Musician with Healthcare Crisis
Donation protected
Dr. Andrew P. Millar
Pianist, Teacher, Doctor of Musical Arts
Medical Emergency and Petition for a Gift of Financial Assistance
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Members of the Public,
Please allow me to introduce myself and draw attention to the medical emergency with which I have suddenly been burdened.
On March 7th, 2015, it became impossible for me to easily open my left eye and make it focus with my right eye. I went to the Good Samaritan Hospital emergency room on Harrison Avenue in Cincinnati Ohio. Prior to this, I had spent about 5 weeks coping with ever increasing discomfort and pain in the left side of my face: it had tentatively diagnosed as Trigeminal Neuralgia which I was treated for, but to no relief.
The ER physician ordered a CAT scan of my brain on March 7, which immediately revealed a mass growing in my head, neck, and brain. I was immediately admitted to the main facility of Good Samaritan Hospital, in Clifton Cincinnati where I received the expert care of a team headed by ear, nose, and throat specialist Dr. Seth Issacs. A few days later, Dr. Isaacs performed a surgical biopsy. After preliminary non-cancerous results, Dr. Isaacs persisted for deeper layers of analysis due to the concerns he had. I am very grateful for his persistence: the full pathology report concluded that the mass is a rare, aggressive, cancer known as myxofibosarcoma. Furthermore, besides being an aggressive cancer, the tumor’s location is compressing the 3rd, 5th, and 6th cranial nerves (accounting for the pain in face) and the carotid artery. The nerve compression accounts for the frozen status of my left eye leaving me unable to see out of it.
Given the vicious nature and the delicate location of the cancer tumor, I have been referred to specialists at The Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital for the overall plan for my recover which will include surgery by Dr. Theodoros Teknos and Dr. Daniel Prevedello, and to and to Christ Hospital, Cincinnati (where I live) for chemotherapy as directed by hematologist and oncologist Dr. Slobodan M. Stanisic. This combined institutional team has been wonderful and compassionate towards me and I fully trust their plans for my treatment is among the very best available.
In an attempt to shrink the tumor, I have received intensive rounds of inpatient-chemotherapy (hospitalized for 36 hours each session), with a three week period between each during which I remain at home to recover. Toward the end of May or, perhaps early June, I will undergo a 12-15 hour surgery to remove the remainder of what was initially discovered about a baseball-size tumor. I am pleased to report that the chemotherapy appears to have reduced the size after two rounds, which reduces the margins for the James Cancer Hospital surgeons to work with: this is great news.
Following surgery, the tumor’s DNA will be genetically sequenced so that a specific chemotherapy and drug regime can be determined to better target any remaining cancer cells.
Beyond the stress and trauma of having a rare, aggressive cancer, I am struggling with financial stresses relating to the medical bills and the cost of living while I am not working. To give an overview of my situation, the insurance company for which I have paid premiums for 11 years that was ending on March 31, 2015 at the end of the first month of my treatment has been denying coverage for many of the physician visits, pathology reports, tests, and the surgical biopsy for this year through that date. I understood that all such services would be covered or at least partially by the policy I have subscribed to. The estimated out-of-pocket medical expenses for my March care currently stands at $65,000.
Fortunately, the new health insurance plan I have in place through the Health Insurance Marketplace that took over on April 1, 2015 has proven to be much more reliable, even after a last minute scare on March 30 that suggested I would be dropped due to a lack of correctly presented information to the healthcare.gov website. I have to thank the office of USA Senator Sherrod Brown for intervening on my behalf and empowering the Health and Human Services agency to reassure me within 48 hours of the emergency that all was well. This was a most agonizing 48 hours!
I should expect from this point forward that my new health insurance plan will cover the estimated $300,000 to $500,000 costs of my cancer treatments this year. This includes the surgery for the removal of the tumor, and the many accompanying tests and therapies that I shall need. I should only be responsible for my annual health insurance deductable of $3000 at this point for the remainder of my treatment this year. The good news also includes the progress of my treatment is going very well it seems and I am expected to recover well within a year, although the return of the use of my left eye is one matter that is very much uncertain.
