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Learn More About Mary Alice's Experience:

ear training I am a firm believer that the key to any good musician is a solid study of aural training. No matter what instrument you play or whether or not you plan on choosing music as your profession, the ability to look at a piece of music and hear the intervals before they are played as if you were reading a book is a skill that can't be compared to any other course in music. music history Another important aspect of knowing how music should be played or why it sounds the way it does when we listen, is in having a solid understanding of at which point in history that music was created. The more you know about where your music comes from, the more you can learn to appreciate it! music theory After studying music theory for over three years, it has come to be one of my greatest passions as a musician. I believe that theory is the key to a true appreciation of music and its mathematical ties. I have studied under two amazing and inspiring teachers, one of which is an orchestral composer, the other of which is a renowned jazz musician and critic. Both have given me a broad perspective on the application of theory in different settings of music. I also spent much of my time as an organ student studying the theory of the works of Pachelbel and J.S. Bach. piano I have taken piano lessons for over fifteen years, as well as organ lessons for eight years. Not only have I gained the necessary skills needed to show competency in my playing, but I have also learned to incorporate my knowledge of music theory to better enhance my teaching. I have taken lessons from a number of highly accredited instructors, all of which have emphasized the importance of expression and technique in my playing. I wish to continue that in striving for excellence in my own students. voice (music) I earned my degree in vocal music and have already had much success from the students taking voice lessons from me. I took a two-semester vocal pedagogy course which has helped the most in my own teaching, as well as did the skills I have gained from my own voice lessons over the past five years. I also find it interesting to bring in ideas from other sources into my teaching, such as breathing principals of yoga and the incorporation of history as a whole in the repertoire chosen. I am comfortable any age of student, from middle school to non-traditional students. As for my own experience in vocal music, I have participated in audition-based groups since the age of twelve, including the Iowa Opus Honor Choir, traveling to Vancouver with the Cantangeli Choir of NE Iowa, and being a three-year member of the highest-ranked choir at the University of Northern Iowa, Concert Chorale. I have also participated in the Iowa NATS competition, and most recently gave a recital in partial fulfillment of my degree. All of these experiences have given me a broader perspective on teaching as a whole and help in setting goals for my students.