Recording Services

Recording Services for Eastman Students and Faculty

The Eastman School of Music’s Technology & Media Production (T&MP) department provides a range of support for the Eastman community, including IT and AV infrastructure, desktop support, online content, multimedia events, video-conferencing, and public workspaces. Additionally, T&MP provides audio and visual recording services for Eastman students and faculty in order to support the school’s artistic and educational objectives.

Eastman is unique in providing a robust slate of recording services to students and faculty at no charge. This policy outlines these services, and also provides options for alternatives when an activity is not supported.

For Students

T&MP will provide a high-quality audio recording with video of all student degree recitals and Eastman ensemble performances in Kilbourn Hall, Hatch Hall, Howard Hanson Hall, and Kodak Hall. Ensemble performances are archived in the Sibley Music Library and may be accessed by students through the Reserves & Recording desk.
T&MP will livestream all student degree recitals and most performances by Eastman ensembles in Kilbourn Hall, Hatch Hall, Howard Hanson Hall, and Kodak Hall.
T&MP will maintain self-service recording equipment in Ciminelli Lounge (estimated to be installed Summer 2025) and Howard Hanson Hall, which can be used to create high-quality audio and/or video recordings for a student’s personal use.
T&MP will provide portable recording equipment that students can check out to make audio and/or video recordings for their personal use.

Policies regarding student recordings:

T&MP will produce high-quality audio recordings for student degree recitals ONLY. Exceptions to this policy include degree recitals that occur off-campus or in spaces where recording equipment is not present. In these cases, T&MP will provide self-serve recording equipment as available for the student to produce their own recording.
All other activities, including, but not limited to, lecture recitals, lectures, non-degree recitals, pre-screening and audition recordings, master classes, or studio recitals, or any other personal activities, are not supported by T&MP staff. In these cases, T&MP will provide self-serve recording equipment as available for the student to produce their own recording.
Students must reserve spaces using the established procedures set by the Concert Office and/or the Registrar’s office. T&MP will not reserve space for a student, and receiving support from T&MP does not prioritize a student’s request for space in any way.
T&MP will loan recording equipment to students with a valid UR ID for up to 48 hours. Students who do not return equipment on time will be subject to late fees and/or possible forfeiture of their ability to borrow equipment in the future.
Students may not bring in outside vendors to make recordings on campus. A student may check out T&MP equipment for their personal use, and may engage a fellow student or faculty member to assist with making the recording using T&MP-provided equipment, but a student may not bring in outside recording engineers or other non-ESM/UR affiliated individuals or companies to produce recordings on campus.
Failure to adhere to any of these policies will result in the forfeiture of a student’s ability to reserve space on the Eastman campus and/or to utilize T&MP to provide support for recordings in the future.

For Faculty

T&MP will provide a high-quality audio recording with video of all Eastman-sponsored faculty recitals and faculty performances (e.g., Eastman Virtuosi) in Kilbourn Hall, Hatch Hall, Howard Hanson Hall, and Kodak Hall.
T&MP will livestream all Eastman-sponsored faculty performances in Kilbourn Hall, Hatch Hall, Howard Hanson Hall, and Kodak Hall by default. If a faculty member wishes for their performance not to be livestreamed, they must contact the Director of Technology & Media Production at least 48 hours before the performance.
T&MP will only record faculty performances at official Eastman or University of Rochester events. Some examples of events where recordings will not be supported by T&MP include, but are not limited to, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Fringe Festival, and other non-affiliated activities. Exceptions to this policy may be granted in cases where there is a strong case to be made that recording the event supports a faculty member’s collegiate recruitment efforts or other institutional priorities.
Requests for exceptions to this restriction must be received by the Office of Academic Affairs no less than 15 weeks prior to the event in order to be considered.
T&MP will support up to six recording projects per year by Eastman faculty. These recording projects will include up to two, 4-hour recording sessions in Hatch Hall, Kilbourn Hall, Howard Hanson Hall, or EEW 415, as well as up to 20 hours of professional-quality post-production services.
- Proposals for these recording projects will be due to the Office of Academic Affairs in April. Proposals will be accepted from any faculty member currently eligible for Professional Development Committee funding, and proposals will be reviewed by the Professional Development Committee in their May meeting. The PDC will consider the artistic merit of each proposal, as well as its connections to Eastman’s mission and values, when awarding the recording projects for up to 6 faculty members. Faculty will be notified of their selection by the end of May, and the recording projects will be scheduled at the discretion of the Director of Technology & Media Productions throughout the following academic year.

Policies regarding faculty recordings:

Faculty may not bring in outside vendors to make recordings on campus without the express approval from the Dean or their designee. Faculty may check out T&MP equipment for their personal use, and may engage a student or colleague to assist with making the recording using T&MP-provided equipment, but faculty may not bring in outside recording engineers or other non-ESM/UR affiliated individuals or companies to produce recordings on campus without prior approval.
Faculty may engage T&MP to produce recordings if they have a project that falls outside the scope of the Eastman-sponsored activity referenced in this policy. In these cases, T&MP will provide their services at the rate of $150 per hour, and faculty may use their annual professional development funding or other internal approved funding sources to cover these charges.

Questions about this policy should be directed to Eastman Technology & Media Production.