UAH piano majors invited to present posters at Piano Pedagogy Symposium

Travis Dorman, Dr. Melody Ng, Alexandra Griffin, and Nick Zollo (l-r) will head to Utah for the Piano Pedagogy Symposium.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Nov. 4, 2013) - The Collegiate Chapter of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has been selected to present two research posters at the third annual MTNA Collegiate Chapters Piano Pedagogy Symposium.

Held this Nov. 8 and 9 at Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, the symposium brings together collegiate chapters and their advisors from across the country for lectures and workshops. This year's event will also feature a presentation from Peabody Award-winning radio host, author, and Juilliard faculty member David Dubal.

UAH's collegiate chapter was one of just four universities asked to present posters, says Dr. Melody Ng, assistant professor of piano at UAH and the chapter's faculty advisor. "I am very proud of their work," says Dr. Ng. "And while only three of the chapter's members are able to attend, the tremendous work of the entire student organization will be represented."

Those three students are piano majors Nick Zollo (senior), Travis Dorman (sophomore), and Alexandra Griffin (freshman), who will present their two posters entitled "Mini Guide to Mastering Performance Anxiety for Pianists," and "Strategies for an Engaging Piano Practice Session."

"This is a fantastic opportunity for them to present their research to a national audience and represent academic and music education at UAH," says Dr. Ng. "Many undergraduates may not have the opportunity to present at a conference, but the culture at UAH has allowed students here to learn beyond the classroom."