Lindy Johnson Taylor

From College of Fine Arts and Communications

Lindy Johnson Taylor graduated from BYU in 1993 with an MM in Music. While at BYU, she studied under Professor Jeffrey L. Shumway.

In the Winter 2008 issue of BYU Magazine, Taylor shared the following story of her BYU experience:

One of my favorite piano-performance classes was the keyboard-skills course, in which we improvised, transposed, composed, arranged, and sightread. The classroom had about 20 pianos in it—with headphones, so we could play without disturbing one another, and still be taught by Jeffrey L. Shumway.

Not every student was a fan of the class, and many dedicated musicians pained over the assignments, writing the finer details on beautiful manuscript paper, carefully preparing before class.

One day, after I played an arrangement, Professor Shumway asked me what I had written my notes on. I was embarrassed to hold up a receipt from the BYU Bookstore with a few thoughtful chicken scratches on it. Instead of reprimanding me, Shumway held it up in front of the class—a shining standard of what they all should do. It was one of the best compliments I ever received from a professor.

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