Dr. Nancy Allred - Intermediate Level Technique & Literature

Utah Music Teachers Association
St. George Chapter

Presentation:
Randalin Hilton introduced our presenter, Dr. Nancy Allred, who in addition to being a long-time member of our chapter, is the head of the Piano Pedagogy Department at DSC, and is the accompanist and assistant director of the Heritage Choir.

Nancy talked to us about “discovering intermediate piano levels”, with a “focus on technique and literature”. She gave out several handouts. One of them was her Piano Technique steps that she uses with her students. She said that she does not move students on to the next level until they can play the step they are on easily at the metronome level listed. She stressed the importance of teaching scales and having them practice them regularly so that “with each level, they have the goods to play” the literature. She gives her students four scales each week. She asked teachers at what level of their method books do they branch out into intermediate material.

Nancy feels that AIM and other adjudication are helpful guides as long as the teacher doesn't narrowly teach to the test. She talked about her other handouts. One was the “Licentiate of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Piano Performance Syllabus”, which contained the repertoire list that they use for their LRCM examination. She said about it that it is the “Magnum opi of what you would want your students to know. She had made copies of the first few pages of each level of the California Association of Professional Music Teachers and gave us the website for it.
Nancy showed us two books that are very useful in determining levels: Standard Piano Teaching Literature by Jane McGrath, and Guide to the Piansist's Repertoire by Maurice Hinson. She also discussed leveled literature series such as those put out by Bastien and Snell. Her favorite of those is Bastien Piano Literature, Book 3.
Nancy shared other helpful insights that made for a very practical, informative meeting.