Private lessons permit students to earn academic credit for their studies at performing or visual arts studios in the metropolitan area. By studying with professional, New York City-based artist/teachers, students are offered the opportunity to learn and perfect their craft. Private lessons are available in a variety of areas such as voice, music, dance, acting, and the visual arts. Unlike private lessons offered elsewhere in the University, in Gallatin private lessons are arranged and paid for by the student.
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Private Lessons
Arranging Private Lessons
Private lessons require the approval of both the student's adviser and the director of external programs. Students may look through the listings (available at the Gallatin Office, 1 Washington Place, 8th floor) of studios and private lesson instructors who have participated in the program. Students may also choose to study with a particular instructor or studio not found through the Gallatin listings; in this case, the student must submit the studio's brochure (or the instructor's resume or curriculum vitae) before he or she can register for the course. Studios and instructors must meet the criteria of the Gallatin School.
Upon finding an appropriate studio or instructor, it is the student's responsibility to make arrangements for the lessons, including the schedule of lessons, registration for the course, and payment to the studio or instructor. Please note: The student is responsible for full payment to the studio or instructor for the cost of the lessons, as well as to New York University for the tuition expenses incurred by the number of private lesson course credits. In addition, any payment arrangements with the studio or instructor must be made by the student. The number of credits for private lessons will be determined by the number of instruction hours per semester. The student must provide Gallatin with all details of the arranged lessons on the proposal form.
Students should note the following policy: Undergraduate students may not take more than 24 credits in private lessons during their studies at the Gallatin School; graduate students may not take more than 6 credits.
The Private Lesson Instructor
In addition to confirming the student's schedule of lessons, the private lesson instructor must complete and return a written evaluation of the student's performance. The Private Lesson Performance Evaluation form will be sent to the private lesson instructor, who must return this form before the end of the semester. The instructor's evaluation of the student will be considered when the faculty adviser determines the final grade.
The Role of the Adviser
In addition to approving registration for private lessons, the faculty adviser is the grading instructor. The student should meet with the adviser at the beginning of the semester to discuss the required assignments (the student's journal and assessment paper), to set the due date for these assignments, and to arrange a schedule of meetings during the course of the semester. At the end of the term, an anecdotal grade report will be sent to the adviser requesting a brief description and final evaluation of the student’s work to accompany the assignment of the final grade. The student's grade will be based upon the journal, the paper, and the performance evaluation (see above). Private lessons are graded on a pass/fail basis only.
The Student's Responsibilities
In addition to taking private lessons, the student has two other responsibilites:
- During the semester, the student must keep a daily or weekly journal which describes the student's studio work and artistic progress in the lessons.
- At the end of the semester, the student must submit a two to three-page evaluative paper, developed from the journal. The paper is an artistic self-assessment documenting the student’s path of development over the course of the semester and should:
- describe and summarize the nature of the work undertaken and the overall experience;
- analyze how the private lesson training contributed to the student’s overall educational goals for the semester; and
- discuss how it has prepared the student for the next level of artistic work.
Registration Procedures
Approval Process
Enrollment in private lessons requires the approval of the Gallatin School. Students should bring the completed proposal form to the Gallatin Office where it will be reviewed by the director of external programs. Upon approval, the director will give the student the 4-digit access code required for registration. The student may then register for the internship on Albert, or in person if Albert is not available. Please note: the student is responsible for the registration process.
Deadline for Submitting the Proposal
Students must adhere to the following deadlines for submitting a private lessons proposal to Gallatin:
Fall and Spring semester: the last day of the first week of classes
Summer Session: the first day of classes of the session
For further information about private lessons, please contact Faith Stangler: (212) 998-7376 or e-mail: faith.stangler@nyu.edu
