Most professors can be found teaching in the lecture hall, but students can learn from School of Music professors outside the confines of a classroom -- in the concert hall.

The free concerts, held by the School of Music in Esber Recital Hall, are a part of "creative activity" that professors in the school must participate in, Sue Haug, the school's director, said.

Voice professor Richard Kennedy will perform one of these faculty recitals 8 p.m. tomorrow at Esber Recital Hall in Music Building I.

"Performances for all the faculty are the way of their creativity," she said. "It's partly as a role model for students, partly as an outreach."

The School of Music holds about 150 concerts per semester and the faculty participates in about 10 percent of all the concerts, said Russell Bloom, manager of Esber Recital Hall.

Oboe professor Timothy Hurtz, who gave a recital earlier this semester, said the concerts are not required by the school, but implied as a way to teach music students the proper techniques for performance.

"The main thing that teachers do here is perform for their students," he said. "I think it's a common misconception that professors aren't performers."

Attending a recital allows students to learn that performing isn't about perfection, trombone professor Mark Lusk said.

"It's important to see [professors] make mistakes and how we play through those mistakes to see how we handle it," he said. "Sometimes [students] see us have great nights and do great things and sometimes they see us make a mistake or two."

As a performer, Hurtz said, there are many things that must be taken into consideration for a concert.

The size and shape of a venue will affect the tone quality of the sound.

The temperature inside the hall will affect an instrument's response to the notes.

Even the wrong chair can tamper with a good performance.

"We are tied to our physical environment," he said.

Haug said many professors, both in vocal and instrumental music, typically give one recital per semester or one per year, depending on their research or other commitments.

The recitals last about an hour, voice professor Richard Kennedy said, and the amount of time it takes to prepare the program also determines how often the faculty members are able to perform.

"Giving a solo recital where you are responsible for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes of music is quite an undertaking," Kennedy said.

The repertoire chosen for each concert usually varies by professor, determined by personal interest, he said.

"[Vocal and instrumental professors'] goals are the same. We would like to present to our students a variety of compositions, nationalities and time periods," Kennedy said.

Kennedy's recital will feature pieces in German and English.

Solo recitals often feature one performer but incorporate other instruments, mainly piano, as a way to complement the music, Kennedy said.

"We could not do what we love to do without the expertise of [the accompanists]," he said.