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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A Quick Look at Teaching Young Musicians: What Pianists Should Know
Special thanks to the Janet Tschida, chair of the NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference Young Musicians: Birth to Age 9 committee for this post. Why is working with young musicians important for pianists today? The Young Musicians Track’s theme of “Learning Music from the Inside Out” endeavors to support teachers aspiring to implement an aural/experiential…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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5 Reasons to Attend The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 Online Event
The online event of The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 is just around the corner! Events will occur from June 6-8 and will be packed with music, social events, concerts, and more. If you have not registered, there’s still more time. Learn more and register by clicking here. 1. Accessibility The Piano Conference Online Event is…
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5 Things You Might Not Know About Dan Zhaoyi
We would like to thank Tsz Hin Lam for this article on Dan Zhaoyi. Interested in learning more about Dan Zhaoyi? Attend this session at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 online conference on Sunday, June 8, 5:00-5:25pm EDT. Learn more and register for the online and in-person conference here. 1. Dan, born 1940, was a student of renowned Chinese…
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Frances Clark Center Awards Inaugural Community Impact Grants Initiative to Support Inclusive Piano Education
The Frances Clark Center has announced the recipients of its first-ever Community Impact Grants Initiative, a national program supporting innovative, community-driven projects in piano education. Funded by the Elvina Pearce Education Fund, the initiative provides grants of $500 to $2,500 to individuals and organizations whose work expands access, fosters inclusion, and strengthens community engagement through…
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5 Things You Might Not Know About Mélanie Bonis (1858–1937)
We would like to thank McKenna Girdeen for this article on Mélanie Bonis. Interested in learning more about Bonis? Attend this session at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 in-person conference on Thursday, July 24, 2025, 1:30-2:20pm CDT. Learn more and register for the online and in-person conference here. Mélanie Bonis, a largely underrepresented composer, remains unknown to many musicians …
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Happy 90th Birthday to Marvin Blickenstaff!
Thanks to the generosity of supporters around the world, The Marvin Blickenstaff Teaching Excellence Fund is advancing high-quality teacher education and raising the standard of piano instruction. We invite you to join this meaningful effort by making a contribution to help complete this tribute in time for his milestone birthday. Gifts can be made online…
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5 Things You Might Not Know About Abby Whiteside
We would like to thank Stephen Marquiss for this article on Abby Whiteside. Interested in learning more about Whiteside? Attend this session at The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025 online event on Saturday, June 7, 2025, 1:30-1:55pm CDT. Learn more and register for the conference here. 1. Abby Whiteside (1881-1956) transformed her teaching after admitting only her talented students progressed.…
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Campos Internacionais Disponíveis – Inscreva-se Já!
A Conferência de Piano expandiu seu escopo para incluir campos em coreano, mandarim, inglês, espanhol e português.* Todas as sessões em línguas estrangeiras incluirão legendas em inglês para torná-las acessíveis a todos. A inscrição completa na conferência inclui acesso ao evento online e aos arquivos do evento online. Inscreva-se agora para conferir apresentações de especialistas,…
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国际会议分会场开放 。 立即注册！
钢琴峰会已扩展至韩语、普通话、英语、西班牙语和葡萄牙语分会场。*所有外语会议均提供英文字幕，方便所有人观看。 完整的会议注册包含在线活动和在线活动档案的访问权限。立即注册，聆听来自世界各地教师和研究人员的专家演讲！ 在线会议：2025年6月7日至8日 线下峰会及会议：2025年7月23日至26日 想了解更多关于在线活动和国际会议分会场的信息？委员会主席Luis Sanchez将分享2025年钢琴会议（NCKP）的精彩内容。 MORE ON THE PIANO CONFERENCE: NCKP Not yet a subscriber? Join for only $7.99/mo or $36/yr.
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국제 트랙 개설. 지금 등록하세요!
피아노 컨퍼런스는 한국어, 중국어(만다린어), 영어, 스페인어, 포르투갈어 트랙을 포함하도록 그 범위를 확장하였습니다.* 모든 외국어 세션에는 영어 자막이 제공되어 누구나 쉽게 접근할 수 있습니다. 전체 컨퍼런스 등록 시 온라인 행사 및 온라인 자료 아카이브에 접근할 수 있습니다. 지금 등록하셔서 전 세계의 교사들과 연구자들의 전문적인 발표를 직접 경험해 보세요! 온라인 컨퍼런스: 2025년 6월 7-8일 Online Conference: June…
