Celebrating Black History Month
Discovery homeSign up for email updatessubmit a question From February 1-29, we celebrate Black History Month, a time to honor and reflect upon the remarkable music and contributions of Black people. In this Discovery Page post, we have curated a collection of Piano Inspires resources...
Piano Inspires Kids: David, Plays!
Discovery homeSign up for email updatessubmit a question The Winter 2024 Issue of Piano Inspires Kids is coming soon! Subscribers will be receiving the print issue in their mailboxes in the coming weeks. Not yet a subscriber? Click here to receive the issue and give...
Opportunities for African American Pianists: Awadagin Pratt on the Nina Simone Piano Competition
Discovery homeSign up for email updatessubmit a question We’re pleased to bring you this extended interview between Awadagin Pratt and Artina McCain. Read more about Awadagin Pratt’s accomplishments as a pianist, conductor, and music education advocate in the Winter 2022-2023 issue of Piano Magazine. Not...
Awadagin Pratt: Pianist, Conductor, Music Education Advocate
Winter 2023; Vol. 14, No. 4
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing concert pianist, conductor, and professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Awadagin Pratt. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Awadagin Pratt has received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Johns Hopkins, an honorary doctorate from Illinois Wesleyan University, and...
Delivering Pianos to the University of Memphis Students
COVID-19 Special Issue; Vol. 12, No. 2
Forward by Artina McCain, Jonathan Tsay, and Casey Hilder As schools around the country quickly closed their doors, they just as quickly opened virtual classrooms. While the transition wasn’t an easy one, many applied piano professors were faced with an additional hurdle—students who had no instruments...
September/October 2017: New Music Reviews
September 2017; Vol. 9, No. 5
Happy Holidays! (S1-4) We Three Kings, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Deck the Hall Hoedown, arranged by Wendy Stevens. For teachers wanting some fun and creative options to spice up their holiday recitals, three new arrangements by Wendy Stevens are fantastic choices. “We Three...
March/April 2017: New Music Reviews
March 2017; Vol. 9, No. 2
(S1-4) Signature Solos, Books 1-5, selected and edited by Gayle Kowalchyk. Students and teachers are in for a lively musical journey, with brand-new compositions by favorite Alfred composers, all in one collection! Students will learn pieces by beloved composers including Dennis Alexander, Melody Bober, Martha Mier,...
May/June 2017: New Music Reviews
May 2017; Vol. 9, No. 3
(S3) Aurora: 5 Original Solos Inspired by the North, by Naoko Ikeda. Japanese composer Naoko Ikeda composed five lyrical character pieces based upon “the Scandanavian landscapes of [her] own imagination.” Aurora has the potential to motivate intermediate students, especially those who enjoy music with lyrical phrasing and...
July/August 2017: New Music Reviews
July 2017; Vol. 9, No. 4
Bastien New Traditions All-in-one Piano Course by Lisa, Lori, and Jane Bastien James Bastien’s series Bastien Piano Basics has been a beloved staple in many piano studios for decades, and now, for a new generation of students, Bastien family members Lisa, Lori, and Jane have written Bastien New...
January 2018: First Looks: New Music Reviews
January 2018; Vol. 10, No. 1
(S1-2) 24 Short and Easy Pieces, Op. 1, Alexander Reinagle. Highly Recommended Teachers and students enjoy Reinagle’s pieces both for their charming writing and their accessibility to elementary students. Reinagle’s biography, moreover, is a fun and interesting one that connects traditions of European classical music to...
Building Diversity in Your Music Career: Interview with Michelle Cann
Winter 2021; Vol. 12, No. 5
Michelle Cann is making history as the newest female Caribbean American to join the piano faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music. Artina McCain (AM): It is a pleasure for me to interview you after watching your career blossom over the past decade. Let’s start at the...
Winter 2020: Life in Music
Winter 2020; Vol. 11, No. 5
“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry,and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” by Maya Angelou Forward by Jennifer Snow Many of the articles in this issue highlight the...
Tips for Healthy Remote Teaching
Summer 2021; Vol. 13, No. 2
While preparing for the 2021 National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, members of the Committee on Wellness for the Pianist collaborated to establish wellness tips specifically for teachers. At the beginning of the pandemic, most students and instructors were obliged to cope with the challenge of...