Dianne Maalouf

Piano Teacher

SAA Member

Contact

Greenville, SC
864-420-1995
[javascript protected email address]

Dianne Kral Maalouf
M.M. in Music Education, University of Oregon (Eugene), 1976-1979
*Teaching Fellow for Music Education Sequence
B.S in Music Education, Kent State University, 1972
Post-Masters work, University of Massachusetts (Amherst), 1985-1987
*Teaching Fellow for “Lively Arts”Course, integrated arts course for all freshmen
Supplemental Advanced Training: Orff-Schulwerk 2 levels, Kodaly 1 level, Suzuki piano 3 levels, assorted Early Music Workshops

Teaching and Performing experience:
Music education has been my life-long passion, carrying me on a fascinating, circuitous journey for 40 (Yikes!) years. I was trained as a band director/piano teacher, but my first job, at Beck Middle School in Greenville, South Carolina ,required a choral/general person. I rode my bike to school every day back then, and after three years of teaching, I just kept going, biking across the country in Bikecentennial—76. While doing Masters work in Oregon, I was introduced to “early music” and “world music” by enthusiastic and talented teachers and grad.students. I fell in love with the subject of Music History by performing it, causing me to turn in my clarinet for a baroque alto recorder, my piano for a harpsichord and my guitar for a lute. I performed as recorder soloist with Capella Antiqua, Oregon Faculty Consort, Eugene Baroque Ensemble and the Rilling Festival Bach Cantata Series. After Masters work was complete in Oregon, I accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Montana in Missoula, also performing with the Montana Baroque Ensemble. In summer of 1981, I received an NEH grant to study at the Renaissance and Medieval Music Seminar for College Teachers with Margaret Bent at Brandeis University. The same summer, I was offered the chance to teach music for ARAMCO in Saudi Arabia. I accepted and ended up staying for five years, spoiled by huge budgets for my programs, excellent students, opportunities to tour all over the world and build my collection of musical instruments. While in Arabia, I met my husband, George, a geologist and English teacher. We married in a crusader castle in Lebanon, overlooking the Mediterranean. George and his family introduced me to the beauties of the Middle East, the cradle of civilization with important connections to the beginnings of Western music. We moved back to the States for advanced study at U. Mass and eventually ended up back in Greenville in 1988, where George and I have raised our two sons, Daniel and Adam. In Greenville, I ran a pre-school music business, Musical Beginnings, for 10 years, wrote and administered a Target 2000 arts grant for supplemental arts experiences for Mauldin Elementary School, was Artist in Residence in Upstate schools with the AIE program (my presentation—“Medieval Music, Medieval Times.”), member of the South Carolina Artist Roster, Arts Volunteer of the Year at Stone Academy -1998, President of the Suzuki Association of South Carolina – 1999-2000, participant in arts advocacy training with CLIA, (Council for Leadership in the Arts), member of the board of the Carolina Youth Symphony, Suzuki parent, teacher and co-director of the S.C. Suzuki Institute at Furman University with my buddy, Kathryn McLean. This last stint lasted for ten years as we developed a music education program unique in the country, featuring an enhanced Suzuki curriculum which combined the normal work in Master Classes and Groups, with enrichment in Music History, Theory and Jazz Improvisation, utilizing an outstanding faculty who were willing to experiment in creating a 21st Century music curriculum for our Suzuki students. Currently, I maintain an exciting piano studio in Greenville with students, ages 4 through adult.

In short……I love learning! I am fascinated by the entire subject of music, by the importance of “beginnings,” and especially the subjects of talent and ability, having experienced the awesome musical power of young children that I’ve encountered as a parent and teacher and life-long learner.