SMU was the first program of its kind in the U.S. when it was founded in 1963 by Louise Bianchi. Already well-known in the field, Ms. Bianchi made it her mission to develop her graduate students' teaching skills by way of a 2-year practicum that incorporates both group and private teaching. Since then, notable leaders in the field have passionately assumed her position including our current Dean, Dr. Samuel Holland. To this day, there remains an equal dual-focus in SMU’s Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. Not only are our graduate students beautiful and accomplished performers, but they also wish for teaching to be a significant part of their career. Each MMPP student has a deep interest and passion for both performance and teaching.
 
The practical experience gained at SMU involves 10 -12 contact hours per week teaching class piano to music majors and non-majors at the collegiate level as well as private and group lessons from beginner to advancing pre-collegiate levels in the famed Piano Preparatory Department. Our teachers are guided by three faculty supervisors, each with multiple degrees and significant experience in piano performance and in piano pedagogy. Each graduate student also receives weekly applied lessons throughout the degree from renowned piano professors  - Prof. Joaquin Achucarro,  Dr. David Karp, Dr. Carol Leone, Dr. Catharine Lysinger -  to develop his/her own performance skill.
 
Every season, we seek 2-3 highly qualified individuals to earn full tuition plus a generous assistantship (up to $9,000 in 2022-23) to join our exciting program as pianists and teachers. We also offer the opportunity to teach at the nationally-known summertime Institute for Young Pianists (insert website). We hope you will take a few minutes to explore our site to see what the SMU Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy is all about!