The other side of my financial dilemma is that I am a self-employed piano teacher with my own incorporated Studio of Music LLC and partial employment as an adjunct piano professor at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Department of Preparatory and Community Engagement. In short, if I do not work, I do not receive any income as I do not have an employee benefits program that assists me in such a time of crisis. I have not worked since March 6th, 2015. Given the time I expect to be away from work, I could lose as much as $60,000 of income over the next year or more. When I initially return to work, it will almost certainly have to be at a reduced amount of my normal schedule. My income for the near to medium term is thus greatly reduced but my normal financial obligations will remain the same along with the additional burdens of the medical emergency.
I am afraid of losing my home, which I have worked very hard to own and maintain. I need to continue to offer financial support to the Toedtman School of Music through my studio to which I normally pay my rent for the use of my studio classroom. I do not want to lose the Studio which I have built these last many years nor my opportunity to house the majority of my teaching work at the Toedtman School of Music.
Part of my work I wished to draw your attention to is that for years I have served significantly in a volunteer capacity helping with the implementation of the Clavinova Connection program developed by the Yamaha Corporation in conjunction with the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute utilizing a musical-medical protocol developed by the nationally renowned neurologist Dr. Barry Bittman, MD. This is a music participation and engagement in musical process program for people of all ages to just jump in to. These programs promote active engagement in music making, social engagement, musical recreation and communication among participants as part of a healthy lifestyle. The primary thrust of this program in the Cincinnati area to date has been to elderly populations in community centers and retirement facilities.
Other volunteer work I have engaged in include assistance for the newly revitalized Cincinnati World Piano Competition under the expert leadership of Mark Ernster, services on the boards of Chamber Music Cincinnati and the Ohio Music Teachers Association, Southwest District.
Please see the final section below where I offer a more detailed account of my life and work in music. I particularly want you to note my work in my Studio of Music where I endeavor to engage students of all ages and abilities. In many cases, I work with students who have disabilities as much as any students who are well. Rather than see any disability, I see the student, the artist, and the person as they develop a musical identity and work to make the best of their abilities and realize all of their potential in music.
For your information, here is a summary of the financial burden with which I am faced to date:
2015 Medical Bills through March: $65,000
2015 Medical Bills from April 1st: $3000
Living Expenses until I return to full time within year and a half: $60,000
Total: $128,000
Total Gifts received to date and my personal Cash Reserve available: $23,662
Total Needed to Raise as of May 1, 2015: $104,338
I shall update these figures as gifts or grants successfully come in. My hope is that all musicians may draw strength and hope from my experience in all this and develop plans for their survival through any similar experience that they might encounter. In the meantime, I truly appreciate whatever you can to spare to help me recover financially and know that I look forward to returning to my full and fulfilling life as a musician as soon as possible.
Please find below for the overall profile of my work as a musician, pianist, and teacher. It offers an insight into the professional world in which I exist and in which feel grateful to have earned a place to live my life and help support my family.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and thank you for supporting me through this trying time. I will beat this cancer, in part, thanks to your generosity. I hope too that you will take courage, faith, and hope from my experience. I wish for you all such power in any adversity you may encounter in your lives. Please share my story with those you believe may be interested in helping me or who may otherwise benefit from it. Thank you!
Dr. Andrew Peter Millar
Pianist, Teacher, Doctor of Musical Arts
Owner, Studio of Music LLC: Instruction in Piano Playing, Keyboard Musicianship, and Music Theory
Faculty, Preparatory and Community Engagement, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
Facilitator and Volunteer, Global Music and Wellness
1. Studio of Music LLC: Instruction in Piano Playing, Keyboard Musicianship, and Music Theory
June 2014 – Present; Primary Instruction Location: Toedtman School of Music, Studio 202, 3660 Hauck Road, Sharonville OH 45241
Instruction in piano playing, musicianship, and topics in music theory to more than 60 students on a weekly basis and others on less frequent lesson plans. Students who study in this studio include many who have the highest goals and ambitions for serious artistic activity on a professional level and others seeking a solid foundation in the practical workings of music in order to participate in a variety of musical experiences.
