Master of Music

Master of Music in Piano or Organ Performance & Pedagogy with an Emphasis in Injury-Preventive Technique

What?

Daphne Nichols at Piano This unique master’s degree program focuses on enhancing the performance artistry and increasing the pedagogical skills of each student. As part of the curriculum, students will complete a concentration in injury-preventive keyboard technique. This degree was created in response to a high rate of playing-related injuries among pianists and organists worldwide, often jeopardizing their futures in music. Students in the master’s program will have the opportunity:

to MAXIMIZE their artistic potential and professional opportunities through intensive study in performance
to GAIN scientifically informed, research-validated knowledge about injury-preventive technique, risk factors for injury, and the field of performing arts medicine
to LEARN to teach injury-preventive technique, as well as traditional pedagogical methods
to RECOVER (if necessary) from playing-related injuries in a supportive environment while concurrently working on a master’s degree

Who?

Qualified pianists and organists with a BA in music or a BM who

would like to further their professional development
need assistance with a playing-related injury
wish to maximize their artistry through healthful technique

Where?

Salem College, founded in 1772, offers a residential undergraduate program for women, adult education for men and women, and coeducational graduate studies in education and music.
The college is located in beautiful Old Salem, a restored 18th century Moravian village in the heart of Winston-Salem, a thriving “City of Arts and Innovation” in the piedmont of North Carolina.

Financial Aid for Graduate Students

We encourage you to take advantage of Salem’s available resources. Scholarships are available for qualified applicants to the Master of Music program; no separate application is needed. Applicants may also be eligible for federal loans and are encouraged to fill out the FAFSA online at fafsa.gov.

The Financial Aid Office at Salem College is eager to assist students with all of their financial questions and needs. You can contact the financial aid office at salem.edu/financial-aid or by calling (336)721-2808.

2023-2024 Financial Aid Checklist

Apply Now

Contact Information

If you have questions related to the application materials contact:
Dr. Amy Zigler, Graduate Admissions Coordinator, Salem College (336)721-2798 amy.zigler@salem.edu

For more information regarding the degree program contact:
Dr. Barbara Lister-Sink, Director, Graduate Music Program, Salem College (336)749-5715 barbara.lister-sink@salem.edu

Research Validated Method

“An anonymous survey was administered to 103 pianists and organists aged 22 to 82, with 74 (N=74) pianists responding (71.8%), and 26 pianists and organists were interviewed in-depth. Survey and interview results established that participants perceived the [Lister-Sink] Method as significantly helpful in facilitating recovery from PRNDs. …Additionally, both the survey and interview participants reported improvement of technique and musicality with many also reporting enhancement of their extra-musical lives.”

(“A Study of Students’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of an Interdisciplinary Method for Teaching Injury-Preventive Piano Technique.” Lister-Sink Dissertation, Columbia University 2015.)

Quote from Medical Field About Dr. Lister-Sink

“…within the field of body mechanics, Lister-Sink operates at the genius level, both as a thinker and as a teacher. I have known only a handful of others in my own professional world who could be thus described. She has a deep understanding of the physical elements of playing the piano and how to release musical expression, but what makes her unique is that she knows how to transmit that understanding to others….”

ENOCH GORDIS, MD
(Retired Institute Director, National Institutes of Health)