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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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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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This Month in Piano History – September 2024: Celebrate Classical Music Month
September 1994 Classical Music Month was established by President Bill Clinton, who greatly appreciated the unifying power of classical music. On August 22, 1994, President Clinton spoke about the power of music: Classical music is a celebration of artistic excellence. Great art endures through the ages… Classical music plays in harmony with that energy and…
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An Invitation to the Piano Inspires Book Club – Part 2
As we approach the new school year, we invite you to join us for the Piano Inspires Book Club! The first book club will focus on Marvin Blickenstaff’s new book Inspired Piano Teaching. Learn more and register here. August 26, 2024 Dear Frances Clark Center Community, As we approach the new school year, we invite…
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Unveiling the New Season of Peer Connections Gatherings
We would like to thank Yeeseon Kwon for this exciting message about the new season of Peer Connections events. Interested in participating? Our first event is Peer Connections: Advancing Your Opportunities and Professionalism, which occurs on Friday, October 4th at 11AM ET. Learn more and register here. The start of a new school year brings…
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An Invitation to the Piano Inspires Book Club
As we approach the new school year, we invite you to join us for the Piano Inspires Book Club! The first book club will focus on Inspired Piano Teaching by Marvin Blickenstaff. Learn more and register here. August 26, 2024 Dear Frances Clark Center Community, As we approach the new school year, we invite you to join us…
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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 The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025. Sara is Director of Teacher Engagement for the Frances Clark Center and a member of the Executive Committee for The Piano Conference: NCKP. We…
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Piano Inspires Kids: Student Spotlights
The Summer 2024 Issue of Piano Inspires Kids is here! 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 Summer Issue. Calling all Piano Inspires Kids readers; we want to hear from you about you! What is a Student Spotlight? You can…
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Effective, enforceable piano studio policies
We would like to thank Wendy Stevens for this article about studio policies. To read the full article, click here. Between August 5 and September 15, The Frances Clark Center is offering 20% off all full-length courses such as A Pianist’s Guide to Studio Management. Check out our other courses here and use this discount…
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Does Piano Study Help Children in Other Aspects of School Study?
We would like to thank Madeleine Crouch for this article about piano study and how it affects academic achievement. To read the full article, click here. Between August 5 and September 15, The Frances Clark Center is offering 20% off all full-length courses such as A Pianist’s Guide to Studio Management. Check out our other…
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Piano Inspires Book Club Announcement
As we approach the new school year, we invite you to join us for the Piano Inspires Book Club! The first book club will focus on Marvin Blickenstaff’s new book Inspired Piano Teaching. Learn more and register here. Join author Marvin Blickenstaff and host Sara Ernst for a four-part, open-access series discussing Inspired Piano Teaching…
