Pennsylvania High School
Expands Piano Lab

In a 2000 Internet survey, State College, PA was ranked as one of the ten best (among nearly 6,000) communities for music education in America. The ranking was based on many factors, including participation in music classes, private instruction, student-teacher ratio, facilities, and support for the school music program. The survey was the result of a partnership between the country’s top organizations devoted to music and learning: The American Music Conference, the National Association for Music Education, the Music Teachers National Association, and the National School Boards Association.

Last summer, State College High School added Clavinova digital pianos, a new control console, and a disk orchestra unit for the piano lab. This now brings the total number of Clavinovas up to sixteen, including a CLP154S, five CLP820, and 10 CLP311 digital pianos.

Students in the Clavinova piano lab at State College High School

“The quality of the digital pianos are great, and students love them,” says Patricia Lloyd, a teacher in the music program. “They like the privacy of using the headsets, and that they can do duets and ensembles.” With the master control unit, Lloyd can interface eight pianos to work together. Wallis Lloyd, Patricia’s husband, took an interest in the piano lab and built special computer stands to slide under the Clavinovas. Now, for students who choose to use computers for notation software and other programs, nothing gets in the way.

The Clavinovas are put on a stage twice a year for recitals. “They don’t need external amplification,” states Mrs. Lloyd. “Everything sounds fine as it is.”

The classes consist of students who have no experience to those with several years of music. Students for music theory and composition classes also use the lab.

Mrs. Lloyd tries to make herself available for extra needs. “Several students have no piano at home, and this is their only opportunity to practice and play. I go in early and stay late to accommodate their needs.”

‘Take the S Train’

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“It was a lot of fun working with the kids on this one,” Downs says of Ogilvy’s personalized spin on Billy Strayhorn’s famed jazz standard. “The composition left a lot of open space for the ensemble players.”

“It was so exciting to see Sue on stage, performing with the ensemble,” explains Yamaha Educational Consultant and Clavinova Festival trainer Joy Carden. She has served as state coordinator of the KMTA All-State Piano Ensemble event since 1996. “You should have seen the expression on Sue’s face when she played Take The S Train accompanied by all those Clavinova students! Sue commented that they were so talented,” says Carden. “The concept of Clavinova Ensemble performance is expanding dramatically as those involved see the vision of this new opportunity for music making.”

This past February, the KMTA All-State Ensemble took the spotlight again at the Kentucky Music Educators Association/MENC Southern Division Conference. The conference, which drew 12,500 people to the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, offered a full range of musical exhibits, workshops, and activities. Carden and Ogilvy were on hand once more to present an enthusiastically received program and concert, this time featuring performances on nine Clavinova CVP105 and CVP107 digital pianos provided by Conrad Music in Louisville. Ogilvy conducted the premier of two of her latest compositions, written for keyboard ensemble and choir. The stunning performances featured the KMTA All-State Ensemble and the Campbellsville University Chorale.

This was the second time the All-State Piano Ensemble was invited to perform at the annual KMEA event.