Collaborative Piano Studio
Collaborative pianists are everywhere! We are involved in numerous roles across various disciplines: from college teaching to annual recital series; from religious services to world-renowned opera stages; from recording studios to digital marketing; from chamber music to conducting.
The goal of the Collaborative Piano program at the University of Michigan is to prepare you for as many of these situations as possible before graduation, within the supportive environment of university life. In addition to training you in the various aspects of the craft, our curriculum focuses on developing critical thinking skills that apply to all aspects of your career.
Dr. Ana María Otamendi, Associate Professor of Collaborative Piano
Degrees
During the two- or three-year programs (MM, Specialist, or DMA), collaborative piano students will have numerous opportunities to interact with a faculty comprised of world-renowned teachers and performers, participate in opera or music theater productions, coach singers on a weekly basis, play instrumental sonatas and chamber music, as well as play for ballet classes, choirs, and other ensembles depending on their individual preferences.
U-M Collaborative Piano students are a supportive, hard-working, and talented community! Dr. Otamendi will encourage you to be a thoughtful individual in your everyday life, in your classes, in your playing, and especially in your practicing. You will learn very specific practice and learning strategies based on cognitive psychology and neuroscience that will help you learn music better, faster, and more efficiently.
Professor Otamendi will expect you to be inquisitive, to question paradigms, to search for your own voice, and to extrapolate knowledge. We aim to present you with all our institution’s resources and discuss ways to create your own learning and performance opportunities. We believe that upon graduation, you should have mastered most of the skills necessary to become a valuable and successful artist:
- Strong musicianship, technique, and sense of style
- A wide variety of musical skills and interests
- Entrepreneurial spirit
- Desire for community engagement
Studio Class
This weekly class acts as a platform for both performance and discussion on subjects pertaining to collaborative piano. The main objective is to allow students to perform for one another and obtain feedback from their classmates as well as Professor Otamendi. The class also features presentations, discussions of readings, and lectures on various topics, including:
- Practice and Learning strategies
- Technical skills
- Habit formation
- Motivation and willpower
- Burnout
- Contemporary music
- Career management
Assistantships
Each semester, all MM, DMA, and Specialist students will be assigned four or five singers to collaborate weekly in coachings and voice lessons. Additionally, each student will receive three to five instrumental assignments such as duo sonatas, short pieces, concerti, etc. that will be performed in recitals, juries, or competitions.
Outstanding Resources at SMTD
- A dedicated department of Chamber Music that offers you the possibility of playing trios, quartets, etc., and receive one coaching per week (in addition to your weekly lessons) with your group and a chamber coach. You can do this as part of the Collaborative Piano Curriculum, without being enrolled in a Chamber Music degree, or you could enroll in a dual MM program.
- A robust Health and Wellness Program created just for the School of Music, Theater, and Dance students and faculty that offers innumerable free resources, workshops, lectures, guest residencies, and courses, on topics that range from injury and hearing-loss prevention, to yoga, wellness coachings, nutrition advice, etc.
- The EXCEL Lab is the base for performing arts entrepreneurship, leadership, and career services, giving invaluable advice and funding for career, job search, job documents, entrepreneurship, grant writing, and so much more.
- A remarkable amount of funding from many different sources for your new and innovative ideas, travel abroad, and more!
Performance Opportunities
Recitals
Across all disciplines, students perform and study with their peers in studio classes and perform for the public in solo student recitals and studio recitals.
Collaborative Piano
Collaborative Piano students work with vocalists and instrumentalists throughout SMTD.
Chamber Music
The thriving chamber music scene at SMTD offers students nearly limitless options to perform, innovate, and collaborate in small, self-driven, and diverse ensembles.
Large Ensembles
SMTD ensembles offer numerous concerts each season, performing notable works in the traditional canon as well as abundant newly commissioned works.