Thomas Swenson

Mr. Thomas Swenson, Assistant Professor of Music and Director of the Community Music School at Salem College, is completing his Doctorate of Philosophy in Music Education with emphasis in Piano Pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma. He has also studied at Minnesota State University (Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance), the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Masters in Piano Performance).

An active solo and collaborative pianist, his main teachers have been Dr. John Salmon, Dr. Jane Magrath, Dr. Barbara Fast, and Mr. Howard Lubin. He has taught piano and music theory at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina A&T State University, and the University of Oklahoma along with serving as assistant conductor of the Cincinnati Men's Chorus, and director of music at several churches.

Thomas has performed, adjudicated, and presented throughout the country. Highlights include a master class performance at Texas Christian University's Van Cliburn Institute and a presentation on piano ensemble literature at the Music Teachers National Association Conference in 2004 (St. Louis). While working on his doctoral coursework in Oklahoma, Mr. Swenson has been featured at the 2001 Symposium of World Music, the National MENC 2002 Convention (Nashville), and the Oklahoma Music Teacher's Association 2002 State Convention. Since then he has been a reporter for the GP3 conferences (Group Piano & Piano Pedagogy) and has been published in The Piano Pedagogy Forum. He has presented topics relating to research in piano pedagogy, practicing, the role of parents and caregivers in music lessons, and adult piano students (his dissertation topic). He is currently on the piano repertoire selection committee of the North Carolina Music Teacher's Association (NCMTA) and will soon begin to present regular workshops at local music stores on recent publications of piano teaching literature. 2004-2005 marks the beginning of a local piano teacher's discussion group that he is a cofounder of. A past Vice President of the Greensboro Music Teachers Association, Thomas is currently a member of MTNA and NCMTA.

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