Lessons, Studio Class, Departmental Recital

Attendance is required at all studio classes and departmental recitals. Students are also required to attend 10 additional recitals, tracked by the recital attendance sheet distributed on CANVAS and available from the voice faculty.  

Students enrolled in MUAM and MUAC lessons are expected to reserve 3:00 - 5:50 p.m. on Tuesdays for studio class or departmental recital.  

LESSONS

Students are required to schedule their private lessons with their assigned teacher no later than the first full week of classes, or risk being dropped from lessons for the semester.

The College of Music has established THIRTEEN as the normal number of lessons per semester, and EIGHT as the minimum number of lessons a student must attend to receive a passing grade. Therefore, students who have missed a total of SIX lessons, either excused or unexcused, will be asked to drop voice for the semester or receive a grade of F.  

MUAM and MUAC lessons are expected to be 50 minutes in length.  

Voice students at all levels are expected to practice a minimum of three hours per week PER CREDIT HOUR of voice. This includes work on translations, and musical study.

Lesson Absences:  Communication and Make-up lessons 

If you must miss a lesson, your teacher should be notified by text, phone, or e-mail with at least 24 hours notice. If this notice is not provided, your teacher is not obligated to make up your missed lesson, unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as an official University Excused Absence. Students should arrange make-up lessons owed as quickly as possible;  failure to communicate with the teacher about make-up lessons in a timely manner may result in forfeiture of those lessons.  If a student misses two lessons without notification, the student will receive a “Notice of Unsatisfactory Progress” report. If an additional lesson is missed without notification, the student will be dropped with a F.

Lessons missed by the teacher are always to be made up.  If a studio teacher is missing an excessive number of lessons, or if make-ups are not being offered in a timely manner, students should contact the Division Chair immediately.  

Lessons that occur on official university holidays (e.g., Thanksgiving) do not have to made up by your teacher nor do lessons that were scheduled for a day that the university is closed due to inclement weather.

Division of Vocal Studies Required Event and Recital Attendance Policy

The College of Music expects each student with a major in music to attend a variety of concerts and recitals in addition to required departmental recitals as a graduation requirement. Voice students are expected to attend 10 programs each semester, in addition to the Departmental Recitals.  Students use the Recital Attendance Sheet to document attendance at those recitals.  The attendance sheet must be turned in at the jury or, if a student does not have a jury in a given semester, they must turn in the attendance sheet to the studio teacher by the end of the last week of class.  

Voice students who fail to meet these requirements will have their grade for Studio Voice lowered by one full letter grade. This policy is to be strictly enforced, regardless of major or instructor.

Studio Assignments and Changing Voice Teachers 

All sections of Voice Lessons and Vocal Coaching require permission of the Division of Vocal Studies. Students who register without permission will be dropped from study in the Division of Vocal Studies. 

The responsibility for assigning Faculty Workloads rests with the Dean, and typically will be delegated to the Division Chair.  (College of Music Faculty Handbook, 5.1.)  Any student wishing to change studios must therefore schedule a meeting with the Division Chair to confirm the studio change and discuss possible alternative studios. 

Changing Teacher/Major Professor (College of Music Faculty Handbook, 8.15)

This statement is intended to address faculty and student responsibilities with regard to working relationships in major or concentration applied lessons, composition major study, and graduate thesis direction. 

The College of Music recognizes the individual rights of all students to act independently in the pursuit of knowledge and to seek varying points of view. Students have the right to change teachers for the types of study listed above, but should follow the recommended procedure:

1. The present teacher should be notified in a timely fashion, no later than the final day of the semester before the change is to occur. A student may notify his/her teacher solely in writing, if desired;

2. The faculty member requested by the student is asked to wait until this notification has taken place before promising acceptance. It is understood that students shall suffer no negative repercussions as a result of changing teachers.

3. Faculty members are expected to respect extant major-professor relationships and thus are not permitted to solicit a student directly or through any other person for the purpose of influencing a change of major professor.

