This course has three major teaching means to give a comprehensive performance education:

1. Regular individual lessons with Performance tutors: These lessons are of one or one and a half hours duration each and are held on average once a week during teaching time in the academic year. Students must attend all lessons required by the lecturer, and give adequate notice of absence.

2. Performance Classes (Instrumental/Voice Class, and Performance Hour)

Performance Hour: This is held Fridays during the A and B trimesters from 1–2.30pm. All Performance students are expected to attend these sessions and participate at regular intervals, once per semester minimum. Sign up for Performance Hour using the ‘Friday Performance Class' google booking calendar. To have music calendars added to your account, please email your email address to the music administrator. Note that students should normally have performed the work in their instrumental class before they can perform it in the Performance Hour.

Workshops and Classes: Instrumental group classes (eg. piano class, wind class), masterclasses and workshops are organised to broaden and deepen performance skills. Attendance at appropriate classes, as directed, is compulsory.

3. Participation in Music Programme activities: Graduate Performance students are expected to be available to take part in appropriate activities in the Music Programme as directed, including participation in concerts as arranged, as well as rehearsing and performing in the University Orchestra, singing in the University Chamber Choir or accompanying other Performance students. They are also expected to perform student compositions when requested in agreement with their performance lecturer, on the understanding that sufficient notice and clear parts are provided.

Public Student Concert Opportunities: PGDipMus students are expected to perform solo in some of the many performing opportunities for students that the University of Waikato provides for students off-campus both in Hamilton and regionally. The Museum Series is the most frequent, taking place every fortnight with each student scheduled to perform once per semester. Museum concert bookings can be viewed on the ‘Music Student Information’ google calendar. Students may book additional performances in the Museum series, by emailing full work title, duration, and date of performance to an administrator. Please check the bookings for the date that you wish to perform to ensure that the concert isn’t already full. 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. There are also opportunities in the university Wednesday 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.