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Phyllis Blake began piano studies at five
years old, and pipe organ in high school with Charles
Marsh. She attended Cal-Western University as an organ
major where she completed her Junior recital studying
with Douglas Ian Duncan. She played recitals and worked
professionally as an organist in San Diego churches
and as an accompanist. She transferred to San Diego
State University, where she studied composition with
David Ward-Steinman, before moving to Orange County.
She finished her studies at California State University,
Fullerton, where she received both Bachelor's and Master's
Degrees in music composition and theory under Donal
Michalsky. She also studied piano and harpsichord with
Burton Karson, and conducting with Daniel Lewis. After
leaving CSU, she taught theory and piano part-time at
CSU, UCI, and Fullerton College, and continued professional
performance as an organist and choir director.
After joining the faculty at Santa Ana College, she
designed the college's first music computer lab and
wrote the first curriculum for computer assisted instruction
in theory and musicianship. She now teaches musicianship,
theory, composition and piano. In addition, after deepening
her experience of non-Western music during a sabatical
year of study and travel to Asia, she designed SAC's
course in world music, including an honors section,
taught regularly at SAC. She has served as Chair of
the Music Department, Senator for Fine and Performing
Arts Division, and as Chair of the Faculty Development
Committee. She has been certified as a Trainer for ISW,
a Canadian organization which offers post-secondary
teacher training. She has taught at SAC since 1986.
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