Back to School with Clavinova Labs

Wisconsin is a pro-active state, musically speaking. It’s not only home to noted music researcher Fran Rauscher, but most campuses of the University of Wisconsin possess state-of-the-art Yamaha Clavinova Labs.

Ann Applegate, associate lecturer of music at UW Marathon County, and Bob Heid of Heid Music

“Teachers love them because they can communicate with students one-on-one or in groups,” says Bets Glisczinski, institutional piano consultant hired by Heid Music of Appleton. “What’s more, they’re quiet, so people down the hall don’t have to listen. Normally, once students put headphones on, they’re in their own world, but in a Clavinova Lab, teachers have a lot more control. Students have to stick with the program and listen.”

Faculty members discussing recent installations at the University of Wisconsin concur with Glisczinski. Dr. Robert Kase, chair of the music department at UW-Stevens Point, administered the school’s previous Clavinova Lab, and supervised the selection process for the school’s upgrade to a “second generation” lab. “Our 18 76-key units held up really well, and gave a good piano feel, but we were ready for 88 keys,” explains Kase of the installation of 16 new CLP930s. “These new models are bigger, so we couldn’t fit as many in the room.” A $22 million capitol improvement will create a larger lab at the College of Fine Arts by 2003.

Left to right: UWMC’s Dean James Veninga, Ann Applegate and Bob Heid of Heid Music

“A Clavinova Lab is fantastic for teaching class piano,” explains Kase. “Teachers can work with several students at once, saving a lot of time.” More than 200 music majors and nine UWSP teachers use it for class piano, ear training, music theory, and composition. “We decided a lot of ‘bells and whistles’ weren’t needed for our fundamental courses,” says Kase. “Having 88 keys and a nice selection of instrumentation suited our needs very well.”

Yamaha District Manager Dennis Van Vactor points out maintenance-free Clavinovas are cost-effective, and excellent for teaching piano proficiency. “Dollars have to stretch quite a bit further these days, and you really reap the rewards when you put 15 kids in a Clavinova Lab versus teaching them one-on-one,” he says. “The labs are wonderful for rudimentary piano skills, and for collaborative projects between students. Traditional pianos simply don’t offer hook-up to computers, or the ability to work in small groups or individually with a teacher. Just like microwaves and conventional ovens, one won’t replace the other, but each does its certain job extremely well.”

Yamaha Clavinova lab at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Music Department

Two two-year colleges in the U of WI system also installed new labs in September. At Fox Valley, seven new CLP930s were installed, and five CLP930s were placed at the Marathon County campus. Ann Applegate, associate lecturer of music at UW Marathon County, says, “You should have heard the students cheer when the Clavinovas were delivered. They know how hard I’ve been working to raise funds for new instruments, and they know what the Clavinovas are capable of.” Applegate hopes to complete the lab with eight additional CLP930s.