Category: Uncategorized
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Improvising on A Moonlight Dance
Theodora Dutton loved to improvise, and as a child she was often in hot water over improvising when she was supposed to be practicing. Even when she was established as a composer, she would include improvization in her performances. I was really pleased to learn more about improv from Dr. Terry Klinefelter, a guest clinician…
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Premiering Theodora Dutton’s Valzer Appassionato, and it’s History as a Score for Silent Movies
Opportunities grew for Theodora Dutton when WWI broke out during the golden years of the silent film industry. As men entered the armed services, the booming movie industry turned to women composers to fill the demand for scores. I wonder if she could command the same compensation as her male colleagues. Theodora Dutton was recognized…
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Theodora Dutton- the Hidden Composer
Piano students around the world learn Theodora Dutton’s composition, Christmas-Day Secrets, without even knowing that it was the first publication from a woman composer from Springfield, Massachusetts. In fact, it’s the only publication in the Suzuki piano repertoire by a woman, credited only to “T. Dutton, dates unknown.” I began to dig deeper and found…