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Show Tuesday, January 17, 1989 Chronicle - Page Eleven prof taller U love of piano inspires Life-lon- g Sharon Deckekt Chronicle assistant feature editor problems forcing herself to practice By Every little girl dreams big dreams of what she may become- -a movie star, a ballerina or a concert pianist. But as she grows older she realizes making that dream a reality takes hard work and many sacrifices. . For Lenora Neal, a concert pianist and a professor at the University of Utah, the sacrifices meant less playtime, fewer social activities and having to drop out of pep club in. high school. But. they also meant the fulfillment of a dream. "I'm really happy with my whole life really fully happy," she said. Neal's voice is almost soft as she speaks, partially because she is tired after a long day of teaching lessons and partially because she is not outwardly aggressive as one might expect of a concert pianist. The inward fire that has driven her to produce music on the concert level only shows when she is playing. As she sits down and begins to play, her face takes on an expression of intense concentration could almost be mistaken tor anger. ; (that muscles along her jaw tense and her whole body responds with movement i that is at the same time strong, graceful I and amazingly precise. It is only in the I expression around her eyes that one can I see she takes passionate pleasure in the i piece she is playing. I Neal, who was born in Sunset, Utah, began taking lessons when she was 7. She I said at that time it was something her par-- I ents wanted her to do. But she didn't have CASSANDQA concerts, videos, academics because it was also something she wanted. "All I ever wanted to do was be a concert pianist," she said. "I preferred that over anything else." , Even though she started lessons at the age of 7, she progressed fast enough to become a child performer. By the time she was 11 she was giving two recitals a year and began to enter competitions. By seventh grade she began teaching lessons. The demands of practice, performing and teaching began forcing backs in Neal's social life. "I remember my' friends were getting into pep club. I joined too, but later I dropped out. I don't recall being resentful," she said. "Now I look back and I'm glad I didn't pursue all those other things and I did pursue music." But by the time she was in college, the hours of practicing scales, perfecting fingerings and repeatedly playing passages finally began to present her with opportunities she woula have missed if she had opted to stay in pep club. "I was about a sophomore when I went USO tour. I went to Alaska on a - . full-leng- th " six-mon- th and all over the Far East including Vietnam," she said. Neal accompanied the group and played solos. "I played on every kind of piano you can imagine," she said. Neal said she often performed outdoors on a stage that was constructed near a grassy area for the soldiers to sit. One sunny afternoon, while she was playing her solo spotlight, the sky began to darken as an immense cloud of black bugs settled on the concert. They landed all over me, the stage and the piano," she said. "In about one minute everything was covered by these terrible black bugs." Neal said workers had to come out and sweep the bugs off the stage, before the performance could continue. When Neal returned home, her performing started taking hold on a national level. She finished school and later began teaching at the U. Now Neal teaches over 100 students from intermediate to advanced and also teaches first-yepiano at the U. "I absolutely love teaching," she said. "It's something I get high on." Neal has .begun to expand her ideas of teaching. She has began giving workshops for local piano teachers to help them learn the intermediate piano literature. After one workshop, Neal was approached by Academy Telecine Productions, a local video production company, to make her workshops available on video. So about a year and a half ago Neal filmed Reaching for Repertoire. Last month Neal, working ar again I with Telecine Academy Productions, nationally released a video called Beginning Keyboard Volume 1. "It's the only one of its kind." she said. "It's a consumer tape that can be used with any kind of keyboard for people to learn the basic principles of piano." The video is accompanied by a booklet written by Neal that takes students through exercises and etudes. She said by the end of the video, a 40-pa- 84-minu- ge te medium which has the advantage of review, someone with no background in piano should be able to play chords with ' 1 1 IiLnCI'RONIC KEYBOARDPIANO Learn to Read and Play Keyboard music, anytime with BEGINNING KEYBOARD. "THE TEACHERS ASSISTANT". This 84 Minute VHS Video presentation teaches the Basic Rudiments of Keyboard Music. Tape contents include from Keyboard Geography io Basic Chords and may be used lo prepare for school, learn at home or as a periodic review. Featuring LENORA NEAL, NOW AT TWO LOCATIONS!!! 4227 South Highland Dr. 2910 West 4700 SoutH West Valley . Holladay 967-397- 6 -- simple melodies. The video is not meant to replace a piano teacher, but in areas where a teacher is not available it would be a good learning resource, she said. Neal said she would eventually like to produce a series of seven volumes that would take students to the intermediate level. But this does not mean Neal plans to become busy producing videos and give up performing. Neal said she feels a responsibility to even though there are times it can gerform stressful. "Overall I really love it," she said. "Sometimes I think it's like enjoying going to the guillotine." CLOSET (A CLASSY CONSIGNMENT SHOP) 27S-544- Lenora Neal, a concert pianist and U. professor, released a beginning piano video last month. "ART, MUSIC, LITERATURE and the FRENCH REVOLUTION" 7 r ,r"' i A lecture by Dr. Herbert Josephs Professor of French Michigan State University Adjunct Assoc. Music Professor U of U. Cassette includes a carefully planned exercise book. To order call or send order form ... Order Form Name Address Cilv State Zip MCVisa Exp. Date Please send me $34.95 ca. plus $2.18 Tapes and and $3.50 (tax) (Shipping Handing) to: Academy Telecine Productions 611 Laccy Way ATP. North Salt Lake, Utah . 84054 (801) 1 Commemorating the Bicentennial of the French Revolution 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 17, 1988 Westminster College Gore Auditorium 1840 South 1300 East Featuring "gently worn" furs, ski clothing, designer and better quality women's clothing, jewelry and accessories. Children's clothing at the West Valley location. Call for consignment information. Open to the Public : the This lecture made possible by Utah Endowment for the Humanities 292-633- .. PosiftSomi pen ing' The Chronicle is in need of an Assistant Copy Editor to work Sunday through Thursday, 4 pm to 8 pm. Must have knowledge and understanding of journalistic style. Please fill out applications at Union 240 during business hours. This is not an ad parody, please take this seriously ATTENTION SOPHOMORES a career in.one of these fields? MARINE CORPS or (Pilot Flight Officer) ' NUCLEAR POWER The Navy ROTC Unit at the University of Utah is now accepting applications for its two year program. Are you interested in AVIATION! The successful applicant will attend a paid six week summer school in Newport, Rhode Island and earn 13 credits at the University of Utah. All those who enroll in the two year program will earn $100 per month as juniors and seniors. . Two year scholarships are available. Following graduation you will be placed over $20,000 per year. , in one of the above training programs at a starting salary of Successful applicants will have these qualifications: w 1. One year of college math completed by June. 2. No older than 27 12 years on June 30, 1991 3. Be able to pass a free Navy physical exam. If you have the desire to excel and meet these requirements call Naval Science Building. Ask for Lt. 581-672- 3 or stop by room 108 of the Erickson. Navy officers get responsibility fast! |
