CLEVELAND, Miss. — The Department of Music at Delta State University hosted The Art of the Piano FOR TEACHERS at the Bologna Performing Arts Center on campus on June 30. Nine teachers and college students from Mississippi and Tennessee participated in active discussions and shared teaching ideas and repertoires throughout the day.
Dr. Jung-Won Shin, Professor of Music at DSU said, “Dr. Kumiko Shimizu, Professor of Music, and I co-organized this event open to all piano teachers in private studios, K-12 schools, community music schools, and colleges and universities in order to bring them together to explore the art of playing and teaching the piano. I really appreciated all the unique teaching methods, informative discussions, and beautiful performances that the participating teachers shared throughout this first event on campus only for professional and student piano teachers.”
The event consisted of teaching repertoire forums by musical periods, a piano ensemble teaching workshop for practice tips and ensemble technique, an open discussion session on problem solving in lessons in general, and a recital featuring both teaching and performance repertoire. A Continuing Education Unit credit was available for teachers who wished to earn it from this event.
Trent Smith-Hawkins, a teacher and collaborative pianist at Starkville High School attended and said, “The Art of the Piano FOR TEACHERS provided the invaluable opportunity for me to present on piano literature, perform, and learn from the world-class piano faculty at Delta State University. Uniquely, many of the sessions were presented by fellow piano teachers, and I gained new insight on traditional teaching practices. I left the event with a renewed passion for teaching and performing.”
For more information about the DSU Music Department, visit deltastate.edu/artsandsciences/music/.
