Music Department

The Department of Music has compiled this short document to provide basic information for teachers in its Applied Music Program. Please feel free to contact individuals listed on the last page if you have questions at any time

Click here for the link to the current Kalamazoo College Academic Calendar:

Applied Music is one of the cornerstones of our work in the liberal arts college environment. We believe that in optimizing your teaching experience we enhance the learning of our students.

College Intranet Portal Access 

Quarterly Procedure for new and returning employees. This will allow you to check your class roster:

1. Return Signed Contract to PROVOSTS OFFICE 1200 Academy.
2. New Employees must visit Leon McGee (337-7223) HR Office in Mandelle Hall to complete required forms.
3. New Employees must visit Campus Security in the Hicks Center for Parking and picture ID card. This ID card gives you swipe entrance to Fine Arts Building and Library privileges.
4. New Employees must visit the Information Services Help Desk on the main floor in Upjohn Library to set up passwords and Kalamazoo College e-mail account.
5. For Returning employees, your password will need to be updated QUARTERLY. Please call the Information Services Help Desk (337-5800) for assistance if needed!

Mailboxes and Keys

Faculty Mailboxes are located in Fine Arts (FAB) 130. Access to this room is available between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. You may find your mail in either a box or folder with your name.

Parking

Applications for Faculty/Staff parking stickers are available from Carol Kennedy in FA120. Stickers permit use of areas designated for faculty/staff parking, including the “upper” Fine Arts Building parking lot and sections of the “lower” FAB lot.

Music Office and Music Coordinator

The Department office is located in FA129. The Department Coordinator is available weekday afternoons. Telephone: 337-7070.  E-mail:  

Lessons

Students register for ten individual half-hour lessons per quarter. A student may also register for “double lessons,” which are ten individual hour-long lessons. Group lessons may be available in some areas. Students should consult the Department Chair if they have questions.

The student earns 1/5 unit is earned for each quarter of lessons, and credit toward graduation is awarded after a student has completed five quarters of applied study in the same area. Study in different instruments other than keyboard cannot be combined to complete a full unit. Credits from applied study of piano, harpsichord, fortepiano and accompanying may be combined.

On recommendation of the teacher, a very advanced student may complete a full unit in the third or fourth quarter of study by presenting a recital. This option is not available for students who have only studied in group lessons.

Any student desiring to change applied teachers must inform the current teacher of that intent and obtain permission from the department chair. If s/he does not wish to continue applied lessons in the following quarter, the teacher should be notified before the end of the current quarter.

Compensation

The student is charged $256 per quarter for lessons, or $512 for double lessons. Each student in a group lesson is charged $168 per quarter. Your salary consists of 90% of the Applied Music fee minus deductions of federal and state income taxes and social security, if applicable. Paychecks are distributed in December (for Fall quarter teaching), April (for Winter quarter teaching), and June (for Spring quarter teaching) by the Business office, 337-7250. Payroll information, accounting and method of distribution of paychecks should be established directly with the Business office.

The department has a program of Applied Music Awards which assist the best students to pay for lessons, regardless of their major. Refer qualified students to the Department Chair for information.

Applied Music Faculty are also compensated for their services during Hearings and Area Classes at a rate of $20.00 per hour.

Registration

Class Rosters and Scheduling

It is essential for Applied Instructors to keep track of who is registered for your class  (check Portal) and who is coming to lessons (or not). Class lists must be kept accurate, since they are used to determine your compensation. You can monitor your class list on line through the Kalamazoo College Portal:

https://portal.kzoo.edu/faculty/Pages/default.aspx

To find your class roster, look in the right column under "Web Advisor" and click "Faculty Information."

An account has already been created for you on the Portal. If you don’t yet have a College Network password, please stop by the Information Services Help Desk (heldesk@kzoo.edu, 337-5800) to pick up your network (and e-mail) password.

You must contact your students to arrange a lesson time appropriate for both your schedules.

Student contact information is available to you at:

https://campus.kzoo.edu/is/kdir/?_type=Students

Throughout the year you will be able to monitor students who add or drop lessons through the on line Portal.

Please try to contact and schedule your students as soon as possible. If you encounter any problems, notify the Music Department Chair (tung@kzoo.edu, 337-7074) or Music Coordinator (337-7070).

Studios

The Department Chair (tung@kzoo.edu, 337-7074), Department Coordinator (kristina.wood@kzoo.edu, 337-7070) and Carol Kennedy, Fine Arts Facilities Coordinator, FA 120, 337-7047, carolk@kzoo.edu, can help you with quarterly room scheduling, scheduling changes, and room access. We are extremely pressed for available teaching space. Every effort will be made to accommodate your schedule and that of your students, but we do ask that any change in your teaching times, even if temporary, be reported to Carol or the Department Chair

Attendance

Lessons which faculty miss should be made up. It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her music instructor 24 hours in advance, preferably in person, if s/he must miss or reschedule a lesson. Failure to do so will result in an unexcused absence and will result in a lowering of the student’s grade for the quarter. Lessons a student misses without giving advance notice need not be made up, but will be paid for.

