About Music Lessons

Any Macalester student (not only music students) are welcome to take lessons. All levels of students, beginners to advanced, are accepted. Registration: Registration for lessons is taken care of in the Music Department office (M201) rather than through the Registrar’s Office. All students who wish to take lessons, whether new or returning, need to register. Registrations must be done in person; no email registrations are accepted. Lessons cannot begin until students are officially registered. Students are encouraged to register during the first few days of the semester. Lesson fees: $350 for 12 half-hour lessons, or $700 for hour lessons. Declared music majors and minors get approximately 90% of the lesson fees waived. (Note: Bagpipe lessons are free to all Mac students, staff, and faculty.) Payment: Fees are put on registrant’s student account. If you are interested in studying an instrument not listed, or if you need more information in general, please contact Rachel Hest, Music Department Coordinator, at rhest@macalester.edu.

Registering for Ensembles

Registration for ensembles is taken care of by the directors of the ensembles during the first week of classes. Be aware there is some lag time between when students turn in registration information to the director and when the class appears on records.

Credits: Credits are given for ensembles (1 credit per semester), but only after two consecutive semesters of enrollment. Study abroad does not count as an interruption. Credits for ensembles never cause a student to go over the 18-credit limit, because the credits are accumulated after the fact. (That is also true for private lessons.) The credits count towards the Fine Arts requirement.

Instrument Lockers

Lockers are available for $30 (refundable when you no longer need the locker) for students who: (1) are registered for private lessons, and/or who (2) are enrolled in music department ensembles No lockers are assigned until students have taken care of private lesson registration with Rachel Hest in the Music Department office (M201) or until students have auditioned and been placed in an ensemble.

If you are eligible for a locker, here’s how you get one: 1) Go to Student Accounts in 77 Mac, Room 102, and tell them you’d like a music locker. They will charge you $30, and will give you a receipt. 2) Bring the receipt to the Music Department office (M201) and you will be assigned a locker.