Lessons

50min weekly lesson times will be arranged with your individual tutor/lecture. Students will receive a maximum of 12 lessons per semester. In some cases teachers will give some of your lesson time in shared classes. You must attend these classes as well as your lessons. Note that some individual instrumental lessons may take place off campus.

Attendance and absence: You are expected to be warmed-up and ready for your lessons and classes at the allocated time. As this course involves a lecturer/student ratio of 1:1, attendance is mandatory. Any unexcused absences will affect your final grade and you must provide a medical certificate for all lessons missed due to any illness. The tutor/lecturer is under no obligation to allocate an alternative time for missed lessons.

Preparation: You are expected to arrive at your lessons and classes having fully prepared the material set by your tutor/lecturer. This requires self-discipline and thorough practice. You are welcome to utilise the practice facilities available in I Block ground floor, but you should also expect to practise at home. The upstairs dressing rooms at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts cannot be used for practising while any staff member is engaged in a lesson in any of those rooms. Practice rooms in I Block may be booked for up to 2 hours at a time. A 10 minute break is allowed and advisable for a 2 hour practice session. However if you are not in the room you have booked for more than 10 minutes, your booking is forfeited, and another student may take over your booking. Please be considerate to each other in your use of the rooms. Booking charts can be found on the door of each room.

Instrumental/Voice Class

Students are required to attend these classes (Vocal students be prepared to perform) Voice, Piano, Violin, Cello and Wind class run at varying times over the week at the Academy of Performing Arts. Times will be arranged at the beginning of each semester. Please inquire with your instrumental/vocal lecturer if you are unsure of times and locations.

Vocal Requirements

The prescribed course is to learn and prepare a total of four Vocalises from both Marchesi 20 Elementary and Progressive Vocalises and Lütgen Vocalises to a level that is examinable, selected with the approval of your Voice teacher.

Compulsory Requirements

Choir and Orchestra participation

All students enrolled in the BMus performance programme must join the University Chamber Choir or the University Orchestra. Attendance at all rehearsals and performances by the orchestra or choir as appropriate is compulsory. Failure to fulfil this requirement will constitute a failure to complete the requirements of this course. A register of attendance will be kept by the choir and orchestra directors. Students can enrol in MUSIC327-XXY Performance Ensemble 1 to gain credit if they choose, but participation is required with or without the enrolment in MUSIC327.

Performance Hour

You are required to attend these sessions, contribute to the discussions, and perform regularly (a minimum of 2 times per semester) as directed by your performance teacher. A register of attendance will be kept noting your presence at the beginning and end of performance hour and also a note of whether you contributed to the discussion. Failure to regularly attend performance hour will result in a deduction to your coursework mark.

All students are rostered to give a short performance at least once per trimester, and information on when you are required to do so is in the Google Calendar “Music Student Information Calendar”. Students can sign themselves up for further performances by using the ‘Friday Performance Class Booking calendar’. To have these calendars added to your account, please email either your university or a gmail email address to the Music administrator. Performance Hour guidelines will be handed out to you at Music’s Orientation meeting. Note that all students must have performed the work in their instrumental class before they can perform it in the Performance Hour.

NB For off-shore students affected by the COVID-19 situation the following arrangements are in place:

Lessons will be commenced when students arrive to Waikato, and a study plan will be set in place in order to help the student catch up on any work missed. Students should be in contact with their teacher, and Convenor of the course to discuss how they may commence studies whilst away from the Waikato campus.

Note that as each individual student enrolled in MUSIC318 receives a one-on-one performance music lesson with their performance lecturer, a lecture schedule is not applicable for this paper.

Over the course of the paper/trimester students will attend one one-on-one performance lesson per week, along with their group instrumental or vocal class once a week, and attend Performance Hour once a week.

Concert Duties Roster: By a roster system, students take turns at stage managing and ushering for the Performance Hour and Lunchtime concerts. The students who are on ushering or stage managing duties in the Wednesday Lunchtime concert of any given week, are required to do the stage managing for the Friday Performance Hour in the same week. The roster, along with a description of these assignments, is held by the Music Administrator and can also be viewed on the google ‘Music Student Information Calendar’. This component will constitute 10% of your grade. There will be training given in ushering and stage management during the first Performance Hour session.

Public Student Concert Opportunities: There are many performing opportunities for students both in Hamilton and regionally. The Museum Series is the most frequent, taking place every fortnight. Students may book a performance time in the Museum series, by emailing full work title, duration, and date of performance to an administrator. Museum concert bookings can be viewed on the ‘Music Student Information’ google calendar. Any Retirement Village/Rest home performances organised by the university can be booked by students, by making an entry in the ‘Friday Performance Hour/Rest home booking’ google calendar. Please check the bookings for the date that you wish to perform to ensure that the concert isn’t already full. There are also opportunities in the University lunchtime series as well as out of town concerts for the students to perform. Students must perform their concert piece at least once in the Friday Performance Hour before any public concert. It is advisable to perform several times before any public performance.

Concert Dress is required for all public performances whether lunch-hour or evening.

A Programme note must always be provided to the Music Administrator one week before the concert you are to play in. Include the name of your work, composer, composer's birth and death dates (years), the names of the performers correctly spelled, including the name of your accompanist, and several well-chosen, brief sentences about the work and the composer which will engage your audiences ear and interest. Programme notes for public concerts and exams should be written in your own words and all sources clearly acknowledged.

Questions about public performance opportunities should be directed to the Music administrator.

External performances: Any performance opportunity that arises outside of the Conservatorium of Music should be cleared first with your lecturer prior to agreeing to give said performance. Your performance studies are expected to take priority over any outside engagement.

External performance lessons: Please note that your Conservatorium of Music vocal/instrumental lecturer will be your sole teacher during your University studies. No other teaching arrangements should be made privately. Opportunities for outside input will be made via Masterclasses at the discretion of your performance music lecturer.