<p>I'm wondering if there's anyone out there who could share their experience with the piano department at UVA - quality of the faculty, overall thoughts, instruments/practice rooms, etc? I don't think they offer a minor in performance, but I am interested in taking private lessons for my own enjoyment. I will have taken 10 years of piano by the time I begin college, so I have studied a fair amount of repertoire and am at an advanced playing level.</p>
<p>You can take hour or, I believe, half-hour private lessons in piano for academic credit. There is an extra cost for them on top of the normal UVA tuition charges, but there is a scholarship program for students who are music majors, who are advanced/gifted, or who have financial need. More students would like to take piano lessons than the teachers can accept, so there is an audition process. There are practice modules in Old Cabell Hall (the music building); students who are taking lessons can sign out keys in the Music Dept. office and, I believe, reserve a regular practice time.</p>
<p>Our D doesn’t play the piano but she does play the violin and has found the music department to be wonderful. As the above poster stated, you can take lessons and do have to audition for them. D also said there is no minor so she decided to do a double major and has not found it overwhelming. Like you, she gets so much enjoyment from playing and finds it relaxing. Her private instructor has put groups together and they’ve done recitals and performances around Charlottesville. I believe D said that now that she is an official major in the department the cost of private lessons drops (I should really find out if this is true!) She has been very happy with the music department.</p>