A Piano Teacher's Impact: Tools for Mentorship and Curriculum Development

Abstract

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts (Performance: Piano Performance and Pedagogy) at the University of Michigan, I performed two dissertation recitals and presented one pedagogical workshop. The first recital was a lecture recital, and the second recital included solo piano works as well as works for piano and cello. The workshop introduced my research study and discussed the significant responses of the pedagogical community to surveys conducted earlier in the year. The lecture recital was performed in Britton Recital Hall on Sunday, April 16, 2023. The program consisted of solo piano works by Aaron Copland, including The Cat and The Mouse-Scherzo Humoristique, Passacaglia, Four Piano Blues, Piano Variations, and Midsummer Nocturne. In my previous degrees, I studied two of Copland’s large-scale works for piano: the Piano Sonata (1941) and the Piano Concerto (1926). I have learned the remainder of Copland’s piano works (with the exception of Piano Fantasy) and this recital showcased several of them. The lecture explored Copland’s career, his musical influences, and his unique compositional voice through the lens of his piano music. The second recital took place on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Britton Recital Hall and consisted of Romantic era works for solo piano (Schubert’s op. 90 Impromptus and Scriabin’s op. 16 Preludes) and works by women composers for piano and cello (Drei Romanzen op. 21 by Clara Schumann, Dreaming by Amy Beach, and 3 Piéces by Nadia Boulanger). As part of a theory course entitled “Chromaticism in Schubert’s Music” that I took in the spring of 2022 with Professor René Rusch, I prepared a presentation on teaching and understanding chromatic harmony through the opus 90 impromptus. Now with intimate knowledge of these pieces as performer, I plan to propose

this presentation for pedagogy conferences in the future. Over the last four years, I have sought to deepen my knowledge of Romantic piano repertoire and the opus 16 preludes were my first foray into playing Scriabin. Throughout my degree, I have found a niche in presenting works by women composers of the 19th- and early 20th-centuries, including a recording project of Nocturnes (documented on my youtube channel), and a performance of Amy Beach’s Piano Concerto op. 45 with the Ann Arbor Symphony. Though not formally required as part of my degree, I also played a wealth of chamber repertoire during my time in Ann Arbor, and built meaningful musical and personal friendships through these collaborations. Joining forces with cellist Terence Lo for pieces by women composers brought together some of the most impactful experiences of my time at the University of Michigan. My pedagogy workshop was held in Moore 1370 on Monday, May 13, 2024. The presentation was entitled “A Piano Teacher’s Impact: Tools for Mentorship and Curriculum Development” and gave an overview of my research study on the traits of impactful piano teachers, pinpointing best practices for mentorship in the private piano studio. I shared the general findings of the surveys, suggestions for teachers, and the implications for further research.