Dr. Brenda Wristen directs the piano pedagogy and keyboard skills programs at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln. Additionally, she is founder and director of the Community Piano Experience, an outreach program that offers beginning and intermediate class piano instruction for adult recreational pianists.
Dr. Wristen holds the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts with a major in Piano Pedagogy from Texas Tech University, where she was the recipient of the DeWitt/Jones Doctoral Fellowship and the Chancellor's Fellowship. She received the Master of Music degree from Texas Tech University and the Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Lubbock Christian University. Dr. Wristen is a member of Sigma Xi Research Society and the Alpha Chi, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Kappa Phi national honor societies. Her professional affiliations include Music Teachers National Association, the Performing Arts Medicine Association, the Nebraska Music Teachers Association, and Lincoln Teachers Association.
Prevention of piano-related overuse injuries and biomechanical approaches to piano technique represents Dr. Wristen's primary research focus. As a recognized expert in this field, she has presented her research regarding prevention of music-related injuries at numerous meetings of national, state, and local associations, including Music Teachers National Association, the Performing Arts Medicine Association (in conjunction with the Aspen Music Festival),the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, the College Music Society, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, and the International Society for Music Education. Dr. Wristen is currently chair of the Pianists and Wellness Committee for the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. Her work has been published in American Music Teacher, Medical Problems of Performing Artists, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Music Education Research, Clavier, Keyboard Companion, and Piano Pedagogy Forum.
Dr. Wristen is currently developing an interdisciplinary initiative for education and research on the occupational health and wellness of musicians at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln. Other major projects include an ongoing project to examine demographics and motivations of adult recreational pianists, a collaboration with Dr. Susan Hallbeck (UNL Dept. of Engineering) that examined muscle efficiency of small-handed pianists playing the 7/8 size keyboard versus the conventional keyboard (which was recognized by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and the American Institute of Physics), a collaborative study of motions made by pianists while sight-reading versus performing repertoire, and collaborative work with Dr. Lora Deahl (Professor of Piano, Texas Tech University) to address unique technical challenges faced by small-handed pianists. Additionally, Dr. Wristen has published work on varied topics of interest in the area of piano pedagogy.
In addition to her teaching and research activities, Dr. Wristen is an active clinician, adjudicator, and performer. Recent piano performances include a UNL faculty piano duo recital in Fall 2007 with Dr. Ann Chang-Barnes, and several collaborative appearances.
