B.M. in Keyboard Performance

Advanced Writing and Communication Skills

Courses

All students are required to successfully complete 3 Advanced Writing and Communication Skills (AWC) courses. Student degree requirements will include courses that meet the desired communication outcomes in evaluated and revised writing, speaking, stage presence, and audience engagement.

All keyboard performance students will successfully complete:

1. MCY 341 Music of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque Periods, which will include substantial evaluated and revised writing components.
2. MKP XXX Private Lesson Level 3 Senior Recital, which will include evaluated communication skills in attracting an audience, engaging an audience during performance, and preparing program notes or similar media as appropriate to the medium/venue.
3. MKP 547 Keyboard Pedagogy, which will include discipline specific communication skills.

Assessment

There will be at least 2 specific assessments in each Advanced Communications Skills course for communications or writing equivalent to 4000 words, evaluated and revised.

Curriculum Requirements

Suggested Plan of Study

Mission

The mission of the Bachelor of Music degree in Keyboard Performance is to:

• Provide students the highest quality of education available in the areas of piano performance and musicianship that will provide the foundation for a successful teaching career at an institution or private studio, and which could also lead toward a professional performance career as a classical pianist
• Stimulate the student’s awareness and artistic creativity in the field of piano performance
• Provide students public performance opportunities in a supportive and encouraging environment
• Provide students performance skills necessary for careers in teaching, success at national/international piano competitions, and to further their skills in performance
• Provide students a learning environment for developing as performing musicians
• Instruct students in developing their playing technique, musical knowledge, and performing personalities in order for them to share these insights with their future students 
• Introduce and educate students in the vast amount of literature available for the classical piano

 Goals

Student Learning Outcomes

• Students will develop solid memorization skills necessary to achieve a higher success rate at graduate auditions and other important performance settings. By acquiring such skills, students will develop greater freedom in performance and interpretive expression as well as a deeper understanding of the pianistic repertoire.
• Students will develop technical pianistic skills necessary for acceptance into a variety of graduate study institutions offering a MM in performance and for fostering a professional career as solo pianists.
• Students will develop musicianship skills and knowledge of a large selection of the piano repertory necessary for acceptance into a variety of graduate study institutions offering a MM in performance and for fostering a professional career as solo pianists.