In 2008, when Dr. Don Dolan began offering piano lessons to Pennington students, he had no way of knowing that what was meant to be a short-term gig would develop into a nice career at Pennington.
Dr. Dolan had just completed his doctorate at Rutgers University; he had earned a master’s degree in music from the University of Michigan and spent about ten years playing piano in numerous concerts. These performance opportunities also included international competitions. Dr. Dolan performed in such beautiful locations as Lisbon, Portugal; Locarno, Switzerland; and Belgrade, Serbia. It was actually in Serbia where Dr. Dolan didn’t mind getting knocked out of the competition a bit early; the country was still engaged in civil conflict, so his departure to the airport was more like fleeing for safety than anything else!
As a part-time teacher giving piano lessons, Dr. Dolan noticed that Pennington students dressed well. At the time, boys were required to wear a tie more frequently. Dr. Dolan, who had been dressing casually for his lessons, thought that he should up his game, so he began to appear in more formal dress. Shortly thereafter, the music department felt that Dr. Dolan was a talent that shouldn’t be left to a part-time role, so the School soon offered him a full-time position!
Today, Dr. Dolan teaches a wide range of courses including Music Theory and AP© Music Theory, Music Technology, Instrumental Lab, and Middle School exploratory courses. He has also taught keyboarding foundations courses. Dr. Dolan is able to draw on the experience he gained from the instruction he gave at Rutgers while working on his doctorate; not only did he teach classes in keyboarding foundations and applied piano, but he also served as a studio pianist for professors teaching voice, violin, saxophone, and other instruments.
The piano is not Dr. Dolan’s only instrument. He has trained on several wind instruments such as the French horn, trombone (which he played so often that it broke!), baritone, tuba, saxophone, and clarinet. On top of these, Dr. Dolan has also taken violin lessons – from his wife, Sarah Sensenig, who also happens to be very musically inclined. A conservatory instructor at Rider University, Ms. Sensenig has worked as a professional opera singer and freelance writer specializing in the work of pianist and composer Clara Schumann. Dr. Dolan and Ms. Sensenig are members of Pennington’s residential life faculty living in an apartment in Old Main.
It was the work of Clara Schumann that Dr. Dolan highlighted in what he calls an “Informance” at Pennington’s St. Matthew’s church in the fall of 2022. The church’s organist asked Dr. Dolan if he’d be interested in presenting Schumann’s pieces while pausing between pieces to give history and context to her work. Since this organist happens to be Dr. Dolan’s brother, Mark, who serves as a teacher at Newtown Middle School across the river in Pennsylvania, Dr. Dolan was more than happy to comply!
Although this concert was a one-off, Dr. Dolan regularly performs publically as the church organist for the Nassau Presbyterian Church in Princeton. Along with weekly services, he also plays the organ for weddings and funerals. Dr. Dolan feels that the pressure of performing regularly in public helps to keep his skills sharp, and this experience also aids him when helping students work through any performance angst that they may have.
Although Dr. Dolan has made a life-long commitment to the arts, he turns to sport, specifically biking, to provide balance in his life. And we’re not talking about coasting around town! Over the years, Dr. Dolan has participated in several bike races, and he routinely bikes between 50 and 60 miles on a weekend. Although a broken collarbone, which he sustained in a race shortly after joining Pennington, has made him rethink the competitive side of biking, he does belong to the Princeton Free Wheelers, a bike club that organizes many group rides. Dr. Dolan says that even though you can still fall off a bike when riding with a bike club, at least you’re falling off among friends!
For a time, Dr. Dolan also led The Pennington School’s bike club which he said was primarily started to ensure that students could bike safely to Starbucks! And in the winter season, we also find Dr. Dolan “in the trenches” leading our pit bands, which provide all the music for the School’s musicals. Regardless of where he is, students are in safe and very talented hands!