The relationship between teacher and student should be established, maintained, and terminated in a professional manner. Faculty members should respect the personal integrity and privacy of students at all times, while recognizing their responsibility to promote principles of ethical and professional conduct throughout the College of Music community.

Employment as a singer while enrolled in applied voice lessons 

It is expected that voice students will seek appropriate outside employment singing and teaching voice once they are properly prepared to do so. Students are encouraged to get the approval of their teachers BEFORE accepting such employment. Students should consult with their teachers before accepting any public appearance, whether paid or not, or participating in any musical organization, either on or off-campus. The caution expressed in this position stems from the concern that a student may become overcomitted and hinder their academic and performance progress.

STUDIO CLASS 

A schedule of studio class room locations (classes are rotated in order to give each studio the opportunity to hold class in some of the larger spaces) will be given to each faculty member and teaching fellow at the beginning of the semester.  

Vocal Performance majors are expected to attend studio class each week that their studio teacher holds a class. Faculty studio classes are typically scheduled on Tuesdays from 3:00 - 3:50 p.m., though they may occasionally begin at 4:00 or 5:00 p.m.  

Voice Concentration Students:  

1. Students enrolled in Applied Voice Lessons (MUAC 1503 or MUAC 3503) must attend a minimum of six studio classes per semester. 

2. Typically, a minimum of four studio classes will occur with their studio teacher.  

3. Additional studio classes (either required or for learning enrichment) may be attended in the 3:00 p.m. hour in Voertman Hall and/or with the assigned studio teacher.  Please consult the studio class rotation schedule before planning to attend.  Except on days when Departmental begins early for a master class or other special event, there will always be a Studio Class at 3:00 in Voertman Hall. 

4. Students are responsible for confirming attendance to any non-studio teacher led studio classes.  
 

DEPARTMENTAL RECITAL 

Generally, Division of Vocal Studies Departmental Recitals are held on Tuesdays at 4:00 p.m. in Voertman Hall.  Check the UNT Voice Students group calendar on CANVAS for the most up-to-date calendar.  Attendance is required of all students enrolled in MUAM or MUAC applied voice lessons.  If students have an unavoidable conflict, they should discuss this with their studio teacher.  

Students must arrive promptly and must leave the back two rows clear for faculty and teaching fellows. The use of portable electronic devices is PROHIBITED during Departmental Recital.  All performances will be recorded and students will have access to their recording within 1-2 weeks of the recital.  

All performers (including pianists) must be available to perform for the duration of the recital.  No special requests for appearance order will be accommodated.  If working with Dr. Dubberly, his standard rehearsal time will be between 3:00 - 3:45 in room 295.

The time limit for Departmental Recital performances is 6 minutes/person, and 10 minutes for an ensemble piece with 2 or more singers. 

To sing on a Departmental Recital, your form submission must be approved by your studio voice teacher.  Your form submission must occur no later than noon on the Wednesday before the Departmental Recital on which you wish to sing in order to give your studio teacher sufficient time to read over and approve your submission.  The approval from your studio teacher must be confirmed by noon on the Thursday before the Departmental Recital on which you wish to sing.    

Sign-up Process:

1. The student fills out the Departmental Performance Request Form, found HERE.  

Note from Ms. Linda Strube, the UNT College of Music program coordinator:  

When something is done by Bach, provide the BWV number
When something is done by Handel, provide the HWV number
When something is done by Haydn, provide the Hob. number
When something is done by Liszt, provide the S. number
When something is done by Mozart, provide the K. number
When something is done by Scarlatti, provide the K. number
When something is done by Schubert, provide the D number
When something is done by Vivaldi, provide the RV number

2. The submission goes to the Departmental Program Coordinator, who routes the submission to the studio teacher, with a cc: to the student.  

3. The studio teacher must respond to that email from voicedepartmental@unt.edu with the response of either Approve or Approve with edits, including any edits that should be made.  Note to faculty/fellows:  do not put the edits directly into the submission you received.  Type them out separately after APPROVE WITH EDITS.

4. After the approval is complete, the student will receive confirmation of their presence on the requested recital date.  

5. Approved submissions are added to the requested date on a first-come, first-served basis.