Piano teacher earns national honor for lifetime of lessons

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Naperville resident Elvina Pearce in July was awarded the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy for her contributions to music over a sustained career. | Submitted

Updated: November 30, 2011 12:21AM

As a pianist and teacher, Naperville resident Elvina Pearce has a long history in the field of music. Consequently, in July, Pearce was awarded the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy for her contributions to music over a sustained career.

Those who learned to play piano from her whole-heartedly agree with the honor.

“Mrs. Pearce sensitively nurtured a deep love of music in me,” former student Emily Morlan said. “Music can never be separate from the heart, and Mrs. Pearce is a teacher who truly lives this.”

Growing career

In the 1950s, Frances Clark, considered to be the foremost teacher in piano pedagogy in this country, asked Pearce to join her staff as part of the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. Pearce studied and taught there for 10 years as she helped grow the program to more than 200 people, working with both children and college students.

In 1965 Pearce moved to Naperville with her husband, John, who served as head of the music department at Naperville Central High School, giving her the opportunity to work alongside him as an accompanist.

She also immediately became involved at North Central College. There she proposed starting a preparatory division for children as an adjunct of the college, which led to the creation of the Division of Preparatory and Community Music, now called the Piano Academy. Pearce also administered and taught in the program.

“It was favorably received,” Pearce said. “We flourished.”

Some of her former students went on to careers in music, including Morlan and Beth Jones who both teach at North Central College with the Piano Academy.

“While studying with Mrs. Pearce she gave me a structure, foundation, and love of music, so that I could experience the full benefit of music school,” Jones said.

For 14 years, Pearce also taught piano and piano pedagogy at Northwestern University where she directed the Preparatory Piano Division.

National conference

In the 1980s, Pearce became involved in the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy after being asked to conduct a session at the University of Wisconsin. She brought seven young students from Naperville to do a demonstration class.

“The kids were out of their heads they were so excited,” Pearce said, “I think so was I.”

She continued to participate in the biennial convention, as well as providing workshop clinics, presenting recitals, seminars and master classes, allowing her to travel to 40 states and perform with the Chicago Symphony, at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York and at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. She has continued to be involved with the conference, which this year had more than a thousand people in attendance at the Westin Hotel in Lombard.

Staying involved

Pearce also continues to teach from her home while still lecturing, performing and conducting workshops for piano teachers.

“I still am practicing everyday, and I have a limited number of students (who) I dearly love,” Pearce said.

Allison Lie, a fourth-grader at Beebe Elementary School, is one of the students who benefits from Pearce’s teaching. Lie recently took first place in the Berkley-Pendell Piano Competition.

“I didn’t know how to read the notes, until I met Ms. Elvina,” Lie said. “Every lesson I learn something that makes me want to learn even more.”

Pearce recently wrote a book on piano teaching and also a new collection of piano compositions. Both will be released this fall.