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Piano Inspires Discovery
A space dedicated to inspiring the love of piano and music making through educational and inspirational content.
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Five Composers You Might Not Know Were Influenced by Indonesian Gamelan
We encourage you to watch Regina Tanujaya’s archived webinar here: “Piano Music by Composers of Asian Heritage, Part 2,” who’s joined by Chee-Hwa Tan and Li-Ly Chang, and Luis Sanchez. This webinar shares appealing and accessible piano teaching music by composers of Asian heritage. 1. Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Debussy first heard the gamelan at the…
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Five Things You Might Not Know About Cécile Chaminade
Don’t miss Angela Miller-Niles’s Inspiring Artistry contribution about Chaminade’s Aubade, which includes information on how to effectively teach the piece, all the way from preparation to performance. 1. She was the first woman to receive the Légion d’honneur in 1913. The Légion d’honneur is the highest French order of merit. At 56, Chaminade was enjoying…
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This Week in Piano History: The Concert with an Audience of Legends (Including Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Wieck!)
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, Chopin had his premiere at the Salons de Pleyel in Paris on February 25, 1832.1 Chopin’s first concert after arriving in Paris, this debut marked one of the few times the Parisian public was able to hear Chopin’s performances. Chopin initially left Poland for a concert tour throughout Europe, but…
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Effectively Teaching Young Students: Q&A with Sara Ernst
We invited our followers to submit questions for Sara Ernst about effectively teaching young students to practice. Today, Sara is answering those questions! We encourage you to read Sara’s article, “Practicing Alongside Our Intermediate Students,” in the Winter 2022 issue of Piano Magazine. Additionally, enroll in our self-guided, online course titled The Beginner Course: Establishing…
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This Week in Piano History: The King of Etudes
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of pianist and composer Carl Czerny who was born on February 21, 1791. Although primarily known for his numerous etudes, Czerny was a prolific composer publishing over 800 works with opus numbers. Czerny was born into a middle class family in Vienna, Austria. His father, Wenzel…
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Five Ideas for Choosing a Spring Recital Theme
We encourage you to watch Holly Kessis’ archived webinar here: “Piano Inspires… Innovation in Practice“ with Igor Lipinski, Brianna Matzke, Joy Morin, Melody Ng, Jason Sifford, and Jennifer Snow. This webinar is a celebration of innovation in organizations, teaching practices, and teacher education. 1. Less is more. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with ideas, so…
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This Week in Piano History: The Ragtime “Scott” You Might Not Know
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of major ragtime composer James Sylvester Scott who was born on February 12, 1885. Scott produced a number of hits including Ophelia Rag, Frog Legs Rag, and Grace and Beauty. Originally from Neosho, Missouri, Scott was born to former slaves James Scott Sr. and Molly Thomas…
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What We Can Learn From Historical Pianos: Q&A with Charlotte Tang
We recently invited our followers to submit questions for Charlotte Tang about historical pianos. Today, Charlotte is answering those questions! We encourage you to watch Charlotte’s Inspiring Artistry repertoire video on teaching Scarlatti’s Sonata in D Minor, K. 213. Join us on social media for the opportunity to have your questions on a variety of…
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This Week in Piano History: The Pianist Who Could Crack a Joke
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we remember the debut of The Victor Borge Show on NBC-TV on February 3, 1951. Borge’s brilliant comedic routines brought humor to the classical music concert hall in ways previously not experienced. Born in Copenhagen, Borge’s musical studies with his parents, who were both musicians. His father supervised his early…
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Marvin Blickenstaff: Cheerleader Extraordinaire
We would like to thank Sara Ernst for this tribute to her mentor, Marvin Blickenstaff. On January 30, 2024 we are hosting a virtual Publications Party to celebrate Marvin Blickenstaff’s new book, Inspired Piano Teaching. Click here to register for this free event! If you are interested in learning more about Marvin’s book, you can read more…
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5 Things to Know about Piano Inspires Kids Composition Contest
Attention budding composers! Piano Inspires Kids invites students to submit a piano solo for our first composition contest! Winning compositions will be featured in the Summer 2024 issue and on our website, kids.pianoinspires.com. Read below for all the details! 1. The composition must be a fanfare. A fanfare is a short and usually brilliant piece…
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Collegiate Resources
Calling all collegiate students! Looking for more information about how The Frances Clark Center can help you as you navigate the early stages of your career? Look no further. In this article, we will share information and resources including employment and postgraduate opportunities, opportunities for students, discounts on purchases, and other ways to get involved.…
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Perspectives: Managing performance anxiety
We would like to thank Ali Snow for this insightful article on managing performance anxiety and motivation. Want to learn more about motivation? Join us on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 11am ET for “Determinants of Motivation in World-Class Musicians and Olympic Athletes: Exploring the Front and the Back Side of the Medallion,” a webinar…
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Collegiate Essay Runner-Up: The Unrecognized Performing Art of Group Piano Teaching
We would like to thank Dominick Cristofori D’Alessandro for this insightful article on collegiate group piano and motivation. Want to learn more about motivation? Join us on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at 11am ET for “Determinants of Motivation in World-Class Musicians and Olympic Athletes: Exploring the Front and the Back Side of the Medallion,” a…
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Marvin Blickenstaff: Cheerleader Extraordinaire
We would like to thank Sara Ernst for this tribute to her mentor, Marvin Blickenstaff. Since 1999, Marvin Blickenstaff has been a beloved faculty member of the New School for Music Study in Kingston, NJ. In honor of the 25th year of his work for NSMS, we recognize the tremendous impact he has had on…
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Meet People Where They Are | Honoring Marvin Blickenstaff
We would like to thank Karen Zorn for this tribute to her teacher, Marvin Blickenstaff. On January 30, 2024 we are hosting a virtual Publications Party to celebrate Marvin Blickenstaff’s new book, Inspired Piano Teaching. Click here to register for this free event! If you are interested in learning more about Marvin’s book, you can read more…
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Piano Inspires Kids: David, Plays!
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 the gift of music to the musicians in your life! Keep reading for a sneak peek into the…
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Collegiate Essay Winner: Emerging Adulthood and Undergraduate Group Piano
We would like to thank Melody Morrison for this insightful article on adulthood and collegiate group piano. This year more than a dozen collegiate students submitted essays in the collegiate writing competition. The topics were varied and the entrants, who came from eleven different universities, were at different stages of undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees.…
