Music Opportunities FAQ

Yes, all of the general practice rooms (nearly all of which include pianos) located in Robertson Hall of the conservatory are open to college students for use, free of charge and without needing to sign up in advance. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis and can accommodate one or two people at a time within most of the general rooms for lessons, rehearsals with accompanists, etc. With more than 150 practice rooms, there is often ample opportunity for all to practice when desired. Robertson Hall is open from 7:30am to midnight daily (except during special times in the school year, such as academic breaks). Musical Studies majors can also reserve classrooms in the conservatory for chamber groups, a capella groups, and other similar ensembles to rehearse. Additionally, there are additional practice rooms for college students in South Hall and Kahn Hall, two of our many on-campus dormitories. Additionally, pianos are located for practice in every residence hall’s lobby area.

We offer all students the opportunity for private music lessons through two different programs. In our credit-bearing Secondary Lessons Program, students may audition in their area and are placed with either a student or a faculty member (less likely due to their teaching load and schedule). Students must have two credits available in their schedule in order to apply and audition for Secondary Lessons. Through our Private Lesson Referral Program, Oberlin students may privately hire a Conservatory student teacher. Through Private Lesson Referrals, instruction is available on most instruments for a fee paid directly to the student teachers.

Yes, students can take secondary lessons in more than one area at a time – it all depends on your progress towards your degree, your schedule, and the space in your course load for the semester. Note that only those lessons that fit in your course load will be able to be taken as for-credit; additional lessons will have to be taken as not-for-credit. 

Yes, college students can perform recitals in many of the spaces around campus - even in dorms, as they have pianos in the lobbies! However, only conservatory students and Musical Studies majors are able to perform their recitals in the concert halls in the conservatory. This is only due to the fact that there are so many concerts and rehearsals happening every day, that we need to reserve those spaces for degree-required activities.

The conservatory only offers lessons in upright double bass, in both the classical and jazz areas, but student-teachers in jazz bass may be able to offer lessons on electric bass. There is no electric bass in the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble, our big band, but there may be opportunity in jazz small ensembles.

College students interested in playing any of the four concert organs around campus should be in contact with David Kazimir, Curator of Organs. There are also over a dozen practice rooms with practice organs from various time periods available to both college and conservatory students.

Yes, there are ensemble and performance opportunities available to students at the college: The Arts & Sciences Chamber Collective (ASCC) is a chamber ensemble practicum course led by members of the Verona Quartet, Quartet-in-Residence at the Oberlin College & Conservatory. This course offers college students the chance to sharpen their individual and collaborative music skills through multifaceted chamber music settings including Small Chamber Groups and the A&S Chamber Orchestra.

Acceptance is based on audition and course availability. All orchestral instruments and pianists are welcome to apply; placement is contingent on the availability of repertoire and instrumental composition of the group of students auditioning in a given semester. Please email Jonathan Ong for audition information.

College students may also audition to perform with the main conservatory large ensembles: Oberlin Orchestra, Oberlin Chamber Orchestra, Oberlin Sinfonietta, and Contemporary Music Ensemble. It should be noted, however, that due to the requirement that conservatory performance majors play in these large ensembles every semester, we must ensure space is available to those students first. This may prevent college students who play in smaller instrument areas, such as winds, brass and percussion, from having available space, but is more likely in section instruments, such as strings.

As true for conservatory students, college students placed in one of the aforementioned conservatory large ensembles have to do placement auditions each year. String players audition once a year; winds and brass audition once each semester. Availability may also change each concert cycle depending on the repertoire performed.

College students interested in chamber music can register for a dedicated class, Oberlin A&S Chamber Music, taught by conservatory faculty or staff. Students in this course audition and are placed in various chamber groups and are coached by the instructor(s). They have an opportunity to perform on a recital at the end of the course for a public audience. For more information, contact Chris Jenkins, Conservatory Associate Dean for Academic Support.

College students who play at a high level are also welcome to audition for conservatory chamber groups. Interested students should reach out to Professor Kirsten Docter, Associate Professor of Viola and Chamber Music.

Yes, college students can audition to play in the pit orchestra for any of the musicals that are produced in the college, such as those in the Theater or Dance departments, or the Oberlin Musical Theater Association (OMTA). The pit orchestra for mainstage opera theater productions is comprised of students in the Oberlin Orchestra and Oberlin Chamber Orchestra.

