Academics

“Many colleges require that students who want to study an instrument have experience on that instrument. Transylvania encourages students to learn new skills, which means you can learn an instrument from the very beginning.”

When a Transylvania student recently received a Fulbright fellowship to teach English as a second language in Malaysia, she approached Joanna Binford about helping her prepare to teach Appalachian folk music to the students, too. The pair studied several collections of music but focused on fiddle tunes, some of which were new to Binford, who enjoys performing a wide variety of music from bluegrass to orchestral to small ensemble to musical theater.

That type of shared experience and flexibility—where the instructor sometimes learns as much as the student—is what makes teaching music to Transylvania’s students appealing. Binford works with music majors and beginners, with students who want to pursue a career in performance and students who simply aren’t ready to give up the joy of performing with a group.

Regardless of students’ musical backgrounds, major areas of study, or individual goals, Binford welcomes the challenge. “My goal is to ascertain during the first lesson what that student wants to accomplish in their applied studies and devise a plan that will ensure success.”

Binford sees more students studying violin and viola, which bodes well for musical ensembles of all stripes looking for accomplished string players. And she sees Transylvania—with its emphasis on a comprehensive liberal arts education—as an ideal incubator for successful musicians. “Critical thinking and a broad understanding of the arts is imperative to building sensitive musicians.”

Professional memberships

• American Federation of Musicians
• American String Teachers Association
• American Viola Society
• Central Kentucky Suzuki String Teachers Association
• Chamber Music America
• Kentucky Music Educators Association
• National Federated Music Club
• Lexington Federated Music Club
• Suzuki Association of of the Americas, Inc.
• National Music Teachers Association
• Kentucky Music Teachers Association