Some students live with complex physical or psychological difficulties and find a program of musical experience that is adapted to their special needs and invites them to participate in special events alongside others in mutually supportive and collaborative framework.
Special events include studio recital-performance classes at the Willis Music Galleria, Kenwood, Ohio, on a world class concert instrument, the assessments of the Royal Conservatory of Music Development Program (http://www.musicdevelopmentprogram.org/), and the special events of the Ohio Music Teachers Association, Southwest District (http://ohiomtasouthwest.org/).
Studio of Music February 2007 – Present (8 years 2 months)
Toedtman School of Music, Studio 202, 3660 Hauck Road, Sharonville OH 45241
The Toedtman School of Music is one of the most distinguished private academies of music in the Cincinnati area. For more information: http://toedtmanschoolofmusic.com/ . I am honored to be counted among the faculty of distinguished musicians and educators that have characterized this institution since its inception. This institution has provided me with a platform for my professional and personal growth for many years now and continues in this capacity for me now that my Studio of Music LLC is primarily operates through this facility.
2. Adjunct Faculty, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Preparatory and Community Engagement
1995 – Present; Clifton, Cincinnati
Since a candidate as a doctoral student in piano performance studies, I have been an adjunct faculty member of the Preparatory Department of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. The nature of the program offerings are very similar to those as described above for the Studio of Music LLC but here the underlying directive concerns the pursuit of excellence in all matters artistic, pedagogical, and professional. Such a directive has driven me in all my work since my days as a young student primarily pursing platforms of performance and scholarship in music which remain at the core of my professional life.
Preparatory Department students have the additional opportunity to have their lessons on world class concert instruments and study towards the continually developing Honors Program for especially talented high-school age students.
I have served on the CCM Prep summer faculties for the Immersion Program and the Cincinnati Piano Institute, and in the past has served as Chair of the Preparatory Piano and as Chair of an in-house Certificate Program of Achievement, and on a steering committee that saw CCM Prep Department become one of the first pre-college divisions to gain a full and independent membership of the National Association of Schools of Music.
For more information about this division of the College-Conservatory of Music please visit: http://ccm.uc.edu/prep.html
3. Facilitator and Volunteer: Global Music and Wellness
2007 – Present; Cincinnati Area
I assist with the implementation of the Clavinova Connection program developed by the Yamaha Corporation in conjunction with the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute, and similar participation-driven musical experiences for people of all ages. These programs follow the medical research protocols developed by neurologist Dr. Barry Bittman, MD in activities that reduce stress and from which he has noted positive markers derived from music making activities at the genomic level. These programs promote active engagement in music making and musical communication among participants as part of a healthy lifestyle. The primary thrust of this program in the Cincinnati area to date has been to elderly populations in community centers and retirement facilities. Elders have typically enjoyed this form of music making tremendously and are pleasantly surprised about how exciting and stimulating the learning and socializing environment offered by keyboard playing utilizing the combination of traditional materials in conjunction with the technology of the Yamaha Clavinova. Many young people among underserved populations within the Cincinnati community have been introduced to music making via a similar initiative in work in which I have engaged. Others, including some with severe mental disabilities have also been seen to benefit from the musical stimulus provided by these programs. For more information about this initiative, please visit: http://musicandwellness.net
Pianist
Appearances as a soloist and chamber musician in Texas, the Cincinnati OH region, Northern Kentucky and Indiana, Salt Lake UT, Budapest, Hungary
Broadcasts for Radio New Zealand and Classical 90.9 WGUC Cincinnati OH
Recipient of the F. Howard and Mary D. Walsh Scholarship in Piano, Texas Christian University, School of Music, 1990-93
Financial Award through the New Zealand Ministry of Culture for summer study at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary, 1989
Presentations through the New Zealand Ministry of Culture as a piano soloist in Washington DC and London, 1988
Recipient of two awards from the Woolf Fischer Trust for young scholars from New Zealand, 1988 and 1990
First Place Winner, Gina Bachauer International Artists Competition, New Zealand region piano selection Competition, 1987
Winner of the Janetta MacStay Prize for Pianists and the Anne Bellam Scholarship at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, School of Music, 1983-87
Scholarship and Publications
Doctoral Thesis
Millar, Andrew P. Adolph Kullak’s Die Ästhetik des Klavierspiels and the Emergence of Modern Piano Technique by the Late Nineteenth Century. A thesis submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance, 2004. This study illuminates what makes the piano unique among musical instruments, how and why its music from the eighteenth century onwards in particular is so enduring, and especially how the nature of the Romantic tradition of piano playing is as relevant today as a model of excellence and ambition for the aspiring pianist and as a fulfilling experience for the listener.
