Being a participant in an intensive with Marianne Ploger is like spending four days with Pablo Casals, Pythagoras and the Dalai Lama! She not only gave me the tools to be able to master the fundamentals, and the often times elusive, elements of music, but also facilitated an appreciation of my own process of understanding and awareness, all in a warm and loving environment. These rare insights, the result of twenty-plus years of scholarship and teaching, have enabled Ms. Ploger to convey complex concepts of musical cognition into a thoroughly understandable format. I came to the level-one intensive with an expectation of improving isolated skill deficiencies in music theory and ear training – I left with a far greater awareness of the vast landscapes of art, perception, and pedagogy - all this while gaining substantial insights into the inner workings of my brain and soul! I am quite excited about implementing Marianne’s approaches into my conducting, teaching, and personal musical growth and to build upon what I have learned in a future level-two intensive. Brendan Caldwell Director of Bands University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point After having attended Marianne Ploger’s Level One Intensive, I’m still amazed at the profound change that has occurred in my awareness of music. What is so remarkable about Marianne’s method is its solid grounding in human perception. There is nothing abstract about her teaching of aural skills; instead, she leads each of her students to hear aspects of musical sound that were always there, but never recognized. This is what allows Marianne to be such a caring, yet demanding teacher, because she knows through experience that we already have great ears – we just need to be taught to recognize what we’re hearing. A variety of topics were presented during the 4 days, including clefs, modes, rhythms, and intervals, and by the end of the course, these skills supported each other in a truly cohesive way, building a complete model of musicianship. Marianne’s course has given me remarkable new tools to communicate through music, both as an improviser and an interpreter, as well as a clear vision of how to continue growing. Mark Edwards Organist and Harpsichordist Eastman School of Music Rochester, New York Marianne's intensive was extremely enlightening. She provided a new way of approaching the roots of music, which not only increased our awareness, but provided something tangible to fall back on in our everyday needs as performers, conductors, and composers. Not only is the workshop presented in an engaging and intimate environment, but Marianne's charismatic personality further supplements her knowledge and research about a variety of musical topics. I would highly recommend this workshop to all musicians who have a desire to improve their musical instincts, as well as train their ear to be aware of details in musical nuance. I thoroughly enjoyed my five days with Marianne, and am grateful for her help in developing my musicality. Avi Mehta Conductor University of Wisconsin - Madison The time spent with Marianne Ploger at the intensive could not have been spent more productively.  Every lesson relates and enhances your knowledge of all previous lessons, which gives you a solid foundation to build new musical experiences.  After spending four days with Ms. Ploger, I am convinced that is the best way to truly comprehend music.  As a consequence, I have not been able to listen to music the same way since the workshop, and probably never will again. John Drabecki Composer Oakland University Alumni Marianne Ploger has truly changed my life. After an injury forced me to take an extended break from playing, I decided to sign up for a Summer workshop. Since then I've taken part in two more workshops and studied with her privately. There is no doubt in my mind that her guidance and musical insight has allowed me to understand music in a way I never thought possible. I believe the skill of hearing the music one sees on the page before playing it on the instrument is vital for all musicians, and especially for a brass player like me. My high school and college ear training and theory courses never allowed me to truly develop this skill. Marianne's method of teaching intervals makes a lot sense, is very accessible, and explains the relationship between musical content and emotional response. This approach was extremely helpful to me to develop this essential skill. Aside from her groundbreaking research involving musical perception, Marianne has an uncanny ability to understand how individuals learn and tailors her teaching style accordingly. You won't believe how much you will learn in such a short period of time during one of her Intensives! Matthew Lyon Freelance Tubist Ann Arbor and Metro Detroit, Michigan