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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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Piano Inspires Podcast: Artina McCain
On Wednesday, July 23rd from 8:00-10:00pm, The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 will present the 2025 Celebration Concert featuring pianists Rochelle Sennet, Connor Chee, Alexa Stier, Carol Leone, Derek Hartman, Artina McCain, Spencer Myer, Susanna Garcia, and William Chapman Nyaho. In celebration, we are sharing this excerpt from Artina McCain’s appearance on the Piano Inspires Podcast.…
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Sneak Peek Inside The Piano Conference: Teaching Demonstrations and Concerts
The Piano Conference features an inspiring lineup of artists and teachers from July 23-26, 2025. Read more about the teaching demonstrations, lunchtime concerts, and New Professionals Concert below, and view the full schedule here. Want to hear these amazing demonstrations and concerts live? Register for The Piano Conference today! TEACHING DEMONSTRATIONS The Transformation of Advanced…
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A Sneak Peek into PEDx at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 – Part 2
PEDx speakers and panelists at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 will discuss visions for jazz piano pedagogy, A.I. in music, Indigenous composers, and piano suites. Don’t miss these inspiring sessions! Haven’t registered for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 yet? Register here. Friday, July 25, 2:00-4:00 PM CDT Harmony in Contrast: Four Jazz Pianists Discuss Their…
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Piano Inspires Podcast: An Interview with Connor Chee
On Wednesday, July 23rd from 8:00-10:00pm, The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 will present the 2025 Celebration Concert featuring pianists Rochelle Sennet, Connor Chee, Alexa Stier, Carol Leone, Derek Hartman, Artina McCain, Spencer Myer, Susanna Garcia, and William Chapman Nyaho. In celebration, we are sharing this excerpt from Connor Chee’s appearance on the Piano Inspires Podcast.…
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Piano Inspires Podcast: Rochelle Sennet
On Friday, July 25th from 2:00-4:00pm, The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 will present PEDx talks, highlighting exemplary work and projects performed by members of our community. In celebration, we are sharing this excerpt from Rochelle Sennet’s appearance on the Piano Inspires Podcast. Interested in hearing more from Sennet? Register for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025…
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How To Travel to The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 without Breaking the Bank!
The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 is just around the corner! With events running from Wednesday, July 23 through Saturday, July 26, the conference will feature concerts, PEDx talks, presentations, and more. Have you registered yet? Register today for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 by clicking here. Having spent a good amount of the last 30…
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Piano Inspires Podcast: Karen Walwyn
On Thursday, July 24th from 2:30-4:00pm, The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 will present PEDx talks, highlighting exemplary work and projects performed by members of our community. In celebration, we are sharing this excerpt from Karen Walwyn’s appearance on the Piano Inspires Podcast. Interested in hearing more from Walwyn? Register for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025…
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Meet the Keynote Speakers
The Piano Conference eagerly anticipates keynote speeches from Randall Faber, Sarah Hoover, and Stanford Thompson. Learn more about the speakers and mark this exhilarating conference on your calendar! Haven’t registered for The Piano Conference yet? Register here. Randall Faber Randall Faber has been a guest artist at universities throughout North America and Asia, including the…
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Announcing the Frances Clark Center’s Newest Publication: Easter Monday Swagger: Scherzino for Piano by Thomas H. Kerr Jr., edited by William Chapman Nyaho and Susanna Garcia
In celebration of Juneteenth, The Frances Clark Center is pleased to announce the newest publication from Piano Education Press: Easter Monday Swagger by Thomas H. Kerr Jr., edited by William Chapman Nyaho and Susanna Garcia. Easter Monday Swagger was composed by Thomas Henderson Kerr, Jr., and was completed on Easter Monday, March 30, 1970. It…
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Body Mapping in the Piano Studio
We would like to thank Kay S. Hooper for this insightful article about body mapping. To read the full article, click here. On the count of three, point to the place where your upper arm meets your torso. One, two, three! See Figure 1 below and find the place where you pointed. Most people point…
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The Benefits of NCKP: The Piano Conference and Why You Should Attend
We would like to thank Marvin Blickenstaff for this article about the benefits of The Piano Conference: NCKP. Want to learn more about The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025? Click here to read about next year’s conference and submit a proposal. Want to hear more from Marvin Blickenstaff? Join our book club beginning September 10, 2024!…
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The Body and the Beat: Developing Rhythm through Mindful Movement
We would like to thank Lesley McAllister for this insightful article on rhythm and movement. To read the full article, click here. Movement, for children, is necessary for learning. Young bodies are fine-tuned sensory receptors collecting information, curious and eager to explore the world around them.1 The young child is in a period of sensitivity…
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Do You Use Summer Lessons for Special Reading Activities?
We would like to thank Richard Chronister, Mary Ann Letti, and Berdine Ehrman for this insightful article on summer reading activities. To read the full article, click here. Both writers for this issue’s Music Reading Department take the view that summer is special for piano students. A good case can be made for discontinuing the regular…
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Piano Inspires Kids: Musicians and Athletes: What Can They Learn from One Another?
The Summer 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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This Month in Piano History: July 2024
July 1, 1950 Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, whose work in music education made a lasting impression on the field, died in Geneva, Switzerland on this day. He completed studies in Geneva, Paris, and Vienna, working with the likes of Fauré, Delibes, and Bruckner among others. Early on, he became fascinated with rhythm, and while working at the…
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Q&A with Marvin Blickenstaff: Part One
We would like to thank Marvin Blickenstaff for answering these questions regarding his approach to piano pedagogy. Want to learn more about Marvin’s teaching? The Frances Clark Center recently published his book Inspired Piano Teaching. This fall 2024, we are excited to announce that Marvin and The Frances Clark Center will host a virtual book…
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What is a Good Piano Sound and How Do You Get it?
We would like to thank William Fried for this insightful article on making a beautiful sound at the piano. Want to learn more about tone production? Check out the latest issue of Piano Magazine. Our new summer issue can be found by clicking here. “You get a terrible sound at the piano, William. Just terrible.”…
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A Tribute to Gary Ingle
by Jennifer Snow Published in Piano Magazine, Summer 2024 Issue Leadership is a term that is frequently used. A quick google search reveals a range of characteristics, terminology, and definitions of success. The truth of effective leadership lies in the person—an individual who impacts a profession, motivates and inspires, builds community, navigates change, directs through…
