Parent Handbook

Vicki Gray owns and directs the Gray School of Music. She founded the Gray School of music and has taught piano for 40 years. She has a Masters of Music from Southern Methodist University and has done doctoral studies in piano at the University of North Texas. Mrs. Gray is a distinguished and accomplished composer. Compositions have included five children’s fairy tale operettas; MUSIC FOR MINORS, a method for preschool music; and articles in professional journals and newsletters. Mrs. Gray is an expert on musical technology and motivational techniques. Her students have been winners in competitions at Baylor University, Dallas Piano Solo Competition, Dallas Symphonic, DMTA Jazz Festival, at the state level in the Texas Music Teachers Association Solo Performance Competition, and McKinney Young Artist Competition. Mrs. Gray has been awarded a Permanent Professional Certificate by the National Music Teachers Association and has been listed in Who’s Who of American Women. She is the mother of three children, all of whom attended music conservatories and obtained doctorate degrees in piano performance. Jenni has a Bachelor of Piano Performance from Eastman School of Music, Master of Music from the University of Texas, and Doctorate from the University of Houston. Julie has a Bachelors and Masters of Piano Performance at Eastman School of Music and a doctorate from the University of Texas. Justin earned a Bachelor in Piano Performance from the Juilliard School, a Masters of Music in Piano Performance from Southern Methodist University, and a doctorate of Piano Performance at the University of North Texas. Mrs. Gray enjoys gardening, cooking, and playing with her six grandchildren. Her husband, Haskell, is owner of a consulting and representation firm for advanced computer networking.

Reuben (Ben) Allred was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he began the study of piano at age 11.  He began teaching private piano lessons at the age of 18 under the supervision of Keith Snell, and has since been teaching students from beginner through advanced.  Studying with Gregory Allen, he received both a Bachelors and Masters degree in performance from the University of Texas at Austin where he held scholarship and a Teaching Assistantship.  In this capacity, Reuben studied group piano pedagogy under Martha Hilley, and private piano pedagogy with Sophia Gilmson.   During this time Reuben was invited to participate in numerous master classes with teachers such as Leon Fleischer, John Perry, Paul Badura-Skoda, and Nelita True.  From 2004-2007, he was the principal pianist for the UT Austin New Music Ensemble directed by Dr. Dan Welcher, where Reuben worked closely with contemporary composers such as George Crumb, James MacMillan, Melinda Wagner, and Christopher Theofanidis to premeire or perform new chamber works.  Currently a new doctoral student on scholarship at the University of North Texas, Reuben was a winner in the 2008 UNT concerto competition which included a performance with the UNT symphony orchestra.  He also participated in a NOVA concert for the residency of Augusta Read Thomas in November of 2007, as well as performed Makrokosmos Book I by George Crumb on a solo recital. Reuben Allred is a student of Dr. Pamela Mia Paul.  His other interests include jazz, composition, reading, watching movies, and playing pool.

Xiao-Bo Chen Nestler is the recipient of the Performer’s Certificate and holds an Artist Diploma in Piano Performance from Texas Christian University and a Masters of Piano Performance from UNT. She has taught for five years at Gray School of Music She has experience in teaching all age levels, from young children through adults. Mrs. Nestler won the concerto competition at North Texas this year as well as second place in the TMTA State Competition. She has recently performed in Carnegie Hall in New York City as a winner of the Steinway Competition. She enjoys traveling with her husband Eric who is a world reknowned saxophonist and professor of saxophone at UNT.

Ana Maria Gomez Ferstl is a Master of Music in Piano Performance candidate at Southern Methodist University where she is the recipient of a full Meadows Artistic Scholarship and a teaching assistantship. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Miami in 2007. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she studied at the National Conservatory of Music where she won top prizes at the local piano competitions with performances of Latin American music.

Ms. Gomez Ferstl has participated in the summer piano programs at Chautauqua Institution, Florida State University and the Dominican Republic. She has performed in the master classes and lessons of Roberto Bravo, Rebecca Penneys, William Heiles, Joel Schoenhals, Alessio Bax, Adam Aleksander and Arthur Greene.

She is currently studying with Dr. Carol Leone.

Dr. Justin Gray is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York City where he obtained a Bachelor of Piano Performance and was a student of Gyorgy Sandor, a former pupil of Bela Bartok. He completed a Masters in Piano Performance at SMU where he was granted a full artistic scholarship. Dr. Gray has been a teaching fellow at University of North Texas where he completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts in piano performance in the summer, 2007. Dr. Gray has has been coached by such esteemed artists as Ian Hobson, Claude Frank, Anton Nel, Jerome Lowenthal, and Jeffrey Swan. He has studied extensively with Tong-il Han, Stephen Nielson, and Dr. Donna Edwards. Dr. Gray was the Kawai Grand Prize winnder in 2005 Palos Verdes Music Festival Competition in Los Angeles, and won the 1994 Kingsville International Competition, the 1995 Music Teacher’s Association Competition for Solo Piano, and 1996 Grace Welsh Prize for Piano,2004 Mid-Texas Symphony Competition, and 2004 Los Angeles Liszt Competition. An active teacher and performer, Dr. Gray has given frequent community performances in greater Dallas and New York City areas.

