Syllabus and Piano Studio Policies
Prof. Holzer, lrholzer@ualr.edu FA 101-D, Music Dept., 501.916.6483
MUSC 72632 - Elective Study - log on to Blackboard at the start of the semester for more detailed resources
Welcome to the Music program! Dr. Holzer's piano teaching studio/office is in the Fine Arts building, room 101-D. Enter Fine Arts from the side entrance that faces Ottenheimer Library. Graduate instruction in piano is advanced study, putting piano performance in the context of professional skills for the MA in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS), or the MEd with an emphasis in music. Repertoire is chosen according to the student's needs and abilities. Piano study with Dr. Holzer will be comprised of the following:
Private Lessons: 14 weekly lessons per semester of 55 minutes duration. Study of piano technique, and repertoire drawn from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th and 21st-century stylistic periods, and popular contemporary musical styles.
The prerequisite is that a student in MUSC 72632 will have earned an undergraduate music degree, or play repertoire comparable to a student who has completed study at the MUSC 42632 level. Detailed information on repertoire expectations is available in Guidelines for Piano Principals .
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.
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. At the first meeting with the professor, the student's piano music reading and coordination are assessed. Based on the functional skill level demonstrated by the student, an assignment comprised of technique (scales, cadence chords, arpeggios, etude repertoire) and repertoire in different styles is created. Typically, the student will be working from multiple music books during the semester, including a scale book, an etude book, and several repertoire collections.
2. Together, the professor and the student select music for study, based on student interests and skill level. The student will demonstrate mastery of technique and repertoire through performances in weekly lessons.
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 for MUSC 32632 capstone jury.
Grading Criteria:
The following criteria will be considered in determining semester grades for MUPR:
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 - the amount of new music you are expected to learn depends on the length of the pieces assigned, and their level of difficulty. In general, the student has a choice about selections assigned, and should expect to learn multiple works from multiple styles: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th and 21st-centuries, and contemporary musical styles.
3. regular lesson attendance
4. completion of assigned written work, when applicable
5. performance on semester exam - by the end of the semester, the student should have prepared several pieces to a high level of accuracy and musical expressiveness, and be able to perform them successfully at the last lesson.
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
Required Materials:
Purchase copies of your assigned music. (Where to purchase will be explained at your first lesson.)
Metronome (app, wind-up or quartz model), lesson assignment folder (your weekly assignments are given either on the app Evernote, or printed hard copy).
PIANO-a tuned piano either in the UA Little Rock Music Dept. practice facilities or in your home. This may be an upright acoustic piano, a digital piano (preferably with 88 keys and weighted action), or a grand piano. See "Practice Requirements" below.
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.
Practice Requirements:
All piano students enrolled in MUSC 72632 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.