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  • Piano Inspires Kids: A Sneak Peak of the Winter 2026 Issue

    Piano Inspires Kids: A Sneak Peak of the Winter 2026 Issue

    The Winter 2026 Issue of Piano Inspires Kids is coming soon! Subscribers will be receiving the print issue in their mailboxes in the coming weeks. Not yet a subscriber? Click here to receive the issue and give the gift of music to the musicians in your life! Keep reading for a sneak peek into the…


  • Foundational Pedagogy Discussion Group for Piano Teachers

    Foundational Pedagogy Discussion Group for Piano Teachers

    Although a new year is right around the corner, piano teachers are in the middle of the busy academic year. Our students are juggling school, extra-curricular activities, and practicing while teachers are doing their own juggling acts—preparing for weekly lessons and student performances while also keeping their studios running smoothly. In the midst of all…


  • This Month in Piano History – December 2025

    This Month in Piano History – December 2025

    As we close out the year, we celebrate the birth of a famous Hispanic composer, remember one of the greatest concerts of all time, and reflect on the life of a great American composer! December 8 – Birth of Manuel Ponce Born on December 8, 1882 in Fresnillo, Mexico, Manuel Ponce was one of the…


  • Essential Holiday Gifts for Piano Teachers: Top Resources

    Essential Holiday Gifts for Piano Teachers: Top Resources

    Build your holiday wish list with our inspiring collection of piano teaching resources! From expert repertoire guides and diverse repertoire collections to practical teaching tools and personal essays by leading educators, our publications make the perfect gift to enrich your studio and spark creativity all year long. Questions and Answers: Practical Advice for Piano Teachers…


  • Community Impact – Surge: Impact in the Time of Adversity

    Community Impact – Surge: Impact in the Time of Adversity

    In the Community Impact webinar series, music teachers across the world gather to create, refine, and celebrate projects that positively impact communities and advance piano teaching. In this year’s inaugural session, host Leah Claiborne invited internationally recognized leader Stanford Thompson to share his thoughts on the theme “Impact in the Time of Adversity.”  Thompson is…


  • Support The Frances Clark Center This Giving Tuesday 2025

    Support The Frances Clark Center This Giving Tuesday 2025

    #Giving Tuesday is a day to celebrate our dedicated community through shared mission and purpose as we continue to transform lives through the power of music. The Frances Clark Center is grateful to serve and support our community as we advance the profession together. We appreciate all your support.  Today, people around the world will…


  • Piano Technique Books for Students: Holiday Gifts for 2025

    Piano Technique Books for Students: Holiday Gifts for 2025

    Build your holiday wish list with our inspiring collection of piano teaching resources! From expert repertoire guides and diverse repertoire collections to practical teaching tools and personal essays by leading educators, our publications make the perfect gift to enrich your studio and spark creativity all year long. Technique through Repertoire Books 1 & 2 Selected…


  • Countdown to Giving Tuesday 2025

    Countdown to Giving Tuesday 2025

    We’re filled with gratitude for the vibrant community that makes The Frances Clark Center possible. As Giving Tuesday approaches, we invite you to celebrate the power of music and piano teaching to inspire and transform lives. Piano inspires the next generation. Together, through every note and every lesson, we can make the world a better…


  • Honor a Piano Teacher: Power of a Piano Teacher Campaign

    Honor a Piano Teacher: Power of a Piano Teacher Campaign

    The teachers featured here are making profound contributions to students at all stages, from the youngest beginners to college students, and to those who study later in life. These inspirational, personal stories testify to the timeless impact piano teachers have on their students and their communities. We invite you to celebrate the piano teachers who…


  • This Week in Piano History: National Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Day

    This Week in Piano History: National Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Day

    Happy National Black Women in Jazz and the Arts Day! Created by the organization Black Women in Jazz, this day celebrates the remarkable impact of Black women in jazz and all the arts. Today, we are highlighting several Black women pianists and composers who have made special contributions to our field. Nina Simone, born February…


  • Five Composers You Might Not Know Were Influenced by Indonesian Gamelan

    Five Composers You Might Not Know Were Influenced by Indonesian Gamelan

    We encourage you to watch Regina Tanujaya’s archived webinar here: “Piano Music by Composers of Asian Heritage, Part 2,” who’s joined by Chee-Hwa Tan and Li-Ly Chang, and Luis Sanchez. This webinar shares appealing and accessible piano teaching music by composers of Asian heritage. 1.  Claude Debussy (1862-1918) Debussy first heard the gamelan at the…


  • Five Things You Might Not Know About Cécile Chaminade

    Five Things You Might Not Know About Cécile Chaminade

    Don’t miss Angela Miller-Niles’s Inspiring Artistry contribution about Chaminade’s Aubade, which includes information on how to effectively teach the piece, all the way from preparation to performance. 1.  She was the first woman to receive the Légion d’honneur in 1913. The Légion d’honneur is the highest French order of merit. At 56, Chaminade was enjoying…


  • This Week in Piano History: The Concert with an Audience of Legends (Including Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Wieck!)

    This Week in Piano History: The Concert with an Audience of Legends (Including Liszt, Mendelssohn, and Wieck!)

    THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, Chopin had his premiere at the Salons de Pleyel in Paris on February 25, 1832.1 Chopin’s first concert after arriving in Paris, this debut marked one of the few times the Parisian public was able to hear Chopin’s performances.  Chopin initially left Poland for a concert tour throughout Europe, but…


  • Effectively Teaching Young Students: Q&A with Sara Ernst

    Effectively Teaching Young Students: Q&A with Sara Ernst

    We invited our followers to submit questions for Sara Ernst about effectively teaching young students to practice. Today, Sara is answering those questions! We encourage you to read Sara’s article, “Practicing Alongside Our Intermediate Students,” in the Winter 2022 issue of Piano Magazine. Additionally, enroll in our self-guided, online course titled The Beginner Course: Establishing…


  • This Week in Piano History: The King of Etudes

    This Week in Piano History: The King of Etudes

    THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we celebrate the birth of pianist and composer Carl Czerny who was born on February 21, 1791. Although primarily known for his numerous etudes, Czerny was a prolific composer publishing over 800 works with opus numbers. Czerny was born into a middle class family in Vienna, Austria. His father, Wenzel…


  • Five Ideas for Choosing a Spring Recital Theme

    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…


  • This Week in Piano History: The Ragtime “Scott” You Might Not Know

    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…


  • What We Can Learn From Historical Pianos: Q&A with Charlotte Tang

    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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