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Music, BM - Performance Option: Piano and Piano Pedagogy

Bachelor of Music - Piano Degree

The University of Central Missouri’s Music Performance degree with an emphasis in Piano and Piano Pedagogy prepares you for a professional career in music with a focus on practical skills for the modern era. With UCM’s well-rounded bachelor’s degree in Piano, you’ll strengthen your performance capabilities while developing skills in social media marketing, music business and entrepreneurship.

A modern piano degree to prepare you for the careers of tomorrow.

Whether you’re interested in pursuing a graduate degree or a career as a private piano teacher, entrepreneur, concert pianist or music school faculty member, you’ll receive the world-class musical training and experience gained by UCM music majors for more than 150 years. Through a wide range of performance opportunities, small classes and applied lessons, you’ll further develop your unique musical voice. If you’re looking for a bachelor’s degree with valuable immersive learning opportunities and a tight-knit musical community, UCM’s Performance degree with an emphasis in Piano is for you.

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All-Steinway School

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Multiple performance opportunities

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Teach in a community music program

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24-hour practice rooms for piano majors

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Personalized study with expert faculty

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Guest artists and performance clinics

 

What you will study

As a Piano major at UCM, you’ll build on your practical skills, enhance your performance capabilities and discover how to market yourself for success. In addition to music theory and history, you’ll study essential performance topics in private applied lessons and piano teaching methods in optional small-class piano pedagogy courses. You can also take courses in music technology, composition or other aspects of music to develop your interests.

The bachelor’s degree in Piano is a multifaceted program offering a diverse range of courses, including:

  • Piano Pedagogy: Explore musical learning processes and improve your skills in teaching piano with the latest instructional techniques.
  • Piano Literature Through Beethoven: Learn the history of music for the piano in the Baroque and Classical eras.
  • Music Business Practices: Position yourself for a successful music career by learning to book gigs, develop your web presence and understand elements of entrepreneurship such as copyright, taxes and more.

 

Excellence in Piano

  • One of the first universities in Missouri to be designated an All-Steinway School. We are also a Conn-Selmer school, with a large collection of high-quality instruments from that premier company.
  • Top 15%: Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Music (College Factual, 2022)
  • A Most Focused College for General Music (College Factual, 2022)
  • Top 8%: Most Popular Colleges for General Music (College Factual, 2022)
  • Top 15%: Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Music (College Factual, 2022)

Unique learning opportunities in piano and piano pedagogy

At the University of Central Missouri, we provide our Piano majors with a variety of hands-on learning opportunities and real-life performance experiences to improve your playing and professional networking skills. 

  • Enrichment: Piano-focused Performance students enjoy access to on-campus piano clinics and performances with world-class renowned educators and guest artists such as Nelita True, Thomas Schumacher, Alan Chow and Natalya Antonova.
  • Teaching: Students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Piano who take the Piano Pedagogy course sequence benefit from piano teaching practicum placements that include faculty observation and feedback. In later semesters, you’ll teach private lessons in your own mini-studio and through UCM’s community music program.
  • Volunteering: You’ll use your skills in teaching piano to benefit your community and gain valuable in-person experience with music students of all ages. Students in UCM’s Piano degree program volunteer in community service activities through the Missouri Federation of Music Clubs and the Missouri Music Teachers Association. 
  • Career-building: UCM ensures that our Piano and Piano Pedagogy majors graduate with polished skills in self-promotion via social media, digital distribution of recordings, creating a personal website and other business techniques that will benefit your career.

 

What can you do with a bachelor's degree in Piano from UCM

Graduates of excellent piano schools like UCM possess the skills to make a living as a musician. No matter your performance or career aspirations, UCM is here to help you prepare for a successful future.

Many UCM Piano majors earn advanced degrees in performance or music education in order to pursue a career as a college-level piano professor. Our bachelor’s degree in Piano program also prepares you with the performance skills, practical know-how and technical savvy you need for a career as a freelance pianist, private instructor or touring musician. 

What’s next for graduates from piano schools?

Use the interactive tool below to learn more about exciting careers, earning potential and job growth.

 

 
 


 

Financial assistance options for your Piano degree

The University of Central Missouri offers you a variety of opportunities to make your Piano degree more affordable. You may qualify for one of our multiple sources of financial aid, including scholarships, grants and work-study positions that can help offset the cost of your education.

UCM’s general need- and merit-based scholarships are open to future freshmen, current undergraduates, transfer students and out-of-state students. When you enroll in one of our Piano programs, you can also apply for UCM scholarships reserved for Piano majors, such as:

  • Dr. Richard B. Smith Piano Scholarship 
  • Marion B. Davies Memorial Scholarship
  • Joan Hubbel Scholarship in Music

Learn more about scholarships for students enrolled in Piano programs by using the UCM Scholarship Finder.

 

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Take your degree further.

UCM’s graduate degrees in Music can help you further hone your craft and expand your marketability for jobs in education and performance. Piano majors at UCM go on to pursue a variety of graduate concentrations in our Master of Arts in Music program, including:

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Make yourself more marketable.

If you’re planning to teach privately or want to enhance your technical knowledge of music, you may benefit from adding a minor to your Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from UCM:

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Explore programs related to Piano and Piano Pedagogy.

UCM offers a wide range of Music degrees. If you’re looking into degrees outside of Piano programs or classical performance, consider these:

Expand Your Experience with Piano Pedagogy Skills

UCM can take your piano degree further by helping you develop piano teaching skills in addition to musicianship and performance expertise. By honing competencies in teaching piano, you’ll diversify your professional abilities while becoming a better musician. 

Don’t just get a degree – get resume-worthy experience too. Your optional Piano Pedagogy coursework at UCM will include hands-on learning through practicums and even your own mini-studio where you’ll teach private lessons through UCM’s community music program. You’ll have access to instruction in music education and teaching theory that is usually reserved for graduate students. Whether you want to be a piano teacher or performer, pursue a graduate degree in music or use your piano skills to support a portfolio career in music, this multifaceted degree will prepare you for your future.

 

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