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Piano Inspires Podcast: Susanna Garcia

Written By Luis Sanchez, 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, YouTube, or our website!

Susanna Garcia and William Chapman Nyaho after their performance at NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference.

Luis Sanchez: So let’s fast forward to Susie today. You’re involved in so many wonderful things with eNovativePiano, with your work with Nyaho. How are you—or your work—changing our world?

Susanna Garcia: Well, it helps to be retired from your academic job.

LS: I was wondering that!

SG: When you’re working a full-time academic job, your commitment is to that job. I mean, that’s your obligation, that’s your responsibility. Your work should be about your students, nurturing them, giving them what they need to be successful in whatever they do, whether it’s music, or they change their majors and go to psychology. You still are there to nurture that. You’re helping to build the school, to build the reputation of the school, to support your colleagues. The school that I retired from—the University of Louisiana at Lafayette—that music school has a phenomenally collegial and supportive culture, which is one reason I stayed there my whole career, because I could thrive. The faculty, the middle administration, the upper administration, I just had support all the time, and you don’t hear that said very much.

LS: It’s true, yeah.

SG: And so it was a good place to work, but all my efforts really were on my obligations to the students, and frankly, building my resume. As a young professor, I had to have resume items. I always chose projects that I was interested in, I never did anything just to do it, you know, just for the resume item. So, when I retired in 2021, in May, I thought I had all the time in the world to take on all these projects. So I took on kind of a lot of projects.

SG: I think I’ll start with the eNovativePiano for just a second because it is a business, it’s a group piano multimedia curriculum. It’s a business that grew out of two teachers that wanted to improve their students’ experiences. Group piano is hard. It’s hard for college music majors because they have to get proficiency in something fast that they may have had no experience in. And that’s a big ask. We were not satisfied with the progress our students were making towards proficiency. I mean, they could pass their proficiency, but we didn’t really feel like they were really proficient, that they could leave the group piano classroom and use piano as a tool professionally as needed.

LS: Which is the goal, right?

SG: Which is the goal. The goal isn’t the proficiency. The goal is you are the band director or choir director you need to plunk out parts. You need to be able to read a score, you need to—maybe you are a music therapist, and you need some keyboard skills. You need these skills. So, we just started making materials that we thought—videos and audio tracks—that we thought would help. This wasn’t about starting a business. It’s nothing about the business. We started and we would post them on our LMS. And we just started noticing real progress, quick, and also a much higher motivation level. Students were having a sense of fun. You know, they were they’re enjoying the process, and they were more engaged. So we took these first five videos that we made to a conference, and people said, “Where can I get these videos?” So we thought, okay, well, maybe we should commercialize it. So we did. And it’s been a long process, but that’s eNovativePiano. It really grew out of a need to serve our students. To me serving your students is changing the world. I mean, I think that’s, we have to remember that that’s what we’re doing. If I’m creating more ease, for someone who’s going to be a music professional to go out and do a better job more easily, I see that as changing the world. That’s changing the world like one-by-one, which is important, of course. But then the other projects—and this is why I love working with The Frances Clark Center, because The Frances Clark Center has a really global vision. The Frances Clark Center wants to make big changes, you know. So it’s great to be doing the one-to-one change, but I also like being associated with an organization that’s trying to do things in a bigger way.

SG: So my other current project is researching the music of Thomas Henderson Kerr, Jr. who, if you don’t know his name, when you’re listening to this podcast, I hope you will in another year. So briefly, Thomas Henderson Kerr, Jr. was an African American composer who died in the 1980s. He was a professor at Howard University for mostly his whole career. Well, he composed a lot of pieces, piano works, choral works, organ works—he was also an organist. None of his piano works—and very few, just maybe two of his organ works are appearing in anthologies—but none of his piano works have been published. All his music and his papers are in fourteen boxes in the Schomburg Center for Black Cultural Studies in New York City.

SG: The story of how I came to be interested in Thomas Kerr is too long to tell, but a manuscript came to Nyaho’s and my inboxes from somebody who had a 20,000 times Xerox version of this two-piano piece. And so we learned it and we loved it. It’s on our latest CD, but we’ve been touring with it, and it’s a concert scherzo, a set of variations based on the Negro spiritual, “Didn’t my Lord Deliver Daniel?” It’s a fantastic piece, it’s a fantastic piece. Where has it been? It was written in 1940! And it’s in a box. The crime here to me is that if there hadn’t been this accidental email, this piece would be completely forgotten history.

