Interim Associate Dean Texas Southern University
Dr. Jane Perkyns, Associate Professor of Music has been a member of the faculty of Texas Southern University in Houston, TX since 1991 teaching applied and group piano, music history, theory, piano pedagogy and assisting in opera workshop and performance seminar classes and served for three years as the Music Coordinator in the Dept. of Fine Arts. She presently serves as the Coordinator for Keyboard Studies. In 2011, she was the recipient of the TSU McCleary Award for Excellence in Teaching Excellence.
Dr. Perkyns has performed extensively throughout Canada and the USA, appearing both as soloist, and collaborative artist. She has also been heard on both regional and national radio programs and has had the honor of premiering several works both in the solo and chamber music field. She has served as a clinician and adjudicator for numerous piano workshops and competitions throughout the Houston area. Her accomplishments have been recognized in several editions of Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the World. From the Music Teachers National Association Dr. Perkyns has received national certification for teaching both applied performance and academic courses. Her ongoing research in the teaching and performing areas has led to lectures and demonstrations at various musical conferences including the World Piano Pedagogy Conference, Texas Music Educators Conference, and the College Music Society regional conferences. Her article publications have also appeared in Texas Music Teacher.
Along with her accomplishments in the classical field, Dr. Perkyns has also been active in the area of musical theatre and composition, writing and producing children’s musical theatre and teaching musical theatre classes to children with disabilities. Her musical theatre works have been performed throughout Texas. Excerpts of the production “Love is a Disability” were performed at the 2000 George Bush Medal Awards Ceremony in the presence of the President Bush, Sr. Dr. Perkyns received her graduate degrees from The Juilliard School (M.Mus.) and the University of British Columbia (DMA).
“It is wonderful that the O’Brien Foundation continues to touch many young lives. It certainly was a godsend for me at a time when it would have been financially difficult to continue to pursue my musical studies, but which helped lead me to the fulfilling life in music that I have had.”