Seth Thomas has been playing the piano since the age of 7. Throughout high school, he studied with Thea Hoekman and Carolyn Steinberg. Mr. Thomas competed in festivals hosted by the National Federation of Music Clubs and the Texas Federation of Music Clubs, receiving the highest ratings and winning the “All-State Musician” award three times. Mr. Thomas holds an Associate of Arts degree in music (summa cum laude) from Collin College, where he studied with Dr. Brian Allison. While at Collin College, he won several honors and awards, including “Outstanding Freshman Piano Major”, “Outstanding Sophomore Piano Major”, “Outstanding Sophomore Theory Student”, and “Outstanding Music Literature Student”. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance (magna cum laude) from the University of Texas at Tyler, where he studied with Vicki Conway. During his time at UT Tyler, he was the recipient of numerous music and academic scholarships. In May 2016, he graduated with honors with a Master of Music degree in piano performance from Cleveland State University, under the instruction of Dr. Angelin Chang and Ms. Joela Jones. He was the recipient of 2014-2015 Joan Terr Ronis Award for Outstanding Student of the Keyboard Area. Mr. Thomas has also studied with Sheila Paige and has played in master-classes presented by Ms. Paige at the Keyboard Wellness. He has also performed in masterclasses with Dr. Christopher Fisher, Ann Saslav, and Spencer Myer.
Mr. Thomas is an active private piano instructor in the DFW area. He has served as an adjunct instructor at The University of Texas at Tyler, where he taught Harmony and Keyboard. He helps piano students of all ages recover from and avoid fatigue and injury at the piano through efficient movement. Mr. Thomas is also a frequent performer both as a soloist and collaborator. He has presented recitals in Texas, Michigan, and Ohio. He is an active accompanist in both the high school and college arenas. He frequently performed with the UT Tyler Wind Ensemble while attending UT Tyler. He was the rehearsal pianist and pit orchestra keyboardist in the Tyler Civic Theater production of Bye Bye Birdie, and a rehearsal pianist for the UT Tyler production of Finian’s Rainbow. He has been the pianist for Opera Workshop classes at UT Tyler and CSU. As an actor, he has appeared on stage in productions of Carousel, Death and Deceit on the Nile, and Finian’s Rainbow. Mr. Thomas has been involved in church music, since the age of eleven. Most recently, he was the Director of Music at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Cleveland, Ohio. He has been on staff as an administrative assistant at the Keyboard Wellness Seminar since July 2014.
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