Secondary Lessons FAQ

Student teachers must be an enrolled student on campus in order to be approved to teach. Lesson should take place on campus. However, if your instructor is away from campus, please email them to schedule make-up lessons when they are in town. Online or Zoom lessons are not currently supported by the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Each semester, more than 300 students audition and/or submit consent requests for secondary lessons. These online applications and auditions must be reviewed for teacher and credit approval, and assigned an approved student or faculty teacher. Consent is then manually entered so students can register for lessons, and then email are issued regarding final approvals and assignments. This can take some time.

Some departments submit all of their forms at one time just a couple days before add/drop, while others submit following each application. Please allow 2-4 days for us to process your application, audition, and enter consent once we receive faculty sponsor approval. Thank you for your patience. 

You may email an inquiry if you have checked your registration status on OberView and still have not received an email or do not have consent one day prior to the add/drop deadline. Multiple students checking in on their consent/assignment status beforehand will only slow down the process. Students will have until 11:59 pm on the last day of add/drop to register for their lessons.

All Secondary Lesson Application Forms (link) are online now and students will receive an automated email that their application was received. So if you do not receive an email confirmation regarding your placement status one week prior to the add/drop deadline please email the Office of the Associate Deans so we can assist you in the process.

Consent does not rollover from one semester to the next. Every student must submit a Secondary Lesson Application Form (link) the first week of classes each semester. Though returning students do not need to provide an audition link unless requested by faculty sponsor.

If you have applied for and been placed in lessons for two credits but have decided you do not have room or don't wish to take lessons - please email the Office of the Associate Deans so we can update our records. Please let us know as soon as possible as you may be holding a seat of another interested student.

If you were assigned to a student-teacher you may still schedule lessons, but you must pay your student teacher directly for each lesson. These are considered extracurricular and not overseen by the Conservatory. Student-teachers should not charge any more than the current student teacher pay rate. Lessons without credit are not available for faculty-taught lessons.

If you are registered for lessons you must officially drop them on Oberview just like a normal course prior to the add/drop deadline or your grade may result in an F or NP/NE. After the add/drop deadline students must apply to withdraw if they no longer wish to continue lessons.

You can check your consent status at any time by searching for consented CRNs in OberView (link). Course Registration icon under Prepare for Registration (link PDF). This is where you will find the correct CRN number for your Secondary PVST assignment.

From the main menu in OberView/Banner Self Serve (Instructions Link):

1. Go to OberView (link)
2. Select “Course Registration”
3. Select “Prepare for Registration (Banner Self Service)”
4. Select “Prepare for Registration (View Registration Status)”
5. Select a Term and click on "Continue"
6. See "Permit Override" (Consented courses and CRNs are listed here)
7. Please note: Secondary lessons ending in sections (01-11) indicate faculty taught, and sections (51-99) indicate student taught lessons with faculty sponsor. Student teacher assignments will be confirmed by the 2nd-3rd week of classes.