Yes, jazz ensembles (both Oberlin Jazz Ensemble - our big band - and the small ensembles) are open to college students who demonstrate, through audition, that they understand the vocabulary and harmonic details of the repertoire and display the skills to perform at a high level. Should students demonstrate this and wish to be involved in faculty-coached small ensembles, they will either be placed with conservatory Jazz Studies majors or other college students that also demonstrate strong performance abilities. Auditions can be arranged with Professor Jay Ashby, Director of the Division of Jazz Studies and Professor of Jazz Trombone.

The Performance and Improvisation (PI) ensembles provide an opportunity for students to enrich their existing musical vocabularies and skills through practical exploration of a variety of world music and improvisation across a range of genres and styles. They are elective ensembles open to both college and conservatory students, and welcome participation from all instrument areas. Typically to audition for PI, students must be in their second year or higher. Those who play classical instruments are strongly encouraged to have taken the Beginning Improvisation class and at least one semester of the Internalizing Rhythms class before auditioning. For more PI ensemble information, contact Professor Jamey Haddad, Professor of Advanced Improvisation and Percussion.

There is a student-run marching band, Oberlin College Marching Band (OCMB). It is a club-like group that was founded back in 1998 and is mainly composed of college students. You can find more info about the band and how to join on the OCMB website. OCMB also has a Facebook page where you can check out some of their past performances.

Yes, there are non-conservatory percussion ensembles: Oberlin Steel (or OSteel), our steel pan group, has a long history on Oberlin’s campus and has toured, recorded an album, and performs regularly in the community, and Oberlin College Taiko, the Japanese taiko drumming group. We also offer a for-credit course on Javanese Gamelan. Students can also play in a band or create their own groups, Experimental College (ExCo) classes, or student organizations related to percussion performance.

Yes, in addition to the many student-formed a cappella groups on campus, there are several choirs that are available to college students. Oberlin's Musical Union is the nation’s second oldest continuing choral tradition, and its membership is comprised of college students, conservatory students, and members of the Oberlin community. Oberlin College Choir is the conservatory’s main large vocal ensemble, and like other main conservatory large ensembles, college students are welcome to audition for participation. Interested students should contact Professor Gregory Ristow, Director of Vocal Ensembles and Associate Professor of Conducting, to arrange an audition. Students interested in the Musical Union may also complete the interest form.

Oberlin produces 3 operas each year—one mainstage production each semester and one smaller production over Winter Term. Of these, the Winter Term opera is most accessible to college students and has featured college students in the recent past. College students are able to audition for the other two mainstage productions as well, however participation is often restricted due to availability—roles and opera chorus parts are typically reserved for students who need to be in a production per their degree requirements.

Yes, there is a gospel choir offered through the conservatory, which is organized and directed by Professor La Tanya Hall, Associate Professor of Jazz Voice. Any student can audition to participate, and those interested should contact Professor Hall. There is also a student-run group called Voices for Christ, which is a smaller ensemble of students who perform gospel and Christian songs.

Yes, Oberlin College Choir performs a wide array of repertoire, including new music from living composers – even pieces written by faculty in our Composition Department. There are often new vocal ensembles being formed around contemporary commercial and classical music as well. The Phlox Choir, as part of the new, student-led Phlox Ensembles  that also includes an orchestral group, continues to perform many contemporary pieces in line with their mission to showcase works written by women, trans, and non-binary composers beginning with their first concert over Winter Term in 2019. You can also sing in a cappella groups (such as the newly created Sourgum Experimental Vocal Ensemble) or offer an ExCo class in contemporary choral music to sing with like-minded individuals.

This long-standing student organization known as OMTA produces three musicals on campus each year. To join, you can attend their general interest meetings held throughout the year or speak with one of the student leaders. You can connect with them via social media on the OMTA Facebook page.

Until we know more about the new performance major in Music Theater at Oberlin Conservatory (launching in Fall 2025), there are currently no lessons in musical theater-style singing. However, one interested in learning musical theater singing could take secondary lessons in either jazz or classical voice studies to build healthy singing technique and then apply those techniques to performing in musicals.

Yes, students who would like to accompany other musicians have many opportunities to do so. Most of these outlets will come from college musicians who are in need of a pianist, but college students adept at accompanying have also assisted in rehearsals for student-run musicals with the Oberlin Musical Theater Association (OASO) and they assist peers in special projects.