Studio of Music Resources
Millar, Andrew P. The Structure of Music: an Outline for the Developing Musician in Five Studies Directions: 1. The Fundamentals of Music; 2. Harmony and Counterpoint; 3. Musical Style, History and Cultural Context; 4. Musical Analysis; 5. Technique and Repertoire. Studio of Music LLC, in progress, June 2014 to Present. This project consists of an index to many of the most valuable currently available publications that circulate as sources in the public domain or which are protected by copyright restrictions. The original contribution here rests in the structuring, sequencing, and interpretation of materials that exist in print, or in digital format as scores, references, as MIDI resources, and other audio-visual resources. The author’s notes serve to underline the key directives of the musician’s work in particular and how they evolve over time. The fifth direction of Technique and Repertoire constitute the true foundation of this studio and author’s life and work. The notes and materials presented here form the prime directive of the pianist’s work in particular, a work to which persons of all ages and levels of ability are invited to participate in.
Education
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music: Doctor of Musical Arts, piano; additional emphases: music theory, history, and aesthetics, vocal coaching and accompaniment, conducting; 1993 – 2004
National Guild for Community Arts Education: Certificate of Arts Management in Community Institutions, 1998
Texas Christian University, School of Music: Master's Degree, Piano, and Graduate Performer’s Certificate, Piano, vocal accompaniment, conducting; 1990 – 1993
University of Auckland, School of Music: Bachelor's Degree, Piano; 1984 – 1989; additional studies towards Master of Music in piano and musicology completed later in the USA
Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music: LRSM, 1988
Associate of the Trinity College of Music: ATCL, 1982
Pianist, Teacher, Doctor of Musical Arts
Medical Emergency and Petition for a Gift of Financial Assistance
Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Members of the Public,
Please allow me to introduce myself and draw attention to the medical emergency with which I have suddenly been burdened.
On March 7th, 2015, it became impossible for me to easily open my left eye and make it focus with my right eye. I went to the Good Samaritan Hospital emergency room on Harrison Avenue in Cincinnati Ohio. Prior to this, I had spent about 5 weeks coping with ever increasing discomfort and pain in the left side of my face: it had tentatively diagnosed as Trigeminal Neuralgia which I was treated for, but to no relief.
The ER physician ordered a CAT scan of my brain on March 7, which immediately revealed a mass growing in my head, neck, and brain. I was immediately admitted to the main facility of Good Samaritan Hospital, in Clifton Cincinnati where I received the expert care of a team headed by ear, nose, and throat specialist Dr. Seth Issacs. A few days later, Dr. Isaacs performed a surgical biopsy. After preliminary non-cancerous results, Dr. Isaacs persisted for deeper layers of analysis due to the concerns he had. I am very grateful for his persistence: the full pathology report concluded that the mass is a rare, aggressive, cancer known as myxofibosarcoma. Furthermore, besides being an aggressive cancer, the tumor’s location is compressing the 3rd, 5th, and 6th cranial nerves (accounting for the pain in face) and the carotid artery. The nerve compression accounts for the frozen status of my left eye leaving me unable to see out of it.
Given the vicious nature and the delicate location of the cancer tumor, I have been referred to specialists at The Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital for the overall plan for my recover which will include surgery by Dr. Theodoros Teknos and Dr. Daniel Prevedello, and to and to Christ Hospital, Cincinnati (where I live) for chemotherapy as directed by hematologist and oncologist Dr. Slobodan M. Stanisic. This combined institutional team has been wonderful and compassionate towards me and I fully trust their plans for my treatment is among the very best available.
