Students in the piano interest area have 42-minute piano classes. Our book, Piano/Theory For Busy Teens offers lessons on technique, theory, and a repertoire in a variety of musical styles from baroque to blues encouraging performance quality and artistic expression. Students perform solos, duets, trios & quartets! A Perfect Ten by Melody Bober supplements our repertoire and students are given thematic music throughout the year to perform depending on our concert themes.  Latin repertoire always begins our year. 

Piano interest area students learn about the history of the piano, its inventor, Cristofori and the influential composers that are paramount to piano.  Students learn characteristics of the Musical Eras and Time Periods.  We also do a unit on Scott Joplin and ragtime music during Black History Month in February.

Students have the opportunity to learn the basic elements of composition as we focus on developing the Sonatina/Sonata form throughout 4-8th grades.  We also learn the 12 bar blues harmonic pattern and students are encouraged to explore creating melodic improvisations as well as Theme and Variation forms.

Piano Interest Area students in grades 6-8 have the opportunity to be part of the Tri-M Music Honor Society, a National Association for Music Education program that focuses on creating future leaders in music education and music advocacy.  Tri-M is the only music honor society for junior/middle school & high school students in our country. Tri-M recognizes students that have exceled both academically and musically.

Tri-M provides students leadership opportunities to make a difference in their community through music-based service projects.  With more than 2,100 chapters across the USA, Tri-M is in 15 countries involving more than 84,000 students.  Each year, student members contribute more than 750,000 service hours to their school and local communities and raise nearly $1 million for causes they care about.

Piano interest area students have several opportunities to perform throughout the year. Our first concert includes all piano students presenting Latin/Spanish music in October.  During Open House in November, select students perform and act as ambassadors of the piano program. All piano students in grades 4-8 perform as part of their curriculum at the annual Akron Children’s Hospital Tree Festival in mid-November and in the winter and spring Piano Recitals/ Concerts. In January & February, 4-7th grade piano students compose and enter the Scholastic Composer’s Contest hosted by the Children’s Concert Society in Akron. 8th-grade piano students  provide a piano prelude to the Firestone ASA (Akron School for the Arts) Winter Vocal Concert. 7-8th grade piano students are encouraged to perform at OMEA Solo and Ensemble Contests each April.  6th grade piano students typically perform at Akron Children’s Hospital as the Piano Department offers our staff and students the opportunity to donate toys and books which we collect and deliver to the hospital following our performance.  4-5th grade students perform at local assisted care or nursing homes in our area.  Select piano students have performed at EJ Thomas Hall during the MonsterPianos event held every three years and at Deck the Halls held at Stan Hywet. All students participate in the OFMC Festival held at KSU in March. Our 8th-grade Piano Showcase ends our yearly concerts.

Additional Opportunities

Miller South Ensembles:  Jazz Band

Miller South Clubs: The Tri-M Music