• Students should display musical independence which includes the following skills: learning to play new pieces without a teacher at some point during their piano study, understanding the basic fundamentals of slow practice, playing with correct notes, rhythm and fingering. In the early years reading in rhythm is emphasized. In later years students are expected to add more details and refinement in their playing. All students must work in all styles of music as well as study keyboard theory and technique.

EDUCATION

• B. M Degree in piano performance, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL studying with Amanda Penick. Additional study with Dr. Max Camp, University of South Carolina in piano pedagogy.

HONORS & AWARDS

• Pi Kappa Lambda, national music honorary.
• Mortar Board – in recognition of scholarship, leadership, and service.
• Member of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) as a nationally certified teacher of music (NCTM) and received permanent certification in 1995.
• Received the third Teacher of the Year Award from the Alabama Music Teachers Association (AMTA) in 1997.
• Was nominated for the Virginia Hammill Simms Memorial Award by the Huntsville Music Study Club in 2002.
• Received the Harold J. Wilson Music Educator of the Year Award in 2006 from the Huntsville Youth Orchestra.
• Was chosen as the Outstanding Educator Nominee for the Girl Scout Women of Distinction Award in Madison County by the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild in 2007 and 2009.

SUMMARY

• Frances Schwemmer maintains a private piano studio in Huntsville, AL where she has taught for more than forty years. She teaches beginning piano students from ages 5 through advanced senior high school students.
• She enters students in the AMTA district and state auditions, having had consecutive state winners for the past 40+ years.
• She has participated on the state AMTA conference program for more than 15 years and has had student winners perform in the solo, concerto, chamber music, and original composition recitals for the state.
• She has been a clinician and an adjudicator for district and state-level competitions for piano in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee.
• Many students have entered concerto competitions in Huntsville, the Shoals area, Tuscaloosa and Montgomery. 32 students have performed concerti with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra at their Young Peoples Concerts and 7 have performed with Huntsville’s Youth Orchestras.
• More than 40 former students have studied piano in college as their major or minor. Former students include many private piano teachers, several college teachers, several professional accompanists, many church musicians, as well as one female orchestra conductor!
• She has taught a Pedagogy Course for the Ars Nova School of the Arts, Huntsville in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2005.
• One student was selected to appear on the NPR Program, “From the Top” in 2006.

• District VIII Auditions Chair – 30+ years
• State String State Auditions Chair – 15+ years
• Fourth Vice-President
• Clinician 3 terms
• Independent Music Teachers Forum Chair 5 terms

• Wrote program notes for the HSO programs – 5 years
• Co-authored a Docent Manual for HSOG Education committee
• Wrote program notes for the Yount Peoples Concert booklet (many years)
• Huntsville Youth Orchestra Board – 3 years
• Volunteers as a docent and as an usher at the Young Peoples Concerts each year

• Past President – 5 terms
• Secretary – Treasurer – 2 terms
• Historian - 2 terms
• Many students have performed in Master Classes and Student Recitals

• Vice-President – 1 term
• Many students have won the HMSC Piano Scholarship Award
• Many students have won the Beulah Ware Piano Scholarship Award
• All entrants in the Hymn and Solo events have been awarded the top grade

• All solo entrants have been awarded one of the top 2 ratings in auditions
• Many have performed in the honors recital

Many of Mrs. Schwemmer’s students have received academic scholarships to top schools across the nation and most are planning professional careers with music as their secondary area of concentration. Almost all music majors have received music scholarships and do not have to take any remedial coursework in their college music courses.