Prospective Piano Students
Thank you for your interest in Piano Studies at UALR!
This page will provide you with helpful information and answers to questions you may have regarding piano lessons. Music study at UALR can take several forms. For undergraduates, this includes the BA Music Major, the Music Minor, or elective study in music. For graduate students, this includes the Master of Education degree with an emphasis in music, or the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies degree with an emphasis in music.
For elective piano study, no audition is required. Beginners should enroll in Class Piano 1 to start lessons. Students with previous piano training who read treble and bass clef and play hands together at the level of having passed Class Piano 2 with a B or higher may enroll in private lessons in MUPR 1126 or 1226, by permission of instructor. However, admission to the BA Music Major as a piano principal, private lessons in MUPR 2226 and higher, is by audition only. Auditions are scheduled by appointment during the Fall and Spring semesters, and summer. Prospective majors whose principal instrument is piano should prepare a short program according to the following guidelines:
- Two contrasting pieces. Each piece should represent a different historical style (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or Twentieth Century).
- At least one of the selections should be performed from memory.
- Students are encouraged to present music that shows their highest technical proficiency. The minimum repertoire standard for admission as a piano principal is the Intermediate/Moderately Difficult level, comparable to the following list of pieces:
BAROQUE:
One of the Little Preludes by J.S. Bach
Sonata in G, L. 84/K. 63 or
Sonata in F, L. 75/K. 78 by D. ScarlattiCLASSICAL:
Sonatinas by Diabelli, Kuhlau
7 Variations on “Nel cor piu non mi sento”
or “6 Variations on a Swiss Song” by BeethovenROMANTIC:
An easier Song Without Words by Mendelssohn
An easier prelude by Chopin, such as Op. 28 #4, 6, or 20
A selection from Schumann’s Album for the Young, Op. 68
To a Wild Rose by E. MacDowell20TH CENTURY:
A selection from 15 Children’s Pieces, Op. 27 by Kabalevsky
such as #11 Sonatina, or #8 Etude
A selection from Mikrokosmos, Vol. III by Bartok
A selection from Pour les Enfants by A. Tansman
Students applying for scholarship aid are advised that those auditions (audition dates), held separately by the Scholarship Committee in October and February, are competitive. Repertoire should exceed the minimum level of difficulty for serious scholarship consideration.
Please contact us at the Music Department if we can be of further assistance as you prepare for college. We welcome your involvement in our program!
Keyboard Faculty:
Dr. Linda Holzer
Professor of Music
Coordinator of Classical Piano Studies; Piano;
Piano Pedagogy; Piano Literature; Aural Skills;
Perspectives on Careers in Music
Office: FA101-D
Phone: (501) 569-8436
lrholzer@ualr.edu
Dr. Naoki Hakutani
Visiting Assistant Prof. of Music
Coordinator of Group Piano Studies; Piano; Chamber Music; Theory
Office: FA101-C
Phone: (501) 683-7230
nxhakutani@ualr.edu
Ms. Nancy Griffin
Instructor
Group Piano
Office: FA109-C
Phone: (501) 683-7231
nancygriffin@centurytel.net
Ms. Trudy Kincade
Instructor
Coordinator of Piano Accompanying; Harpsichord; Piano
Office: FA110
Phone: (501) 569-8776
gcktrudy@aol.com
Mr. Michael Heavner
Instructor
Audio Technology; MIDI; Piano
Office: FA109-C
Phone: (501) 683-7231
mwheavner@ualr.edu
Ms. Kristina Marinova-Pavlov
Instructor
Vocal Coach/Accompanist (Choir & Opera)
Office: FA110
Phone: (501) 569-8776
silver-sea-fin@hotmail.com
Mr. Tom Cox
Instructor
Coordinator of Jazz Piano Studies; Jazz Combos (instrumental & vocal)
Office: FA218
Phone: (501) 569-3294
tcoxjazz_2006@yahoo.com
For a summary of degree requirements in classical piano, please consult the Guidelines for Piano Principals.