Dawn Clement

Back to Faculty & Staff Directory Back to Department Page
Placeholder Faculty Staff Image
How to edit profiles >

Dawn Clement

Associate Professor of Music

Music

Office Hours

DAWN CLEMENT OFFICE HOURS - FALL 2022

In the Office (ARTS 284-G):
Tuesdays 1-2pm & 3-4pm
Wednesdays 9-11am (by appointment only)

At Kalamath:
Mondays and Wednesdays 12-12:30pm
Thursdays 12-2pm (by appointment only)

Biography

Pianist/Vocalist/Composer Dawn Clement is currently the coordinator of the Jazz and American Improvised Music Area at MSU Denver. She holds a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Music Composition from Vermont College of the Arts. Dawn's latest release Esthesis Quartet can be found on all streaming platforms. Not only does Dawn teach and coordinate, but she performs regularly on the local scene and manages a rigorous touring schedule.

Teaching Interests

    TEACHING STATEMENT
    My approach to music education is twofold:
    At a theoretical level, I believe in the importance of laying a foundation through direct instruction. It is necessary for the music major to learn the rudiments, and skills of theory, piano, ear-training, and rhythm. The foundation or scaffolding prepares the student to speak the concept-specific language to further build their craft.
    On a practical level, the importance of development through discipline is crucial. Purposeful and regular practice in listening, analyzing, writing, and playing are all skills that require focus, planning, and crafting. Students need tutoring in how to maximize their creative time, to self-edit, and to develop professionalism. It is only when they are able to engage in this discipline that they are able to move into a professional capacity and see themselves as fully functioning and formed artists and musicians.
    Considered together, these two levels of instruction offer a balanced and challenging approach to education in which both the instructor and the student play vital roles. Students need to be able to transition from learning basic skills directly, to making them a part of their creative arsenal through disciplined and purposeful practice as they continue to receive tutoring, coaching, and encouragement.
    Under my instruction, I have had the experience of witnessing a student’s growth from junior high through college. While they grow, I have grown. Many students I’ve had have started out as beginning improvisers. In my role as a teacher of improvising, there is always an element of composition and the utilization of theoretical skills. The end result is a student who knows how to efficiently practice and to compartmentalize purposeful work juxtaposed with creative play. As I seek to fine tune this process for myself it is important to me to model for students but to also encourage and help facilitate the finding of their own voice.
    Dawn Clement

Education

MFA in Composition

Vermont College of Fine Arts

BM in Jazz Piano Performance

Cornish College of the Arts

Personal Website

https://www.dawnclement.com

Published Works