Dr. Heejung Kang was born in Seoul, Korea, and studied at the Seoul Music and Art High School for musically gifted teenagers. She hqas taught at the Gray School since 2002. She graduated with highest honors from the College of Music, Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul and later at the same university, she earned her Master’s Degree in Piano, receiving the Ewha Graduate Research Fellowship Scholarship. She earned a Doctorate in Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the University of North Texas, after completing her doctoral dissertation on Rachmaninoff. She is now an Adjunct Professor of Piano Studies at U.N.T. She has made a recording of the “Rediscovered Lieder and Piano Pieces by Kletzki, Oppel, and Schenker,” sponsored by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Jewish Federation, and College of Music at UNT. She has studied Schenkerian Analysis with Dr. Timothy Jackson as well as privately with Carl Schachter, distinguished professor at University of New York City. Ms. Kang is also an experienced piano teacher of both children and adults. Dr. Kang and her husband, Timothy, a professor of musicology at UNT, are expecting their first child in August, 2007.

Dr. Rinna Saun is a nationally certified teacher of piano. She earned the doctorate in piano performance from the University of North Texas studying with Dr. Pamela Paul. While at UNT, she was a teaching fellow in class piano and accompanying. She received her bachelors degree from the University of Maryland with Dr. Nelita True, and her masters degree from the Mannes College of Music in NY with Richard Goode. Her performances have been heard in halls from New York to Oregon. She is the recipient of first prize from the New-York Korea Times Competition and the American Music Scholarship Association Competition. Her playing has been featured on NPR and she was a guest performer at the Gracie Mansion in New York. Dr. Saun has training in the Dorothy Taubman technique as well as the technique Abby Whiteside describes in her book, the Indispensables of Piano Playing. From 2006-8, performances include Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor K. 466, and the J.S. Bach Keyboard Concerto in D minor, with freelance chamber musicians from the Dallas area.

Paula Schear has been teaching piano since 1987 and has been teaching at the Gray School of Music since 1995. After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education with an emphasis in piano from California State University, Fresno, Mrs. Schear earned a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Southern Methodist University. Andreas Werz, Alfred Mouledous, and Sheila Paige have been her piano instructors at the universities and beyond. Schear has attended and performed in master classes in California, Texas and Austria. She also enjoys incorporating her conducting and vocal experiences into teaching piano. Mrs. Schear has attended many seminars and conventions to enrich her teaching expertise. Hearing students perform in festivals gives her the joy of encouraging students and their teachers in their piano study. A few of her performance achievements include overall winner of the Fresno Women’s Symphony League Concerto Competition and recipient of the Meadows School of the Arts Artistic Scholarship. Mrs. Schear is listed in Who’s Who of American Women. When she is not teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, Nobel and Isaac.

Branda Tan was born in Malaysia. Starting at the age of 7, she entered for the music exams offered by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and completed all 8 levels of graded exams in piano, violin, and music theory. She then studied at The Malaysian Institute of Arts (MIA) with a major in piano and a minor in violin. In 2001, Branda earned an Associate in Recital in Solo Piano through the Trinity International Examination Board under the Trinity College London. She was also awarded an Achievement Award by the Music Department at MIA, and graduated with distinction. In December 2004, Branda graduated cum laude from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Music in Music History and Music Literature. While studying at UNT, she was a student of internationally renowned pianist Mr. Adam Wodnicki. She was also the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, including the Multicultural Scholastic Award, the Academic Achievement Award, and the Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Musicology Honor. Branda was later offered a teaching assistantship by the UNT department of Music History. She completed the Master of Music degree at UNT in May 2008 with a Master Thesis on Franz Liszt’s “Swiss” volume of Anneé de Pelèrinage. Branda has many years of experience as a piano and violin instructor to students of all ages and levels. She also accompanies many vocalists and solo instrumentalists at recitals.

Margareta Wesolowska earned a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, Summa cum Laude, from Oklahoma City University, and a Masters of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from Southern Methodist University where she studied with Alfred Mouledous and where she was the recipient of the Meadow’s Artistic Scholarship Award. She is a member of Phi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. Ms. Wesolowska has taught piano since 1989 and has experience in teaching children and adults. She joined the Gray School of Music faculty in 2001. She has also taught private and group piano lessons at the SMU Piano Preparatory Department for two years as well as in Oklahoma City and Sweden.

