PIANO
PEDAGOGY
FORUM
v. 8, No. 1/January 1, 2005


Gary Graning is currently on the faculty at the University of Akron. He received performance degrees from the Oberlin College Conservatory and the University of Michigan, and his doctorate in Performance Pedagogy from Columbia University Teachers College. with a Dissertation on the piano works of Polish composer, Karol Szymanowski. Gray Graning has taught at Greenwich House Music School, Piano Partners in New York City and Suburban Community Music Center, New Jersey. He has given solo, accompanying, and chamber music performances in New York and New Jersey. Gary Graning studied with with John Perry, Jack Radunsky, Vitya Vronsky, and Lucille Greene.

Gary Graning
Department of Music
The University of Akron
Akron, OH 44325
330.972.8117
gag@uakron.edu

Technology Demonstration: PowerPoint Applications for Group Piano - Kevin Richmond and Sandra Ramawy, presenters

report by Gary Graning

Kevin Richmond and Sandra Ramawy presented a session on PowerPoint applications in the group piano curriculum. Use of this software in the classroom requires a screen and projector. The value of this software is that it can focus the class on what you want them to see in the music; for example, the instructor may want the piano group to notice the key signature, meter, bass line, essential patterns in the melodic line such as sequential groupings/ and/or inner lines. The suggested harmony may be emphasized by removing the nonharmonic tones in the melody, leaving only the chord tones.

The instructor can add graphics, such as directional arrows. By using Adobe Photoshop, the notation can be in gray or black score. The changes are added in layers and any slide can be reviewed. Voice-over can be added for use on web-site tutorials.

Little time was available for questions. The only question was, why use Photoshop rather than Finale or Sibelius with this program. The presenters answered that any of the three programs can be used, but that size is easier to maintain with Photoshop.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

© 2005 University of South Carolina School of Music