1924, Pace
Robert Pace (b. 1924 – 2010): American Pianist, Composer, Music Theorist, Pedagogue
- Began playing the piano at age 5. At age 9, along with his sister (who played the violin), performed on radio concerts. He also played the trombone.
- As a scholarship student at Juilliard School of Music, under the tutelage of Joseph and Rosina Lhévinne, received a BS.
- In 1948, started his Masters and received his Doctorate from Teacher’s College, Columbia University in 1951. (Received an honorary doctorate from Westminister Choir College in 2003.)
- Taught at Julliard and then Teachers College, becoming head of piano in 1952 and Chairman of the music department in 1969.
- National piano chair for the Music Educators National Conference (1953 – 1956).
- Editor of Music Journal (1959 – 1962).
- Appointed by JFK in 1962 to a small panel to study the standing of music and music education is in the United States.
- Served as Director of the National Piano Foundation from 1963 – 1977; at which time he became executive director of the International Piano Teaching Foundation.
- Developed “peer-teaching,” “Comprehensive Musicianship,” as well as the “Pace Method” curriculum. “The philosophy of the Pace Approach is to develop, from the beginning, a real musical independence. [Students] in the Pace Approach learn to teach themselves, since in reality they must be their own teachers 6/7ths of the time during their practice between lessons. The ability to sight-read, [improvise] and create one’s own music [is essential]. [To play] in any key with a good and responsive technique [will] enable the learner to get the right note at the right time with the right intensity.” – Robert Pace [ 2 ]
- His wife, Helen Crabtree, a vocalist, pianist and graduate from Juilliard, collaborated with him on many publications and recordings.