How Sleep Impacts Learning (And Why We Should All Sleep More!)
January 2019; Vol. 11, No. 1
Healthy Playing, Healthy Teaching, Vanessa Cornett, Editor A common refrain among teachers in the developed world is that twenty-first-century students are over-scheduled, anxious, and unable to focus during their limited practice time.1 Compounding these stress, anxiety, and distraction issues for my students is that they are...
Spring 2021: Editor’s Letter: Embracing the Positive as We Emerge from our Pandemic Cocoons
Spring 2021; Vol. 13, No. 1
After the long, dark winter, springtime represents a time for rebirth and renewal. Yet, as we head into the second year of our new “pandemic” normal, many musicians have grown weary of what they had assumed would be temporary inconveniences—teaching online, physically distant performances, and...
Winter 2021: Editor’s Letter: Celebrating Musical Innovators
Winter 2021; Vol. 12, No. 5
Ludwig van Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770, in Bonn. Although unimaginable on that winter day, his influence on generations of musicians across Europe cannot be overstated. To this day, his work occupies an enormous part of our musical canon and playing certain Beethoven sonatas remains a rite of passage for...
Autumn 2021: Editor’s Letter: Preparing for a Successful Year of Music Making
Autumn 2021; Vol. 13, No. 3
As I write the editorial column for this issue, the restful summer days are waning, autumn is on the horizon, and preparations for a new year of teaching are underway. Parker Palmer reminds us that autumn “…scatters the seeds that will bring new growth in...
Winter 2020: Editor’s Letter: The Transformative Power of Music
Winter 2020; Vol. 11, No. 5
As pianists and educators, many of us excel at creating meaningful musical opportunities for students and audiences whose backgrounds are similar to our own. But, how might we serve people whose experiences are different from ours, in their own communities, in ways that enable them...
Musician & Activist: A Conversation with Kayo Anderson
Winter 2020; Vol. 11, No. 5
Kayo Anderson is a musician with LA Community Action Network (LA CAN), who works with Skid Row artists, many of whom are former industry-level musicians, to understand their unique challenges and help them facilitate their return to employability. In the United States, employment brings personal...
NCKP 2021: Preconference Sneak Peek
Spring 2021; Vol. 13, No. 1
The National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy invites you to attend thirteen stimulating days of preconference sessions that are guaranteed to reenergize your teaching! The conference is taking full advantage of the virtual platform, giving each preconference track its own day and allowing you to immerse...
Rocherolle’s New Orleans Sketches: Teaching Tips for “Masquerade!”
Spring 2021; Vol. 13, No. 1
Eugénie Rocherolle has written numerous compositions inspired by the music and culture of her hometown of New Orleans. Many of these appealing pieces offer students opportunities to learn about styles of music that permeate the parades and festivals in the city while developing important technical...
Summer 2021: Editor’s Letter: In Search of Excellent Performance & Teaching Practice
Summer 2021; Vol. 13, No. 2
What does it mean to be a good teacher? What separates good teachers from truly great teachers? Educators and researchers have spent untold hours studying outstanding teachers and written hundreds of papers on teaching expertise. In music and piano education, we have a rich body...
Teaching Adults in Group-Piano Settings: Facilitating the Musical Process
Summer 2021; Vol. 13, No. 2
WHY TEACH PIANO TO ADULTS IN GROUPS? Adults of all ages are interested in making music at the piano, regardless of their skill level. Adults pursuing formal piano study include those who are true novices, people with extensive piano backgrounds, and many who play at various levels in between....