VC 531 Keyboard Skills for Voice Teachers
This course is a graduate level keyboard skills class designed for vocalists, voice teachers, and any students interested in developing piano techniques useful for teaching in the voice studio. No prior piano experience required. Through scales and arpeggios, fingering principles, and common accompanimental patterns, students will learn a basic approach to piano technique to aid in simplifying complex accompaniments. Skills such as score simplification, sight-reading, and vocalise accompaniments will be introduced. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on tone production, articulation, phrasing, ensemble, and textural choices that would enhance the vocal production and comfort of a voice student. Students will be individually evaluated in each class period on their weekly progress with the assigned materials. The midterm exam will be a short solo piano piece assigned based on the individual level of each student, and the final project is a performance of an art song by pairs of classmates, using simplification tools introduced throughout the semester. The material covered is intended to provide students with the necessary pianistic tools to comfortably support vocalists in the teaching studio.