curriculum_vitae.pdf
File Size: 136 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Amy Aberg McLelland NCTM:
Hoover, Alabama | C: 205-908-5830  |  [email protected]

Summary
Pianist, church musician, teacher, composer, lecturer, adjudicator, expert in injury prevention and ergonomic piano technic and the Taubman Approach. Teaching philosophy centered on discovering new and effective ways to challenge students, inspire artistry, and nurture talent, always placing the welfare of students over any personal gain.

Core Qualifications
  • Award winning pianist whose playing has been described as “ravishing, with a wonderful variety of tone colors and nuance of interpretation.”
  • Piano teacher in colleges, universities, and independent studios for over 30 years.
  • Expert in injury prevention, piano wellness, and the Taubman Approach coaching concert pianists and professional musicians from around the world to discover new levels of freedom and virtuosity, overcome technical and musical limitations, pain, fatigue, and even injury. Based upon a thorough understanding of coordinate movement, the Taubman Approach provides a vocabulary to describe the motions that function underneath a virtuoso technique and allows pianists to develop the skills required to play difficult music with greater tonal control, accuracy, clarity, and speed.
  • Collaborative artist, most recently performing with Alabama Symphony Orchestra members and concertmaster, Daniel Szasz.

Achievements
  • Nationally Certified Teacher through MTNA, 1990-present
  • Certified teacher Golandsky Piano Institute, 2011
  • Member Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society
  • Member National Honor Society
  • 1990 State Winner for Alabama and Southeastern Regional prize winner of the MTNA Collegiate Artist Competition
  • Winner Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Audition
  • Louise McAllister Scholarship
  • Luke A. and Mary M. Wood Scholarship
  • Music Scholarship, Gordon College
  • Hindman Foundation Fellowship
  • Recipient MTNA Teacher Enrichment Grant
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of Alabama
  • Students regularly receive the highest ratings in competitions and are recipients of numerous awards and scholarships
  • Recipient “Best of Hoover Award in Music Education” 2019 and 2020, Membership to Hall of Fame, 2020
  • Composer of advanced chamber and solo piano works, pedagogical works, piano method, sacred and choral works.
  • Author/composer “88 Keys to Mastering the Piano”, a comprehensive, graded piano method. Student and teacher tested over the past decade, this is the first piano method to incorporate important principles of the Taubman Approach.
  • Author, “The Pug Bible” e-book.and "The Pug Puppy Primer" e-book.

Professional Experience
  • Owner/Director/Teacher Independent Piano Studio, September 1986 to Present: Provide comprehensive instruction through an upbeat, creative, rewarding curriculum.
  • Expert in ergonomic motion, healthy piano-technic, and injury prevention and rehabilitation: Coach pianists from all over the world including amateurs, college professors, and professional musicians.
  • Piano Instructor, Taubman Piano Institute's International Summer Symposium at Amherst and Williams College, Massachusetts 1996 to 2003.  (Instruct pianists from around the world in ways to eliminate technical limitation, tension, and fatigue, and improve tonal control.)
  • Piano Instructor and administrative assistant at Golandsky Piano Institute's International Summer Symposium at Princeton University, New Jersey, 2003-2018. (Instruct pianists from across the world, assist with the concert series, coordinate with television crew for interviews and promotional clips, fundraising.), 2004-2013.                                             
  • Freelance pianist, September 1982-present. (solo and collaborative recitals, soloist with symphonies and other large chamber groups, pianist for church and civic choirs, musicals, pianist for weddings and receptions; harpsichordist in orchestras and chamber groups; piano accompanist for college and university music majors and faculty (University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi College, Birmingham Southern College, Gordon College, Alabama School of Fine Arts)
  • Piano soloist, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
  • Accompanist, Gordon College Choir
  • Pianist, Gordon College Jazz Band
  • Harpsichordist, New England Chamber Orchestra
  • Accompanist, Twickenham Singers, Huntsville, Alabama
  • Pianist, Rehearsal Coach Opera Department University of Alabama
  • MTNA Official Accompanist, 1990-1994
  • Church Musician (Pianist and Assistant Music Director, Vacation Bible School Church of the Nativity, 1980s; Pianist, First Presbyterian Church, Hattiesburg, MS, 1990s; Children's Choir Director and Pianist, First Presbyterian Church, Laurel, MS, 1990s; Pianist, Substitute Organist, Harpsichordist, Independent Presbyterian Church, Birmingham, AL, 2000-present; Summer Pianist/Organist and Choir Director, 2000-present; Episcopal Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Indian Springs, AL; Pianist; St. Mary’s of the Highlands Birmingham, AL; Composer, Sacred Music for Choir, Congregation, Instruments, Piano, Organ.)
  • Substitute Piano Instructor Alabama School of Fine Arts, January 2003 to May 2003
  • Adjunct Music Instructor, Jefferson State Community College, Birmingham, Alabama, (taught Music Appreciation), August 2000 to May 2002
  • Piano Professor, William Carey College, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, (taught piano concentrations, piano pedagogy, piano literature), August 1999 to May 2000
  • Adjunct Piano Instructor, William Carey College, (taught piano secondaries, piano majors, piano pedagogy, piano  literature), August 1991 to May 2000
    
