University of Oklahoma

School of Music

Piano Pedagogy - leading piano pedagogy in the 21st century

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Guests and Special Piano Events
2009-2010

Faculty and Student Piano Recitals Link
Fall 2009

Current Activities in the OU Piano Pedagogy Program

The OU School of Music MTNA student chapter won the MTNA "Student Chapter of the Year" award for 2009 which was presented at the 2009 Atlanta conference in March. The chapter also won the same award in 2007. Six graduate piano pedagogy students from the OU MTNA Student Chapter presented a session on applications of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory for music teachers at the MTNA National Conference in Austin in spring 2006. The OU School of Music MTNA Student Chapter recently initiated a new blog. Check it out to see us in action and to learn of some of our projects!

Graduate piano pedagogy majors were an enormous support behind the success of the 2009 Seminar for Piano Teachers this past June. Thanks to so many of your for your help and support. Visitors to this site can view photos of the event online! Five current doctoral students also presented literature focus sessions during the workshop. You can see our last summer's seminar schedule online.

So many of our alums influence the profession that we are hesitant to mention the contributions of some of them at any one time, knowing that inevitably we aill leave someone out. But one mention we so want to make at this time. We're bursting with pride that Dr. Ann Milliman Gipson is currently President of Music Teachers National Association! Ann, you have graced the profession with so much integrity, master teaching and good will. Thank you for your service and influence on our profession now and in years to come! Ann is currently director of piano pedagogy programs at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX.

In July 2009, the Ruby Grant Piano Pedagogy Resource Center was given a major gift of piano teaching, biographical, and historical books from the library of longtime OU piano faculty member Dr. Digby Bell. Dr. Bell was known for the most scholarly of work, and his library is quite extensive. A large portion of these books are now housed in the Center for all to study or browse! Sincere appreciation goes to OU alumnus and faculty member at Oklahoma Baptist University, Dr. Carol Bell for this generous gift.

Current piano pedagogy graduate students have the opportunitity to take a course in "Performance Psychology for Musicians" taught at OU by Dr. Bill Moore. This popular course supplements the current piano pedagogy offerings and deals with such aspects as trust in music performance. The course is offered every fall semester. Access Dr. Moore's coaching for performance handout from his keynote presentation at the GP3 Conference on the MTNA website.

Doctoral student Hector Landa and his piano trio won first place in the OU Graduate Student Research and Performance Day presentations in the Social Scienes and Arts Division. Congratulations Hector!

Doctoral students will teach intermediate to lower advanced pianists in a series of two Saturday piano master classes held at the University of Oklahoma in October and November, 2009.

In spring 2009, Sara Ernst presented 5 hours each of doctoral workshop presentations. Sessions included topics on research on exceptional teaching techniques, teacher feedback to students, inspiring very early level pianists, and effective intermediate repertoire of modern American composers.

The Donna Turner Smith Competition in piano is held every two years on the first Saturday in March. The first prize award is around $3500 for a OU student who will be enrolled in piano the following year. Incoming students are invited to participate along with currently enrolled students. The next competition will take place on April 3, 2010. For information, please contact Dr. Barbara Fast at the University of Oklahoma.

OU pianists enjoy practicing in a newly renovated practice facility in the Donald W. Reynolds Performing Arts Center. In addition to the music practice wing, this splendid performance facility includes a renovated Holmberg Hall.

Pedagogy students and faculty teach on two new Clavinova piano labs and supporting technology equipment for use in the piano pedagogy classes and group piano program. Included in each piano lab are 16 keyboards, a teacher console and lab controller, a SMART board, a data projector, a document camera and other technological equipment.

The fifth National Group Piano and Piano Pedagogy Forum (GP3) was held August 1-2, 2008 at the Univeristy of Oklahoma. "Staying Focused, Staying Fresh" was the theme of the forum. Dr. Barbara Fast co-founded the National Group Piano/Piano Pedagogy Forum which was held for the first time in 2000 with the fourth and fifth Forums located in 2006 and 2008 at OU. Dr. Fast was site coordinator and is a member of the steering committee. Approximately 15 piano and piano pedagogy students helped out to make the conference experience an inviting and exciting one for the over 120 participants, a record attendance for this group.

Twenty Korean univeristy pianists and teachers were in residence at the OU School of Music in July 2008 for two weeks of intensive study in piano pedagogy, applied piano, and English. They were sponsored by Ewha University in Seoul, and the trip was coordinated by Dr. Kanghee Won, DMA graduate from OU who is currently teaching at Ewha in Seoul. Participants received 24 hours of workshops/lectures from Drs. Fast and Magrath and OU doctoral students, as well as private lesson study with Drs. Ham and Gates.

With the revitalization of the north campus arts centers, music majors in the practice rooms look out onto plush campus grounds. The practice facility is conveniently located close to the new patio with umbrellas and outdoor furniture for breaks and lunches directly in front of the Fine Arts Dean’s Office.

Recent visitors to the piano pedagogy program at OU have included Marvin Blickenstaff, Gail Berenson, Phyllis Lehrer, Joel Schoenhals, William Westney, E. L. Lancaster, Lisa Zdechlik, Michelle Conda and Dennis Alexander.

We continue to develop the Ruby Grant Piano Pedagogy Resource Center as a research center in piano with the addition of new computers, software and keyboards as well as musical scores, compact discs, and DVDs.

Faculty and Student Piano Recitals
Fall 2009