Spring 2023: Life in Music
Spring 2023; Vol. 15, No. 1
With the arrival of spring, we at the Frances Clark Center are enthusiastically planning for our twenty-fifth anniversary of the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference.1 The response to the call for participation resulted in an inspired, diverse, and engaging program...
Winter 2023: Life in Music
Winter 2023; Vol. 14, No. 4
This fall, we at the Frances Clark Center launched a new initiative—The Power of a Piano Teacher.1 We believe passionately in our noble profession and have been moved by the deeply personal stories people have shared appreciating their teachers from across the country and the...
The Power of a Piano Teacher
Discovery homeSign up for email updatessubmit a question Teaching is probably the noblest profession in the world — the most unselfish, difficult, and honorable profession.Leonard Bernstein We at the Frances Clark Center believe passionately that piano teachers change the world through their dedication to their...
Autumn 2022: Life in Music
Autumn 2022; Vol. 14. No. 3
With the passing of Elvina Truman Pearce, our community has lost another giant in our field. As the many testimonials in this issue attest, Elvina Pearce shaped modern piano pedagogy through her unparalleled teaching, writing, leadership, artistry, and composition. “Mrs. Pearce,” as I knew her...
Summer 2022: Life in Music
Summer 2022; Vol. 14, No. 2
By Jennifer Snow Living post-pandemic is a hot topic of discussion as we process and adapt to the many disruptions of the last two years. With summer arriving, many of us welcome more time to enjoy live music, travel to see family and friends, venture...
Spring 2020: Life in Music
COVID-19 Special Issue; Vol. 12, No. 2
“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” – Khalil Gibran Reflecting on these last months, it is hard to process the overwhelming changes that have taken place all over the world because of the pandemic crisis we...
Winter 2022: Life in Music
Winter 2022; Vol. 13, No. 4
The new school year marks a time of beginnings and discoveries. As lifelong learners, we launch into the fall with aspirational plans for our students and for ourselves. The opportunity to synthesize newly acquired approaches, strategies, and skills inspires us to build on our craft...
Spring 2022: Reflect: Life in Music
Spring 2022; Vol. 14, No. 1
Never in our history has music been more critical for the well-being of people and communities. Shared musical experiences connect people in profound and beautiful ways. As we overcome the challenges of the last two years, making music is a powerful path forward. All forms of music making...
Spring 2020: Life in Music
Spring 2020; Vol. 12, No. 1
The year 2020 marks a new decade and a complex world for many new professionals. With the arrival of spring, many experience a rising anxiety when repeatedly asked the often-dreaded question, “What are you doing after you graduate?” The daunting challenges faced by today’s new...
Autumn 2020: Life in Music
Autumn 2020; Vol. 12, No. 4
As we prepare for the school year, many of us consider fall a new beginning. I imagine most of us would agree that there has never been a “new year” quite like the one we are experiencing. Many of us are feeling the long road of...
July 2018: Questions and Answers
July 2018; Vol. 10, No. 4
For this issue, Sam Holland invited Jennifer Snow, Executive Director of the Frances Clark Center, to answer the following questions: What is the value of professional development for piano teachers? Why is it important? Central to inspired teaching is inspired learning. Engaged teachers are eternal...
Summer 2020: Life in Music
Summer 2020; Vol. 12, No. 3
Legacy and Innovation It is fitting that we are celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of the New School for Music Study by Frances Clark and Louise Goss. Their combined vision led to innovation in piano education and their legacy continues to propagate through...
What are your thoughts on the future of piano teaching?
November 2014; Vol. 6, No. 6
What’s next for our profession? Clavier Companion asked twelve pedagogues from around the country to contribute their thoughts on the future of piano teaching. In the following article, each author provides a short musing on this broad question. This series will continue in future...
Autumn 2019: Life in Music
Autumn 2019; Vol. 11, No. 4
The process of redesigning the Piano Magazine gave us, as an organization, the occasion to reflect and innovate. During that process, it emerged that it would be valuable to consider issues and provocative questions of our time that impact our professional and personal lives as musicians. This column is intended to...
Winter 2021: Life in Music
Winter 2021; Vol. 12, No. 5
With the approaching new year of 2021, it is time for reflection about where we have been, where we are now, and the path ahead. Our professional community has demonstrated extraordinary innovation and creativity throughout this year as we maintain piano education and music engagement...