durham music teachers association

Tuesday, October 10th, at 10am - Dr. Thomas Swenson and student will present Bach Inventions - Performance and Pedagogy at Piano Academy of North Carolina, Sutton Station. 

Johann Sebastian Bach composed the Two-Part Inventions as the first half of a book for his son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. These contrapuntal pieces were designed to challenge the student in playing two independent parts, and to help the student acquire a taste for composition.  Over 300 years later, these pieces continue to not only be great teaching pieces, but inspiring and enjoyable pieces to hear.  Samuel Chetty, who has cherished the music of Bach since his early teens, embarked on a journey to learn the entire set as a young adult on the three hundred year anniversary of the first publication. Ideas for teaching them effectively, learning strategies, and stylistic elements will be addressed.  

Samuel Chetty is a financial manager and has been a piano hobbyist for 22 years. His accomplishments with piano include the Advanced Bach Medal from the American College of Musicians Piano Guild in 2008, performance at the NCMTA honors recital in 2009, and finalist at the Piano Guild's composition contest in 2018. His other hobby is tournament competition with the board game Scrabble, where he has won the lower divisions of two tournaments in 2023.

Dr. Thomas Swenson teaches at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Music Academy of North Carolina. He currently serves on the MTNA Board of Directors as Southern Division Director, and is a member of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy Committee for Adult Learning.  He is the recipient of the NCMTA Teacher of the Year award, an Outstanding Service Recognition Award from the Frances Clark Center, and is an MTNA Foundation Fellow.