By SUZANNE BONNER
suzanne@du2.byu.edu
Jane Tan has found herself a new mission. Formerly an instructor at Towson State University in Maryland, Tan has founded the N. Jane Tan Pedagogy Institute -- a 12-month piano pedagogy program designed to train students to understand all aspects of piano performance.
Tan offers courses in Las Vegas and Phoenix and recently decided to teach another course in Orem. The next 12-month pedagogy course will begin sometime in July and take place at Summerhays Music in Orem.
Originally from the Philippines, Tan completed her undergraduate work from the Santo Tomas University Conservatory of Music and went on to receive an advanced degree at the Peabody Institute with Leon Fleisher.
Tan believes the piano has lost its respectability as an instrument capable of producing beautiful music and realized piano students of recent generations need to be retrained.
'In the last 50 years we have gradually divorced ourselves from the piano,' Tan said.
Many piano instructors just teach the piece of music, Tan said.
'One problem we encounter is that we live in a society of instant results,' Tan said. 'We cut out so many things because we're in a hurry.'
To deal with these problems, Tan has invented a piano pedagogy program where teachers will allow students to graduate from a five-year program. Tan wrote her own pedagogy materials as a teaching tool and then went on to design a full course. Under Maurice Hinson's advice, Tan had her pedagogy materials published, titled the 'Well-Prepared Pianist.'
'I've written music that doesn't cut out all the essentials,' Tan said. 'All the necessary gestures are presented, like moving all over the piano.'
The pedagogy program includes one private lesson a month, two classes and around 20 hours of teaching observation, Tan said.
'Success as a piano student doesn't come from winning a competition,' Tan said. 'Success is measured if years later that student can teach his or her grandchild -- that's real success.'
Teachers enrolled in Tan's pedagogy course are finding the experience worthwhile.
'Instead of concentrating on 'cute pieces,' (Tan) is concentrating on producing tone and beautiful music,' said piano instructor Barbara Elison from Orem.
Mimi Tate, from Hurricane, Washington County, believes Tan's teaching style is far different than other teachers she's taken courses from.
'One of her greatest strengths is that she is helping teachers to teach what it means to be an artist rather than just a technician,' Tate said.
Tate teaches private lessons and has been studying piano for over thirty years.
'I've never had this kind of intensive training,' Tate said. 'It's been the best I've ever received for teaching purposes.'