Somerville Music Society

Facilities

General Information

There are various pianos in rooms around College which may be used for music practice. These rooms are booked using the booking folder available in the Porters' Lodge or the new online booking system (see below).

The main music practice room is in Park. The New Council Room and Flora Anderson Hall also contain pianos, and may be used if the room is not otherwise occupied; however, academic and College activities take precedence.

To play the grand piano in Hall, and the grand piano, harpsichord and organ in Chapel, special permission must be obtained from Paul Francis, Assistant to the Treasurer. Again, College activities in these rooms take precedence over music practice, and bookings made in advance may occasionally be trumped by such needs.

All these instruments be opened only with keys obtained from the Porters' Lodge, and they must be locked again after use.

Somerville Music Society owns several instruments (bass recorder, electric guitar, drumkit) as well as band equipment (amplifiers, microphones, music stands) that can be hired by SMS members. Please contact the committee if you wish to use SMS property.

Procedures for booking Park Music Room

• Any active members of Somerville (members of the JCR, MCR, SCR and staff) may book the PMR for rehearsal or practice.
• All booking must be made through the new online booking system. See this document for instructions on how to book PMR using your Nexus account.
• Bookings should be for a maximum two hour period. The PMR may not then be "re-booked" until a two hour period has elapsed. This is to ensure that the room is available for other people who wish to use it.
• If for any reason you find that you are unable to attend a pre-booked session, you are required to notify the Lodge as soon as possible to allow others wishing to book it to do so.
• If you fail to take up your booking within fifteen minutes of the allotted start time, you are liable to forfeit the session and the booking may be offered to another user. Repeated failure to attend pre-booked sessions may result in the withdrawal of your permission to use the instruments.
• The piano in the Park Music Room is also available as above, but it is locked with a C-clamp: the key has to be separately signed for (from the Lodge), in addition to the room-key. Any evidence of mistreatment will result in a user being prevented from signing out the key again.
• If any damage is noticed to the piano, this should be reported to the Lodge and the Treasury and Project Administrator immediately.
• The drumkit is the property of the Somerville Music Society. If any damage is noticed to this then this should be reported to the SMS Committee immediately.
• The drumkit must be used with consideration for the residents of the Park building. From time to time (e.g. during exam term) it may be necessary to place restrictions on the use of the drumkit.