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

  • 5 Things You Might Not Know About Mélanie Bonis (1858–1937)

    5 Things You Might Not Know About Mélanie Bonis (1858–1937)

    We would like to thank McKenna Girdeen for this article on Mélanie Bonis. Interested in learning more about Bonis? Attend this session at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 in-person conference on Thursday, July 24, 2025, 1:30-2:20pm CDT. Learn more and register for the online and in-person conference here. Mélanie Bonis, a largely underrepresented composer, remains unknown to many musicians …


  • Happy 90th Birthday to Marvin Blickenstaff!

    Happy 90th Birthday to Marvin Blickenstaff!

    Thanks to the generosity of supporters around the world, The Marvin Blickenstaff Teaching Excellence Fund is advancing high-quality teacher education and raising the standard of piano instruction. We invite you to join this meaningful effort by making a contribution to help complete this tribute in time for his milestone birthday. Gifts can be made online…


  • 5 Things You Might Not Know About Abby Whiteside

    5 Things You Might Not Know About Abby Whiteside

    We would like to thank Stephen Marquiss for this article on Abby Whiteside. Interested in learning more about Whiteside? Attend this session at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 online event on Saturday, June 7, 2025, 1:30-1:55pm CDT. Learn more and register for the conference here. 1. Abby Whiteside (1881-1956) transformed her teaching after admitting only her talented students progressed.…


  • Campos Internacionais Disponíveis – Inscreva-se Já!

    Campos Internacionais Disponíveis – Inscreva-se Já!

    A Conferência de Piano expandiu seu escopo para incluir campos em coreano, mandarim, inglês, espanhol e português.* Todas as sessões em línguas estrangeiras incluirão legendas em inglês para torná-las acessíveis a todos. A inscrição completa na conferência inclui acesso ao evento online e aos arquivos do evento online. Inscreva-se agora para conferir apresentações de especialistas,…


  • 国际会议分会场开放 。 立即注册!

    国际会议分会场开放 。 立即注册!

    钢琴峰会已扩展至韩语、普通话、英语、西班牙语和葡萄牙语分会场。*所有外语会议均提供英文字幕,方便所有人观看。 完整的会议注册包含在线活动和在线活动档案的访问权限。立即注册,聆听来自世界各地教师和研究人员的专家演讲! 在线会议:2025年6月7日至8日 线下峰会及会议:2025年7月23日至26日 想了解更多关于在线活动和国际会议分会场的信息?委员会主席Luis Sanchez将分享2025年钢琴会议(NCKP)的精彩内容。 MORE ON THE PIANO CONFERENCE: NCKP Not yet a subscriber? Join for only $7.99/mo or $36/yr.


  • 국제 트랙 개설. 지금 등록하세요!

    국제 트랙 개설. 지금 등록하세요!

    피아노 컨퍼런스는 한국어, 중국어(만다린어), 영어, 스페인어, 포르투갈어 트랙을 포함하도록 그 범위를 확장하였습니다.* 모든 외국어 세션에는 영어 자막이 제공되어 누구나 쉽게 접근할 수 있습니다. 전체 컨퍼런스 등록 시 온라인 행사 및 온라인 자료 아카이브에 접근할 수 있습니다. 지금 등록하셔서 전 세계의 교사들과 연구자들의 전문적인 발표를 직접 경험해 보세요!  온라인 컨퍼런스: 2025년 6월 7-8일 Online Conference: June…


  • Programación internacional disponible ¡Regístrate ahora!

    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…


  • 5 Reasons You Should Learn “Arirang”

    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…


  • Teaching Us to Be Our Best Selves: The Power of a Piano Teacher

    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,…


  • Five Things You Might Not Know About Dianne Goolkasian Rahbee

    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…


  • An Inspiring Legacy of Excellence and Advocacy | Honoring Claudette Sorel

    An Inspiring Legacy of Excellence and Advocacy | Honoring Claudette Sorel

    We believe passionately that piano teachers change the world through their dedication to students and communities. Our Power of a Piano Teacher campaign shares personal tributes to document the extraordinary contributions of piano teachers. We welcome you to celebrate your teacher and share your tribute with us by making a donation to the Frances Clark Center. Together, we will further…


  • This Week in Piano History: The Premiere of Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata | January 20, 1939

    This Week in Piano History: The Premiere of Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata | January 20, 1939

    THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the premiere of Charles Ives’ Concord Sonata, which American pianist John Kirkpatrick premiered on January 20, 1939. The sonata, Ives’ second piano sonata, lasts over forty-five minutes and is noted for its extremely dense writing and complicated use of leitmotifs. Ives was an American musical pioneer who was…


  • Our Experiences Writing for Piano Magazine

    Our Experiences Writing for Piano Magazine

    Every year, Piano Magazine offers students the opportunity to showcase their research and writing through the Collegiate Writing Contest. We are pleased to present the testimonies of two recent winners of this competition, in hopes that it will inspire other collegiate students to submit their manuscripts for a chance to be featured in Piano Magazine.…


  • How to Record an Effective Teaching Demonstration: 6 Tips for Success

    How to Record an Effective Teaching Demonstration: 6 Tips for Success

    We are delighted to share top tips from Dr. Sara Ernst on recording effective teaching demonstrations as you compile your teaching video submissions for NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference. Sara is Director of Teacher Engagement for the Frances Clark Center and a member of the Executive Committee for NCKP: The Piano Conference. We invite you…


  • This Week in Piano History: The Death of Jazz Pianist Alice Coltrane | January 12, 2007

    This Week in Piano History: The Death of Jazz Pianist Alice Coltrane | January 12, 2007

    THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we remember Alice Coltrane, who died on January 12, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. Coltrane was a jazz pianist, harpist, and composer who later transformed her life as a Hindu spiritual teacher (swamini) under the name Turiya Sangitananda. Her recording and performing career spanned the second half of the twentieth…


  • 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…


  • This Week in Piano History: The Premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Ballet “The Nutcracker” | December 18, 1892

    This Week in Piano History: The Premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Ballet “The Nutcracker” | December 18, 1892

    THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the premiere of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Nutcracker, on December 18, 1892. Although the premiere performance of the ballet was not well received, it has become one of Tchaikovsky’s most beloved compositions. The History of The Nutcracker Based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffman, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker tells the…


  • More Thoughts on Creating a Singing Tone: Special Guest Q&A with Sharon How

    More Thoughts on Creating a Singing Tone: Special Guest Q&A with Sharon How

    This week we invited our followers to submit questions for Sharon How about creating a singing tone. Today, Sharon is answering those questions! We encourage you to read Sharon’s article in the Autumn 2022 issue of Piano Magazine, “Creating a Singing Tone at the Piano“, for her foundational thoughts on teaching a singing tone. Join…


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