Scott Price is Assistant Professor of Piano, Piano Pedagogy, and Coordinator of Group Piano and Piano Accompanying at the University of South Carolina. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Bowling Green State University, he has studied with Jane Magrath, Thomas Hecht and Virginia Marks. He has performed at the national conventions of the Music Teachers National Conference, Music Teachers National Association, the National Conference on Piano Pedagogy, and has given performances and seminars at the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas TX, the University of Oklahoma Seminar for Piano Teachers, the North Dakota State Music Teachers Convention, the South Carolina State Music Teachers Convention, and the Bowling Green State University Summer Music Institute. He has served as repetiteur with Lyric Opera Cleveland, and as music director for Lyric Opera Cleveland's Educational Outreach program. He has been a faculty member of the Cleveland Music School Settlement and the Bowling Green State University Creative Arts program. Dr. Price is creator and co-editor of the on-line piano pedagogy journal "Piano Pedagogy Forum."
Scott Price
School of Music
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
803.777.1870
sprice@mozart.sc.edu
Editorial note: The following article is part of a series detailing progress in the creation of a Master of Music degree in piano accompanying at the University of South Carolina. It is the editor's hope that this series may serve as a resource for other academic units involved in this process.
A survey of degree programs provided a useful perspective and set of tools in setting up an accompanying degree program at the University of South Carolina School of Music. The resources available at South Carolina, and the faculty loads and coursework already in place, dictated the following approach and actions concerning entrance requirements and degree requirements, and two tracks, instrumental and vocal, were created as part of the degree. A course proposal dealing with special topics in piano accompanying was also created to allow freedom for special interest studies within the degree. Having passed through the piano faculty, the degree now needs to go through the appropriate channels before being forwarded to the state Committee on Higher Education for approval.
Degree Requirements
Entrance Requirements
Accompanying Course Format
Vocal Accompanying Track
Instrumental Accompanying Track
Topics Course Proposal
Major area:
The major area of study constitutes 17 credit hours and consists of the following:
Music Research:
2 credit hrs.; MUSC 707 Music Bibliography and Research
Music History:
3 credit hrs.; appropriate placement by exam and advisor
Music Theory:
3 credit hrs.; one 700-level analytical course required
Elective Credit Hours:
To provide opportunities for specialization, degree candidates will be advised into appropriate course work from a list of cognate studies:
Suggested Electives - Vocal Track:
Suggested Electives - Instrumental Track:
MUSC 569/769 PIANO ACCOMPANYING COURSE FORMAT:
MUSC 569/769 Intermediate/Advanced Piano Accompanying is an ensemble coaching class. Students enrolled in MUSC 569/769 receive instruction in the basics of ensemble accompanying through demonstration of accompanying techniques and examination of the intrinsic properties of non-keyboard instruments. Student ensemble collaborations receive coaching on ensemble matters between themselves and their partners. Ensemble pairings normally result from graduate assistantship assignments, enrollment in MUSC 735, preparation of degree recitals and collaboration on undergraduate junior recitals, and assigned partnerships where needed. Course meetings are TBA and generally occur in late afternoon and early evening times to accommodate student schedules. Regular attendance at faculty and student recitals is expected and required.
MASTER OF MUSIC
Piano Accompanying: Vocal Track
MUSC 707 Music Bibliography and Research (2 credit hours)
Major Area Studies (17 credit total hours)
Piano Accompanying (4)
Music History (3)
Music Theory (3; one 700-level analytical course required)
Music Electives (7)
MASTER OF MUSIC
Piano Accompanying: Instrumental Track
MUSC 707 Music Bibliography and Research (2)
Major Area Studies (17 total credit hours)
Piano Accompanying (4)
Music History (3)
Music Theory (3; one 700-level analytical course required)
Music Electives (7)
To provide optimal opportunities for degree candidates to gain experience, to stay current in the field of Piano Accompanying, and to support a candidateÕs career potential, the following course is proposed:
MUSC 700 Current Trends in Piano Accompanying. (2 credit hours)
Special topics in piano accompanying such as research, pedagogy, advanced keyboard skills, opera and vocal coaching.
Justification:
Candidates for the degree "Master of Music in Piano Accompanying" enroll in a four-semester sequence of accompanying courses. As the field of piano accompanying continues to change and grow, it is imperative that a course in current accompanying trends be implemented to ensure that students graduate with skills and knowledge beyond the required sequence of course work. The proposed course provides accompanying faculty with an arena to experiment with new academic developments and to test and produce creative materials such as highly specialized course syllabi and texts. The strengths and needs of a particular class of graduate students are better served by a topics course that caters to their interests and supports their quest for employment in a highly competitive job market. The proposed course would be on an annual rotation and would examine a selected topic such as:
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