There are fifteen practice rooms in the music building; all of them have either an upright or a grand piano. Anyone with a valid Harvard ID may use the practice rooms, including students in any of Harvard’s schools and divisions, faculty, and staff. (Note that the Paine Hall side of the building will be locked after 5pm on weekdays, and all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Please use the Mason Entrance to access the building after hours) Practice rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. There is a two-hour limit.
To use a practice room, go to the Reception area of the Music Building and sign into the log book. Practice room keys hang on a wooden stand nearby. Leave your ID and take a key. When the offices of the Music Department are closed, the keys will be at a security desk opposite the reception area.
Professional lessons are not allowed in the practice rooms. We are also not able to allow amplified music and percussion instruments in practice rooms either.
Music Department Practice Room Hours (as of September 5, 2023)
Practice rooms will be available on a first come, first served basis to members of the Harvard community (with a valid Harvard ID card) from:
Monday – Friday: 9:00am – 11:00pm
Saturday – Sunday: 10:00am – 10:00pm
Please note: Practices Rooms are closed on University holidays, as they are posted on the University Calendar.
There are also practice rooms in other campus locations, and 60 of Harvard’s buildings have pianos in them. Piano practice rooms exist in all the houses, in SOCH (Student Organization Center at Hilles-one room), in Memorial Hall (016 and 038), Lowell Lecture Hall (B11, B12, B13, B14, and B15), in the Freshman dorms (one between Wigglesworth C and D basements, one in Wigglesworth D basement, two in Straus basement (A and C), one in Greenough basement, and two in (wheelchair accessible) Matthews basement; all available from 9 am to 11 pm with the exception of Straus, which is open 24 hours/day).The Freshman Music Rooms are open only to first-year students (more on the practice rooms for freshmen HERE.)
There are a total of 220 pianos on campus. These are not under the jurisdiction of the music department.
There are two percussion rooms in the lower level of Memorial Hall:
- Memorial Hall 014, with a drum kit, available to undergraduate and GSAS students only
- Memorial Hall 015, with timpani and other percussion instruments, available to undergraduates only
For more information on Memorial Hall percussion and piano practice rooms, please visit their website HERE.
Practice rooms are closed during all legal holidays, and over the December holiday break (normally December 23-January 2). During January, reading periods, intersession, and summer, hours are curtailed.
Instrument Lockers
There are a limited number of lockers in the music building. Ask to reserve one at the Receptionist’s desk.
Memorial Hall 015 can store a limited number of harps and double basses for undergraduates only (priority goes to members of HRO). Contact memhall@fas.harvard.edu for information.
Please visit the Piano Technical Services website for answers to any questions about pianos at Harvard.
The Music Department does not rent, purchase or sell instruments.
Organs
Harvard University is blessed with a rich and varied collection of organs. The magnificent 1958 Flentrop (housed in Busch Hall) is perhaps its most famous example. Championed by E. Power Biggs, it remains one of the great examples of classic organ building principles, and is still revered by organists the world over. In addition, the university houses a 1911 Skinner in Andover Hall, as well as a Hutchings in Divinity Hall. Several of the undergraduate houses have instruments, as well as a number of churches in Cambridge that house organs on loan from the university.
The newest addition is the Fisk Op. 139, housed in Memorial Church.
Concert Venues
Harvard has three primary concert halls:
John Knowles Paine Hall is located on the second floor of the music building, and is a concert hall that seats 437. Other performance venues include the beautiful, 1000-seat Sanders Theatre and Lowell Hall (seats 352), which is frequently used for jazz. Several of the Harvard houses also offer opportunities for musical performance. For instance, Dudley House hosts several graduate student music groups including a chorus, orchestra, jazz band, and traditional music ensemble.
House common rooms can also be used for music performance, and multi-purpose areas such as University Hall’s Faculty Room, the Barker Center Thompson Room, the Arts at 29 Garden, and the courtyard of the Harvard Arts Museums are used for concerts as well.