SG: So this is how I feel like I’m trying to change the world anyway. I’m not just bringing this piece to light, but with The Frances Clark Center, who is going to publish this piece, we’re going to also publish two more of his piano works. That’s, to me, a huge accomplishment, but what I want to inspire others to do is to understand that there are boxes like this, in every archive, in every library all over the world waiting for to be discovered. And you know, and there’s reasons this music wasn’t published, which I’m not going to go into, and I’m not even sure what the reasons are—I can just kind of guess. But I don’t know for sure. But I’m going to promise you that there are going to be dozens, if not hundreds, of African American composers whose music has never been published. This is why history is important, and this is why honesty about history is important. I do think it’s important to know why the music wasn’t published. I’m just not able to say for sure why that was. But I think that’s part of the research process. I hope, if you’re a young pianist, or young scholar, hearing this podcast and and looking for a topic for your doctoral work—

LS: To direct your attention to.

SG: You know, just going into these libraries and cataloging what’s in there for the world to see, would be changing the world and being truthful and honest about music history, and for African Americans, that experience in the United States. I think that history is a little bit under attack right now, and I’m going to be the first one to say, history is what keeps us moving forward, as a people, as a culture, as Americans. History is what keeps us grounded and tied to our past, and gives us the ability to have a future that is equitable.

If you enjoyed this excerpt from Piano Inspires Podcast’s latest episode, listen to the entire episode with Susanna Garcia on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or our website!

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Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel
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Teaching Transformation: My Experience as a Postgraduate Teaching Fellow

Written By Savannah Royston

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.

The New School for Music Study.

When I began the Postgraduate Teaching Program at The New School for Music Study, I knew three things: I knew that I loved teaching, I knew that I wanted a career in teaching, and I knew that I desperately needed guidance if I was going to make that dream a reality. Little did I know how this program would impact my teaching, my career, and myself as a person.

1. I learned tremendously through this year-long PRACTICUM.

In a conversation at the beginning of my experience, the educational director referred to this year as an extended practicum, which I would soon discover to be an apt label. When I moved here, I was fresh out of graduate school, brimming with a multitude of pedagogical ideas from my graduate courses. Although I was lucky enough to have had some teaching experience even while enrolled as a full-time student, this fellowship was a unique position for me because for the first time in my life, my main priority every day was my piano students. I was able to see firsthand how all of the pedagogical tools lining my teacher tool belt would play out in real time. As with all of life, anything theoretical becomes an entirely new experience when nestled within the person sitting across from me. I learned how to plan effectively and efficiently, as well as what to do when plans are derailed. I learned how to respond to unexpected behaviors, obstacles, and attitudes. I learned how to go from working with young children, to adults, and every age in between. I learned how to teach group classes and how to develop classroom management strategies. As I try to summarize an entire year in a few sentences, I realize that I cannot overestimate how transformative this practicum was to all aspects of my teaching.

Savannah Royston.
Royston working with students at The New School for Music Study in the Time to Begin course.
Savannah Royston, Alexa Stier, and Derek Hartman.

2. I gained a vibrant community of PEOPLE.

After beginning my year at the New School, I realized that all of the rumors I had heard about the school were true—the faculty really are a tight-knit community of kind people who look out for each other in any way they can. As a young teacher who moved alone to a region of the country where I knew no one, these people became my network of support instantaneously. If I ever had questions, I learned quickly that I could ask any of my coworkers. Regardless of what was happening, they would take a moment out of their busy schedule to help me find a book, locate a teaching manipulative, or wrestle with our feisty printers. Every single employee at the school has a wealth of knowledge and expertise that they share generously. The New School is a vibrantly varied community, as we have teachers at every level of experience, none more vital or irreplaceable than the next.

3. I developed a PASSION for teaching.

When I graduated from school, I knew that I loved teaching, and I knew I wanted to pursue a career that involved teaching. I had been given glimmers of this during my graduate school experience, but I had no idea what lay in store for me over the course of this year. I have seen my students laugh and cry, feel joy and frustration, experience surges and declines in motivation, and so many other aspects of the human experience—all reflected in a simple piano lesson. I have seen my students grow in skills and expertise, learning new pieces and advancing into new books. I have seen my students prepare for the rigors of performance and score extremely well in festivals. But most importantly, I have seen my students grow in confidence, blossoming into individuals who feel capable, empathetic, and brave, knowing that they can rise to the challenge. If my students learn how to meet challenges with bravery and empathy, then who knows how they are going to change the world beyond their piano lessons.

