Four children sat behind their electric pianos with their feetdangling from the bench, legs not long enough to reach the ground.As they listened to Mirabella Minut, their group piano instructorfor Pianoforte, the children tapped the keys trying their hardestto play Ode to Joy.
"This is a tune by Beethoven, a German composer," Minut informedthe students, ages five to seven.
The students each sat at an electric piano that faces theinstructor's piano that stands in the front of the room. Thestudents wore headphones so they could hear themselves and theinstructor playing.
The group piano lessons are a part of Pianoforte, a musicprogram at the Muncie Center for the Arts. Pianoforte offersrecital/master classes, private piano lessons, group introductorylessons for ages five to nine, and a summer chamber music camp forstrings and piano.
"Its purpose is to develop a community program in piano," LizSeidel, director of Pianoforte and director of music for the MuncieCenter for Arts, said.
For the recital/masters classes, Pianoforte will host anaward-winning artist who will perform and instruct selectedstudents.
"The master class is a very important component of a programlike this," Seidel said.
The first recital/master class will be Friday and will featureOlga Kern, gold medalist from the Eleventh Van Cliurn InternationalPiano Competition. The class will be from 10 a.m. to noon Friday atthe Muncie Center for the Arts. She will also perform at 7 p.m.Saturday with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra at the CommunityCivic Center.
Pianoforte began Sept. 2 and already has 110 students. While theprogram is open to both children and adults, only children areinvolved thus far.
"That (enrolling adults) is something we are going to pursue inthe coming semester," she said.
Seidel said she hopes to unite the private piano studios inMuncie so everyone can share in the learning experience.
"I would just like to see the kids in the program continue togrow musically and improve their performance skills and reallyenjoy playing the piano," Seidel said. "Also I want to see themexposed to the great piano music."
Ann Wuthrich enrolled her sons Blake, a fifth grader, andBradley, a second grader, in private lessons throughPianoforte.
"I like learning how to read notes because it will help me injust about everything," Blake said. "It teaches me rhythm, timingand concentration."
Ann Wuthrich said she enrolled her sons in the program becausethey are involved in academics and athletics, but they are not beeninvolved in the arts.
"It just adds balance," she said.
Mirabella Minut instructs two group introductory classes andteaches private lessons. She is a doctoral student in piano andharpsichord at Ball State.
"The group lessons introduce them to starting piano and music ingeneral," she said. "Then in the one on one you focus more on theindividual basis."
Minut said most of the students in the group classes willcontinue with private lessons later.
"Music helps them to organize their minds," she said. "It's alittle bit of math and a little bit of philosophy andimagination."
After she finishes her doctoral degree, Minut said she wouldlike to continue teaching through Pianoforte.
"I love it," she said. "It's everything a teacher would dreamof."
She said she hopes the program will continue to receivecommunity support.
"I hope it will wake up the community that music is soimportant," she said.
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