Piano Workshop and Academy for students and teachers offered June 20-24

GOSHEN, Ind. – Summer usually affords students and teachers the opportunity to take a break from one another. But the Goshen College Piano Workshop and Academy is a unique opportunity for piano teachers and students from across the nation to focus for a "four-day musical extravaganza" to learn new playing and teaching techniques in lectures and master classes, perform recitals and listen to nightly concerts.

This summer, from June 20 to 24, the Goshen College Department of Music will again host the 36th workshop and academy for area piano teachers and piano students. The program – which is held every other year – is for 13-18 year olds, and is open to students at varying levels. "Some students attend playing delightful shorter pieces by Burgmuller and Bartók, and others come in playing Chopin Etudes and Beethoven Sonatas," said Professor of Music Matthew Hill, one of the organizers.

This year's clinicians and guest artists will be Robert Weirich from the Kansas City Conservatory, Karin Redekopp and Mark Edwards (a duo piano team), Lisa Weinheimer Roebuck, Kevin Olson (composer of the year), as well as Goshen College professors Matthew Hill and Beverly Lapp.

The Goshen College Piano Workshop and Academy comprises lectures, master classes and recital performances presented by distinguished clinicians, composers and performers. Teachers participating in the workshop hear inspiring lectures relevant to piano pedagogy, performance and literature. Students enrolled in the academy participate in small group lessons with the artist faculty, practice time and other sessions toward the development of student pianists. Teachers and students meet together for student recitals, master classes and evening concerts. This intensive four-day musical extravaganza concludes with a concert devoted to newly learned piano duets and two piano pieces presented by the Academy pianists, as well as a premier of a new work commissioned for this event by the guest composer.

Recitals for the week will include performances by Matthew Hill on Sunday, June 20; Karin Redekopp and Mark Edwards on Tuesday, June 22, and a special performance of Bach's Goldberg Variations by guest artist Robert Weirich on Wednesday, June 23. All recitals, held in the Goshen College Music Center at 7:30 p.m., are free for workshop participants and $5 for all others.

Lectures topics presented will include: "Humanizing Bach," "The Ten Commandments of Technique," "Piano Music of Aaron Copland," "Baroque and Classical Style," "Gershwin Gets Off the Ground," "Chopin as Teacher," "Ideas for Beginning Composers," "Integrating Improvisation and Jazz," "Children as Critical Thinkers and Problem Solvers – Using the Kodály Approach" and "Taking the Long View with 'Slow' Learners."

In contrast to other available pedagogical workshops, "it is unique in that teachers and students are both involved," said Hill, "and this fosters a week-long event of communal learning and appreciation of the art of piano teaching and performance."

Like other camps, students and teachers reconnect with friends from past years and make new friends. "By the end of the week a healthy sense of community is fostered among all participants, highlighting everyone's gratitude for the gift of music," Hill said.

Piano teachers also find the week to be invigorating. "We hear repeatedly from the piano teachers in attendance how important they find the opportunity to troubleshoot and share ideas with others in the same profession," said Associate Professor of Music Beverly Lapp, an organizer for the event. "Over the years that has brought a lot of well-known names in the piano world to our campus and also established a strong association with piano training and Goshen College."

For nearly 40 years the Piano Workshop and Academy has stimulated and informed both teachers and students. Teachers, even those who return every year, comment on their renewed sense of energy, enthusiasm and interest and students always enjoy learning in a stimulating and supportive environment. As an outreach of the piano area of the Goshen College Music Department, we strive to promote the continued professional advancement of teachers while instilling the highest artistic standards for the next generation of pianists.

Applications are still being accepted. For more information about the Piano Workshop and Academy, fees and registration forms, visit www.goshen.edu/music/Piano_Workshop or call (574) 535-7361.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.