All in all, this year has transformed me in profound, meaningful ways that I am still discovering. As I step into the future, I move forward knowing I now have a wealth of practical experience, a network of people cheering me on, and an undeniable passion for the beauty of teaching. As an educator working to help others and change the world for the better, I often reflect on this wise quote from the philosopher Confucius: “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

Learn more about teaching and professional development opportunities at The New School for Music Study by clicking here.

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Originally from East Tennessee, Savannah began studying piano with her grandmother when she was six years old. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Master of Music and a Bachelor of Music from Lipscomb University. Her former teachers include Paul Barnes, Jerome Reed, and Elisabeth Pridonoff. Beyond teaching piano, Savannah has extensive experience in arts administration and is currently the Executive Director for the Cutting Edge Concert Series.

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

Written By Adam Salas

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.

The New School for Music Study stands as a haven for musical learning and excellence, leaving a mark on those fortunate enough to be a part of it. My time there was an enriching experience that continues to shape my professional and personal life in many ways.

As the 2020-2021 “pandemic” fellow, I had the unique and enriching experience of being a part of a mostly online New School. My duties as a fellow included applied teaching, lesson planning, co-teaching, observations, meetings, and online teacher education courses. In addition to academics, I was required to attend all staff meetings, recitals, and special events including teacher enrichment programs.

In spite of moving to a virtual setting, a silver lining emerged in the form of recording each lesson for observation and review. This approach provided a valuable tool for improvement in my teaching, challenging me to explore new methodology and incorporate new activities during lessons. 

The recording of my teaching sessions proved to be an invaluable resource. Under the guidance of Educational Director, Amy Glennon, I not only refined my teaching process but also developed a framework for ongoing self-reflection. Glennon’s specific feedback highlighted special moments in my teaching but also areas in need of improvement. Each of her suggestions seamlessly integrated into future lessons, yielding immediate results. Her unique understanding of the student-teacher relationship and repertoire inspired a thoughtful approach to the learning process, influencing the dialogue and methods I use in lessons to this day. 

Adam Salas

An important aspect of the New School is that teachers freely share ideas and advice in between lessons seeking to resolve issues with their students. Comradery was essential to my overall experience and is what contributed to an environment supportive of continued growth. There were many instances where specific questions about teaching were met with ideas from teachers who frequently cited each other, as well as figures like Marvin Blickenstaff, Frances Clark, and Louise Goss. 

Fond memories of Marvin Blickenstaff’s PEPS classes are etched into my mind. Each session granted a renewed perspective on piano repertoire fostering a deeper appreciation for the subtle nuances that breathe life into music. To this day, whether in webinars or live conferences, I eagerly look forward to his teaching demonstrations and masterclasses. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the New School from co-teaching Time to Begin classes with Trevor Thornton to listening to virtuoso Kairy Koshoeva, practicing down the hall. The NSMS Postgraduate Teaching Program allowed me to make lifelong friendships and share the gift of music, but most importantly, bring my newfound knowledge and enthusiasm back with me to my students and colleagues in Texas.

Learn more about teaching and professional development opportunities at The New School for Music Study by clicking here.

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Dedicated to helping students experience the art of music and its transformative powers, Adam Salas maintains a multifaceted piano studio in the Dallas-Fort Worth area while serving on the faculty of Southern Methodist University’s CAPE program. A Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, Adam is recipient of the 2022 MarySue Harris Teaching Fellowship Award by the Music Teachers National Association. Salas is President of the Dallas Music Teachers Association and serves as chair for the Texas MTNA Composition Competition. He also assists with administrative support for the Frances Clark Center.

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

Written By Paulina Zamora

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, host. The webinar is today, April 3rd at 11am ET. Learn more and register here.

The international column has frequently focused on comparing music education systems in different parts of the world, with previous articles discussing subjects such as the Australian Music Examinations Board, as well as thoughts from professors of Asian conservatories about sending students abroad to Europe. In continuing this trend, I sought out my former classmate Paulina Zamora, whose journey as student and professor in North and South America presents a unique perspective on the music training in both regions that has proven to be wonderfully illuminating. -Jerry Wong, International Column Editor

My trajectory as a concert pianist, teacher, and scholar followed a similar international pathway as many musicians whose native origins are far from the traditionally accepted educational music centers of the world. I excelled in my native Chilean environment until completion of my undergraduate degree and went on to graduate studies abroad. After twenty years of artistic and professional career growth, I returned to Chile and began to forge a teaching career in academia, while steadily building international opportunities for performances and masterclasses.

