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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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This Month in Piano History – February 2025
February is a month of reflection and celebration as we observe Black History Month and Valentine’s Day. It is also a time of remembrance and commemoration as we recall many important composers and pianists. Read below to discover more about a famous pianist and showman, the lives of two different composers, and a celebrated American…
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Celebrate the Power of a Piano Lesson This Valentine’s Day
Music has the power to transform lives, and it all starts with a single lesson. This Valentine’s Day, show your love for music and the teachers who make it possible by donating the value of one piano lesson to the Power of a Piano Lesson campaign. At The Frances Clark Center, we believe in the…
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Piano Inspires Podcast: Barbara Fast
To celebrate the latest episode of the Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Barbara Fast, we are sharing an excerpted transcript of her conversation with Pamela Pike. Want to learn more about Fast? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. To learn more, visit pianoinspires.com. Listen to our latest episode with Fast on Apple Podcasts,…
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Publications Launch Party: Weaving Sounds: Elementary Piano Pieces by Native and Indigenous Composers
Webinar with Connor Chee and Renata Yazzie Weaving Sounds is a collection of beginner piano repertoire written by the vibrant and diverse voices of Native and Indigenous composers from the Diné, Mohawk, Anishinaabe, Cree, Blackfoot, Jicarilla Apache, Choctaw, and Mohican communities. Each piece is a unique expression of the composers’ cultural roots and personal artistry,…
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The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 Innovation Summit: Designing the Future of Piano Education
Join us for The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 as we gather together in person and online. The Piano Conference seeks to explore the challenges and opportunities facing our international community at this inflection point for the profession. Full conference registration includes four days of engagement, including the summit, concerts, keynotes, PEDx presentations, and more, as…
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E-Posters: Why You Should Submit and Tips for Success
With gratitude we welcome one of our NCKP 2021: The Piano Conference Research E-Poster Award Winners, Robin S. Heinsen, to our Discovery Page. Heinsen is Assistant Professor of Music Education at Miami University, and provides helpful insights based on her experience as an NCKP poster presenter. We invite you to submit e-posters, teaching demonstrations, performance…
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Celebrating Black History Month
From February 1-28, 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…
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Piano Inspires Podcast: Rochelle Sennet
To celebrate the latest episode of the Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Rochelle Sennet, we are sharing an excerpted transcript of her conversation with Sara Ernst. Want to learn more about Sennet? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. To learn more, visit pianoinspires.com. Listen to our latest episode with Sennet on Apple Podcasts,…
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Announcing the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
We are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award. All are welcome to join us at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 to celebrate these extraordinary individuals. 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…
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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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Five Things You Might Not Know About Florence Price
Don’t miss Lia Jenson-Abbott’s Inspiring Artistry contribution about Florence Price’s Down a Southern Lane, which includes information on how to effectively teach the piece, all the way from preparation to performance. 1. At age 18, Florence Price graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with two degrees: Teachers Diploma in Piano and Soloists Diploma…
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This Week in Piano History: The Birth of Philip Glass | January 31, 1937
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of American composer Philip Glass, who was born on January 31, 1937. Known for his unique approach to minimalist style, Glass’ award-winning compositions continue to inspire audiences worldwide. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Glass began studying the violin and flute in his childhood, later becoming intrigued by…
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Teaching Contemporary Music: Q&A with Brendan Jacklin
This week we invited our followers to submit questions for Brendan Jacklin about teaching new and contemporary music. Today, Brendan is answering those questions! We encourage you to watch Brendan’s archived webinar on teaching George Crumb’s Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik. 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 Birth of Muzio Clementi | January 23, 1752
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of pianist, composer, and piano manufacturer Muzio Clementi, who was born on January 23, 1752. Although Clementi is most well known today for his sonatinas, he wrote a number of large-scale piano sonatas and achieved great success with his piano manufacturing business. Clementi, born in Rome,…
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Five Things You Might Not Know About Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee
Don’t miss Leonidas Lagrimas’ Inspiring Artistry contribution about Amy Beach’s Improvisation Op. 148, No. 1, which includes exposition on how to effectively teach the piece, all the way from preparation to performance. The piano music of Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee has been steadily gaining popularity over the past several decades, to the point where her work…
