Music 195, 196, 197, 395, 396, 397
Section 001, Individual Piano Lessons
Office and location of lessons: Cultural Arts (CA) 1058
Seminar: CA 1075, Recital Hall or CA 1080, orchestral rehearsal room
Welcome to piano lessons! Whether you are new to the piano or have been playing for some years, this will, I hope, be an engrossing experience. Along with pleasure in music-making, the goals of this course are for you to learn new pieces, develop your musicianship, build technique, and expand your knowledge of piano music. The outcome should be that the level of repertoire and the quality of your performances increase appreciably during the term.
PRACTICING. You will have a lesson with me each week, either 30 or 60 minutes, depending on your level. The most important thing you can do to build from there is to practice every day. Practicing is the systematic process by which you learn new music and develop your skills. It can be both work and pleasure, as you watch your capabilities grow.
Practicing will include technique and repertoire. For 1/2 hour weekly lessons, 45-60 minutes of practicing per day is expected. This doubles at the 196 and 396 levels, which are typical for music majors; 90 minutes to 2 hours of daily practicing is expected. The 197 and 397 levels are for intensive study; 2 1/2 to 3 hours per day is typical at these levels. At all levels, it is vital that your practicing include, and build upon, the corrections and suggestions I make in the lessons. Discussion of practicing techniques will often play an important role at lessons; your application of these techniques can be a key determinant of your progress.
General Procedure and Grading. At the start we will identify appropriate repertoire for you to study. There is no fixed text because individual background and abilities differ widely. Assuming suitability to our setting, I am happy to include your specific interests in choosing music.
You will need to attend lessons consistently throughout the term. As in any other course, you will receive a grade. This grade will be based largely on the work we do together in the lessons. Hopefully your daily practicing will bring significant, continuing progress. In assigning a grade, I look at
1) the quality of your performances, musically, technically, and in regard to memorizing;
2) the amount of music learned during the term;
3) the amount of improvement you have made during the term;
4) the consistency of your work.
Here is a rubric for grading.
A: Performances are consistently secure technically and effective musically, with attention to phrasing and dynamics. At least two pieces memorized, or one longer one.
B: Generally successful performances but with technical, musical, or memory insecurity. At least one piece memorized.
C: Performances have some strengths, but are not reliably secure or musically successful. One memorized piece.
D: Performances are not technically or musically successful. No reliably memorized music.
F: Little or no music brought to performance level.
At the end of each lesson, I will give you a grade for that week. Taken over the course of a term, your weekly assessments can give a view of overall patterns and development. They will guide me in assigning your final grade, but your grade for the term will not simply be the average of those weekly lesson grades. Note that this process can be helpful for you in self-assessment. You should develop the self-knowledge to have a pretty good idea, by the end of the lesson, of your result for that week.
Jury or end-of-semester equivalent. Music majors and minors play a jury at the end of each semester (see below). Those taking elective piano do not have a jury or exam. The weekly work tells the story. Sometimes, however, I ask elective students to perform in the seminar, in order to get a chance to present music for listeners other than myself.
Scheduling and Attendance. Your one-on-one weekly lesson will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time. For the duration of the term, that will be your time. It should be obvious that missing lessons will reduce your progress and your grade. If you must miss a lesson for any reason, do not fail to call me - at least a few hours ahead. It is irksome to wait for someone who does not come, or to be notified of an absence at the last minute. Whenever possible, we will reschedule a missed lesson; this is always better than losing it. So when you call, please be prepared to suggest a new time, but limit rescheduling to occasions of true necessity. At times, I also may need to reschedule lessons, and will try to arrange a replacement time well in advance.
Music Lab (seminar) . All piano students must be registered for this. Attendance is only required for music majors and minors (see below). For elective students it is optional. However, it is a piano-oriented environment where you can hear a lot of wonderful music, get to know other music students, and learn a great deal. I encourage all piano students to attend if they are able, even if only from time to time.
Contact and Discussion. As this is an individualized study, you may want to discuss individual questions or interests with me. This can be done in lessons, but is better done at another time, so that we can focus your lesson on the music. Feel free to call or email me any time that you have a question or would like to discuss musical matters or your work. In general you should reach me easily at the office. I am here afternoons and often into the very late evening. Voice mail is always on when I am out. I usually respond to emails promptly. Contacting me at the office will, therefore, normally get you in touch with me quickly. You may call my cell number, but please confine such calls to situations needing early attention, when you have not been able to reach me at the office.
Information Specific to Majors and Minors.
Weekly Seminar (Lab) - Required. This takes place on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:45 in the Cultural Arts building recital hall. The opportunity to play regularly in front of peers is an important part of your study. The seminar also provides a forum for a variety of other piano-related topics and activities; there is a great deal to learn.
Regular attendance is expected. I will typically ask you in advance to be prepared to perform; then it is important that you do so. On the last Tuesday of the month at 3:30, a seminar is held for the entire music department. This replaces our piano seminar in those weeks. Attendance is required, just as at the weekly sessions.
I will take attendance at weekly seminars, just as I do in other classes. Your grade will be reduced by a level (A- becomes B+) if you miss more than twice during the term.
Concert attendance (majors only). Hearing concerts is an important part of your study. Hearing professional level performances of a variety of repertoire, in a range of styles, and on the gamut of instruments, adds greatly to your musical knowledge and range.
As a result of the importance of live performance, attendance at eight (8) concerts each semester is required as part of your study. Two of these may be performances in which you participate. Please submit programs to me by term’s end. Your grade will be lowered one level (A- becomes B+, for example) if you attend 6 or 7 concerts. For fewer than 6 concerts, your grade drops two levels.
Jury. You will play one at the end of each semester. Normally you will be heard by three faculty including myself. The jury lasts 5 minutes (-95), 10 (-96), or 15 minutes (-97). The jury includes the music you have worked on in the current semester, and equals 25% of the semester grade.
Public performance. Get out there, play, and have fun! This is an important part of your study. Along with playing in the weekly seminars, students may be asked to participate in the monthly departmental seminar, and/or in the honors recital auditions at the end of the semester. The more you perform, the better you are likely to become at doing it.
I am looking forward to a fulfilling term of work. Enjoy the piano!