Private Lessons

Pomona College offers private music lessons on nearly 20 instruments, including piano, voice, guitar, and all standard orchestra and band instruments, including harp and percussion. Each semester, hundreds of students from all of The Claremont Colleges take lessons through the Music Department.

Lessons and the Curriculum

Private music lessons are  academic courses that earn academic credit and that must be taken for credit.

 Lessons are offered at two levels, Level I (Music 10, half-hour lessons) and Level II (Music 20 or 100).

All new students are placed in Level I. Level I lessons award one quarter credit (“cumulative credit”) per semester and are available for four semesters.

If you are an experienced player or singer and wish to be placed in Level II lessons, you should consult with your instructor at your first lesson about the possibility of taking the Qualifying Examination (see below) to audition be placed into Level II lessons. Students at Level II must show an advanced level of performance and commitment. Level II lessons award one quarter credit per semester if taken for a half hour per week, or one half credit per semester if taken for an hour per week. Note that at least four semesters of hour-long lessons are required for music majors. If you are thinking of being a music major, you will need to pass the QE fairly early in your undergraduate career, particularly if you are planning to take a semester abroad.

The Qualifying Examination

The Qualifying Examination is a short audition that all students enrolled in private lessons must take before the end of four semesters of study.

Mandatory participation in the exam, at least once, ensures completion of the experience of translating your private study into a publicly heard performance. The Qualifying Exam is also a part of the requirement along with amassing at least one credit of study, for earning Area 6 General Education credit through lessons. Finally, Qualifying Exams serve as a means of assessing your eligibility to continue taking lessons and/or to move up to a higher level of study.

Qualifying exams take place at the beginning and end of each semester on specified Friday afternoons. To take the Qualifying Examination, inquire with your instructor about the exam dates, requirements, and application form. During the week before the exam, the Academic Coordinator will announce your audition time and (if appropriate to your instrument) a piano accompanist will reach out to you to rehearse.

Private Lesson Fees

Pomona College and Claremont Colleges students - No fee

Pomona faculty, staff, families and private students pay a flat-rate per semester. $260 for half hour lessons, and $520 for full-hour lessons. These are paid to the department directly during finals week.

All student lessons must be taken for credit.

*For more information about lessons contact the Academic Coordinator in the Music Department office or see the Music Department Handbook [pdf].

Student Recitals

All students planning on participating in a student recital this semester must be taking lessons at Level II. All participants must complete and return the Student Recital/Accompanist Request Form, with signatures, no later than THREE WEEKS before recital date. Forms are to be turned in to the Concert Production Manager either via the Music Department Office or her office (Thatcher 107). The form also includes an accompanist request. If requesting an accompanist, accompanist music must be submitted with the form.

Fall 2024 Recital Dates and Deadlines 
Student Recital/Accompanist Request Form

* Recitals are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and limited to 100 minutes.

Featured Recitals

For information on giving a featured recital, please refer to “Featured Recitals” in the Music Department Handbook [pdf]. Information regarding recital proposals, permissions, publicity, programs, recordings and receptions are all available in this document. A Program Template [doc] is available here, under Resources on the Music Department website and via the Music Department Sakai site. Please note the first part of your program is due approximately 8 weeks prior to your recital.