Where does your college student store his/her instrument, microphone, microphone stand, music stand, and amplifier?
My son currently picks up his electric bass and starts playing when he wants to take a study break. It would be nice to have it in the dorm so he could just pick it up to play whenever the mood strikes (playing softly, of course, and if any roommates or suitemates are cool with it). But dorm space is tight.
In his college (Williams), everyone has either a single or a double that has a three-person common room (serves the role of a den, often with the desks also placed in it) attached to it.
I am wondering if most kids keep their rock band instruments in their rooms or store them somewhere like a music center?
My daughter’s acoustic guitar came with a soft sided case. I got her a hard case. To me this seems to make it quite a bit safer to store either in the corner of her room, up against the wall, or under her bed. She now has a large enough room that she has an electric keyboard up against the wall of her bedroom, with headphones. We have an amp for the electric keyboard which also supports a microphone, but it and the mic never made it to her school (I have them at home).
S is a bass player at UNT. The upright stays in the music building locker mon-thurs, then in the room otherwise. The electric, it amp, and the bass uke are in the room, too. Practice is allowed in the room.
UNT has a HUGE and well regarded music program. It doesn’t surprise me that playing in rooms would be allowed.
This kid is going to Amherst. Think he needs to ask if amplified instruments are allowed. While I love the sound of a good bass…it doesn’t JUST make sound…it vibrates everything around it. In a dorm…that might not be the best plan.
Can he plug headphones into the amp to get the sound to himself? There are these little gadgets, too, that you can plug the bass into and plug your headphone into, without the full amp.
Thanks, everyone. He would obviously take care of any plans for how to play it at low volume or where and when to play it. He is more considerate than almost anyone. I am not a tech-oriented or music person, and have no idea about how the instrument works, but my son does. That is not my question.
My question, as a first time college parent, has to do with storage. Just curious whether people generally store instruments in their rooms or elsewhere, like a music locker somewhere, especially if they are not taking formal music lessons with their college or part of a faculty-led ensemble. I appreciate anyone sharing their experience. Thanks to all who have shared.
My kid was a music major. He had thousands and thousands of dollars worth of instruments. So did my daughter. Neither kept them in their dorm rooms. They were kept in LOCKED lockers in the music rehearsal room area. My DD as not a music major… but they had extra lockers so allowed her to use one.
There is NO WAY either of my kids would have kept expensive musical things in their dorm rooms. Sorry… it too much risk of theft. These things are portable.
If you do this.,make sure your insurance is iron clad and will cover theft and loss…
Also keep in mind that he will be living in close quarters with a lot of people. Picking up a bass in the dorm room whenever he feels stressed may not be appreciated by those around him, especially if some people are trying to sleep or study.
Un-Amplified solidbody electric basses are very difficult to hear more than a few feet away (especially for finger-players) - you hear the clicking of the frets more than the strings. Headphone amps are plentiful (and a wonderful gift).
If his roommate is one of my kids, they will have their earbuds in anyway.
And real musicians sleep above their instruments like vampires above their native soil. \m/
Don’t worry about this – not only is it not an issue, he should do it with his door open, and someone undoubtedly will see and say “hey let me get my guitar” and then next thing you know they have a band and are playing parties where they don’t have enough material so they have to play “Whipping Post” for 45 minutes and it is terrible but still the most fun ever.
Congrats on Williams. My favorite school we ever toured.
It isn’t unusual for schools to ban playing instruments or singing in the dorm rooms or lounge. Mine had 4 instruments and a keyboard in her room but she used headphones for the keyboard. I got permission for her to practice the other instruments in the dorm basement laundry room. When they started the arts LLC, they could play or sing in their rooms during practice hours.
S12 was a music major. He kept his in his dorm room (electric bass). When he played in his room he did so unplugged or via headphones through a pedal board. No problem.
I live in a single right now and have an acoustic and electric guitar in my room on a guitar stand next to my desk. My lofted bed has a socket under it, so that’s where I keep the amp.
85% of the time I choose the acoustic and only use the electric when I need to make use of its unique properties (usually for light overdrive). When I do play it I keep the amp at a low volume (2-3 on a 10-point dial) and turn down the volume knob on the guitar too. I have a friend who uses an attenuator, which attaches to the amp and allows you to crank the tone knobs while still playing at “bedroom volume”.
I can hear the guy in the room next to me playing the clarinet no matter where I am in my room, but he says he can never hear me even when I play the electric, so either he’s lying or acoustics can just vary a lot.