In an attempt to shrink the tumor, I have received intensive rounds of inpatient-chemotherapy (hospitalized for 36 hours each session), with a three week period between each during which I remain at home to recover. Toward the end of May or, perhaps early June, I will undergo a 12-15 hour surgery to remove the remainder of what was initially discovered about a baseball-size tumor. I am pleased to report that the chemotherapy appears to have reduced the size after two rounds, which reduces the margins for the James Cancer Hospital surgeons to work with: this is great news.
Following surgery, the tumor’s DNA will be genetically sequenced so that a specific chemotherapy and drug regime can be determined to better target any remaining cancer cells.
Beyond the stress and trauma of having a rare, aggressive cancer, I am struggling with financial stresses relating to the medical bills and the cost of living while I am not working. To give an overview of my situation, the insurance company for which I have paid premiums for 11 years that was ending on March 31, 2015 at the end of the first month of my treatment has been denying coverage for many of the physician visits, pathology reports, tests, and the surgical biopsy for this year through that date. I understood that all such services would be covered or at least partially by the policy I have subscribed to. The estimated out-of-pocket medical expenses for my March care currently stands at $65,000.
Fortunately, the new health insurance plan I have in place through the Health Insurance Marketplace that took over on April 1, 2015 has proven to be much more reliable, even after a last minute scare on March 30 that suggested I would be dropped due to a lack of correctly presented information to the healthcare.gov website. I have to thank the office of USA Senator Sherrod Brown for intervening on my behalf and empowering the Health and Human Services agency to reassure me within 48 hours of the emergency that all was well. This was a most agonizing 48 hours!
I should expect from this point forward that my new health insurance plan will cover the estimated $300,000 to $500,000 costs of my cancer treatments this year. This includes the surgery for the removal of the tumor, and the many accompanying tests and therapies that I shall need. I should only be responsible for my annual health insurance deductable of $3000 at this point for the remainder of my treatment this year. The good news also includes the progress of my treatment is going very well it seems and I am expected to recover well within a year, although the return of the use of my left eye is one matter that is very much uncertain.
The other side of my financial dilemma is that I am a self-employed piano teacher with my own incorporated Studio of Music LLC and partial employment as an adjunct piano professor at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Department of Preparatory and Community Engagement. In short, if I do not work, I do not receive any income as I do not have an employee benefits program that assists me in such a time of crisis. I have not worked since March 6th, 2015. Given the time I expect to be away from work, I could lose as much as $60,000 of income over the next year or more. When I initially return to work, it will almost certainly have to be at a reduced amount of my normal schedule. My income for the near to medium term is thus greatly reduced but my normal financial obligations will remain the same along with the additional burdens of the medical emergency.
I am afraid of losing my home, which I have worked very hard to own and maintain. I need to continue to offer financial support to the Toedtman School of Music through my studio to which I normally pay my rent for the use of my studio classroom. I do not want to lose the Studio which I have built these last many years nor my opportunity to house the majority of my teaching work at the Toedtman School of Music.
Part of my work I wished to draw your attention to is that for years I have served significantly in a volunteer capacity helping with the implementation of the Clavinova Connection program developed by the Yamaha Corporation in conjunction with the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute utilizing a musical-medical protocol developed by the nationally renowned neurologist Dr. Barry Bittman, MD. This is a music participation and engagement in musical process program for people of all ages to just jump in to. These programs promote active engagement in music making, social engagement, musical recreation and communication among participants as part of a healthy lifestyle. The primary thrust of this program in the Cincinnati area to date has been to elderly populations in community centers and retirement facilities.
Other volunteer work I have engaged in include assistance for the newly revitalized Cincinnati World Piano Competition under the expert leadership of Mark Ernster, services on the boards of Chamber Music Cincinnati and the Ohio Music Teachers Association, Southwest District.
Please see the final section below where I offer a more detailed account of my life and work in music. I particularly want you to note my work in my Studio of Music where I endeavor to engage students of all ages and abilities. In many cases, I work with students who have disabilities as much as any students who are well. Rather than see any disability, I see the student, the artist, and the person as they develop a musical identity and work to make the best of their abilities and realize all of their potential in music.
