Mr. Kim Paterson, Adjunct Lecturer Applied Music,
Piano Class and Advance Piano Class.

Degrees Earned: B.F.A in Music (piano) from Purchase College (1976)

Over the past five years, Mr. Paterson has averaged 120 concerts per year, performing as a pianist or synthesizer player. These include an average of 80 different programs per year. Mr. Paterson is a core member of the Catskill Symphony. He is on the faculty of both Hartwick College and SUCO, where he teaches piano and coaches students preparing for recitals. He also works and consults as a sound designer for theatrical productions. Recordings include Beyond the Borscht Belt, with the Catskill Klezmorim, (Big Twig Studio, 1998) and numerous self-produced CD's used in conjunction with recital preparation (about 30 per year).

Dr. Joseph Pignato, Assistant Professor,

Year Hired: 2004

Tenure Status: Eligible 2014

Degrees Earned:
Doctor of Musical Arts – Boston University, (2010)
Master of Arts - New York University - Gallatin School, (1996)
Bachelor of Arts - University of Massachusetts, (1989)

Dr. Joseph Michael Pignato is a composer, improviser, and music education scholar with extensive graduate, undergraduate, secondary, and distance teaching experience in music, music education, the humanities, and media. At the College at Oneonta, Dr. Pignato teaches music industry courses and directs two ensembles that perform experimental music, improvised rock, jazz, jam, psychedelic, free, and roots music among other genres.
 
In 2012, Dr. Pignato received the State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, the highest academic award bestowed on teaching faculty in the SUNY system. In the past, Dr. Pignato has been awarded numerous Faculty Development Grants, the Faculty Creative Activities Award, and has twice been recognized as “Outstanding Faculty” by the SUNY Oneonta Inter-Greek Council.
 
Beyond SUNY Oneonta, Dr. Pignato has given performances, paper presentations, lectures, and clinics in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia on improvisation, popular music education, alternative music education, drumming, composition, and music business. His work has been published in Notations 21 (2009, Mark Batty Publishers) and Tanglewood II, (2012, GIA Press). Dr. Pignato’s music, described as “haunting” by the Charger Bulletin, has been premiered, presented, or exhibited throughout the United States, in Canada, and in Europe. He continues to perform regularly with atom3, an electro-acoustic trio featuring Dr. Orlando Legname of SUNY Oneonta and Mr. Paul Geluso of New York University (atom3.us).
 
Dr. Pignato has more than 20 years experience in music business and media including management positions at N2K Incorporated, BMG Classics, RCA Victor, ECM Records, CMP Records, and Latin Percussion. He continues to consult organizations in the areas of music and music education. Recent projects include serving as a consultant to the Department of Music at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey on the development of degree programs in music industry and recording technology and serving as a consultant to Steven Van Zandt (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and HBO’s The Soprano’s) on the development of Little Steven’s Rock and Roll High School–a rock music curriculum to be published by Scholastic, Inc.
 
In addition to his work at SUNY Oneonta, Dr. Pignato facilitates graduate courses and mentors doctoral students enrolled in the College of Fine Arts, Department of Music Education at Boston University. In the past, he has served on the faculties of Ramapo College of New Jersey teaching music industry, Bergen Community College teaching graduate courses in education, and the Hoboken Charter School, where he served as founding faculty member and lead teacher for humanities and music. He holds degrees from Boston University (DMA), where he was a Tanglewood Scholar, New York University (MA), where he studied composition with Dinu Ghezzo, and the University of Massachusetts (BA), where he studied composition with Yusef Lateef. Additionally, Dr. Pignato has studied drum-set with Sal La Rocca and Max Roach.


Visit Professor Pignato's Personal Web Site

Mr. Tim Ploss, Adjunct Lecturer,
Audio Arts I.

Degrees Earned: B.S. in Sound Recording Technology From SUNY - Fredonia (1986)

In addition to his teaching at Oneonta, Tim is a Helpdesk Support Technician and Instructional Design Technician. He has served similar job responsibilities at SUNY Cortland and Momentum Media. He was the chief engineer at Sweetfish Recording Studios in Argyle, NY and has performed in several bands as a bassist, guitarist, cellist and vocalist. He also plays bass in the Oneonta Chamber Orchestra.

Mr. Rene Prins, Associate Professor,
Music for Listeners, Music Theory I, Music Theory II, Theory III, Music Theory IV and Concert Band.

Year Hired: 1975

Tenure Status: 1988

Degrees Earned:
M.S. from The Juilliard School (1970)
B.S. from The Juilliard School (1969)

Rene Prins received his B.S. and M.S. degrees at the Juilliard School where he was a student of Lois Wann. He has served as principal oboe and English horn for the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy and was principal oboist of the Albany Symphony Orchestra for four years prior to his move to Oneonta in 1975. He performs with many ensembles in upstate New York, including the Catskill Symphony Orchestra, and the Utica Symphony Orchestra. Well known in the Oneonta community as conductor of the SUCO Band, the Oneonta Community Band and leader / composer for Professor Hillman's Full Band, an historic ensemble at the Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown, NY. He serves on the faculty at Hartwick College and is the President of Local 443of the American Federation of Musicians. He has been a part of several commercially released recordings including 'Music for Oboe and Piano' by Bruno Labate on Musical Heritage Society Records, 'New Music for Woodwind Quintet' on Redwood Records and 'The Vocal Oboe' on Centaur Records.