Houghton music students are encouraged to study and perform chamber music in a variety of combinations. Students form groups at the beginning of the year and/or semester and receive weekly or bi-monthly coachings in a variety of combinations such as string duos, trios, quartets, woodwind quintets, brass quintets, and piano trios. Sometimes groups include other instruments, such as clarinet and flute. Encouragement of this type of musical activity is based on the idea that chamber music (defined as various groups of musicians with one person to a part) is an important part of the development of whole musicians who can rehearse and perform in a collaborative atmosphere with their peers. In addition chamber groups often render a service to the surrounding community by performing in churches, rest homes, and other community settings. Some Houghton College chamber groups have a more formal existence. The string quartet, woodwind quintet and the brass quintet are groups comprised of top Houghton instrumentalists.