Dr. Lesley McAllister
Faculty-in-Residence - Collins Hall Professor of Piano and Director of Keyboard Studies
FIR since Fall 2020
Dr. Lesley McAllister is Professor of Piano and Director of Keyboard Studies in Baylor’s School of Music. She is a pianist, yoga instructor, and advocate for using yoga, sport psychology research, and mind/body relaxation techniques as a way to help musicians of every age reach peak performance.
Dr. McAllister received her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, and she is a regular coach for musicians, providing workshops on mind/body relaxation techniques, such as imagery, meditation, mental rehearsal, and yoga for musicians. She also serves on the Wellness Committee for the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy, is secretary for Baylor's chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda, a national honor society for music students, faculty advisor for the Baylor chapter of the Music Teachers National Association, and is serving a three-year term as Faculty Regent.
Dr. McAllister is also an author of two books related to musician wellness. Her first book, The Balanced Musician: Integrating Mind and Body for Peak Performance, serves as the very first textbook meant for musician wellness classes. Her second, and newly released book, Yoga in the Music Studio, was published through Oxford University Press. Her research contributions have led to her receiving a 2019 Outstanding Faculty Award for Research among tenured professors.
Joining Dr. McAllister in this role as Faculty-in-Residence at Collins Hall will be her husband, Dr. Scott McAllister, who serves as Professor of Composition for Baylor University's School of Music, and their two youngest sons, Cooper (11), and Camden (6). "My family and I are so excited to connect with the students living at Collins Hall and walk with them during this important stage of their undergraduate experience. We look forward to building a community with them at the residence hall where everyone supports and encourages one another to meet their goals on the path that God has set for them."