PIA: Piano

Wells School of Music

How to Read Course Descriptions

The bolded first line begins with a capitalized abbreviation that designates the subject area followed by the course number and title. The credit hour value is also displayed.

Components: Indicates that the course has multiple components, such as lecture (LEC) and laboratory (LAB). The corresponding faculty contact hours are included in parentheses [e.g., LEC (2), LAB (3)] but are not related to the number of credits the student receives.

The course description outlines what topics are covered in the course.

Prerequisites: Coursework and/or other requirements to be completed before taking the course.

Corequisites: Course(s) that must be taken in the same term.

"Recommended courses": Prerequisites or corequisites that are not required for enrollment in a particular course but would aid the student in successful completion of that course.

"Gen Ed Attribute for Students Admitted Prior to Fall 2020": Indicates the general education attributes that apply to a particular course for a student whose university admit term is before Fall 2020.

"Gen Ed Attribute for Students Admitted Fall 2020 and After": Indicates the general education attributes that apply to a particular course for a student whose university admit term is Fall 2020 or later.

"Gen Ed Attribute": Indicates the general education attributes that apply to a particular course, regardless of the student's university admit term.

General Education Key: List of available general education areas that a particular course may satisfy. Certain areas cannot be simultaneously satisfied by the same course. See General Education Requirements for more information.

SD - Science Distributive Requirement
BSD - Behavioral & Social Science Distributive Requirement
HD - Humanities Distributive Requirement
AD - Arts Distributive Requirement
EC - English Composition Requirement
I - Interdisciplinary Requirement
J - Diverse Communities Requirement
W - Writing Emphasis Requirement
SE - Speaking Emphasis Requirement
ET - Ethics Requirement
F - Foreign Languages Culture Cluster
AR - Arabic Culture Cluster
ASL - American Sign Language Culture Cluster
CC - Classical Civilizations Culture Cluster
FA - French & Francophone Area Culture Cluster
GER - German Culture Cluster
IT - Italian Culture Cluster
REE - Russian & Eastern European Culture Cluster
SP - Spanish Culture Cluster

Distance Education: Indicates if a course is approved to be offered via distance education. See the class schedule for details.

Consent: Department must give permission for a student to enroll in a course. Generally done through an electronic code that is created in myWCU, allowing the student to then enroll themselves into the course.

Typically Offered: Indicates what semester the course is usually offered. Availability is not guaranteed, as some courses are not offered every year.

Repeatable for Credit: Indicates if a student can take the course more than once and obtain credit. Verify the maximum allowable number of credits with the department.

Cross Listed: Indicates if there are any other course offerings that are considered equivalent to the course listing.

How to Read Course Descriptions

PIA 501. Piano Minor Private Lesson. 1 Credit.

Contact department for more information about this course.
Repeatable for Credit.

PIA 502. Piano Minor Private Lesson. 1 Credit.

Contact department for more information about this course.
Repeatable for Credit.

PIA 511. Piano Major Private Lesson. 1 Credit.

Contact department for more information about this course.

PIA 512. Piano Major Private Lesson. 1 Credit.

Contact department for more information about this course.

PIA 541. Advanced Piano Private Lesson. 3 Credits.

Individual, half-hour lessons once weekly. Advanced studies leading to a full-length recital at the master's level.

PIA 542. Advanced Piano Private Lesson. 3 Credits.

Individual, half-hour lessons once weekly. Advanced studies leading to a full-length recital at the master's level.

PIA 543. Advanced Piano Private Lesson. 3 Credits.

Individual, half-hour lessons once weekly. Advanced studies leading to a full-length recital at the master's level.

PIA 544. Advanced Piano Private Lesson. 3 Credits.

Contact department for more information about this course.

PIA 572. Accompanying I (Vocal). 3 Credits.

Survey of accompanying literature: (I) art songs, recitatives, cantata, opera, and oratorio arias; and (II) strings, winds, and brass. Performance and reading in class.

PIA 573. Accompanying II (Instrumental). 3 Credits.

Survey of accompanying literature: (I) art songs, recitatives, cantata, opera, and oratorio arias; and (II) strings, winds, and brass. Performance and reading in class.

PIA 578. Piano Pedagogy Private Lesson. 2 Credits.

Contact department for more information about this course.
Repeatable for Credit.

