Music Department Offers New Piano Pedagogy Certificate Program

Ohio Christian University (OCU) is now offering a new certificate program in Piano Pedagogy for students majoring in music. This program is valuable for students who wish to open a private piano studio and those who are studying Worship Leadership and plan to teach piano to their congregants. Area piano teachers will also find the Piano Pedagogy Certificate program to be an excellent resource for expanding and honing their pedagogic skills.

Designed for teaching all ages and levels of piano students, this program includes a two- to four-semester hands-on supervised teaching internship through Studio One in Circleville, Ohio. Psychology courses exploring child, adolescent, and cognitive development are also included in the curriculum. Completing this program helps prepare pedagogy students to apply for the Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM) designation of the Music Teachers National Association.

“This program is an eclectic survey of piano teaching methods,” explains Dr. Rebecca Grooms Johnson, who developed and is instructing the program's curriculum. “We examine the strengths and limitations of various pedagogic methods and teaching techniques, and learn how to apply them to various individual student needs. These needs can include optimal motor skill development, speed and style of learning, and the best use of various genres of repertoire (e.g. classical, hymns, jazz, pop, lead lines) to guide students toward accomplishing their goals for a positive learning experience. Course topics also include best business practices in managing a studio, using current software and apps to support learning, and avoiding teacher burnout.”

Dr. Johnson, who leads and instructs the piano pedagogy certificate program, is a nationally recognized leader in the field of piano pedagogy. She is a past president of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) and chaired the Certification Commission that rewrote the requirements for the Nationally Certified Teacher of Music designation from MTNA.  She holds degrees from Capital University and The Ohio State University.

To find out more about the Piano Pedagogy Certificate, click here.