Summer 2021: Pupil Saver: Russian Dancer
Summer 2021; Vol. 13, No. 2
The Janice K. Hodges Contemporary Piano Competition and Festival held annually in San Antonio, TX, is unique in its focus on twentieth- and twenty-first century repertoire. Norman Dello Joio’s (1913–2008) “Russian Dancer,” the sixth piece from his Lyric Pieces for the Young, appeared as a...
Need Info? We’ve Got It!
Dr. Scott Price There is a growing abundance of high-quality information on teaching special learners, but it is often difficult to find it referenced in one place. The following list of books, articles, webinars, and online resources is intended to be a starting point for those...
Inclusive Piano Teaching at The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy!
Dr. Melissa Martiros Registrations are open for the 2019 National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, to be held July 24-27 in Lombard, IL. This conference program can be found on the NCKP 2019 website and will feature many helpful sessions related to Inclusive Piano Teachingthat will include workshops,...
Preventing and Managing Challenging Behavior Part II: When Small Things Become Big Things
Dr. Melissa Martiros and Mrs. Michelle Bastien Small Successes can be BIG Successes! Last Fall, I began working with a youngster who faces big learning challenges at the piano, the result of his inability to self-regulate external stimulation. His senses are heightened—because of this, any...
Repertoire Choices for Students with Autism
Dr. Scott Price Enjoy a guest blog post that Dr. Scott Price authored for Alfred Music: One of the most frequent topics teachers ask about during my workshops and lectures on teaching students with autism centers on which pieces I use with my students. This...
Finger Numbers (not finger knots!)
Dr. Scott Price Numbers seem integral to music study, but they can be very problematic for our students with special needs. We use numbers to assist us in our process, but meter and rhythm are beat units that are heard and felt. Our fingers are...
What does instrumental music study really do to the brain?
March 2018; Vol. 10, No. 2
When I was in my doctoral program at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, I learned about the famous “Mozart Effect” and how that research study was discredited. Yet many still cling to the notion that listening to Mozart’s music makes one smarter. In reality, Rauscher’s 1993 study showed spatial abilities were temporarily increased for 15-20 minutes. But whether...
Preventing and Managing Challenging Behavior: Part I
Dr. Melissa Martiros and Mrs. Michelle Bastien, Guest Blogger Follow-up from The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy Several years ago, I worked in-home with an adolescent boy who had a tough time staying seated. And by tough I mean every three minutes he bolted off...
Vocabulary Effectiveness for Students with Special Needs
Dr. Scott Price Our use of vocabulary when teaching our students with special needs can be a confusing thing on both sides of the piano bench. Why? – a good question fraught with challenges. When teaching a traditional neuro-typical student, we assume that they possess...
Teaching Reading, Part II: Framing Instruction
Scott Price Students with disabilities will come to your studio with all sorts of labels – autism, high/low functioning, visual impairment, ADD/ADHD, Down syndrome, etc. Although they come with labels, the label does not define the person – it informs the pedagogy. The student is...
May 2017: Keyboard Kids
May 2017; Vol. 9, No. 3
Edvard Grieg: Romantic Period Composer Born: Bergen, Norway 1843 Died: Bergen, Norway 1907 Famous works: Concerto in a minor Peer Gynt Suite Lyric Pieces for Piano Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born into a wealthy family in Norway on June 15, 1843. He had a brother and...
Teaching Reading, Part I
Dr. Melissa Martiros This blog post will be part one of a three-part series focused on teaching reading to students with special needs. As with all of our posts, we invite you to implement what you find useful, disregard what you do not, and email...
Teaching Students with Visual Impairments – Empathy and Facilitation
Dr. Scott Price Welcome back to the Inclusive Piano Teaching blog. Today’s entry is part two of a discussion on teaching students with visual impairments. I would like talk briefly about some things to think about when bringing a student into the piano studio. Some...
Teaching Students with Visual Impairments – Resources
Dr. Scott Price Welcome back to the Inclusive Piano Teaching blog. After a brief rest, we are back sharing information and resources with all of you. Today’s post will include information on where to find resources for teaching students with visual impairments. This group of...
Recital Preparation and Performance
Dr. Beth Bauer ‘Tis the season for recitals. To prepare our studios for the recital, it is common to pick the date and venue, decide on the type of recital (duet, theme, holiday), plan the reception, and pick repertoire for our students. Many of these...