Column: We need more practice rooms

As a music major, I know all about what happens in the Etherredge center. I also am aware of all of the rooms that are available for students to practice in: all four of them. 

There are only four practice rooms in the whole Etherredge center, which makes no sense if you consider the time expected of students to practice as well as the private lessons that happen during the day. 

Students enrolled in private lessons, either 30 or 50 minutes, meet once a week with their instructors in those same rooms students need to practice in. Usually, these lessons are back-to-back, making it essentially impossible for people to squeeze time in to practice. 

Here at USC Aiken, there are several musicians on campus that participate in the various school affiliated ensembles. These students, especially those who take lessons and are expected to practice at minimum two hours each day, have little to no space to do this. 

On the outside of the practice room doors are “scheduled times” for instructors to meet with their students and have their lessons. Personally, I have found these to be super inaccurate and have been kicked out of a practice room so another student could have their lesson. 

With more rooms for students to practice in, instructors would not have to ask someone to leave who is trying to practice in between classes and could be more flexible with where the lessons are held. Also, students would feel more compelled to practice because of the ample space and no pressure on them to find a room and secure it before being asked to leave.