VIRGINIA GRAY NANCE
Lecturer in Music
Director of the Michael P. Hammond Preparatory Program

2247 Alice Pratt Brown Hall 713-348-5753

VIRGINIA GRAY NANCE, a native Texan, received her bachelor’s degree in music from the University of North Texas, where she studied with William Race, and her master’s degree in piano performance from Texas A&M at Commerce, studying with Canadian pianist Aurora Dokken. She also holds an all-level teaching certificate in music from the State of Texas, and spent the first four years of her career as an elementary-school music teacher.

Ms. Nance spent thirty years maintaining a private studio, teaching piano and music theory to children from kindergarten age through the college preparatory stage. Several of her former students have gone on to successfully major in music, including her daughter, Sara. During this time she was active in the National Guild, MTNA- Music Teacher’s National Association, and TMTA- Texas Music Teacher’s Association. She served as president of two local associations,
helped organize two new chapters, and was active at the state level, conducting a ten-piano ensemble at the state convention. With her local association, she organized and taught summer piano camps at UT Arlington. She and was invited to judge in many piano festivals and competitions in both Texas and Louisiana, including Texas Student Affiliate competitions, the National Federation of Music Clubs Festivals, and the David Karp Festival. Her students have won piano competitions and numerous theory and musicianship awards.

In addition to her private studio responsibilities and professional involvement, Ms. Nance kept up her own piano skills by continuing to study piano and organ, serving as a church pianist, and by performing in recitals. After putting her own two children through college, Ms. Nance went on to pursue a lifetime goal of obtaining her master’s degree. During this time she was hired by Paris Jr. College to teach piano and theory in its’ preparatory division. She served as her major professor’s teaching assistant, instructing not only non-majors, but assisting piano majors with technique requirements. She also performed in numerous university recitals serving as the accompanist, and she was selected to perform with the North East Texas Symphony. Her solo piano recital was given as the concluding requirement for her master’s degree, which she received in 2000.

After graduating with the Master of Music degree, she became part of The Shepherd School of Music as director of the preparatory program, where as Lecturer in Music, she instructs graduate students in the teaching of music theory to young children, and as Director of the Preparatory Program, oversees the entire program, supervises and advises the graduate student teachers, teaches preparatory theory classes, created a piano curriculum for the program, continues to teach piano to preparatory students, and plans and administrates the summer music camps. She was asked by the former Dean, Michael Hammond, to write the twelve-year theory curriculum for the preparatory program, which is currently in use. With the curriculum completed, she began her current project, writing twelve levels of study materials and worksheets that are used in the theory classes. In addition to her University responsibilities, Ms. Nance serves at St. Thomas of Canterbury, as church organist, and continues her organ studies with Dr. Phillip Kloeckner of The Shepherd School of Music.