My beginnings were similar to that of a child prodigy, but I prefer to think that I was a very talented girl with lots of potential and a serious, no-nonsense attitude. From the age of five I intuitively knew I would dedicate my life to music. As the youngest of three sisters, my father’s immediate attention went to fostering a musical upbringing in my oldest sister. I can recall interrupting my sister’s piano lessons and begging my father to teach me as well. After many bold attempts for attention, my father conceded. It is so meaningful to me that as adults, my oldest sister became a beautiful ballet dancer and I am now a professional pianist. We often rejoice in the commonalities between these two art forms.

The Music Department at the University of Chile offers an eight-year pre-collegiate program which is referred to as the Basic Period (conservatory level) and a five-year Undergraduate degree. I undertook studies at both levels, receiving the standard two piano lessons per week during both courses of study. During the Basic Period, piano lessons were complemented with fundamental courses such as Theory, Harmony, and Introduction to Music History. While pursuing my undergraduate, I received the traditional curriculum of a bachelor’s degree in the United States. Furthermore, during my early conservatory years, I would spend summers receiving daily piano lessons. An outcome of this intense training was to play my first formal recital at age nine, performing from memory the fifteen two-voice Inventions by Bach. This was followed, a year later, by the Fifteen Sinfonias. At that time, I did not feel comfortable questioning my teachers or proposing different options and, of course, this exercise gave me invaluable lessons in self-discipline and focus. Years later I would return to these works in recording and editing projects. Having said all of that, I do refrain from reassigning this task to young students of my own!

Pursuing graduate studies in the Unites States presented all sorts of enlightenment and change. The most obvious difference was the adjustment from two or more hours per week of lessons to just to one hour per week, and sometimes less if the artist-teacher was away. The reasoning behind this amount of instruction made sense to me, but it took me a few months to adjust. Ultimately, acquiring self-reliance and independent musical thinking was a valuable lesson from those years.

During my studies at the Eastman School of Music and Indiana University, I had moments to reflect on the wonderful teaching I had received in Chile, while also embracing the opportunity to understand more fully what still needed to be learned. I was mesmerized by the infrastructure of the schools: the buildings themselves, the magnificent libraries, the many practice rooms with decent pianos, stunning concert halls, and the rich musical life of each respective city. The academic level of both schools was outstanding, and I felt this from my first days of attending music-related classes.

We hope you enjoyed reading this excerpt from Paulina Zamora’s article, “A Continuum Between Teaching Styles: Reflections from the US and Chile.” Read the full article by clicking here.

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Norwegian Folk Songs: Making Rhythmic Complexities Easy and Enjoyable

Written By Sarah Jenkins

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 celebrate collegiate groups and their innovative projects. Learn more and submit a proposal, click here. The deadline is tomorrow, April 2nd!

Developing an internal sense of metric pulse and an understanding of subdivisions of beats is essential to the success of a young performer. Without establishing a strong sense of pulse, complex rhythms can be played incorrectly. This is too often a source of frustration for students—and teachers. By choosing repertoire where these aspects are highlighted and emphasized, students gain confidence in these areas of their musical training. Some of the standard teaching repertoire used for rhythmic development can be unappealing to students, due to a seemingly high level of difficulty or lack of interest in the character. The good news is these pieces do not have to be boring—they can be fun to learn and entertaining to play! Assigning pieces that have appealing melodies and fun character will motivate students to push through the potential rhythmic challenges. Two pieces by Agathe Backer Grøndahl, Springdans from Op. 30 and Halling from Op. 33, provide examples of how her arrangements of Norwegian folk songs offer students exciting tunes that also serve as exercises to promote rhythmic development.

Springdans, Op. 30 and Halling, Op. 33 are similar in many ways. They both offer students sources of metric pulse that allow them to further internalize the beat, and they both have lively and animated melodies. Because they are folk songs, each has a continuous, easy-to-follow melody throughout. These two pieces pair nicely together because they offer similar skills that are presented in different ways. Where Springdans offers a strong left-hand position and a grounding right-hand finger one as means for metric support, Halling contains sections that have an ostinato quarter-note pattern that is played primarily by finger five in the right hand. Students will be able to transfer the concepts learned in Springdans, where the supporting elements were more prominent, to Halling, where the rhythmic stabilizers require more sophisticated skill.

