Bellarmine University is one of the few schools nationwide that offers an undergraduate degree combining Piano Pedagogy and Accompanying. Most pianists teach lessons at some point in their career. The courses in the degree program develop the skills necessary for launching a successful private studio or in preparing for graduate studies in either pedagogy or accompanying, as well as in developing the essential skills necessary for a career in collaborative performance.
The Piano Pedagogy and Accompanying degree is a course of study that prepares students to teach all ages and skill levels. In this degree program, students gain practical experience by teaching weekly lessons and staging a recital each spring, and performance experience is obtained through accompanying other music majors on various convocations and recitals.
The goal of the degree program is for all students to gain real-life experience in teaching and performing, both voluntary and for pay, by the time they graduate. Many of the students in the program have established private piano studios and have been hired for area accompanying jobs even before they graduate. Students and graduates alike are highly sought-after accompanists for churches, choirs and other organizations in the Louisville and surrounding areas.