pianoinspires.com

Piano Inspires Discovery

A space dedicated to inspiring the love of piano and music making through educational and inspirational content.

  • Reflections on the Postgraduate Teaching Program

    Reflections on the Postgraduate Teaching Program

    We would like to thank Allison Shinnick Keep for this insightful article on The New School for Music Study’s Postgraduate Teaching Program. Want to learn more about the Postgraduate Teaching Program? Learn more and apply by clicking here. There are experiences in life that change you slowly over long periods of time, and others that…


  • Cultivating Brave Spaces in the Piano Studio Using DEI Repertoire and Practices

    Cultivating Brave Spaces in the Piano Studio Using DEI Repertoire and Practices

    We would like to thank Penny Lazarus for this insightful article on inclusive programming. Want to learn more about Penny Lazarus’s work in DEI and her thoughts on inclusive programming? Lazarus is a contributor for our new course, Piano Teaching through the Lens of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The course is now available for presale…


  • Spring 2021: Pupil Saver: Adagio in F Minor by Chevalier de Saint-Georges

    Spring 2021: Pupil Saver: Adagio in F Minor by Chevalier de Saint-Georges

    We would like to thank Leah Claiborne for this insightful article on Chevalier de Saint-Georges’s Adagio in F Minor. Want to hear more about Leah Claiborne’s research and work at the Center? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. In this episode, Craig Sale and Leah engage in an inspiring conversation about…


  • A Valentine’s Tribute to Transformational Piano Teachers

    A Valentine’s Tribute to Transformational Piano Teachers

    Share the love this Valentine’s Day by honoring piano teachers who are working every day to make the world more kind, inclusive, and connected through the transformational power of music. We welcome you to celebrate your own teacher by sharing a tribute with us and donating to the Frances Clark Center. Students, parents, and colleagues…


  • Vision, Dedication, and Multiplication: Honoring Janet Tschida

    Vision, Dedication, and Multiplication: Honoring Janet Tschida

    We would like to thank Makayla Stevenson for this tribute to her teacher, Janet Tschida. As we continue the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part…


  • The Gift that Keeps Giving: Honoring Marvin Blickenstaff

    The Gift that Keeps Giving: Honoring Marvin Blickenstaff

    We would like to thank Arlene Steffen for this tribute to her teacher, Marvin Blickenstaff. As we continue the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part…


  • Remaking Ourselves and the Standard Canon: Perspectives and Resources for Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Classical Music

    Remaking Ourselves and the Standard Canon: Perspectives and Resources for Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Classical Music

    We would like to thank Nicholas Reynolds for this insightful article on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the classical music world. Did you hear about our new course—Piano Teaching through the Lens of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion? Join us on February 21st at 11:00am ET for a discussion of this new course in our webinar…


  • Celebrating Black History Month

    Celebrating Black History Month

    From February 1-29, we celebrate Black History Month, a time to honor and reflect upon the remarkable music and contributions of Black people. In this Discovery Page post, we have curated a collection of Piano Inspires resources to help everyone discover something new. From our international webinar series, to articles in Piano Magazine and Piano…


  • A Tribute to Marvin Blickenstaff and his Pedagogical Legacy

    A Tribute to Marvin Blickenstaff and his Pedagogical Legacy

    We would like to thank Sara Ernst, Jane Magrath, Karen Zorn, Joel M. Harrison, Marianne Williams, Zack Kleiman, Henry Banta, Anya Smith, and Nina Austria for collaborating on this tribute to Marvin Blickenstaff. Interested in learning more about Marvin Blickenstaff and his teaching? Marvin’s latest book, Inspired Piano Teaching, is coming soon and is available…


  • Five Things You Might Not Know About Practicing the Piano

    Five Things You Might Not Know About Practicing the Piano

    We would like to thank Sheryl Iott for collaboration on this post. We encourage you to watch Sheryl’s archived webinar titled, “Music Cognition: Patterns, Predictions and Practice,” by clicking here. Want to watch, but not yet a subscriber? Subscribe now for only $7.99/mo or $36/year. 1. Practice doesn’t make perfect. Not even perfect practice! What…


  • The Consummate Role Model for Piano Teachers | Honoring Marvin Blickenstaff

    The Consummate Role Model for Piano Teachers | Honoring Marvin Blickenstaff

    Join us for our first webinar of the season titled “The Life Saving Work of Teachers,” presented by Marvin Blickenstaff on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 11:00am EDT. Click here to register! Naegeli van Bergen Metcalf was my first college piano teacher and a beloved mentor. She left Wesleyan College after my freshman year to…


  • OLGA KERN: A Consummate and Positive Artist

    OLGA KERN: A Consummate and Positive Artist

    We are pleased to share this conversation with Olga Kern about her vibrant career and mission as a musician, written by Sara Ernst. This conversation originally appeared in the Summer 2023 issue of Piano Magazine. If you would like to explore other articles from Piano Magazine, please subscribe now for only $7.99/mo or $36/yr. Concert…


  • Hats Off to You, George! | Honoring George Litterst

    Hats Off to You, George! | Honoring George Litterst

    George Litterst is a recipient of the 2023 Frances Clark Center Lifetime Achievement Award. His extensive contributions to the field of piano pedagogy are extraordinary and exemplify outstanding dedication to the field of music and piano teaching. The Frances Clark Center Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor and is presented on behalf of the…


  • 5 Steps for Successfully Incorporating a Sight-Reading App into Your Studio

    5 Steps for Successfully Incorporating a Sight-Reading App into Your Studio

    Check out Anna Beth Rucker’s presentation at the NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference online event, How to Choose and Use Sight-Reading Apps to Enhance Student Learning Experience, on June 11, 2023 from 4:30-4:55PM. There’s still time to Register for NCKP 2023! In recent years, sight-reading apps have quickly populated app stores and captured the minds…


  • 5 Reasons You Should Include Asian Repertoire in Your Studio

    5 Reasons You Should Include Asian Repertoire in Your Studio

    Don’t miss Shuk-Ki Wong’s presentation at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference online event, Embracing Diversity in Your Studio: A Pedagogical Exploration of Underrepresented Chinese Keyboard Literature, on June 10, 2023 from 4:30-4:55PM. There’s still time to Register for NCKP 2023! 1. Only 1.77% of scheduled pieces in concert halls were composed by Asian composers. Despite…


  • 5 Things You Might Not Know About Colombian Composer Jaime León

    5 Things You Might Not Know About Colombian Composer Jaime León

    Don’t forget to check out Felipe Calle‘s presentation at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference, The Piano Works of Jaime Leon: A Pedagogical Approach, on June 11, 2023 from 4:30-4:55PM during our online event. Register now for NCKP 2023! 1. Jaime León was born in 1921 in Cartagena, Colombia, a colonial city on the Caribbean coast. His father,…


  • The Value and Survival of Music – Philosophies of Frances Clark

    The Value and Survival of Music – Philosophies of Frances Clark

    We are pleased to share some of our favorite quotes by Frances Clark, the pioneer pianist and educator for whom the organization is named. To read more of Clark’s writing, you can purchase her book, Questions and Answers, by clicking here. On the Value of Music “To understand music is to know an entire range…


  • 5 Things You Might Not Know About Career-aged Adult Piano Learners

    5 Things You Might Not Know About Career-aged Adult Piano Learners

    Check out Pei-Chen Chen‘s presentation at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference, It’s Never Too Late – Lived Experiences of Amateur Adult Piano Learners, on June 11, 2023 from 3:00-3:25PM during our online event. Register now for NCKP 2023! 1. They take lessons to fulfill a long held-dream. Fulfilling a long-held dream is one of the most common…


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