5860 Marlborough Road / Pittsburgh, PA 15217 deben@pitt.edu / www.gmajormusictheory.org
412-421-3930
Experience
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Music Faculty , University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. Teaching: Music Theory, Class
Piano, Introduction to Western Art Music, and History of Jazz (1992-present).
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Music Faculty, Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA),
School District of Pittsburgh. Teaching: AP Music Theory and Solfege (1981 - 2011).
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Member, Development Committee for the Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory
Examination. Committee is responsible for creating the exams (2004 - 2008).
• Independent Private Piano Teacher (1985 - present).
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Private Piano Teacher, Chatham College Laboratory School of Music (1985 - 1991).
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Class Piano Teacher , Community College of Allegheny County (1986 - 1987).
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Teaching Fellow , University of Pittsburgh. Taught music theory and class piano.
Education and Training
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Endorsed Consultant, AP Music Theory, The College Board (2006). Certified to give workshops and AP Summer Institutes sponsored by the College Board.
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Master of Arts in Music Theory and Composition, University of Pittsburgh (1985).
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Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music (Composition), Carnegie Mellon University (1980).
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Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Education, Carnegie Mellon University (1980).
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Pennsylvania Level II Teaching Certificate (Music).
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Master of Science (Psychology), Carnegie Mellon University (1976).
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Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Carnegie Mellon University (1973).
Web presence
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Webmaster and content provider for http://www.gmajormusictheory.org, a resource for first year college level Music Theory and for Music Theory fundamentals.
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Webmaster and musical arranger for Free Piano Music!, http://gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/freebies.html.
Averaging 5,000 hits daily. Google’s first hit when “piano music” is searched.
Publications
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DeBenedetti, G. A Dozen Italian Diversions for Guitar Solo (Mel Bay, 2010). For classical guitar. Notated in both treble clef and in tab.
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DeBenedetti, G. “About AP Music Theory” Chapter One in: Teacher’s Guide: AP Music
Theor y, D. Lockart, Ed. (The College Board, New York, NY, 2008).
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DeBenedetti, G. “Six French Songs” in: First Start French , by D. Schultz (Memoria
Press, Louisville, KY, 2007).
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DeBenedetti, G. The Birds and the Bears Suite, and Fiesta Siesta Suite (Dayton:
Lorenz/Heritage Music Press, 2000) Two suites for beginning pianists.
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DeBenedetti, G. The Christmas Songbook Treasury (Lincolnwood, IL: Publications
International, Ltd., 1999).
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DeBenedetti, G. Backyard Buddies, Oceans of Friends, and A Frog Day Suite (Dayton:
Lorenz/Heritage Music Press, 1999). Three suites of four pieces each for young pianists.

Publications (cont’d)
• DeBenedetti, G. Piano Playing: Sunday Songs Made Easy (Lincolnwood, IL:
Publications International, Ltd., 1997). Fourth book in the “Made Easy” series.
• DeBenedetti, G. Piano Playing: Christmas Songs Made Easy (Lincolnwood, IL:
Publications International, Ltd., 1996).
• DeBenedetti, G. Piano Playing: Popular Songs Made Easy (Lincolnwood, IL:
Publications International, Ltd., 1995, second printing: 1996).
• DeBenedetti, G.,“Teaching Tips: Lessons without wrong notes—guaranteed!” American
Music Teacher , December/January, 1994/95.
• DeBenedetti, G., “The Idea Corner,” a regular column in the Newsletter of the
Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association , 1994 - 1995.
• DeBenedetti, G., Piano Playing Made Easy (Lincolnwood, IL: Publications
International, Ltd., 1992). First of four books in the “Made Easy” series.
• DeBenedetti, G. “Piano and Theory,” Clavier 30/2 (1991).
• DeBenedetti, G. The Creative Pianist (Dayton: Lorenz/Heritage Music Press,1990).
Four books which teach composition and theory to young, beginning pianists.
• DeBenedetti, G. “Daydream,” “Lament,” “The Great Cathedral,” and “Weightlessness,”
(Dayton: Lorenz/Heritage Music Press, 1990). Sheet music for beginning and intermediate pianists.
• DeBenedetti, G. “Three Rounds,” American Dalcroze Journal , 9 (1981): p. 6.
Workshops and Conference Presentations
• DeBenedetti, G. "Apple Apps for Teaching Listening Skills" Conference of the Society for Music Theory (2011).
• DeBenedetti, G. Week-long AP Summer Institute in Music Theory, Manhattan College,
Riverdale, NY, sponsored by The College Board (2011).
• DeBenedetti, G. "Teaching Listening Skills in Musical Contexts" Joint Conference of the
College Music Society and the Association for Technology in Music Instruction (2010).
• DeBenedetti, G. Week-long AP Summer Institute in Music Theory, St. Albans, WV, sponsored by The College Board (2010).
