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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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A Quick Look at Teaching Young Musicians: What Pianists Should Know
Special thanks to the Janet Tschida, chair of the NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference Young Musicians: Birth to Age 9 committee for this post. Why is working with young musicians important for pianists today? The Young Musicians Track’s theme of “Learning Music from the Inside Out” endeavors to support teachers aspiring to implement an aural/experiential…
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Blending East and West: Ma Shui-Long
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we remember Taiwanese composer Ma Shui-Long who died on May 2, 2015 at the age of 75. A composer of a wide oeuvre of works, Ma is known for his efforts to blend Eastern and Western compositional traditions. Ma Shui-Long, born on July 17, 1939, grew up in Ji-long and…
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Five Ways to Improve Your Website
Don’t miss Clinton Pratt’s presentation at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference, From Solo to School, on July 26, 2023 from 1:30-2:20PM. Register for NCKP 2023 before May 1, 2023 to receive the early bird discount! 1. Have a clear call-to-action. Don’t confuse prospective clients with too many things to do. Should they call you? Email…
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An Inspirational Force of Nature | Honoring Michelle Conda
Michelle Conda is a recipient of the 2023 Frances Clark Center Lifetime Achievement Award. Her 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…
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A Quick Look at Creative Music Making: What Pianists Should Know
Special thanks to the Bradley Sowash, member of the NCKP 2023 Creative Music Making committee, for this post. Why is creative music making an important topic for pianists today? Today’s students benefit from instruction in reading and generating music. Why? Because students that read well, play by ear, and/or create music can play a wider…
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Für Elise: Beethoven’s Infamous Composition
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, Beethoven composed his infamous bagatelle Für Elise WoO 59 on April 27, 1810. The short piece is built around a recurring theme that is unceasingly popular with pianists of all ages. One of the central questions regarding this piece is to whom it was written. Scholarship remains unclear about the…
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A Quick Look at Independent Music Teaching: What Pianists Should Know
Special thanks to Jason Sifford, chair of the NCKP 2023 Independent Music Teaching committee, for this post. Why is independent teaching important for pianists today? Today’s emerging professionals and young parents are the first to be born in the 2000’s. This generation enters a world unlike any before, and understanding and embracing the unique challenges…
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A Quick Look at Wellness: What Pianists Should Know
Special thanks to the NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference Wellness Committee for their contributions to this post. Why is wellness an important topic for pianists today? It is known that few pianists go through life without encountering an injury or illness, whether directly related to playing or not. Therefore, it is very important that there…
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Nina Simone: Remembering a Trailblazer
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we remember pianist Nina Simone who died on April 21, 2003. Simone, born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, was a jazz singer, pianist, and civil rights leader. Simone began playing piano at the age of three, learning at first by ear.1 Her initial…
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Programación internacional disponible ¡Regístrate ahora!
La Conferencia de Piano ha ampliado su alcance para incluir programación en coreano, mandarín, inglés, español y portugués.* Todas las sesiones en idiomas extranjeros incluirán subtítulos en inglés para que sean accesibles para todos. La inscripción completa a la conferencia incluye acceso al evento en línea y a sus archivos. ¡Regístrate ahora para disfrutar de…
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5 Reasons You Should Learn “Arirang”
We would like to thank Kowoon Lee for this article on the Korean song, Arirang. Interested in learning more about Arirang? Attend this session at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 on Thursday, July 24, 2025, 1:30-1:55pm CDT. Learn more and register for the conference here. 1. Cultural Understanding As Korean culture continues to gain global…
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Teaching Us to Be Our Best Selves: The Power of a Piano Teacher
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 are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part of the “Power of a Piano Teacher” campaign. The teachers featured here are making profound contributions to students at all stages,…
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What to Expect at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025
From the Inclusive Teaching Track and Keyboard Lab Presentations The Committees of The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 work to research, compile, or otherwise address issues of ongoing significance to our participants and the piano teaching public in meaningful and substantive ways. As we eagerly anticipate NCKP 2025, we asked our committee chairs to give us…
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Piano Inspires Podcast: 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
The Frances Clark Center recognizes Barbara Fast, Susanna Garcia, Gary Ingle, William Chapman Nyaho, and Craig Sale as recipients of the 2025 Frances Clark Center Lifetime Achievement Award. Each of these recipients exemplifies outstanding dedication to the field of music and piano teaching. Their influential contributions in the field of piano pedagogy have impacted our profession…
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5 Things You Might Not Know About the Ergonomically Scaled Piano Keyboard
We would like to thank Camila de Oliviera for this article on the Ergonomically Scaled Piano Keyboard (ESPK). Interested in learning more about the EPSK? Attend her session at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 on Thursday, July 24, 2025, 12:00-12:25pm CDT. Learn more and register for the conference here. 1. Playing an ESPK doesn’t mean…
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Navajo Cultural Elements in Sandpaintings by Connor Chee
We would like to thank Le Bai for this article on Connor Chee’s piano piece, Sandpaintings. Interested in learning more about this work? Attend Le Bai’s session at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 on Thursday, July 24 from 10:30 AM – 10:55 AM CDT in Lilac B. Learn more and register for the conference here.…
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2025 Collegiate Connections
An international cohort of students responded to our call for proposals for the 2025 Collegiate Connections virtual event, which will highlight innovative group projects. The Frances Clark Center is pleased to announce the selected proposals for our Collegiate Connections event on Friday, April 25, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Eastern; click here to…
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What to Expect at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025
From the Technology and New Professionals Tracks The Committees of The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 work to research, compile, or otherwise address issues of ongoing significance to our participants and the piano teaching public in meaningful and substantive ways. As we eagerly anticipate NCKP 2025, we asked our committee chairs to give us a sneak…
