All Steinway Status Achieved at Fresno City College
The Fresno City College Division of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts Division is excited to announce that the Music Department has achieved All-Steinway School status. All-Steinway Schools demonstrate a commitment to excellence by providing students and faculty members with the best possible instruments for the study of music.
On Thursday, March 31, 2022, the final three pianos, one Steinway grand and two Boston uprights, were delivered to the Music Speech Piano classroom. A nine-foot concert Steinway piano was delivered to the Old Administration Building Auditorium in 2016 and was a significant addition for the Music Program. Since then, close to 20 Steinway pianos have been added.
These new pianos, all handmade in the United States, will give students the best experience possible. Fresno City College students will now play on the finest instruments, even better instruments than those that can be found in most colleges, universities or music conservatories. FCC is the first college in the Central Valley to achieve this distinction.
“By updating our fleet of pianos, we have achieved the All-Steinway School designation that will help our students have access to new instruments with the latest and greatest technology,” said FCC piano instructor Dr. Brandon Bascom. “A few of the pianos that were replaced in the practice rooms were over 100 years old and almost predated the college’s existence,” he added.
The college was able to purchase a Steinway Spirio that utilizes a mobile app and an iPad to record students’ work. It also provides access to hundreds of hours of performances from other artists. FCC music students can now remotely take auditions and have lessons from professors anywhere in the world that have the same technology.
Another benefit is that accompanists can record digital tracks for our students to practice with at any time in any key. The recording capabilities help us preserve student performances instantly.
A special Steinway artist concert is scheduled for Friday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the OAB Auditorium to celebrate this milestone for the college. This free concert will include the unveiling of the All-Steinway School plaque.