PIA 579. Piano Pedagogy Private Lesson (Including Recital). 2 Credits.

Contact department for more information about this course.

PIA 580. Perspectives in Pedagogy IV. 3 Credits.

Pedagogical techniques, materials and historical perspectives will be presented as a foundation for teaching the advanced level student. Coordinated areas will include the history of the piano, great pianists and teachers, historical and modern approaches to artistic expression through technique, professional business matters, and adjudication. The role of the teacher as mentor will be explored.

PIA 581. Perspectives in Pedagogy I. 3 Credits.

Pedagogical techniques and materials for teaching the beginner. Exploration of learning styles and approaches to the teaching of reading rhythm, musical expression and techniques. Related areas will include practical psychology, adult beginners, motivation, and the student/teacher dynamic. Exploration of beginning methods and materials, and teaching techniques for solving learning challenges. Video-taping may be used.

PIA 582. Perspectives in Pedagogy II. 3 Credits.

Pedagogical techniques and materials for teaching the advancing elementary student. Exploration of additional issues relating to practicing musical awareness and sight- reading. Related areas will include group dynamics in learning and teaching in both the traditional studio setting and the multi-piano setting. Exploration of elementary piano repertoire and group piano method books. Practicum includes discussion of current teaching techniques and strategies for addressing learning challenges. Videos may be used.

PIA 583. Perspectives in Pedagogy III. 3 Credits.

Pedagogical techniques and materials will be presented for teaching the intermediate to early advanced student. Exploration of further issues related to practicing, performing, memorizing and enhanced problem-solving techniques. Topics will include teaching based on a creative and constructive-thinking model, the adolescent and pre-adolescent student, and related communication issues. Exploration of intermediate piano repertoire including non-classical styles. Practicum includes discussion of current teaching techniques and strategies for addressing pedagogical challenges at this level.

PIA 588. Advanced Lessons. 2 Credits.

Individual one-hour lessons once weekly, for students in the M.M. in piano pedagogy degree.

PIA 589. Advanced Lessons. 2 Credits.

Individual one-hour lessons once weekly, for students in the M.M. in piano pedagogy degree.

PIA 608. The Music Of Chopin. 3 Credits.

A comprehensive study of the contributions of Frederic Chopin to keyboard literature.

PIA 623. Baroque Keyboard Literature. 3 Credits.

The Renaissance through development of variation form and dance suite. Emphasis on performance practices, realizing ornament signs and figured basses; transferral to the modern piano; in-depth study of works of Handel, J.S. Bach, and D. Scarlatti. Some student performance required.

PIA 624. Classical Piano Literature. 3 Credits.

Literature for the early piano (1750-1830). Origin and development of the sonata and performance practices of homophonic style. Music of the sons of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Sound and structure of the early piano. Some student performance required.

PIA 625. Romantic Piano Literature. 3 Credits.

Analysis of piano styles of Schubert, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Faure, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, and Grieg. Performance practices. The virtuoso etude and problems of technical execution. Some student performance required.

PIA 626. 20TH Century Piano Literature. 3 Credits.

Seminal works and styles of this century. Albeniz, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Ravel, Prokofiev, Hindemith, Schoenberg, Bartok, and American composers. Some student performance required.

PIA 631. Performance Practicum. 1 Credit.

Discussion and demonstration of practical performance issues in teaching the piano, including preparation and memorization. Videos may be used.

PIA 681. Independent Study In Music. 1 Credit.

Contact department for more information about this course.

PIA 683. Independent Study In Music. 3 Credits.

Contact department for more information about this course.

PIA 695. Recital (Piano Pedagogy). 1 Credit.

A full recital of concert works or pedagogical pieces, or a lecture-recital. Required of candidates for the master of music in piano pedagogy.
Consent: Permission of the Department required to add.

PIA 696. Recital. 1 Credit.

A shared (half) recital open to candidates for the master of music degree (music education concentration). In lieu of research report. Program notes required.
Consent: Permission of the Department required to add.

PIA 697. Recital. 2 Credits.

A full public recital, demonstrating an understanding of various performance styles and an ability to perform literature from several periods. Required of candidates for the master of music in performance.
Consent: Permission of the Department required to add.

PIA: Piano

How to Read Course Descriptions

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