A Piano Pedagogy Conference Hosted at SUU
Published: March 25, 2022 | Author: Ashley H Palmer | Read Time: 4 minutes
Southern Utah University (SUU) and Dixie State University (DSU) will be co-hosting the Southern Utah Piano Pedagogy Conference on Southern Utah University’s campus on Saturday, April 9, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The registration fee is $15 and can be paid online (preferred) or by cash or check at the conference. This conference is free for high school and college students. To register for the conference, please visit www.suu.edu/pva/music/pianopedagogyconference.html.
Dr. Christian Bohnenstengel, Director of Piano Studies at SUU, shares, “The piano pedagogy conference offers a wonderful opportunity to connect with and learn from experts in our field such as Kevin Olson, whose fabulous compositions are used to teach piano all over the world. The sessions also feature some of our wonderful local piano teachers such as LuAnn Keate, Caroline Jennings, Sarah Bearnson, Patrice Hunt and Nancy Allred.”
Nancy Allred, Professor of Piano at DSU, states, “We organized the Southern Utah Piano Pedagogy Conference in February 2020, just prior to the worldwide pandemic. It was a huge success, 70 attendees and seven presenters. Of the 70 attendees, 40 were piano teachers, and 30 were students (SUU, DSU, and high/middle school). Most of the piano teachers were from the southern Utah area (St. George, Santa Clara, Washington, Cedar City). In addition, several teachers came from neighboring areas in Utah and Arizona, and about 12 teachers came from northern Utah. For 2021, we created our own YouTube Channel, and uploaded several videos during the spring, addressing pertinent issues relating to piano teaching. We are excited for the 2022 conference that will be held at SUU. Piano teachers and students will benefit from presentations from a wonderful panel of professionals in the piano teaching world! This is an event not to be missed!”
Conference morning sessions include: “Productivity Hacks for Pianists: Getting More Done in Less Time,” “Understanding the brain and stress for a studio of self-driven students,” “The Intermediate Student: Repertoire, Technique, Theory,” and a panel discussing “Careers in Music.” Afternoon sessions involve the following titles: “Discover and play easy piano, Composition Workshop,” “Discover and play intermediate piano ensemble,” “Piano Maintenance,” a panel discussion about “UMTA/Federation/RCM - What do they do?,” and finally, “Intermediate Level Master Class.” Attendees will also have an all-day opportunity to play a harpsichord and a grand piano that was played and signed by Rachmaninoff.
Kevin Olson, featured presenter at the Southern Utah Piano Pedagogy Conference, says, “There is a need for more professional training experiences for piano teachers in our community and around the state. The Southern Utah Piano Pedagogy Conference is an important new venue for piano instructors to share ideas and to take their experiences back to the students in their studios. The impressive registration in their first year shows that there is certainly interest from the teachers. I’m also impressed at this collaborative endeavor between SUU and DSU, and see this as a model for more shared ventures between university music programs around the state.”
A recital by Zion Trio at 5:00 p.m. in the Thorley Recital Hall (free and open to the public) will mark the end of the conference. They will perform works by Beethoven and Brahms. Zion Trio consists of Paul Abegg (violin), Ka-Wai Yu (cello), and Christian Bohnenstengel (piano). For more information about the conference and to register, please visit www.suu.edu/pva/music/pianopedagogyconference.html.
About the College of Performing and Visual Arts
The College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University comprises 26 academic programs including liberal arts (BA/BS) and professional (BFA, BM, BMEd) degrees in art, design, dance, music, and theatre. It includes graduate programs in the fields of arts administration (MFA, MA), music education (MME), and music technology (MM). More than 60 full-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring over 900 majors in the College. CPVA presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year and is affiliated with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Center for Shakespeare Studies. Southern Utah University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) making SUU the first public university in the state of Utah to be accredited by all four associations. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.Tags: Music College of Performing and Visual Arts