Faculty are expected to keep accurate lesson attendance records.

Area Classes

Faculty in each of three applied areas (Keyboard/Composition, Voice, and Strings-Winds-Brass-Percussion) will hold two Area Performance Classes each quarter. Classes are designed to provide students opportunity

1. to perform works in progress, regardless of level, in an informal atmosphere and receive constructive comments from their peers and from faculty
2. to present performances of finished pieces, regardless of level, to be considered for that quarter’s Applied Music Recital.

Area Classes are also ideal opportunities for constructive exchanges between students and faculty who ordinarily would not see each other in lessons or Studio Classes.

Faculty in each area will select student performers for the Applied Music Recital based upon performances in Area Classes.

Dates for Area Classes and for the Applied Music Recital are posted on line at https://reason.kzoo.edu/music/events/. Contact the Music Coordinator, at 337-7070 for more information.

Applied Music Recital

Students are selected by faculty for this end-of-quarter recital based on performances in Area Classes. The Recital is intended to reflect the best student performances for that quarter, regardless of repertoire level.

Attendance in the Applied Music Recital is required of Music Majors and Minors as part of their Applied Music study, and expected of all students enrolled in Applied Music.

Hearings

During Finals Week of each quarter all applied music students perform in an informal setting and receive feedback from faculty. Students should consult with their teachers in deciding what to present at hearings. Finished works, pieces “in progress”, technical studies, scales, etc. are acceptable. By ninth week of the quarter sign-up sheets will be posted on the bulletin board outside the Department Office (FAB 129) for students to reserve Hearing times during Finals week. Students receive written comments from faculty at the conclusion of their hearings.

Hearings are convened in each of three applied areas (Keyboard/Composition, Voice, and Strings-Winds-Brass-Percussion).

Accompanists

Applied teachers of advanced students may request the services of department staff accompanists (https://reason.kzoo.edu/music/Faculty/). Student accompanists for lessons, area classes, and recitals should be selected in consultation with the keyboard faculty. Music should be provided the accompanist as early as possible.

Grades

Students are expected to attend all lessons, two area classes, and play a hearing. Any student’s grade will be lowered by half a letter for each lesson, area class, or hearing missed.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her music instructor 24 hours in advance if he must miss or reschedule a lesson. Failure to do so will result in an unexcused absence and will result in a lowering of the student’s grade for the quarter.

For example, although a student may be doing "A" level work, the final grade will be dropped to

Voice students may substitute one Area Class by participating in either the State or Regional NATS Student Auditions.

In addition to these attendance regulations, students should be informed of each teacher’s practice and performance expectations at the beginning of each quarter. It is also highly recommended that students receive some written or verbal form of mid-quarter evaluation, as they do in their other academic courses.

The “I” (Incomplete) grade is given only in cases of illness, death in the family, or other such serious reason. It will automatically be change to an “F” if it has not been made up by sixth week of the next quarter, regardless of whether the student is on campus that term. Grades may be modified with pluses and minuses. Most applied teachers do make some distinction between music majors and non-majors.

Final grades for the quarter must be reported to the Registrar on an official class list by the end of Finals week.

Syllabus

Applied Music faculty are encouraged to provide their students with clear information at the beginning of the quarter, including:

• Grading and Attendance policies
• Goals and objectives for the quarter
• Attendance requirements and expectations at Area Classes and Recitals
• Upcoming concerts and other events relevant to their applied study
• Anticipated dates when you will have to miss (and re-schedule) regularly scheduled lessons
• How they can reach you when you are off campus: through the Music Office, your home phone, e-mail, etc.

You should also know how to reach your students by phone, text, or e-mail, etc.

Student Recitals

Recital dates for students should be set by the applied teacher as early as possible, preferably in the preceding quarter, so they can appear in the College Calendar. This must be done by the teacher in consultation with the Music Coordinator and with the Fine Arts Facilities Coordinator.

The entire recital program must be performed and approved at least three weeks prior to the concert date by a panel of at least three applied music faculty. In addition, student performers are strongly encouraged to present their program at local community venues prior to the concert date. These community performances are intended to provide valuable experience for students as well as outreach to wider audiences.

Applied Music Awards

The Department of Music at Kalamazoo College takes great pleasure in announcing the establishment of the Harold R. and Ruth Vivian Coe Miller Music Scholarship, and the Burdick-Thorne Music Scholarships. The generosity of the Miller and Thorne families enables the Kalamazoo College music faculty to provide financial assistance to eligible applied music students who exemplify the highest ideals of dedication and commitment to applied music study.

If you have nominations or any questions about the scholarships, please contact the Chair.

Senior Individualized Project

Majors and minors are not required to complete their Senior Individualized Project in the Department. However, students who plan advanced music studies in graduate school or who aspire to professional careers are advised to plan a senior recital, internship, or research project in close consultation with Department faculty. The Department does not usually consider a student for honors in the major unless a S.I.P. has been completed in the Department.

