The Piano Pedagogy program is one of only three dedicated undergraduate pedagogy programs in the region, and includes a new 17 station Yamaha Clavinova Piano Lab, with iMac and MacBookPro enabled computer support.

The pedagogy program is directed by Dr. Nathanael May, Assistant Professor of Piano at Missouri Western. Dr. May sustains an active profile throughout the United States and abroad as an adjudicator, pedagogue, and performer. He has presented research on piano music of the modern era at the World Piano Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia, the Euro-Mediterranean Music Conference at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, and many presentations for state MTNA conferences. His students have won graduate teaching assistantships at prestigious institutions for masters study in performance and pedagogy, including the Cincinatti Conservatory of Music, the University of Hawaii, and several leading universities in the United Kingdom.

Students who complete the first two courses of the 15-credit pedagogy emphasis are eligible to teach private lessons for pay through the Western Institute on campus. This represents a significant opportunity to gain professional teaching experience prior to graduation, with the potential of establishing a local studio.

The program also blends course objectives with visiting guest lecturers, who work with students in specially designed workshops to complement student progress in the curriculum.