with Andrea McAlister and Sara Ernst
About This Webinar
Join us for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 as we gather together in person and online! The Piano Conference offers an inspiring experience dedicated to piano teaching, learning, and performing. New for 2025 is the inaugural NCKP Summit, a collaborative and interactive event designed to explore innovative teaching models, address current challenges, and chart a course for the future of the field.
Join Dr. Sara Ernst, Program Director, and Dr. Andrea McAlister, Summit Director, for an exclusive preview of this upcoming conference. Plus, webinar attendees receive an additional 10% off registration with an exclusive discount code.
with Selected Student Groups from University of Missouri, University of Michigan, and University of Oklahoma, hosted by Yeeseon Kwon
About This Webinar
The Collegiate Connections Webinar will highlight the outstanding work of pedagogy and collegiate groups. This a unique opportunity for selected groups of students to have their class projects featured by the Frances Clark Center. Join us at the 2024-25 Collegiate Connection Event on Friday, April 25, 2025 11:00 AM-12:30 PM Eastern. We look forward to highlighting the outstanding work of pedagogy and collegiate groups and to foster global community engagement among our collegiate cohorts and faculty.
AI and Student Motivation: Can Gamification and Adaptive AI Improve Practice Habits?
Victoria Barnette, Ryan Kee, Yuxiang Zhang
University of Missouri; Curtis Pavey, faculty mentor
Building Community Through Sound: Sensory-Friendly Concerts
Janna Peña, Ayunia Saputro, Mira Walker
University of Michigan; Paola Savvidou, faculty mentor
Designing Interactive Piano Events for the Community: Observations from Two Approaches
Lynnae Hurst, Katrina Kahlhamer, Samuel E. Pang
University of Oklahoma; Sara Ernst, faculty mentor
Piano Inspires Book Club | Chapters 13-16: Diving into Relevance, Politics, and Future Directions in the Music Field
Join author Robert Weirich and host Shelly Freeman for the final segment of a four-part, open-access series discussing Recollections: A Pianist’s Essays on Teaching, Performing, and Living. Each meeting will cover one portion of the book, with guided conversation around the topic of the month. A recurring link to attend will be provided by email upon registration. Re-registration for each event is not required. Participants are encouraged to attend all four meetings, or attend as their schedule permits. All are welcome!
- Tuesday, January 14, 2025, 11AM EST | Chapters 1-4: Finding a Career
- Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 11AM EST | Chapters 5-8: Exploring Student-Teacher Relationships and Various Pedagogical Confessions
- Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 11AM EDT | Chapters 9-12: Celebrating Composers, Competitions, and Self-Reflection
- Tuesday, April 8, 11AM EDT | Chapters 13-16: Diving into Relevance, Politics, and Future Directions in the Music Field
The fourth and final meeting’s discussion (April) will focus on the validity and direction of music study; arts, politics, and advocacy; and the relevance of music in today’s culture. Participants are recommended to read pp. 312-382, and to submit any questions to author Robert Weirich and host Shelly Freeman using the button below.
About Recollections
Recollections gathers dozens of articles Robert Weirich wrote for various music journals, including Clavier, over the last four decades. The essays are linked by new writing that is both memoir and an exploration of the place of the arts in American society. Weirich addresses many aspects of making a career in music—from getting started to the importance of teachers, competitions, and the question of sustainability.
Whether one ascends to the Carnegie stage or teaches little fingers to play, the underlying aspirations—at their purest—are the same.
Purchase your copy today to read and participate in the Piano Inspires Book Club! Use code WEIRICHCLUB15 at checkout for 15% off list price.
About the Author
Robert Weirich has enjoyed an extremely active career as a pianist, teacher, author, and composer. His COVID project was to collect many of his beloved Clavier columns into a book that also contains new writing–Recollections: A Pianist’s Essays on Teaching, Performing, and Living.
About the Host
Shelly Freeman is a lawyer who advises and trains employers on human resource issues. Although a lawyer by trade, her true passion is music. She has studied piano (off and on) since the age of five. She is a supporter of various arts organizations, including the Kansas City Symphony, and is a member of the Community Advisory Board of Classical KC 91.9 FM – a 24-hour classical music station based in Kansas City.
