pianoinspires.com
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 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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Piano Inspires Podcast: Leila Viss
As we get closer to The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 this July, we invite you to register for our 2025 Gala, celebrating our 2025 Lifetime Achievement Outstanding Service Award recipients. The Frances Clark Center celebrates its Outstanding Service Award recipients with special re-releases of podcast episodes. Congratulations to Leila Viss for this recognition! Register by…
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Piano Inspires Podcast: Spencer Myer
As we get closer to The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 this July, we invite you to register for our conference and join us in Lombard, Illinois. Additionally, we invite you to join us at a conference Gala celebrating our 2025 Lifetime Achievement Outstanding Service Award recipients. The Frances Clark Center celebrates its Outstanding Service Award…
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5 Things You Might Not Know About Zoltán Kodály
Don’t miss Megan’s Inspiring Artistry contribution about J.S. Bach’s Invention in C Minor, which includes exposition on how to effectively teach the piece, all the way from preparation to performance. 1. Kodály wrote for piano and organ! Besides his many successful works for choir, Kodály wrote 7 Pieces for Piano, Op. 11, a Méditation sur…
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A Peek Inside Piano Inspires Discussion Events: Opportunities to Learn, Discuss, and Connect
We were pleased to welcome Dr. Brenda Wristen, Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and author of the Piano Magazine article “No Thumb or Fifth Finger on Black Keys, Except…” for an informative article discussion in September. Dr. Wristen and Senior Editor Craig Sale explored the rules of the black…
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Alternatively-Sized Keyboards: Special Guest Q&A with Expert Carol Leone
Last year we invited you to submit questions for Carol Leone about alternatively sized keyboards via our social media channels. We are pleased to give these newly updated answers a permanent home on our Discovery page. We invite you to join us on social media for the opportunity to have your questions on a variety…
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This Week in Piano History: The Premiere of Mendelssohn’s G Minor Piano Concerto, October 17, 1831
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the premiere of Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto in G Minor, Op. 25, premiered by the composer himself on October 17, 1831 in Munich. The concerto, made famous by Clara Schumann and Franz Liszt (and later ridiculed by Hector Berlioz!), became incredibly popular with pianists throughout Europe for its…
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This Week in Piano History: The Birth of R. Nathaniel Dett, October 11, 1882
THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of composer and virtuoso pianist, R. Nathaniel Dett, who was born 140 years ago on October 11, 1882. Though born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Dett spent most of his life in the United States. A prodigious child, Dett received piano lessons when he was young and…
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Presenting at NCKP: My Experience and Why You Should Too
We invite you to submit your e-poster proposals, teaching demonstration videos, and performance videos by 11:59pm PT on Monday, April 10, 2023. My Experience at NCKP 2021 Summer 2021 found the world struggling to regain normalcy as we adapted to a new style of living. In the music profession, we quickly established new ways to…
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Welcome to the Piano Inspires Discovery Page!
Welcome! We are thrilled to share with you the newest Piano Inspires page that is designed to bring you personal, educational, and accessible content about piano teaching, learning, and performing: the Piano Inspires Discovery page. What to expect from the Piano Inspires Discovery page Our hope for this space is to inspire the love of…
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How to Write an Effective Conference Proposal: 5 Tips for Success
We are delighted to share top tips from Dr. Sara Ernst on writing successful conference proposals to support you as you draft your session ideas 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…
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Cómo escribir una propuesta de presentación eficaz para conferencias: 5 consejos
Estamos encantados de compartir los mejores consejos de la Dra. Sara Ernst sobre cómo escribir propuestas exitosas para ayudarle a redactar sus ideas para ponencias para NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference. Sara es Directora de Compromiso Docente del Frances Clark Center y miembro del Comité Ejecutivo de NCKP: The Piano Conference. Lo invitamos a enviar…
