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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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Piano Inspires Podcast: Tim Topham
To celebrate the latest episode of the Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Tim Topham, we are sharing an excerpted transcript of his conversation with Sara Ernst. Want to learn more about Topham? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. To learn more, visit pianoinspires.com. Listen to our latest episode with Topham on Apple Podcasts,…
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Improvising with Piano Inspires Kids: Use the Autumn 2024 Issue in Your Studio Today!
Exploring the piano through improvisation unlocks endless creativity, and the Autumn issue of Piano Inspires Kids equips young pianists with exciting new tools to ignite their musical imagination. In addition to the print magazine, students can explore additional activities on our website to get their creative juices flowing. Below are excerpts from our new teacher…
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Piano Inspires Podcast: Spencer Myer
To celebrate the latest episode of the Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Spencer Myer, we are sharing an excerpted transcript of his conversation with Jennifer Snow. Want to learn more about Myer? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. To learn more, visit pianoinspires.com. Listen to our latest episode with Myer on Apple Podcasts,…
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Lessons from Diné Weaving: Thoughts on Music from Connor Chee
We would like to thank Connor Chee for this excerpted text from his PEDx presentation at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference. Chee is a Navajo pianist and composer. His award-winning works, featured globally, showcase his cultural heritage and technical mastery. He is also dedicated to music education and cultural preservation, inspiring the next generation of…
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Presenting at NCKP: My Experience and Why You Should Too
We are delighted to share this article on The Piano Conference: NCKP by Luis Sanchez. We invite you to submit your proposals to The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 via our proposal submission portal by 11:59pm PDT on Monday, October 21, 2024. The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 The Piano Conference: NCKP offers you the opportunity to…
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Piano Inspires Podcast: Frances Clark
To celebrate the latest episode of the Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Frances Clark, we are sharing an excerpted transcript of her conversation with Christopher Hepp. Want to learn more about Clark? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. To learn more, visit pianoinspires.com. Listen to our latest episode with Clark on Apple Podcasts,…
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Piano Teachers Transforming Lives: The Power of a Piano Teacher
At The Frances Clark Center, we are honoring piano teachers who are working every day to make the world more empathetic, inclusive, and connected through the transformational power of music. 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…
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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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Edwin Gordon: Beyond the Keyboard
We would like to thank Edwin Gordon for the text from his 2015 keynote address at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy in Lombard, Illinois. To read the full text, sign up for our course, Foundational Piano Pedagogy. Between August 5 and September 15, The Frances Clark Center is offering 20% off all full-length courses…
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How Do You Plan A Student’s Repertoire for the Coming School Year?
We would like to thank Martha Appleby, Sara Krohn, Leanne Hedges, and James B Lyke for this insightful article about planning repertoire. To read the full article, click here. Although few teachers of my acquaintance indulge in a languid state of inactivity during the summer, it is a time when we re-evaluate the progress of our students…
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This Month in Piano History – August 2024
August 8, 1857 French pianist and composer Cécile Chaminade, whose work inspired the creation of numerous women’s musical organizations, was born on this day in Paris. Her initial musical studies were with her mother, but Chaminade also studied privately with members of the Paris Conservatoire faculty after her father prohibited her official enrollment.1 Her career…
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Breaking Out of the House of Corrections
We would like to thank Craig Sale for this insightful article about preparing students for their practice. To read the full article, click here. I will always remember Frances Clark stating that our lessons should not be a “house of corrections.” Instead, she felt we should do all we can to ensure a week of…
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Body Mapping in the Piano Studio
We would like to thank Kay S. Hooper for this insightful article about body mapping. To read the full article, click here. On the count of three, point to the place where your upper arm meets your torso. One, two, three! See Figure 1 below and find the place where you pointed. Most people point…
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The Benefits of NCKP: The Piano Conference and Why You Should Attend
We would like to thank Marvin Blickenstaff for this article about the benefits of The Piano Conference: NCKP. Want to learn more about The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025? Click here to read about next year’s conference and submit a proposal. Want to hear more from Marvin Blickenstaff? Join our book club beginning September 10, 2024!…
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The Body and the Beat: Developing Rhythm through Mindful Movement
We would like to thank Lesley McAllister for this insightful article on rhythm and movement. To read the full article, click here. Movement, for children, is necessary for learning. Young bodies are fine-tuned sensory receptors collecting information, curious and eager to explore the world around them.1 The young child is in a period of sensitivity…
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Do You Use Summer Lessons for Special Reading Activities?
We would like to thank Richard Chronister, Mary Ann Letti, and Berdine Ehrman for this insightful article on summer reading activities. To read the full article, click here. Both writers for this issue’s Music Reading Department take the view that summer is special for piano students. A good case can be made for discontinuing the regular…
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Piano Inspires Kids: Musicians and Athletes: What Can They Learn from One Another?
The Summer 2024 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…
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This Month in Piano History: July 2024
July 1, 1950 Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, whose work in music education made a lasting impression on the field, died in Geneva, Switzerland on this day. He completed studies in Geneva, Paris, and Vienna, working with the likes of Fauré, Delibes, and Bruckner among others. Early on, he became fascinated with rhythm, and while working at the…
