Practice Rooms
Morrison Hall Ground Floor, 510.642.2681 Department of Music, University of California, Berkeley
Located on the ground floor of Morrison Hall, the music practice rooms at Berkeley consist of 33 small rooms, most with a single piano, as well as 4 larger grand rooms which double as teaching studios and an organ/early music practice room. Called grand rooms because they contain grand pianos (3 of the 4 rooms have two), all can be reserved. In addition the large room that serves as the student lounge on weekdays until 5pm is reservable evenings and weekends as a meeting or practice room suited for choral music and ensemble practice. Staff at the practice desk moderate access to the rooms as well as issue various-sized instrument lockers to students at the beginning of fall and summer semesters.
Who Can Use Practice Rooms?
The practice rooms are for the exclusive use of registered Cal students, currently employed staff, and faculty. Community members of department-sponsored ensembles may also use the practice rooms. (Not eligible: UC Extension students and Cal alumni.)
Designations (A, B, and C) regulate the flow of users to insure that music majors and minors, members of department-sponsored ensembles, and students taking harmony, theory, and musicianship classes get priority during the day. A and B stickers, applied to Cal photo IDs, can be obtained at the practice rooms desk upon presentation of current Cal registration or a faculty/staff identification card. A and B users will also be asked to fill out a name and address card. A and B stickers will be issued after class lists are published, usually during the second or third week of the semester.
A users are declared music majors, music graduate students, and music faculty/staff.
B users are members of department-sponsored ensembles and those music minors and nonmajors currently enrolled in harmony, theory, and musicianship classes.
C users are registered Cal students, staff, or faculty not in either of the above categories.
Users must surrender their IDs to the desk clerk in exchange for the keys to a practice room. IDs are returned when the keys are (user will be charged for lost keys). Sign-up sheets back this exchange system. Remember to sign in and out.
Regular Hours, during Fall and Spring semesters
| A & B Users | C Users | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, Wednesday | 8:15 AM - 9:45 PM | 4:00 - 9:45 PM |
| Tuesday, Thursday | 8:15 AM -10:45 PM | 4:00 - 10:45 PM |
| Friday | 8:15 AM - 7:45 PM | 2:00 - 7:45 PM |
| Saturday | 10:15 AM - 5:45 PM | 10:15 AM - 5:45 PM |
| Sunday | 11:15 AM - 9:45 PM | 11:15 AM - 9:45 PM |
Holiday Schedule
Fall 2009
- Instruction begins Wednesday August 26
- Mon, Sep 7: closed (Labor Day)
- Wed, Nov 11: closed (Veterans' Day)
Thanksgiving holiday:
- Wed, Nov 25: close early at 4:45
- Thurs-Sat, Nov 26 - 28: closed
- Sun Nov 29: regular Sunday hours
Fall Finals and Semester Break:
- Instruction ends Wednesday December 9
- Sat-Sun, Dec 12 - 13, regular hours
- Mon-Wed, Dec 14 - 16, 9:15am-9:45pm
- Thurs-Fri, Dec 17 - 18, 10:15-7:45
- Sat Dec 19 - Mon Jan 18, closed
Spring 2010
- Instruction begins Tues, Jan 19
- Mon, Feb, 15: closed (Presidents' Day)
Spring Recess:
- Fri, March 19: close early at 4:45
- Sat-Sat March 20-27: closed
- Sun March 28: regular Sunday hours
Spring Finals:
- Instruction ends Monday, May 10
- Thu, May 13, 8:15-9:45
- Fri, May 14, 8:15-7:45
- Sat-Sun, May 15-16: regular weekend hours
- Mon-Tues, May 17-18, 8:15-9:45
- Wed-Thu, May 19-20, 10:15-4:45
- Fri, May 21, closed
*Note: Practice rooms may be open a week or so before classes begin each semester, usually weekday afternoons only, to accommodate auditioning students.
Rules Governing Use
- Practice rooms are available on a first-come/first-served basis.
- No eating, drinking (except for bottled water), or smoking in the practice rooms; smoking is not allowed in buildings. Use the lounge (room 8) for eating or drinking.
- Do not move insulation panels from the walls; they break easily.
- Lock and close doors when you leave. For the security of users as well as instruments and equipment, we advise keeping doors closed and locked during use. Please do not block windows.
- Report any problems with rooms or pianos to the practice desk clerk.
- No private teaching in the practice rooms except by department and YMP instructors.
- Use of the organ and early instruments requires special permission. Make arrangements through the department office, 104 Morrison. No one will be admitted to the rooms in which these instruments are stored without written permission from the faculty member in charge.
Grand piano room (teaching studio) use: Only A users, music students in chamber ensembles, and department instructors (Music 150) as well as Young Musicians Program instructors may use the grand piano rooms. Grand piano rooms are reserved much of the time for teaching. Only instructors and A users can reserve grand rooms.
Reservations
Reservations can be made for the FOUR GRAND PIANO ROOMS throughout the day and for the STUDENT LOUNGE after 5PM. Semester-permanent reservations are accepted as well as reservations for one-time use. Make reservations with the clerk at the practice desk.
Only noon concert pianists may reserve the grand piano rooms for individual practice and only during the semester in which they are scheduled to perform, up to the date of performance. Noon concert auditionees may not reserve grand rooms for individual practice though can use them on a drop-in basis. Auditioning ensembles may make reservations in the weeks preceding noon concert auditions.
Except for noon concert pianists (explained above), there are no reservations for individual practice.
Semester-permanent reservations: A and B priority users may reserve the grand piano rooms for ensemble rehearsals only, on a semester-permanent basis if they are enrolled chamber music (Music 146). Permanent reservations can also be made by department instructors (150, 405, and YMP) and musicianship instructors (Music 20). One YMP instructor per time period is allowed to reserve a grand room.
Reservations for one-time or limited use should be made not more than two weeks in advance for not more than two hours at a time.
Cancelling reservations: Please give as much advance notice as possible to the clerk at the practice desk (510.642.2681) if you will not be using your reserved room. Be considerate; grand rooms are in demand.
Keys for reserved rooms must be picked up within ten minutes of the specified time or the reservation is forfeited.
Lockers
Lockers of varying size are available for academic-year assignment. They are distributed at the beginning of fall semester (distribution hours are posted in the department) and summer semester. Larger instrument lockers are in shorter supply so music majors and ensemble members have priority. Private locks may not be used (and will be cut off). Store articles in lockers at owner's risk; the department is not responsible for lost or stolen items.
As lockers are heavily used in the summer by the Summer Symphony and Young Musicians Program, everyone must clear lockers by the end of spring semester. The contents of uncleared lockers, instruments excepted, will be sent to campus Excess, Surplus and Salvage.