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Syllabus and Piano Studio Policies
MUSC 22632, 32632, 42632 - log on to Blackboard at the start of the semester for detailed resources
Prof. Holzer, lrholzer@ualr.edu FA 101-D, Music Dept., 501.916.6483
Welcome to the Music program in the School of Literary and Performing Arts! Dr. Holzer's piano teaching studio/office is Fine Arts 101-D. Enter Fine Arts from the side entrance that faces Ottenheimer Library. Turn left immediately at the student lounge, you'll see faculty teaching studios on the far wall. (If you enter Fine Arts from the opposite end of the building, walk straight town the hallway and turn right at the student lounge.) Piano study with Dr. Holzer will be comprised of the following:
Private Lessons: 14 weekly lessons per semester, 55 minutes in duration. Study of piano technique, and repertoire drawn from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th and 21st-century styles and historical periods.
Studio Class: a group session for BA piano principals, optional for music minors and upper-level elective students, to be announced at various times throughout the semester as you have repertoire ready to perform.
GarageBand rhythm tracks, and instruction on how to use the iPad app ForScore are also included. I provide some lesson material on Blackboard; please be sure to log on to check.
Piano MUSC 22632 - 42632 level is a restricted course. Admission to the BA Music Major as a piano principal, private lessons in MUSC 22632 and higher, is by audition only. The audition requirement is specified in Guidelines for Piano Principals. Non-majors who enroll in MUSC lessons at the 22632 level or higher must be capable of playing technique and repertoire comparable to that of music majors in piano. Audition guidelines are available here https://ualr.edu/music/prospective-piano-students/ , including a list of suggested technique and repertoire.
Please download a blank schedule form. Fill in the times when you are not available for a lesson, and return to me as an email attachment, or print off in hard copy and place in my box. I will assign lesson times when I have received completed schedule forms from all of my students, and will notify students of their lesson time prior to the first day of classes.
Student Learning Outcomes and Objectives
1. Hearing the audition allows the professor to assess the student’s skill level in technique and repertoire. After learning the student’s repertoire background (what major works by composers of piano music the student has already learned and performed), the professor and student work together to select musical material for further study. For music majors, the material relates to jury requirements, explained in Guidelines for Piano Principals. The student is given weekly assignments to prepare, to build technique and learn various new repertoire over the course of the semester.
Your weekly assignment is written in Evernote. https://evernote.com/ This is a free app, and makes it possible for you to easily read your assignment from your phone or computer. Yes, do make sure you read your assignment regularly so you know what to practice each week.
2. The student will demonstrate mastery of technique and repertoire through performances in weekly lessons, and in studio class at least once per semester. Music majors are expected to perform in Student Recital Hour at least once per year. (Scholarship piano students are expected to perform once per semester in Student Recital Hour.)
3. By the conclusion of the semester, the student will have completed numerous technique assignments and repertoire. The student will be able to perform keyboard music of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic and contemporary periods at or above the level of difficulty outlined in Guidelines for Piano Principals. At the end of two semesters of study for MUSC 22632 a music major must perform an upper-level qualifying jury. At the end of two semesters of study for MUSC 32632, a music major must perform a capstone jury. Detailed information on jury requirements is outlined in Guidelines for Piano Principals.
Grading Criteria:
The following criteria will be considered in determining semester grades:
1. quality of weekly lesson preparation - accuracy (in pitches, rhythms, fingering, etc.), and musicianship (phrasing, dynamics, pedalling, ornaments, etc.)
2. amount of new repertoire learned during the semester. Repertoire is chosen in consultation with the teacher.
3. lesson attendance
4. completion of assigned written worksheets, which for music majors in piano includes Portfolio
5. performance in studio class - quality and quantity
6. For music majors in piano, jury performance. See the Guidelines for Piano Principals for details.
Portfolio Assessment:
The requirements for compiling your portfolio are detailed on Blackboard. The portfolio summarizes your accomplishments in piano at UA Little Rock, and is turned in at the time you perform a jury.
Juries:
Piano juries are scheduled on the last Friday of classes at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters. BA piano principals and BM piano majors must perform a jury for members of the piano faculty after two semesters of study to complete an applied level or progress to the next level. Repertoire standards are outlined in Guidelines for Piano Principals.
Grades:
A= superior work - meaning wrong notes, incorrect rhythms, fingering, etc. are extremely rare in the student's performance at lessons.
B= above average work
C= average work
D=passing work, below average
F= failing work
Practice Requirements:
All piano students at MUSC 22632 and above are expected to practice at least one full hour daily, at least 5 days per week. Students working on advanced repertoire should expect to put in 2 hours of practice each day, including both week days and weekends. Be aware that the amount of practicing you do directly affects the quality of your work and the amount of repertoire you are able to learn in a semester, which in turn determines your semester grade.
Piano Area Events:
Music majors in piano are expected to attend piano area events such as recitals and master classes featuring UA Little Rock piano faculty and guest artists. Admission is free, and you may bring guests, provided they are over age 6.
Required Materials:
Purchase copies of your assigned music.
Also, metronome (app, wind-up or quartz model), lesson assignment folder, any assigned scores.
PIANO-either in the UALR Music Dept. practice facilities or in your home. See "PRACTICE" above.
A music dictionary, such as The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music, 4th edition by Michael Kennedy (Oxford University Press; ISBN 019280037X; Available on Amazon.com www.amazon.com), or an equivalent music dictionary. (The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music & Musicians, Harvard University Press, ISBN 0-674-00084-6 for example.) You need to look up terms composers write in the score if you don't know the definition.
Blackboard. Some course materials will be posted on Blackboard. Please check Blackboard during the first week of classes to familiarize yourself with the resources. Log on via MyUALR https://blackboard.ualr.edu/ultra/institution-page to check. Primarily you will refer to Google Docs, however, for your weekly lesson assignment.
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