For your information, here is a summary of the financial burden with which I am faced to date:
2015 Medical Bills through March: $65,000
2015 Medical Bills from April 1st: $3000
Living Expenses until I return to full time within year and a half: $60,000
Total: $128,000
Total Gifts received to date and my personal Cash Reserve available: $23,662
Total Needed to Raise as of May 1, 2015: $104,338
I shall update these figures as gifts or grants successfully come in. My hope is that all musicians may draw strength and hope from my experience in all this and develop plans for their survival through any similar experience that they might encounter. In the meantime, I truly appreciate whatever you can to spare to help me recover financially and know that I look forward to returning to my full and fulfilling life as a musician as soon as possible.
Please find below for the overall profile of my work as a musician, pianist, and teacher. It offers an insight into the professional world in which I exist and in which feel grateful to have earned a place to live my life and help support my family.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and thank you for supporting me through this trying time. I will beat this cancer, in part, thanks to your generosity. I hope too that you will take courage, faith, and hope from my experience. I wish for you all such power in any adversity you may encounter in your lives. Please share my story with those you believe may be interested in helping me or who may otherwise benefit from it. Thank you!
Dr. Andrew Peter Millar
Pianist, Teacher, Doctor of Musical Arts
Owner, Studio of Music LLC: Instruction in Piano Playing, Keyboard Musicianship, and Music Theory
Faculty, Preparatory and Community Engagement, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
Facilitator and Volunteer, Global Music and Wellness
1. Studio of Music LLC: Instruction in Piano Playing, Keyboard Musicianship, and Music Theory
June 2014 – Present; Primary Instruction Location: Toedtman School of Music, Studio 202, 3660 Hauck Road, Sharonville OH 45241
Instruction in piano playing, musicianship, and topics in music theory to more than 60 students on a weekly basis and others on less frequent lesson plans. Students who study in this studio include many who have the highest goals and ambitions for serious artistic activity on a professional level and others seeking a solid foundation in the practical workings of music in order to participate in a variety of musical experiences.
Some students live with complex physical or psychological difficulties and find a program of musical experience that is adapted to their special needs and invites them to participate in special events alongside others in mutually supportive and collaborative framework.
Special events include studio recital-performance classes at the Willis Music Galleria, Kenwood, Ohio, on a world class concert instrument, the assessments of the Royal Conservatory of Music Development Program (http://www.musicdevelopmentprogram.org/), and the special events of the Ohio Music Teachers Association, Southwest District (http://ohiomtasouthwest.org/).
Studio of Music February 2007 – Present (8 years 2 months)
Toedtman School of Music, Studio 202, 3660 Hauck Road, Sharonville OH 45241
The Toedtman School of Music is one of the most distinguished private academies of music in the Cincinnati area. For more information: http://toedtmanschoolofmusic.com/ . I am honored to be counted among the faculty of distinguished musicians and educators that have characterized this institution since its inception. This institution has provided me with a platform for my professional and personal growth for many years now and continues in this capacity for me now that my Studio of Music LLC is primarily operates through this facility.
2. Adjunct Faculty, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Preparatory and Community Engagement
1995 – Present; Clifton, Cincinnati
Since a candidate as a doctoral student in piano performance studies, I have been an adjunct faculty member of the Preparatory Department of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. The nature of the program offerings are very similar to those as described above for the Studio of Music LLC but here the underlying directive concerns the pursuit of excellence in all matters artistic, pedagogical, and professional. Such a directive has driven me in all my work since my days as a young student primarily pursing platforms of performance and scholarship in music which remain at the core of my professional life.
Preparatory Department students have the additional opportunity to have their lessons on world class concert instruments and study towards the continually developing Honors Program for especially talented high-school age students.
I have served on the CCM Prep summer faculties for the Immersion Program and the Cincinnati Piano Institute, and in the past has served as Chair of the Preparatory Piano and as Chair of an in-house Certificate Program of Achievement, and on a steering committee that saw CCM Prep Department become one of the first pre-college divisions to gain a full and independent membership of the National Association of Schools of Music.