Questions? Please contact teachereducation@francesclarkcenter.org.
with Andrea McAlister and Sara Ernst
Join us for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 as we gather together in person and online! The Piano Conference offers an inspiring experience dedicated to piano teaching, learning, and performing. New for 2025 is the inaugural NCKP Summit, a collaborative and interactive event designed to explore innovative teaching models, address current challenges, and chart a course for the future of the field.
Join Dr. Sara Ernst, Program Director, and Dr. Andrea McAlister, Summit Director, for an exclusive preview of this upcoming conference. Plus, webinar attendees receive an additional 10% off registration with an exclusive discount code.
Air Date: Wednesday, May 14, 2025
with Robert Weirich and host, Beth Sussman
Join author Robert Weirich and host Beth Sussman for the second in a four-part, open-access series discussing his book Recollections: A Pianist’s Essays on Teaching, Performing, and Living. Each meeting will cover one portion of the book, with guided conversation around the topic of the month. The second meeting (February) will center around the importance of mentors and the sustainability of our musical world given issues of financial investment, structure of educational systems, continuing education for teachers, and more. Participants are recommended to read pp. 87-182.
Air Date: Tuesday, January 4, 2025
Need a copy of Recollections? Click here to order today!
with Robert Weirich and host, Shelly Freeman
Join author Robert Weirich and host Shelly Freeman for the final segment of a four-part, open-access series discussing his book Recollections: A Pianist’s Essays on Teaching, Performing, and Living. Each meeting will cover one portion of the book, with guided conversation around the topic of the month. The fourth and final meeting’s discussion (April) will focus on the validity and direction of music study; arts, politics, and advocacy; and the relevance of music in today’s culture. Participants are recommended to read pp. 312-382.
Air Date: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Need a copy of Recollections? Click here to order today!
with Robert Weirich and host, Karen Hsiao Savage
Join author Robert Weirich and host Karen Hsiao Savage for the third in a four-part, open-access series discussing his book Recollections: A Pianist’s Essays on Teaching, Performing, and Living. Each meeting will cover one portion of the book, with guided conversation around the topic of the month. The third meeting (March) will center around the impact of composers such as J.S. Bach, Copland, and Mozart; the pros and cons of competitions; and managing criticism, burnout, and other aspects of performance. Participants are recommended to read pp. 183-311d pp. xii-86.
Air Date: Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Need a copy of Recollections? Click here to order today!
with Robert Weirich and host, Sean Chen
Join author Robert Weirich and host Sean Chen for the first in a four-part, open-access series discussing his book Recollections: A Pianist’s Essays on Teaching, Performing, and Living. Each meeting will cover one portion of the book, with guided conversation around the topic of the month. For the first meeting (January), Sean Chen joins Weirich to discuss how a career might begin as a performer and/or teacher. Participants are recommended to read pp. xii-86.
Air Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Need a copy of Recollections? Click here to order today!
with Marvin Blickenstaff and hosts Sara Ernst
Join the Piano Inspires Book Club in reading and learning from Inspired Piano Teaching by Marvin Blickenstaff. The fourth and final meeting (December) will center around practical principles for the piano teacher, strategies for starting new students in lessons, and foundational piano skills such as technique, practice, and reading. Participants are recommended to read pp. 263-341, and to submit any questions to author Marvin Blickenstaff and host Sara Ernst using the button below.
Air Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Need a copy of Inspired Piano Teaching? Click here to order today!
with Marvin Blickenstaff and hosts Sara Ernst and Pete Jutras
Join the Piano Inspires Book Club in reading and learning from Inspired Piano Teaching by Marvin Blickenstaff. The third meeting (November) will center around practical principles for the piano teacher, strategies for starting new students in lessons, and foundational piano skills such as technique, practice, and reading. Participants are recommended to read pp. 139-254,
Air Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Need a copy of Inspired Piano Teaching? Click here to order today!
with Marvin Blickenstaff and Sara Ernst
Join the Piano Inspires Book Club in reading and learning from Inspired Piano Teaching by Marvin Blickenstaff. The second meeting (October) will center around practical principles for the piano teacher, strategies for starting new students in lessons, and foundational piano skills such as technique, practice, and reading. Participants are recommended to read pp. 29-125.
Air Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Need a copy of Inspired Piano Teaching? Click here to order today!
with Charlene Ryan, Ann Marie Stanley, and Betty Anne Younker with Alejandro Cremaschi, host
A panel of three expert researchers discuss initial ideas and potential projects submitted in advance by beginning researchers. The panel will guide the audience through all the steps to develop your research idea into successful project.
Air Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2024
