Dr. Lynn Worcester Jones

https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2024/05/pianist-educator-and-scholar-lynn-worcester-jones-joins-ccms-faculty.html

Biography 2024-2025 

Dr. Lynn Worcester Jones is a distinguished educator, performer, and scholar who serves as Associate Professor of Piano Pedagogy and Chair of Secondary Piano and Piano Pedagogy at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). Renowned for her innovative approach to piano education, mentorship, and research, Dr. Jones is at the forefront of shaping the next generation of artist-educators.

Beginning her piano studies at the age of four with her mother, Eiki Paik Worcester, Dr. Jones has performed solo and chamber recitals throughout the United States, Italy, and Austria. Her performances include works from the standard repertoire, and she has also championed works by living women composers in her research and on stage. Recent concert programs, for example, have included works by female composers—Mazzoli, Boulanger, Poldowski, Clarke, Urner, Beglarian, Ruehr, Hensel, and others—as well as works by Mozart, Liszt, Villa-Lobos, Schubert, Ginastera, Glass, Cage, and a performance of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Dr. Jones holds a DMA in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, alongside degrees from Baylor University and California State University, Fullerton where she studied with Jane Magrath, Barbara Fast, Lesley McAllister, Krassimira Jordan, Martha Baker-Jordan, Eduardo Delgado, and Robert Watson.

Prior to joining CCM, Dr. Jones served as Associate Professor and Keyboard Area Coordinator at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), where she developed the region’s first Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy program, led significant curriculum innovations, and built a thriving piano program known for its excellence and community engagement. Her dedication to teaching and research earned her the prestigious UTC Outstanding Research & Creative Achievement Award (2023-2024) and recognition as 2024 Teacher of the Year by both the Tennessee Music Teachers Association (TMTA) and the Chattanooga Music Teachers Association (CMTA).

A passionate mentor, Dr. Jones has guided students to notable achievements. In 2025, her CCM Piano Pedagogy Graduate Assistants will give five national presentations at the MTNA Collegiate Symposium and MTNA National Conference. Her students have won awards at the Knoxville International Piano Competition, Tennessee Music Teachers Association Collegiate-category competitions collegiate honors, university concerto competitions and placements at leading summer festivals such as the Amalfi Coast Festival and Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. Under her guidance, students have earned R-1 faculty positions, scholarships, and assistantships at leading institutions, excelling as performers, researchers, and educators. At CCM, she spearheads a new initiative called the CCM Peer Perspectives Masterclass Series, fostering collaboration among graduate and secondary piano students while expanding opportunities for professional growth and creative expression.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Dr. Jones has delivered over 50 invited and refereed presentations at national and international conferences, including the MTNA National Conference, College Music Society National Conference, National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and the MTNA Group Piano and Pedagogy Forum. Her recent sessions address critical topics such as autonomy in piano study, engaging Generation Z musicians, and integrating AI into piano pedagogy coursework and research. Dr. Jones has eight peer-reviewed, featured articles published in leading journals such as American Music Teacher, Piano Magazine, Clavier Companion, and Piano Pedagogy Forum. Her work explores diverse topics, including diversifying piano literature, contemporary techniques for intermediate pianists, and fostering self-efficacy in piano students. Notably, her upcoming article, “The Good Life: Is Teaching the Path to Happiness?” has been accepted for publication in American Music Teacher, draws on the Harvard Study of Adult Happiness to highlight the transformative power of teaching. She is a multimedia contributor to the Frances Clark Center, producing performance and pedagogy videos for the Inspiring Artistry and From the Artist’s Bench series. Dr. Jones serves on the Editorial Committee for American Music Teacher and serves on the Teachers in Higher Education committee for the 2025 National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP). Currently, Dr. Jones is completing her first book, Teaching Piano to the AI Generation, which explores the role of artificial intelligence in shaping modern music education and offers innovative strategies for integrating AI tools into piano teaching.