For more information about this division of the College-Conservatory of Music please visit: http://ccm.uc.edu/prep.html
3. Facilitator and Volunteer: Global Music and Wellness
2007 – Present; Cincinnati Area
I assist with the implementation of the Clavinova Connection program developed by the Yamaha Corporation in conjunction with the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute, and similar participation-driven musical experiences for people of all ages. These programs follow the medical research protocols developed by neurologist Dr. Barry Bittman, MD in activities that reduce stress and from which he has noted positive markers derived from music making activities at the genomic level. These programs promote active engagement in music making and musical communication among participants as part of a healthy lifestyle. The primary thrust of this program in the Cincinnati area to date has been to elderly populations in community centers and retirement facilities. Elders have typically enjoyed this form of music making tremendously and are pleasantly surprised about how exciting and stimulating the learning and socializing environment offered by keyboard playing utilizing the combination of traditional materials in conjunction with the technology of the Yamaha Clavinova. Many young people among underserved populations within the Cincinnati community have been introduced to music making via a similar initiative in work in which I have engaged. Others, including some with severe mental disabilities have also been seen to benefit from the musical stimulus provided by these programs. For more information about this initiative, please visit: http://musicandwellness.net
Pianist
Appearances as a soloist and chamber musician in Texas, the Cincinnati OH region, Northern Kentucky and Indiana, Salt Lake UT, Budapest, Hungary
Broadcasts for Radio New Zealand and Classical 90.9 WGUC Cincinnati OH
Recipient of the F. Howard and Mary D. Walsh Scholarship in Piano, Texas Christian University, School of Music, 1990-93
Financial Award through the New Zealand Ministry of Culture for summer study at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary, 1989
Presentations through the New Zealand Ministry of Culture as a piano soloist in Washington DC and London, 1988
Recipient of two awards from the Woolf Fischer Trust for young scholars from New Zealand, 1988 and 1990
First Place Winner, Gina Bachauer International Artists Competition, New Zealand region piano selection Competition, 1987
Winner of the Janetta MacStay Prize for Pianists and the Anne Bellam Scholarship at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, School of Music, 1983-87
Scholarship and Publications
Doctoral Thesis
Millar, Andrew P. Adolph Kullak’s Die Ästhetik des Klavierspiels and the Emergence of Modern Piano Technique by the Late Nineteenth Century. A thesis submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance, 2004. This study illuminates what makes the piano unique among musical instruments, how and why its music from the eighteenth century onwards in particular is so enduring, and especially how the nature of the Romantic tradition of piano playing is as relevant today as a model of excellence and ambition for the aspiring pianist and as a fulfilling experience for the listener.
Studio of Music Resources
Millar, Andrew P. The Structure of Music: an Outline for the Developing Musician in Five Studies Directions: 1. The Fundamentals of Music; 2. Harmony and Counterpoint; 3. Musical Style, History and Cultural Context; 4. Musical Analysis; 5. Technique and Repertoire. Studio of Music LLC, in progress, June 2014 to Present. This project consists of an index to many of the most valuable currently available publications that circulate as sources in the public domain or which are protected by copyright restrictions. The original contribution here rests in the structuring, sequencing, and interpretation of materials that exist in print, or in digital format as scores, references, as MIDI resources, and other audio-visual resources. The author’s notes serve to underline the key directives of the musician’s work in particular and how they evolve over time. The fifth direction of Technique and Repertoire constitute the true foundation of this studio and author’s life and work. The notes and materials presented here form the prime directive of the pianist’s work in particular, a work to which persons of all ages and levels of ability are invited to participate in.
Education
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music: Doctor of Musical Arts, piano; additional emphases: music theory, history, and aesthetics, vocal coaching and accompaniment, conducting; 1993 – 2004
National Guild for Community Arts Education: Certificate of Arts Management in Community Institutions, 1998
Texas Christian University, School of Music: Master's Degree, Piano, and Graduate Performer’s Certificate, Piano, vocal accompaniment, conducting; 1990 – 1993
University of Auckland, School of Music: Bachelor's Degree, Piano; 1984 – 1989; additional studies towards Master of Music in piano and musicology completed later in the USA
Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music: LRSM, 1988
Associate of the Trinity College of Music: ATCL, 1982
Organizer
Andrew Millar
Organizer
Cleves, OH