This springdans (leaping dance for men) is bouncy, fast, and rhythmically diverse. A forte dynamic marking and accented rhythms, combined with a melody that primarily uses steps and skips, create a fun and lively opening section. There are three distinct rhythmic patterns used throughout. These increase in complexity as the piece moves forward. Within the first three measures, the piece moves from a quarter note, to eighth notes, to triplets, to dotted-eighth sixteenths (see Excerpt 1).

A student might struggle with the juxtaposition of these rhythmic patterns. However, Grøndahl uses accented half-note and quarter-note accompaniment patterns to support the rhythmically complex melody. The open fifth in the left hand is commonly used in beginning method books and repertoire because it creates a strong, but comfortable, hand shape. In this piece the hand position is coupled with an accent—allowing for an overemphasized downbeat. The first finger in the right hand shares this accented rhythm, also giving the right hand a source of stability. Using fingers one and five, the right-hand octave downbeats also help create a strong hand position. Although playing multiple rhythmic subdivisions in succession can be challenging, students will find that the sources of rhythmic stability will help them in maintaining the metric pulse.

We hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Sarah Jenkin’s article, “Norwegian Folk Songs: Making Rhythmic Complexities Easy and Enjoyable.” To read the full article, click here.

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2020 Collegiate Writing Contest Winner: Norwegian Folk Songs: Making Rhythmic Complexities Easy and Enjoyable
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My Experience at The New School for Music Study

Written By Esther Hayter

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.

The New School for Music Study.

As the 2017-2018 Postgraduate Fellow, I came to the New School eager to teach, and put into practice all that I had learned in my master’s degree. I had heard that NSMS was a special place and knew that it was renowned for its legacy of teacher education programs. Little did I know that it would change my life, personally and professionally. What makes NSMS special is not primarily its teacher education programs or curriculum, although they are excellent. What makes NSMS special is most of all the people; both students and faculty.

My year as the fellow, spent under the close guidance of Amy Glennon, transformed my teaching. Amy’s endless creativity, her vast knowledge of repertoire that enables her to assign just the right piece at the right time, and her insistence on technical and musical excellence in every student inspired me then and continues to inspire my teaching. When trying to help a student conquer a difficult passage or technical difficulty, I often find myself thinking “What would Amy do?” Her warmth, compassion, and kindness make her not only a beloved teacher to her students but a beloved colleague and friend.

The memories made during my fellow year, including observing Marvin Blickenstaff’s PEPS rotations, faculty meetings and recitals, and lesson planning with other faculty members in the upstairs office, will stay with me for the rest of my life. Before coming to the New School, I looked up to and admired Marvin and Amy and the rest of the faculty from afar and now I am privileged to not only call them mentors and colleagues, but dear friends. I will forever be grateful for the impact that the NSMS has had on my personal and professional life.

Learn more about teaching and professional development opportunities at The New School for Music Study by clicking here.

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Piano Inspires Podcast: An Interview with Connor Chee

Written By Craig Sale, Connor Chee

To celebrate the latest episode of Piano Inspires Podcast featuring Connor Chee we are sharing an excerpted transcript of his conversation with Craig Sale. Want to learn more about Chee? 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, YouTube, or our website!

Connor Chee, Ann DuHamel, Leah Claiborne, and Sara Davis Buechner after their NCKP 2023: The Piano Conference PEDx presentations.

Craig Sale: Which brings me to a project, which I’m familiar with. It is an exciting one with the Frances Clark Center. You are, along with Renata Yazzie, leading a project of commissioned works by Indigenous composers for young piano students or for elementary students. We’ve been working on the project together, but one thing we haven’t talked about is what does this project mean to you? What do you hope to achieve by it, but, also on a more personal level, what meaning does that hold for you?

Connor Chee: I think it’s important on so many levels. I think the first is the level of communication, because music is a great way to communicate and to foster curiosity. That’s something that with my music I tried to do and I’m always surprised at the conversations that open up with other cultures and things that I learned about other people because they found something in the music that relates to Diné culture that also relates to some aspect of their unique background. Those are the conversations that are so important to really be able to celebrate the diversity and what makes everybody unique and what they can bring to the table. Specifically in the Indigenous communities, I think it’s important because it shows possibility. They’re seeing things that are placed in front of them that they can say, “Hey, maybe I want to do this someday. Maybe I want to be a composer. Maybe I want to play piano.” You know, these are things that are—there’s a place for us, and it’s important for students to see that that there is a place for them if they want to pursue music or whatever avenue it is. That wasn’t the case because in the past, you know, the representation was so flawed, and it wasn’t really a represent quotation that was more of a mockery, yeah, that had, you know, a negative impact.