• DeBenedetti, G. Two-day workshop for training AP Music Theory Teachers,
Philadelphia, PA, sponsored by The College Board (2009).
• DeBenedetti, G. Two week-long Institutes for training AP Music Theory Teachers, sponsored by The College Board, Fort Lauderdale, FL and Durham, NC (2008).
• DeBenedetti, G. "How do High School Teachers Teach a College Course?" College
Board Colloquium for Music Administrators at top-tier universities, Chicago, IL (2008).
• DeBenedetti, G. Day-long Workshop for training AP Music Theory Teachers, sponsored by The College Board, LaRoche College, Pittsburgh, PA, (2007).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Pop! ...Goes the Advanced Placement Music Theory Examination”
Conference of the International Network of Schools for the Advancement of Arts
Education, Oakland, CA (2007).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Online Resources for Aural Analysis” AP Annual Conference, Las
Vegas, NV (2007).
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DeBenedetti, G. "Analytical Listening on GMajorMusicTheory.org" College Board,
Middle States Regional Office, 2-Day Fine Arts Conference, Philadelphia, PA (2007).
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Workshops and Conference Presentations (cont'd)
• DeBenedetti, G. “Harmonic Dictation on the AP Music Theory Exam” AP Annual
Conference, Orlando, FL (2006).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Short Aural Examples for Identifying Meters” Advanced Placement
Music Theory Workshop, Palo Alto, CA (2006).
• DeBenedetti, G. and McCreless, P. “Integrating Ear Training and Writing Skills in the
AP Music Theory Exam” AP Annual Conference, Houston, TX (2005).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Short Aural Examples for Identifying Meters” Advanced Placement
Music Theory Workshop, Yale University (2004).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Get your Music for Free on the Web” Music Teachers National
Association, National Conference (2004).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Free Sheet Music from the Internet” Pennsylvania Music Teachers
Association Conference (2004).
• DeBenedetti, G. “The Perfect Piano Pieces for Stimulating your Students” Pennsylvania
Music Teachers Association Conference (2001).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Creating Music at Composition Camps” Pennsylvania Music Teachers
Association Conference (1999).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Write Your Own Beginning Piano Music—for Non-Composers”
Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association Conference (1997).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Putting the Music into Music Theory,” Joint conference of the West
Virginia and Kentucky Music Teachers Associations (1994).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Teaching Music Theory—A Creative Approach,” Maryland State
Music Teachers Association Conference (1992).
• DeBenedetti, G. “Using Musical Contexts for Teaching Music Theory,” Pennsylvania
Music Teachers Association Conference (1992).
• DeBenedetti, G. “The Creative Pianist: Music Theory through Creativity,” Pennsylvania
Music Educators Association Conference (1992).
Other work in music
• Pathways to Harmony . Workbooks for Music Theory Fundamentals. Available at: www.gmajormusictheory.org.
• Reader, AP Music Theory Exam. Grading student answers (summers 2004 - present).
• Assessor, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (summers 2003 - 2006).
• Sonatina in G . Commissioned by the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association,
Westmoreland Chapter (2001).
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First Prize, Pittsburgh Piano Teachers Association Composition Competition for: Of Far
Off Lands, including “March on Android Moon”, “Arctic Nights”, and “Dancing with the Greeks”: (2001).
• Clinician, Composing Camp with Gilbert DeBenedetti. Sponsored by: Pennsylvania
Music Teachers Association, Westmoreland Chapter (1998).
• Clinician, Composing Camp with Gilbert DeBenedetti. Sponsored by: Delaware State
Music Teachers Association (1999).
• Judge, Thursday Music Club of Wheeling, West Virginia, Young Musician Piano
Auditions. Judged performances of seventy young pianists. (1998, 2000).
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Adjudicator, Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), Eastern Division Student
Composition Competition. Judged compositions from the eastern United States (1997).
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Other work in music (cont'd)
• Adjudicator, South Carolina Music Teachers Association-CPP/Belwin Student
Composition Competition (1994).
• Starburst (Computer controlled electronics, performed 1982, 1987).
• Ontogeny (Orchestral work won a performance in C-MU’s Concerto Competition, 1980).
• The People Know (Four voice choral fugue, “traditional style,” 1979).
• A View from the Top (for brass quintet, performed 1979, 1984).
Memberships
• Society for Music Theory (SMT), member of o Music Theory Pedagogy Interest Group o Professional Development Committee
• Association for Technology in Music Instruction (ATMI)
• College Music Society (CMS)
• National Association for Music Education (NAfME, formerly MENC) and its affiliate,
Pennsylvania Music Educators' Association (PMEA)
• Music Teachers' National Association (MTNA)
• Pittsburgh Piano Teachers' Association (PPTA)
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