Xiaomin Yi Born in China, Ms. Xiaomin Yi started piano at the age of 7 and entered Shanghai Conservatory of Music in China at the age of 11. She graduated with top honors and received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She earned a Masters of Music Degree in Piano Performance from Texas Christian University. She also earned a Masters of Music Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, and an Artist Certificate in Piano Performance from Southern Methodist University where she studied with the well-known pianist Joaquin Achucarro.

In addition to her scholastic achievements, Ms. Yi has a rich and diversified teaching experience. She started to teach private piano lessons at the age of 13. She taught private lessons to students of all ages from 4 to adults, and all levels from beginners to advanced. She also taught Group Piano classes of all levels from beginner to collage level students, as well as including musicianship, theory, and performance master class. Many of Ms.Yi’s students performed in various festivals and auditions with good comments from judges and won prizes in contests and competitions.

As a soloist, Ms. Yi has performed extensively not only in the United States, but also in China. She performed the Brahms 1st Piano Concerto with the China National Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra and with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. She also performed solo recitals and chamber recitals in many cities in the U.S and China. Ms. Yi has been the winner of international and national piano competitions. Such as the First Prize in the 1996 National Piano Concerto Competition and in the 1998 Piano Competition of Shanghai Conservatory of Music in China, and the second prize in the 1997 WAKI International Piano Competition in Japan, and the sixth prize in the 1995 Stravinsky International Piano Competition in U.S. She has also been awarded the first prizes by BMG Music Awards and Chengxan Fu Awards.

With such a background, Ms. Yi offers a unique approach to teaching the piano, using both her creative and analytical training to design effective, balanced, individualized programs to help students to achieve their musical goals.

Ms. Yi is a member of CMTA, the Texas Music Teachers Association (TMTA), and the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). Ms. Yi enjoys watching movie, traveling, reading, and spending time with friends.

Dr. Eri Yoshimura , born in Osaka, Japan, earned a music education degree from Shinshu University before moving to Denton, Texas. There, she obtained Master’s and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in piano performance from the University of North Texas under Dr. Pamela Mia Paul with a related field in Music and Medicine under Dr. Kris Chesky.

Dr. Yoshimura’s scholarly research has focused on understanding and preventing piano-related medical problems. Her research papers were published in the Medical Problems of Performing Artists journal 2006 and 2008 and in the MTNA E-journal 2009. Her dissertation focused on the possible application of an ergonomically modified keyboard (a narrower-sized keyboard) for reducing piano-related pain among small-handed pianists. In April 2006, she performed on the 15/16-sized keyboard in one of her doctoral degree recitals; this performance marked this keyboard’s concert premiere. She has presented her research in conferences at Aspen (PAMA), Chicago (NCKP), Serbia (EPTA) and England (RNCM). She won the research scholarship in 2008 and was featured in the university homepage/magazine and the TV news.

Dr. Yoshimura has performed solo and four-hands recitals in USA (including Hawaii), Japan, Mexico, and Hungary (Franz Liszt International Festival). She and Hungarian pianist, Emöke Ujj, released their first album together, “Contemporary Piano Music for Four Hands”, which contains the works by four living composers. All compositions in this album were specifically composed for Emöke and Eri.

Dr. Yoshimura's Web site is www.dolcedolcemusic.com

Vicki Gray owns and directs the Gray School of Music. She founded the Gray School of music and has taught piano for 40 years. She has a Masters of Music from Southern Methodist University and has done doctoral studies in piano at the University of North Texas. Mrs. Gray is a distinguished and accomplished composer. Compositions have included five children’s fairy tale operettas; MUSIC FOR MINORS, a method for preschool music; and articles in professional journals and newsletters. Mrs. Gray is an expert on musical technology and motivational techniques. Her students have been winners in competitions at Baylor University, Dallas Piano Solo Competition, Dallas Symphonic, DMTA Jazz Festival, at the state level in the Texas Music Teachers Association Solo Performance Competition, and McKinney Young Artist Competition. Mrs. Gray has been awarded a Permanent Professional Certificate by the National Music Teachers Association and has been listed in Who’s Who of American Women. She is the mother of three children, all of whom attended music conservatories and obtained doctorate degrees in piano performance. Jenni has a Bachelor of Piano Performance from Eastman School of Music, Master of Music from the University of Texas, and Doctorate from the University of Houston. Julie has a Bachelors and Masters of Piano Performance at Eastman School of Music and a doctorate from the University of Texas. Justin earned a Bachelor in Piano Performance from the Juilliard School, a Masters of Music in Piano Performance from Southern Methodist University, and a doctorate of Piano Performance at the University of North Texas. Mrs. Gray enjoys gardening, cooking, and playing with her six grandchildren. Her husband, Haskell, is owner of a consulting and representation firm for advanced computer networking.