CS: Representation that’s not a cartoon.

CC: Right?

CS: Something that they can actually relate to.

If you enjoyed this excerpt from Piano Inspires Podcast’s latest episode, listen to the entire episode with Connor Chee on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or our website!

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Piano Inspires… Innovation: Innovation in Organizations
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5 Things to Know about Piano Inspires Kids Composition Contest

Written By Sara Ernst, Andrea McAlister

Attention budding composers! Piano Inspires Kids invites students to submit a piano solo for our first composition contest! Winning compositions will be featured in the Summer 2024 issue and on our website, kids.pianoinspires.com. Read below for all the details!

1. The composition must be a fanfare.

A fanfare is a short and usually brilliant piece used to announce the arrival of an important person or the beginning of an important event. Movies and TV shows often begin with a title theme, the national anthem signals the start of sporting events, and celebratory sounds fill the air as a newly wedded couple turns to walk down the aisle together. 

The Summer 2024 issue will explore music and the Summer Olympic Games. Write a fanfare that could be used as the athletes walk into the stadium!

2. Need ideas? Get started with our downloadable Rhythm Creator!

Go to https://kids.pianoinspires.com/explore/activities/ to start building the rhythm for your composition. 

3. The contest is open to students aged 7-18, divided into four age groups: 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, and 16-18.

There is no limit to the number of compositions a student can submit. The student composer may receive assistance notating their work, but we want the ideas to be all student generated!

4. Give your composition a title, dynamics, articulations, and other musical markings.

Show us all of your creative and expressive ideas so others can play your work with style!

5. The contest deadline is April 15, 2024 at 11:59 PM Pacific.

Submit compositions on our student submission page: kids.pianoinspires.com/submit.

We can’t wait to hear your fanfares!

Want to learn more about Piano Inspires Kids? Watch our webinar, “Inside Piano Inspires Kids: A New Publication of the Frances Clark Center” with Co-Editors-in-Chief Sara Ernst and Andrea McAlister: click here.

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Piano Inspires Kids: An Interview with Co-Editors-in-Chief Andrea McAlister and Sara Ernst
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How to Write an Effective Conference Proposal: 5 Tips for Success

Written By Sara Ernst

We are delighted to share top tips from Dr. Sara Ernst on writing successful conference proposals. 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 celebrate collegiate groups and their innovative projects. Learn more and submit a proposal here.

1. Propose a topic that inspires you and aligns with the conference call

A strong conference proposal will be formed from a topic that is ideal for the specific conference, considering both its audience and specific theme or goals. Your topic certainly should grow from your interests and expertise while being relevant to the community at hand. Remember that the review committee will have hundreds of proposals to read, and often, the way to distinguish yours is by demonstrating the significance, relevance, and need for your presentation. Furthermore, convey that you have thoroughly explored and researched the topic, and that you have developed unique and vital ideas, ready to be shared.

2. Clearly state the objectives and organization of your presentation

Within the proposal abstract, give the reader a clear understanding of what will be accomplished during the presentation. Questions to address include: What are your specific goals and outcomes? What ideas and resources will be explored? How will the topic be organized? What examples and visuals will facilitate the flow of ideas? The proposal should demonstrate that the presentation will add depth of content to the conference program and will be effective in its delivery. 

3. Identify how the topic is suitable for the proposed time length and format 

The various presentation formats and durations each have unique characteristics. For example, a panel presentation has a theme that will benefit from the sharing of multiple, individual perspectives, whereas a keyboard lab has to demonstrate purposeful use of the group keyboard format. The 50-minute presentation has a scope and level of detail that necessitates the longest time frame. Alternatively, the 5-minute lightning talk needs to be narrow in its scope, while remaining of interest to the audience. The proposal can therefore clearly reflect and support the choices of format and time length.

4. Write effective prose, in a style that matches the topic

A formal research presentation and an interactive workshop have different styles of communication that are inherent to each format. The proposal can reflect this, ensuring that academic style is utilized where appropriate. A more personal, yet always professional, style can be used in other cases, in alignment with the topic and format. It is recommended that you ask a trusted colleague to review your writing prior to submission. All text—including the title, abstract, short description, and bio—need to be thoroughly edited to facilitate the review and potential programming of your work.