Education and Training
  • Post-Graduate Studies, 1990 to Current
  • Private instruction with
    • Edna Golandsky, NYC, 1996 to current
    • John Bloomfield, NYC and Atlanta, 2000 to current
    • Nina Scolnick, University of California, Irvine, 1996
    • Ilya Itin, NYC, Winner Leeds Competition, 2000-2006
  • Taubman Symposium Amherst College, MA, 1996
  • Taubman Symposiums Williams College, MA 1997-2002
  • Golandsky Symposiums Princeton University, NJ, 2003-2017
  • Attendee and lecturer at International, National, and State and Local Music Conferences and Workshops
  • Master of Music, Piano Performance, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, 1990                                              
  • Bachelor of Music, Piano Performance, Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts, 1986       
  • Randolph School, Huntsville, Alabama, (K-12 except for Freshman year at NCSA)
  • North Carolina School of the Performing Arts (ballet major, piano minor), 1978-1979    
 
Certifications
  • Nationally Certified Teacher of Music in Piano, Music Teachers National Association, 1990 to current
  • Certified Instructor, The Golandsky Piano Institute, 2011
 
Volunteer Work
  • President, Birmingham Music Teachers Association
  • Southern Division Competitions Coordinator, Music Teachers National Association
  • Treasurer, Hattiesburg Music Teachers League
  • Coordinator, Panoply of the Arts Piano Festival, Huntsville, AL
  • Secretary, Birmingham Metro Music Forum
  • Webmaster, Birmingham Music Teachers Forum and Music Teachers Association
  • State Coordinator for Mississippi, Music Teachers National Association Music Link Program
  • Scholarship Chair, Alabama Federation of Music Clubs
  • Librarian, Birmingham Music Teachers Association
  • Vice-President of Programs, Jackson Music Teachers Association and Birmingham Music Teachers Association
  • Competition Chair: Mississippi Federation of Music Clubs, Birmingham Keyboard Artist Competition
  • Vice-President of Publicity, Hattiesburg Music Teachers League
  • Chair, Birmingham Metro Music Forum’s New Music Festival
  • Chair, Birmingham Music Teachers Association Sonata Competition
  • Volunteer work in churches
  • Volunteer work for animal rescue groups
 
Affiliations
  • Music Teachers National Association
  • Alabama Music Teachers Association
  • Birmingham Metro Music Forum
  • Birmingham Music Teachers Association
  • Pug Dog Club of America
 
Lectures and Presentations
  • Astound with Sound – Rebound, Don’t Pound! – January, 2021
  • The Need for Speed
  • Teaching the Tools of Virtuosity from the Start
  • No Pain is Your Gain
  • If It Hurts Here, Check There
  • Pianist in Motion
  • Designing a Studio Policy
  • Teaching the Tools of Virtuosity from the Beginning
  • Beyond Soft and Loud
  • Healthy Virtuosity with the Taubman Approach
  • Baroque Court Dancing
  • Periwigs and Codas
  • The Key’s the Key
  • Pianist in Ensemble
  • Technic Toolbox
  • Choreography of Sound
  • The Art of Effortless Playing
  • Future topics: 88 Keys to Master Piano Playing (method book)
  • Inspiration and Artistry
 
Personal Information
  • Native of Huntsville, Alabama, attended Randolph School, student of Frances Schwemmer, attended North Carolina School of the Arts, ballet/piano double major, student of Eric Larsen; She attended The Episcopal Church of the Nativity and also participated in EYC at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Huntsville. Her father was one of the original engineers at Redstone Arsenal, then later NASA, designing the tip of Apollo and many other rockets and projects like Saturn. Her mother was a pianist, K-3 music teacher, private piano teacher, and also church organist at many churches including Grace Lutheran, Huntsville. Her maternal grandmother was the daughter of a midwife in the Appalachian Mountains and a Barber, and her maternal grandfather was an engineer at TVA. Her paternal grandmother and grandfather lived in Sweden, where her father was raised. Her "Far far" was also an engineer and her Far more was an incredible baker and homemaker.
  • Married since 1990 to Dr. Jeff McLelland, Director of Music and Fine Arts at Independent Presbyterian Church, and organist at Tempel Emanu-el in Birmingham, Alabama. Jeff received his degrees in organ performance from Eastman, University of Southern Mississippi, and University of Alabama. He has served as a church musician since he was 13 years of age in Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches, performed in Carnegie Hall, cathedrals in Europe, served as AGO officer, and more.
  • Hobbies: hiking, camping, reading, traveling, soap-making, composing, dog training, breeding and showing champion show pugs in obedience and conformation, animal rescue.
  • Breed preservationist, trainer, owner PickwickPugs.com, the McLellands have finished 10 AKC champions, received Breeder of Merit status, and receiving multiple titles and awards for their pugs.
  • Fundraiser for animal rescue and Health Research for the Pug Breed through Painting Pugcassos and Pugiano.com
 
References                                                                                             _                                               
Edna Golandsky, Founder and Artistic Director of The Golandsky Piano Institute, NY, NY;
Frances Schwemmer, Huntsville, AL
Royce Boyer, Huntsville, AL
John Bloomfield, Faculty Chair The Golandsky Piano Institute, NY, NY
Dr. Melissa West, St. Louis, MO
David O’Steen, St. Phillip’s Church, Jackson, MS
Daniel Szasz, Concertmaster, Alabama Symphony Orchestra
Rev. Huey Gardner, St. Mary's on the Highlands Episcopal Church, Birmingham, AL
And a fun blast from the past, Ballet Scholarship Toronto School of Dance, North Carolina School of Fine Arts, and accepted into Joffrey Ballet feeding school at age 14.