pianoinspires.com

Piano Inspires Discovery

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

  • A Peek Inside Piano Inspires Discussion Events: Opportunities to Learn, Discuss, and Connect

    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…


  • Alternatively-Sized Keyboards: Special Guest Q&A with Expert Carol Leone

    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…


  • This Week in Piano History: The Premiere of Mendelssohn’s G Minor Piano Concerto, October 17, 1831

    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…


  • This Week in Piano History: The Birth of R. Nathaniel Dett, October 11, 1882

    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…


  • Presenting at NCKP: My Experience and Why You Should Too

    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…


  • Welcome to the Piano Inspires Discovery Page!

    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…


  • How to Write an Effective Conference Proposal: 5 Tips for Success

    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…


  • Cómo escribir una propuesta de presentación eficaz para conferencias: 5 consejos

    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…


  • Como escrever uma proposta de apresentação eficaz para conferências: 5 dicas de sucesso

    Como escrever uma proposta de apresentação eficaz para conferências: 5 dicas de sucesso

    Estamos muito felizes em compartilhar as principais dicas da Dr. Sara Ernst sobre escrever propostas bem-sucedidas para conferências à medida que você elabora suas ideias para apresentações na NCKP 2023: a Conferência de Piano. Sara é diretora de engajamento de professores para o Centro Frances Clark e membro do Comitê Executivo da NCKP: a Conferência…


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

    Effectively Teaching Young Students: Q&A with Sara Ernst

    We would like to thank Sara Ernst for participating in this interview answering questions about effectively teaching young students. Interested in learning more from Sara Ernst about teaching elementary pianists? Attend our 2024 Summer Intensive Seminar: Teaching Elementary Pianists. Learn more by clicking here. What are your thoughts on having parents involved with practice? When…


  • 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,…


  • Walk a mile in your neighbor’s shoes: Diversity in the teaching studio

    Walk a mile in your neighbor’s shoes: Diversity in the teaching studio

    We would like to thank Bennyce Hamilton and Rachel Kramer for this insightful article on diversity in the teaching studio. Want to learn more about DEI? Check out our new course, Piano Teaching through the Lens of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The course is now available for presale purchase. Click here to learn more. Music…


  • Reflections on the Postgraduate Teaching Program

    Reflections on the Postgraduate Teaching Program

    We would like to thank Allison Shinnick Keep 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. There are experiences in life that change you slowly over long periods of time, and others that…


  • Cultivating Brave Spaces in the Piano Studio Using DEI Repertoire and Practices

    Cultivating Brave Spaces in the Piano Studio Using DEI Repertoire and Practices

    We would like to thank Penny Lazarus for this insightful article on inclusive programming. Want to learn more about Penny Lazarus’s work in DEI and her thoughts on inclusive programming? Lazarus is a contributor for our new course, Piano Teaching through the Lens of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The course is now available for presale…


  • Spring 2021: Pupil Saver: Adagio in F Minor by Chevalier de Saint-Georges

    Spring 2021: Pupil Saver: Adagio in F Minor by Chevalier de Saint-Georges

    We would like to thank Leah Claiborne for this insightful article on Chevalier de Saint-Georges’s Adagio in F Minor. Want to hear more about Leah Claiborne’s research and work at the Center? Check out the latest installment of the Piano Inspires Podcast. In this episode, Craig Sale and Leah engage in an inspiring conversation about…


  • A Valentine’s Tribute to Transformational Piano Teachers

    A Valentine’s Tribute to Transformational Piano Teachers

    Share the love this Valentine’s Day by honoring piano teachers who are working every day to make the world more kind, 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…


  • Vision, Dedication, and Multiplication: Honoring Janet Tschida

    Vision, Dedication, and Multiplication: Honoring Janet Tschida

    We would like to thank Makayla Stevenson for this tribute to her teacher, Janet Tschida. 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…


  • The Gift that Keeps Giving: Honoring Marvin Blickenstaff

    The Gift that Keeps Giving: Honoring Marvin Blickenstaff

    We would like to thank Arlene Steffen for this tribute to her 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…


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