5. Follow the guidelines

Last, but certainly not least, take time to thoroughly review the requirements of the proposal, before the deadline. Note the formats possible, additional requested items (like CVs and headshots), the word count limits, and any additional materials needed (such as recordings). Read the policies and requirements, noting important details like ensuring that the text is suitable for blind review, and that all co-presenters are in agreement with the proposal. If you are including links, double check that these are viewable by others. To avoid last-minute issues, enter your proposal before the deadline, carefully reviewing each item before clicking the “submit” button. After submitting, verify the email confirmation to ensure that your proposal was correctly received.

Do you have research you want to share with the piano pedagogy community? Submit a manuscript to the Journal of Piano Research by clicking here.

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Collegiate Connections: Call for Proposals
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Collegiate Essay Winner: Emerging Adulthood and Undergraduate Group Piano

Written By Melody Morrison

We would like to thank Melody Morrison, who was named the winner of the 2023 Collegiate Writing Contest, for this insightful article on adulthood and collegiate group piano. Are you a collegiate student interested in submitting your writing to the Piano Magazine? We encourage all collegiate students to enter the 2024 Collegiate Writing Contest! Materials are due on May 1, 2024. To learn more and submit an article, click here.

Typical college students find themselves in a phase of life that has been identified as “emerging adulthood”— a time when characteristics of both children and adults are present in individuals who are in their late teens to early twenties.1 Collegiate group piano classes consist of mostly first- and second-year students (likely seventeen to twenty years old) and are in the beginning stages of emerging adulthood.2 Because the students who are in undergraduate group piano classes exhibit traits of children and adults, elements from both pedagogical and andragogical teaching approaches should be applied. It is therefore beneficial for a teacher to understand the teaching methodologies which highlight the adjustment of one’s teaching style according to the age of the student.3

This discussion will synthesize the research literature related to the differences between pedagogy and andragogy, and undergraduate class piano. In conclusion, implications and suggestions for teaching undergraduate class piano and this age population will be presented.

Pedagogy and Andragogy: History, Characteristics, and Differences

Pedagogy has often been used to encompass learning in all stages of life. However, the word “pedagogy” is derived from the Greek words paidos and agogus which translate to “child” and “leader of” respectively.4 Pedagogy, therefore, can be defined as the art and science of teaching children.5 European monks between the seventh and twelfth centuries began to observe how children learn and developed the first pedagogical concepts. Ideas from this era were eventually seen in schools throughout Europe and North America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and educational psychologists continued to study and develop the pedagogical model.6

A new focus on effective adult learning within the United States in the 1920s demonstrated that pedagogical concepts did not appear to work with the same success rate in adult students. Different teaching methods for adults began to develop throughout the twentieth century, and in the 1960s American educator Malcolm Knowles popularized the term andragogy. Andragogy originates from the Greek words aner whose stem andra means “man,” not “boy,” and agogue which means “leader of.” Knowles emphasized that andragogy was different from pedagogy, the latter referring to the education of children.7

The differences between pedagogy and andragogy can be summarized in six “assumptions” found in Figure 1.8 One of the noticeable differences between children and adult learners is that children often willingly receive instructions from a teacher if the directions are clear, while an adult learner will want to know the importance of a concept before they take the time to study it. Adult learners also carry with them many life experiences which will affect numerous areas of their learning.9 Children on the other hand come to a learning environment with more of a “clean slate.” Another difference between pedagogy and andragogy is that children often are motivated by outside forces, while adults demonstrate more internal motivation.10 Lastly, adults have shown preference toward self-directed learning.11

If you enjoyed this excerpt from Melody Morrison’s article “Emerging Adulthood and Undergraduate Group Piano,” you can read more here: https://pianoinspires.com/article/collegiate-essay-winner-emerging-adulthood-and-undergraduate-group-piano/.

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Collegiate Essay Winner: Emerging Adulthood and Undergraduate Group Piano
SOURCES

1 Jeffrey J. Arnett, “Emerging Adulthood: A Theory of Development from the Late Teens through the Twenties,” American Psychologist 55, no. 5 (2000): 469–480.

2 Christopher Fisher, Teaching Piano in Groups (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010); Pamela D. Pike, Dynamic Group-Piano Teaching (New York: Routledge, 2017).

3 Malcolm S. Knowles, The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy (Englewood Cliffs: Cambridge Adult Education, 1980); Joseph Mews, “Leading through Andragogy,” College and University 95 (2020): 65–68.

