William Harry UMASS-Amherst Music Department Applied Piano 1969-1972

According to UMASS Faculty Member Archives, William Harry was a Professor of Music and member of UMASS-Amherst Music Faculty. However, neither a starting or ending date is referenced anywhere within the UMASS Faculty Member Archives.

The Author of this essay, was an instrumental performance major as well as instrumental music education major at UMASS-Amherst from 1967-1972.

The Author is reasonably certain that William Harry joined the UMASS-Amherst Music Faculty as an ‘Applied Piano’ instructor in 1969, but no later than 1970.

UMASS-Amherst Music Education Majors who were non-piano players were required to take either two or four semesters of ‘Applied Piano’.  Applied Piano classes were private lessons that took place at least once a week that revolved around the beginner level of skill. Applied Piano courses were designed to enable a Music Education Major to move into a Public or Private school system as a music educator and accompany a vocal or instrumental ensemble at a rudimentary level.

Prior to the hiring of William Harry, UMASS Music Department provided Applied Piano training by way of Piano Instructors who were advanced concert hall classical performers.
The teaching of beginner piano skills that would be suitable for public and private school piano accompanists was not suited to a classical piano instructor with advanced performance skills.

The hiring of William Harry solved that concern.

The Author recalls that William Harry was slim, and modest in stature who was well into his 50’s or early 60’s years of age. Mr. Harry wore wire rimmed glasses at all times.
William Harry had a cheerful personality and was always a very attentive instructor.

William Harry was not a classical, concert hall piano player. William Harry’s piano playing background revolved around playing with big dance bands, and working in lounges in a small group or a solo musical act.

William Harry was an excellent teacher who had developed his own unique pedalogical teaching method that was specifically designed to provide beginning music major piano players with basic piano playing skills.

Sadly, this was the only Applied Music course that the Author of this essay really struggled to achieve a passing grade through no fault of the instructor, William Harry.

The Author of this essay had much difficulty coordinating left and right hands on the keyboard and did not apply himself through regular practice which made a bad thing worse.

The Author of this essay really regrets his failure to ‘apply himself’ with this particularly useful course as the Author got involved with arranging and composition at a professional level after leaving UMASS.
Having even rudimentary piano playing skills would have been quite useful to this Author.

William Harry provided to the Author of this essay a consistent C grade on all of the required Applied piano courses. This compares to ‘Straight A’s’ that the Author received from all other Applied Music Education’ instrumental courses.

The only reason that William Harry provided the Author of this essay with a very generous ‘C’ grade in Applied Piano was because William Harry received repeated assurances from the Author’s trumpet instructor, Professor Walter Chesnut that the Author of this essay would never find himself as a teacher in a school system.