Hutchinson Piano Studio
Bryan Hutchinson is a native to New Mexico, growing up north of Santa Fe. He began piano lessons at the age of 8. He had several teachers in the middle school and high school years. He was active in the school bands, choirs, and musical productions. After high school, he began studies at ENMU, Portales.
In 1984-85, he took a break from college and traveled with Up With People, an international music production that took him to 11 different countries, traveling with 120 youth from 17 different nations. Some of his more memorable performances include a concert in Verona, Italy, for 50,000 people; and 2 performances for Pope John Paul II, at the Vatican City, and in Canada. Staying with host families was a special introduction to different cultures and ways of life, and he retained contact with these wonderful people.
Upon completion of his year touring, he returned to ENMU, where he completed all the courses for pedagogy (the Art of Teaching). The pedagogy curriculum included 4 semesters of Pedagogy, Child and Adolescent Psychology, and the History and Nature of the Piano. In addition to piano pedagogy, he has taken 2 courses of Pedagogy of Theory. Following this, he transferred to NMSU where he completed the Bachelors in Piano Performance. During this time, he performed concerts in Mexico, was the Music Teachers National Association NM state winner of the Collegiate Competition, and the regional representative. He has since been active as a member of the MTNA, both as a student member, and as a professional. As an undergraduate student he was asked by the piano faculty to teach class piano to undergraduate music majors in preparation for their piano proficiency exams. In the summer of 1991 he was a Piano Instructor at the Hummingbird Music Camp in Jemez, New Mexico In 1993, he moved to Alb, and began studies there, as a graduate student.
In 1995, Bryan moved to Lansing Michigan, and resumed studies for the masters degree in piano performance, at Michigan State University. He completed his degree in 1997. While there, he helped form a trio with a bassoonist and a clarinetist. This trio performed widely throughout the US. They were invited to compete in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in South Bend, IN, in May of 1999, and were Semi-Finalists. They also arranged a benefit concert for victims of the war in Kosovo, via the International Red Cross. He had an active piano studio at the same time.
Following this, and missing the sun and mountains, Bryan moved to Tucson, AZ. He lived there for 5 years, teaching piano, music history, and theory, serving on the board of the Tucson Music Teachers Association, and hiking as often as possible.
Bryan has had an active accompanying career; including many Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degree recitals. Additionally, he has accompanied Ballet, Orchestras, Choirs, as well as solo performances. He then moved to Ruidoso, NM, and has set up a private piano studio. His teaching philosophy it that the importance of music participation and education in our lives is often overlooked in society. We divide people into groups and attach labels that can be limiting; some people are “musicians”, some are “athletes”, some “tone-deaf”, some “talented”. Yet we all participate in music as passive listeners; the question is if we all choose to participate actively as well.
As a musician and educator, his goal is to make music accessible to everyone; to provide an environment that is safe and encouraging, challenging yet enjoyable. It’s his job to share with others our rich history of music, without prejudice to a particular style. Like languages and art, music can be alive and personal, or distant and dull. His love of music challenges him to share it with others, to find ways to make it relevant and exciting. His curriculum is tailored to the interests and needs of the individual student, teaching an age range from young children to mature adults, each with unique talents. His experience is that we want to study only that which is already familiar to us, so he encourages students to study many musical styles and learn an appreciation of all types of music. With this, and a solid technique of keyboard skills, they can enjoy a lifetime of music participation.
There is no one “method” that serves everyone, so he uses a variety of method books and supplemental literature. Theory is an essential part of music and he encourages exploring the integration of playing music and understanding it. This is done by relating concepts to the pieces being studied, focused listening to recordings, and exercises in imagination and visual art; all to create a balance in the experience and to nurture each students particular gifts. The objective of lessons is to explore a natural musical talent, to develop a musical ear and mind, and to develop skills at the piano so that we become thinking and feeling musicians. With younger students the participation of parents can greatly aid in the success of the child. It is helpful to set a regular practice time in a quiet and pleasant atmosphere. The benefits of music study far exceed merely playing piano; they help the student learn self-discipline, structured time management, develop abstract thinking, and enhance a lifetime of music appreciation and participation.
Currently accepting students of all ages and levels. Please contact me at : Bryan Hutchinson
Sample Audio Clips Below
Song For Damon - B. Hutchinson (2007)
Danza de la moza donosa - A. Ginastera (1939)
Fantaisie-Impromptu - F. Chopin (1834)
Prelude #5, Op 23- S. Rachmaninoff (1901)
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