New Clarinet Instructor!

We are excited to announce that a new clarinet teacher is joining our faculty at MANC!

Mrs. Catherine Keen Hock, originally from Four Oaks, NC, is pursuing a DMA in clarinet performance and jazz studies at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she is a graduate teaching assistant for the jazz department. She holds the MM in Clarinet Performance from UNCG and the BA with Honors in Music Performance with a minor in international studies from Wake Forest University. Mrs. Keen Hock was a William L. Poteat Scholar, and winner of the Concerto Competition and Giles-Harris Competition for Performance at Wake Forest.

She currently performs with the UNCG Wind Ensemble, University Symphony Orchestra, Casella Sinfonietta and Jazz Band, and is the bass clarinetist for the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. As a member of the Obsidian Clarinet Quartet, she premiered two new compositions at the 2008 ClarinetFest in Kansas City. Her primary teachers include Michael Waddell, Eileen Young, Edwin Riley, and Kelly Burke, and she is a member of Alpha Phi Omega, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the International Clarinet Association.

Welcome to The Music Academy!

Inside the Instrument

On Saturday we held a fascinating workshop with Evelyn Smith, of Noteworthy Piano Services. She talked about the inside workings of the piano, the history of its design, and how to take care of your instrument. Some good tips we learned:

• Regulate the temperature of your piano by keeping it in a space with about 40% humidity....absolutely NOT in a basement or garage!
• Keep your piano away from heating registers, radiators, fireplaces, and air conditioning vents.
• Have your piano tuned and cared for regularly.
• The price of a piano can vary from a used $1,000 instrument to a whopping $300,000 depending on the materials, make, and whether or not it is "handmade".
• Your piano strings can be under nearly 30 tons of pressure as they are stretched and wound within the instrument. To help offset this pressure, the piano includes a cast iron frame that holds the parts of the piano together. This is why your instrument is so heavy and should only be moved by professionals!

Students Annika Preheim, Tate Overbey, Aidan Welsford, and Sam McDowell performed before and immediately after the workshop as guests mingled and munched on reception food. Thank you to Evelyn for an entertaining and educational afternoon!