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Piano Inspires Discovery

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

  • Blending East and West: Ma Shui-Long

    Blending East and West: Ma Shui-Long

    THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we remember Taiwanese composer Ma Shui-Long who died on May 2, 2015 at the age of 75. A composer of a wide oeuvre of works, Ma is known for his efforts to blend Eastern and Western compositional traditions. Ma Shui-Long, born on July 17, 1939, grew up in Ji-long and…


  • Five Ways to Improve Your Website

    Five Ways to Improve Your Website

    Don’t miss Clinton Pratt’s presentation at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference, From Solo to School, on July 26, 2023 from 1:30-2:20PM. Register for NCKP 2023 before May 1, 2023 to receive the early bird discount! 1. Have a clear call-to-action. Don’t confuse prospective clients with too many things to do. Should they call you? Email…


  • An Inspirational Force of Nature | Honoring Michelle Conda

    An Inspirational Force of Nature | Honoring Michelle Conda

    Michelle Conda is a recipient of the 2023 Frances Clark Center Lifetime Achievement Award. Her extensive contributions to the field of piano pedagogy are extraordinary and exemplify outstanding dedication to the field of music and piano teaching. The Frances Clark Center Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor and is presented on behalf of the…


  • A Quick Look at Creative Music Making: What Pianists Should Know

    A Quick Look at Creative Music Making: What Pianists Should Know

    Special thanks to the Bradley Sowash, member of the NCKP 2023 Creative Music Making committee, for this post. Why is creative music making an important topic for pianists today? Today’s students benefit from instruction in reading and generating music. Why? Because students that read well, play by ear, and/or create music can play a wider…


  • Für Elise: Beethoven’s Infamous Composition

    Für Elise: Beethoven’s Infamous Composition

    THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, Beethoven composed his infamous bagatelle Für Elise WoO 59 on April 27, 1810. The short piece is built around a recurring theme that is unceasingly popular with pianists of all ages. One of the central questions regarding this piece is to whom it was written. Scholarship remains unclear about the…


  • A Quick Look at Independent Music Teaching: What Pianists Should Know

    A Quick Look at Independent Music Teaching: What Pianists Should Know

    Special thanks to Jason Sifford, chair of the NCKP 2023 Independent Music Teaching committee, for this post. Why is independent teaching important for pianists today? Today’s emerging professionals and young parents are the first to be born in the 2000’s. This generation enters a world unlike any before, and understanding and embracing the unique challenges…


  • A Quick Look at Wellness: What Pianists Should Know

    A Quick Look at Wellness: What Pianists Should Know

    Special thanks to the NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference Wellness Committee for their contributions to this post. Why is wellness an important topic for pianists today? It is known that few pianists go through life without encountering an injury or illness, whether directly related to playing or not. Therefore, it is very important that there…


  • Nina Simone: Remembering a Trailblazer

    Nina Simone: Remembering a Trailblazer

    THIS WEEK IN PIANO HISTORY, we remember pianist Nina Simone who died on April 21, 2003. Simone, born as Eunice Kathleen Waymon on February 21, 1933 in Tryon, North Carolina, was a jazz singer, pianist, and civil rights leader. Simone began playing piano at the age of three, learning at first by ear.1 Her initial…


  • What to Expect at NCKP: The Piano Conference

    What to Expect at NCKP: The Piano Conference

    Thanks to Trevor Thornton, member of the New Professionals Committee for NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference, for this post! So, it’s your first NCKP. You are probably curious about what to expect. I remember the feeling well. My first NCKP changed my life, and it might change yours too. NCKP has a gift for you…


  • A Pianist’s Approach to Research

    A Pianist’s Approach to Research

    We would like to thank Carla Salas-Ruiz for this contribution on writing articles for research publications such as the Journal of Piano Research. Learn more about the Journal of Piano Research by clicking here. Writing, akin to music, provides a platform for self-expression. It also fosters critical thinking and enables us to articulate diverse perspectives,…


  • It is essential that the focus be on how…

    It is essential that the focus be on how…

    We would like to thank Jane Magrath for this insightful article. Want to learn more about teaching piano technique? Join us on Wednesday, April 17th at 11:00am ET for our latest webinar, Foundations on Technique, with Julie Hague and Alejandro Cremaschi, host. To learn more and register, click here. The first years of piano study…


  • Gratitude for Marvin

    Gratitude for Marvin

    We would like to thank Scott Donald for this tribute to his teacher, Marvin Blickenstaff. As we continue the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part…


  • Piano Inspires Podcast: Susanna Garcia

    Piano Inspires Podcast: Susanna Garcia

    To celebrate the latest episode of Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Susanna Garcia we are sharing an excerpted transcript of her conversation with Luis Sanchez. Want to learn more about Garcia? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. To learn more, visit pianoinspires.com. Listen to our latest episode with Chee on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,…


  • Teaching Transformation: My Experience as a Postgraduate Teaching Fellow

    Teaching Transformation: My Experience as a Postgraduate Teaching Fellow

    We would like to thank Savannah Royston for this insightful article on The New School for Music Study’s Postgraduate Teaching Program. Want to learn more about the Postgraduate Teaching Program? Learn more and apply by clicking here. When I began the Postgraduate Teaching Program at The New School for Music Study, I knew three things:…


  • A Haven for Musical Learning and Excellence: The New School for Music Study

    A Haven for Musical Learning and Excellence: The New School for Music Study

    We would like to thank Adam Salas for this insightful article on The New School for Music Study’s Postgraduate Teaching Program. Want to learn more about the Postgraduate Teaching Program? Learn more and apply by clicking here. The New School for Music Study stands as a haven for musical learning and excellence, leaving a mark…


  • A Continuum Between Teaching Styles: Reflections from the US and Chile

    A Continuum Between Teaching Styles: Reflections from the US and Chile

    We would like to thank Paulina Zamora for this insightful article on her experiences growing up as a musician in Chile. Want to learn more about international teaching practices? Attend our webinar, “International Perspectives: Piano Methods from Different Corners of the World,” with guests Yuval Admony, Rae de Lisle, and Carla Reis, with Luis Sanchez,…


  • Norwegian Folk Songs: Making Rhythmic Complexities Easy and Enjoyable

    Norwegian Folk Songs: Making Rhythmic Complexities Easy and Enjoyable

    We would like to thank Sarah Jenkins, our 2020 Collegiate Writing Contest Winner, for this insightful article on Norwegian folk songs. Are you a student interested in sharing your research and projects with the piano pedagogy community? On Friday, April 26th at 11am ET, the Frances Clark Center is hosting “Collegiate Connections,” an event to…


  • My Experience at The New School for Music Study

    My Experience at The New School for Music Study

    We would like to thank Esther Hayter for this insightful article on The New School for Music Study’s Postgraduate Teaching Program. Want to learn more about the Postgraduate Teaching Program? Learn more and apply by clicking here. As the 2017-2018 Postgraduate Fellow, I came to the New School eager to teach, and put into practice…


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