Applied Music Lessons

Colby College offers private music instruction for over 20 instruments, including guitar, piano, voice, and violin, and is open to students at all performing levels. Our applied music faculty, all professional performers and committed teachers, work together with students to perfect technique, enhance understanding towards the music, and refine aesthetic subtleties, a collaboration that brings to life the history and theory of the classroom.

Lessons are available in:

• Bass Guitar
• Bass Upright
• Bassoon
• Cello
• Clarinet
• Drum Set
• Flute
• French Horn
• Guitar
• Harp
• Lute
• Mandolin
• Oboe
• Percussion
• Piano
• Saxophone
• Trombone
• Trumpet
• Viola
• Violin
• Voice

Lessons are scheduled weekly for either an hour or half hour, and can be taken either with or without academic credit. (Students electing applied music for credit must complete a college-level music theory course, MU153 or MU181 and play a jury).

Lessons for music majors in good standing are subsidized by the College; the fee (2022-23 for non-majors is $650 per semester for hour lessons and $325 for half-hour lessons. Scholarships may be eligible upon application.

Lessons are available during the January short term (JanPlan). This includes two 45-minute lessons per week for four weeks. Though not required, you may choose to earn a JanPlan credit for lessons (not academic credit). Students wishing to take lessons for JanPlan credit must present a short performance with at least one faculty member present at the end of January term or within the first two weeks of spring semester. The cost for JanPlan lessons (2023) is $325. Scholarships and tuition subsidies are not available during JanPlan.

2023 lessons available in:

• Guitar
• Violin
• Piano
• Trombone
• French Horn
• Drum Set

2022-2023 Policies

Enrollment instructions: 

1. Please contact your instructor directly via email for scheduling
   **first time voice students at Colby contact [email protected] and
   **first time piano students contact Lily Funahashi at [email protected].
   **Cello, oboe, bassoon – please contact [email protected]

2. Complete the online SPRING SEMESTER MUSIC LESSONS APPLICATION in order to be registered for music lessons.

* Both of these steps must be completed in order to be enrolled.

There are a limited number of scholarships available to help with music lessons. Students taking lessons for credit may apply for a scholarship using our online Scholarship for Applied Music Lesson Form (not available for JanPlan). Eligibility is based primarily upon demonstrated financial need, as verified by the Financial Aid Office.

The deadline for submitting this application for spring semester is Friday, February 3rd at noon.

*When completing this form please open a new window and be sure that you are logged in through your Colby google apps account.