculty Portal

The department’s staff designed and implemented an online, internal hub on our website called the Studio Faculty Portal to provide easy, dedicated, digital access to documents and resources critical to your work as studio faculty. We continue to develop this tool as we hear from faculty regarding your pain points as well as your suggestions on how to make it better, so please feel free to give us feedback on how we can continue to make this portal useful to you. The following images are provided to help you navigate this custom hub.

When you navigate your browser to the portal’s web address (https://music.princeton.edu/studio-faculty-portal/), you’ll need to login with your Princeton NetID and password.  If you have forgotten your password or experience other technical issues, please contact the department’s Technical Manager.

Once you’ve successfully logged in, you should see the following landing page:

View Your Studio Roster

Most of the time, you’ll reference your current roster of private lessons students.  You can access that by clicking the teal button labelled “View Your Studio Roster,” pictured below:

Clicking that teal button will take you to a list of each student in your studio, as pictured here:

There is a lot of information here, so let’s step through the key columns:

  • Name: Each student’s name, which is listed as First Name – Last Name
  • Princeton Email Address: This is the permitted email contact you may use to communicate with that student directly.
  • Class Year: This is the anticipated year of graduation for each undergraduate students, or a simple note if the person is a graduate student. 
  • Instrument: The instrument the student plays. This is obvious in most cases, but helpful for those studio faculty who teach more than one instrument to keep track of which students are which.
  • Lesson Duration: The length of each lesson the student has committed to.  This will be 60-, 45-, or 30-minutes.
  • Status Columns: There is typically only one status column, outlining where each student is in the commitment process.  When we’re between semesters, there may be two, one for the semester in progress and one for the semester ahead. Here is what each status means:
  • Confirmed means they are confirmed and you may schedule lessons with them.
  • Pending means they have requested lessons are we are in some stage of the assignments or commitment letter process. These students are not yet confirmed, are not included in your appointment, and you will not be compensated for teaching them at this time.
  • Paused means the student is away this term for a study abroad, leave of absence, or related matter.  They are not taking lessons this semester and you will not be compensated for teaching them, but we should anticipate their return the following semester for planning purposes.
  • Not Returning means the student is not continuing lessons with you the following term.  This may be due to graduation, withdrawal from Princeton, an approved teacher or instrument change, or simply discontinuing their participation in lessons altogether.
  • Taking MPP 298/299: This is the number for our lessons for credit course – these students will need a grade to be entered into the University grading system at the end of the spring term.
  • Music Degree Program Affiliation: This indicates if that student is earning a degree through our department.  Here is what each of these means:
  • Music Graduate Student: This is a graduate student in composition or musicology
  • Music Major: This is an undergraduate student earning their bachelor’s in our general music major.  Remember, we only offer one, general Music Major in our department.
  • MPP Minor: This is an undergraduate student enrolled in our Minor in Music Performance and for whom their lessons with you are required to earn that degree. These students will have to give juries and/or recitals in the spring semester.
  • Jazz Studies: This is an undergraduate student enrolled in our sunsetting Certificate in Jazz Studies program.  There are only 2 students remaining in this program, both set to graduate in class of 2025.  Lessons are required for these students in order to earn their degree, and these students will have to give a recital in the spring semester.
  • Undergraduate (unaffiliated): This is an undergraduate student who is not enrolled in any music department degree programs. 
  • Graduate (unaffiliated): This is a graduate student who is not enrolled in any music department degree programs. 
  • Recording: This links to an upload of an informal recording the student made when they first applied for lessons to help facilitate studio faculty feedback for the studio assignments process.

By clicking the vertical arrow heads next to each column (like the one next to the red arrow in the picture below) you can sort your roster.  With one click, you can re-order your roster by name, class year, status, etc.

Screenshot

By clicking the buttons that say “Excel,” “PDF”, or “Print” (near the blue arrow in the picture above) you can export the list on your screen to a spreadsheet or PDF, or print the list.  You can also change the number of entries (student profiles) you see on this page by selecting an option in the dropdown that says “Show entries.”

While this list view offers a snapshot, you may want more detailed information about a student.  To see a student’s full profile, just click their name:

Screenshot

That will take you to more of the information the student completed when they first enrolled in lessons.  This will offer additional information like the student’s years of experience, their goals for taking lessons, any ensembles they play with on campus or off, their major, etc. to help you get a sense of whether/how you might be best able to work with them.  Here is an example of what that looks like:

View New Students

Many of our studio faculty members are the department’s sole teacher in that instrument.  So all your active and pending students will simply show in your roster. 

However, many of you are one of several teachers we have in a given instrument, such a voice, piano, violin, and cello.  To best help these faculty member review students and provide feedback in the studio assignments process, we’ve made a separate landing where you can see all the potential new students in your instrument area.  To see that, click the orange button that says “View New Students,” pictured below:

Screenshot

When you click there, you’ll get to a landing that looks much like what you find in View Your Studio Roster – a list of students and relevant info about them, along with an informal recording to help facilitate studio faculty feedback in the assignments process.

In the picture below, you’ll see the arrow pointing to a tab called “Classical Voice.”  Clicking that tab will bring you to a list of all classical voice students requesting placement in lessons. Clicking the Jazz Piano tab would bring you to a list of all jazz piano students requesting placement in lessons, and so on.  There is a tab for each instrument for which the department employes more than one studio faculty member:

Screenshot

Just like in View Your Studio Roster, clicking the recording hyperlink will take you to the student’s uploaded recording, and clicking their name will take you to their full profile.

 

Compensation Review Report

The Compensation Review Report was created as a tool to help studio faculty coordinate with staff to ensure accuracy of your faculty appointment.  That process comes with very tight turn-arounds, calling for quick review. The following is a sample of what that document looks like, so studio faculty can be best prepared to interpret it quickly when it arrives from music department staff.  Staff are available to help answer any questions you may have about this report, either in general or for any given semester:

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