Majors or non-majors considering a S.I.P. in the Department must have S.I.P. proposals approved by the faculty prior to beginning work. Approval is based upon feasibility of the project in light of the student’s previous college level training in music. The Project proposal must be submitted to the Department S.I.P. Coordinator, Dr. Evans, and one other Department faculty member who will agree to serve as S.I.P. Supervisor.

Students performances and recitals may be prepared and presented as Senior Individualized projects. All S.I.P. performances must be previewed and approved by three Department faculty members at least one month prior to the concert date.

Further information is available in “Guidelines for the S.I.P. in Music” available from the Music Coordinator.

Instruments

Instruments from the college's collection are available for loan to students performing in credit bearing ensembles or taking applied music lessons. The instruments are assigned priority, however, to students taking the Instrumental Methods Classes (MUSC 161, 162, 163), and to those in the Concert Band, Kalamazoo Philharmonia, and Jazz Band. Instruments are issued by Profs. Koehler, Evans, or Guthrie. Students are responsible for the protection of the instruments up to $1,000.00 of value.

Instruments cannot be taken from the campus (except during ensemble tours) and cannot be kept out during quarter breaks.

Light Fine Arts Building

The Light Fine Arts Building opens at 7:30 am Monday - Friday and at 8:00 am Saturdays and Sundays.

Although its outside doors are locked each evening at 5:00 pm, students have Key Card access and may remain in the Building until 1:00 am (longer only if a faculty member is present).

Practice Rooms

FA 27-35 are designated student practice rooms and available on a first come, first served basis during hours the Fine Arts Building is open. To protect valuable instruments, teaching studios and some practice rooms must be kept locked. Students may access them during office hours through

• the Music Office (FAB 129, 1:00 - 5:00 pm weekdays)
• a music faculty member (office hours as posted)
• College Security (call first and present ID for access) at all other hours.

Teaching studios can be used for practice only by students whose names are posted on studio doors. Students are not issued keys, and must access these rooms only through the music office, or Campus Security.

Rehearsal Rooms

Students may reserve the large rooms (FAB 11, 228, Recital Hall, Dalton Theater) whenever they have not been otherwise assigned. Reservations must be made with the Fine Arts Facilities Coordinator, FAB 120, who will inform Campus Security of the reservation. Security officers will eject unauthorized users from these rooms.

Library

The College’s primary collection of music scores, recordings, and video cassettes is housed in Upjohn Library and cataloged in “Ariadne” (see the Upjohn Library staff for details).

The Naxos Music Library of recordings, as well as an extensive set of online databases and references, is available to students and Applied Faculty online, on or off campus: http://www.kzoo.edu/is/library/depts/musc/index.html.

The Department maintains a small music library of older scores and recordings in FAB 36. Access to this library is limited to students accompanied by a member of the music faculty. The Music Coordinator may also provide access to the Music Library in the absence of a faculty member. Check-out procedures are posted and the honor system is in effect; all scores must be returned by the end of each quarter.

The College relies on faculty and student recommendations for new acquisitions of music books, scores, and recordings. Faculty and students may file suggestions for new material relevant to their teaching with the Music Coordinator or Chair. Students are also encouraged to utilize reference and check-out privileges at the Music and Dance Library located on the third floor of Dalton Center on the Western Michigan University campus.

Evaluation of Instructional Performance for Applied and Ensemble Music Faculty

Purpose

The primary responsibility of the College and Department is to provide the highest possible quality of teaching for its students. For the vast majority of these students, their primary and most intensive musical experience will be the instruction they receive from their Applied and Ensemble teachers. Therefore the success of the Department in large part rests upon its ability to attract the most highly qualified faculty in these areas and to assist them in maintaining the highest possible standards of teaching and professional conduct.

Letters of Appointment

All faculty not on tenure track appointments are considered “at will” employees of the College, and in a strict legal sense are employed as their services are needed by the College. New letters of appointment to Applied and Ensemble music faculty are issued every Fall. Faculty appointments are based upon the recommendation of the Chair of the Music Department, past instructional performance, and Departmental contributions as outlined below.

Procedure

Letters of appointment to Applied and Ensemble faculty require the Chair of the Music Department to review instructional performance. The following procedure parallels that followed by the College in evaluating its academic faculty. It is intended primarily as a constructive aid for the continued growth of individual teaching skills:

1. All applied and ensemble faculty are expected to distribute appropriate Course Evaluation forms to all students.
2. Evaluations are to be distributed ninth or tenth week of each quarter.
3. Students will be required to return the forms directly to the Music Office.

Although course evaluations will form the basis of review of instructional performance, attendance and contributions to Area Classes, Applied Music Recitals, Student Recitals, etc. will be considered. In addition, through their interactions with students, colleagues, and members of the community, all faculty are expected to contribute to a positive atmosphere conducive to learning.

At any time in the quarter, the Chair may request individual consultation with a faculty member to discuss course evaluations or other areas of concern and may also request that evaluations be distributed and returned fifth week of a quarter to monitor particular areas of concern.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS