Denis Moreen
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Professional Experience
as a Pianist
I have:
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Played piano at auditions, rehearsals, recording sessions, and performances for chamber recitals, chorus concerts, cabaret shows, and stage productions. |
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Conducted, composed, arranged, and accompanied music for vocal soloists and choral and instrumental groups. |
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Created rehearsal and performance tracks, CDs, and MP3 files for vocal soloists and choral and instrumental groups. |
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Entertained at open-mike bars and private parties. |
As a pianist I am able to:
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Play both classical and popular music. |
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Sightread
proficiently. |
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Combine various parts from choral and instrumental open scores. |
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Perform
show tunes and pop standards by ear and from chord symbols. |
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Transpose
rapidly. |
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Improvise
accompaniments for warmup exercises, dances, and spontaneous events. |
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Follow, lead, and listen. |
I love playing for singers. In northern California I accompanied Ragazzi Boys Chorus and Masterworks Chorale and also served as a staff pianist at San Francisco Conservatory of Music. At Notre Dame de Namur University I performed in many recitals and stage productions.
During the golden years of San Francisco piano bars I coordinated and performed open-mike and sing-along entertainment at The Fickle Fox and Joe Six's, playing for pop, musical theatre, and opera singers.
After moving to Palm Springs, I have continued to play piano as principal accompanist for California Desert Chorale, musical director for several stage productions and choral groups, and accompanist for a variety of pop and classical singers.
Professional Experience
as a Teacher
I have:
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Rehearsed and conducted singers and instrumentalists performing in chamber recitals, chorus concerts, cabaret shows, and stage productions. |
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Coached professional pianists, singers, and instrumentalists in private lessons and master classes. |
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Taught university classes in music theory and analysis, sightsinging and eartraining, conducting, composition, improvisation, and music computer applications. |
As a teacher I am able to:
| Work with
both beginning and advanced musicians. |
| Organize
clear goals for a lesson and a semester. |
| Focus
on minimal talking and maximal music making. |
| Empower
all students to create and perform music, to take risks, to find beauty. |
| Model
how professional musicians might handle a musical challenge. |
| Think
on my feet and use alternative approaches as needed. |
| Be
unpredictable, fun, and supportive. |
I enjoy teaching and coaching individual musicians, small ensembles, and college classes. My principal educational work was at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California, where I was on the music faculty for 35 years while also serving in various administrative positions. I am now retired as emeritus professor of music.
Professional Experience
as an Administrator
I have:
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Chaired a university division overseeing art, music, and theatre departments. |
| Coordinated logistics for live and recorded performances. |
| Created and maintained computer websites and databases. |
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Served as producer, stage director, and musical director of university and community musicals, operas, and cabaret shows. |
At Notre Dame de Namur University I served as chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Division for art, music, and theatre programs. During this time I directed budget management, calendar, and public relations systems; maintained division websites; and created a new BFA program in musical theatre. My other university positions at various times included student-teaching supervisor, recruitment and articulation officer, academic computing director, faculty senate president, acting director of admission, and acting graduate dean.
With Ragazzi Boys Chorus I worked for several years as program manager, directing performance logistics and acting as liaison with conductors, performers, families, audiences, venues, and clients for rehearsals, performances, recordings, and tours.
During my final years in the San Francisco area, I served with the San Francisco Symphony as a performance history specialist in the Publications Department. This position involved my updating and maintaining a database system to detail the performance histories of the organization since its inception in 1911.
More info about Denis Moreen:
