Piano Magazine Winter 2026 - Innovation, Pedagogy, Repertoire

Announcing the Winter 2026 issue of Piano Magazine! This issue explores group teaching, wellness, and community action. It also celebrates the winners in this year’s Collegiate Writing Competition with the publication of three selected essays. Congratulations to our 2025 Piano Magazine Collegiate Essay winner, Aleigh Papagno, the runner-up, Agnieszka Lasko, and special undergraduate mention, Alexia Hulme, on their excellent essays.

Articles in This Issue of Piano Magazine

2025 NCKP Innovation Summit: Building a Community Vision for the Future of Piano Education

Andrea McAlister

“On July 23, 2025, The Piano Conference: NCKP (National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy) hosted the inaugural, groundbreaking Innovation Summit, a day that brought together 420 members of the piano education community—emerging professionals, independent and community teachers, public school educators, university faculty, and industry leaders. More than a traditional conference, the Summit was a bold day of collective visioning; a day devoted not just to sharing ideas, but to shaping the future of piano teaching itself. Led by Dr. Jennifer Snow, CEO of The Frances Clark Center, and Dr. Andrea McAlister, Summit Director, the event centered around collaboration, creativity, and actionable […]”

Piano Teaching Evolution: Using Neuroscience and Group-Teaching Strategies to Engage Today’s Students

Paul Myatt

“When was the last time a student actually practiced every day without being reminded? If you’re like most piano teachers, you’re probably doing the mental math right now. But here’s what’s really happening: It’s not that Sophie forgot to practice, she genuinely can’t remember how to play what you taught her. Meanwhile, Jake’s too busy with football, gaming, and homework to fit piano in. And Emma? She practiced one piece, got stuck, and gave up because there’s no one at home to help her and no friends learning alongside her to keep her motivated. Traditional piano teaching assumes students will […]”

Essential Technique for Elementary Pianists

Penelope Roskell

“Traditionally, teachers have considered “technique” to consist almost exclusively of scales, arpeggios, finger exercises, and studies. However, if we consider the word “technique” in its broadest sense, then it includes all the pianistic skills our students need to learn in order to play with ease and artistry. These broader musical skills include playing with a wide range of beautiful sounds; shaping phrases expressively; playing with rhythmic impulse, dynamic contrast, and physical freedom; and basic pedaling. In short, when exploring technique, we are encouraging our students to experiment with how motion creates meaningful sounds. As teachers, we also have a responsibility […]”

2025 Collegiate Essay Winner: The Well-Tempered Keyboard Lab: Wellness Strategies for the Group Piano Classroom

Aleigh Papagno

“Take care of yourselves,” “stay healthy,” “be well.” If you have ever taught collegiate group piano courses, then you have probably offered this advice to your overwhelmed,sleep-deprived students at some point. As teachers, we know that students need to be well to learn effectively, and we often use these phrases to express our care for their well-being. But are these simple reminders really teaching our students what it means and how to “be well”? According to the National Wellness Institute (NWI), wellness is a series of “conscious, self-directed” actions that helps individuals obtain optimal levels of functioning.1 Further, the NWI […]”

2025 Collegiate Essay Runner-Up: Integrating Improvisation into Piano Lessons

Agnieszka J. Lasko

“Improvisation is valuable for a student’s musical development; however, piano lessons are typically focused on traditional repertoire and exam preparation, leaving little room for additional activities. Teachers may hesitate to explore unfamiliar improvisation materials. Many may also feel uncomfortable introducing improvisation, as they did not receive training in it during their own studies. Approaches such as “free improvisation” or “close your eyes and improvise” don’t work for everyone. However, when students are encouraged to explore sound and to express their own ideas, they connect more deeply with their music. There is a need for an approach that fits comfortably into […]”

2025 Collegiate Essay Special Mention Undergraduate: Incorporating Granados’ & Albéniz’s Compositions into the Standard Intermediate Piano Repertoire

Alexia Hulme

“In his book Advice to Young Musicians, Robert Schumann wrote: “Reverence what is old, but have a warm heart also for what is new. Indulge no prejudice against unknown names.”1 Schumann was writing specifically to young musicians, and I believe the intermediate level of piano lessons is an opportune time to implement his guidance. Chopin and Liszt are names engraved in the standard piano repertoire. Intermediate students are certain to play a handful of Chopin’s waltzes, mazurkas, and polonaises as they advance towards Liszt’s technically demanding pieces. Students are probably less familiar with Granados as the “Spanish Chopin” or Albéniz […]”

Announcing the Winter 2026 Issue of Piano Magazine