4 Malcolm S. Knowles, The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species (Houston: Gulf Publishing Company, 1973); Malcolm S. Knowles, Elwood F. Holton III, and Richard A. Swanson, The Adult Learner (New York: Taylor & Francis, 2012).

5 Geraldine Holmes and Michele Abington-Cooper, “Pedagogy vs. Andragogy: A False Dichotomy?” The Journal of Technology Studies 26 (2000). doi.org/10.21061/jots.v26i2.a.8

6 Knowles, The Modern Practice of Adult Education.

7 Ibid.; Joseph Davenport, “Is There a Way Out of the Andragogy Morass?” Lifelong Learning 11, no. 3 (1987): 17–20.

8 Darcy B. Tannehill, “How Do Post-Secondary Institutions Educate and Service Adult Learners?” EdD diss., (University of Pittsburgh, 2009).

9 Sang Chan, “Applications of Andragogy in Multi-Disciplined Teaching and Learning,” MPAEA Journal of Adult Education 39, no. 2 (2010): 25–35.

10 James A. Draper, “The Metamorphoses of Andragogy,” Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education 12, no. 1 (1998), 3–26; Mews, “Leading through Andragogy.”

11 Sharan B. Merriam, “Andragogy and Self-Directed Learning: Pillars of Adult Learning Theory,” New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, (Spring 2001): 3–14. doi.org/10.1002/ace.3

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

Written By Leah Claiborne

We would like to thank Leah Claiborne for this insightful article on Chevalier de Saint-Georges’s Adagio in F Minor. Want to learn more about Black composers? Check out our latest publication of Thomas Henderson Kerr Jr.’s Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel? for two pianos! This publication, spearheaded by Susanna Garcia and William Chapman Nyaho, is the first in a series of three publications of Kerr’s piano works by the Frances Clark Center. Learn more and order a copy here.

Can you imagine performing a piece by a Black composer who was born into slavery? What a piece of history you would have at your fingertips!

Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799) was a virtuoso violinist, conductor, and composer. Born in Guadeloupe, his father was a wealthy plantation owner and his mother was enslaved on the plantation. His father took him to Paris, France when he was seven years old to further his education. He became a leading concertmaster in Paris, performing his own violin concerti, and concerti that were dedicated to him by other leading composers of the time. Some of these composers include Antonio Lolli and Carl Stamitz. Chevalier de Saint-Georges composed operas, solo vocal and instrumental works, chamber music, and symphonies. All of the music that this composer created is hardly ever performed, but that can change right now by incorporating Adagio in F Minor into your repertoire.

Adagio in F Minor is a solemn, expressive piece that would be a wonderful predecessor before a student tackles Clementi sonatinas. It can be challenging for teachers to find music that bridges the gap between method book repertoire and sonatinas, as well as the transition from sonatinas to sonatas. Adagio in F Minor fits perfectly into an early-intermediate pianist’s studies. This piano piece in F minor features a melancholic melody with expressive harmonic support (see Excerpt 1). The musical maturity needed for this piece often makes this a favorite amongst intermediate adult students as well. 

Excerpt 1: Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Adagio in F Minor, mm. 1-4

CHALLENGE #1

The student is asked to perform scale passages in thirds in the right hand (see Excerpt 2). The thirds in Adagio in F Minor are beautifully intertwined with the melody and should be voiced to the top note. A similar example of right-hand thirds being used as the melody in the teaching repertoire is found in Czerny’s 100 Progressive Studies, Op. 139, No. 38 in G major, which can be a great companion etude when a student is learning this piece (see Excerpt 3). 

Excerpt 2: Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Adagio in F Minor, mm. 8-10.
Excerpt 3: Carl Czerny, 100 Progressive Studies, Op. 139, No. 38, mm. 1-4.

We hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Leah Claibornes’s article “Spring 2021: Pupil Saver: Adagio in F Minor by Chevalier de Saint-Georges.” You can read more by clicking here.

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Spring 2021: Pupil Saver: Adagio in F Minor by Chevalier de Saint-Georges
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Judith Lang Zaimont: “Mandarin Orange” from In My Lunchbox

Written By Chris Madden

We would like to thank Chris Madden for these insightful teaching tips on Zaimont’s “Mandarin Orange” from In My Lunchbox. Interested in learning more about Chris’s publications and research? Check out Technique through Repertoire Book 1 and Book 2, co-authored by Chris Madden and Jani Parsons. If you are attending the Music Teachers National Association Conference in Atlanta on Tuesday, March 19th, stop by our exhibit booth from 12:00-1:00pm to attend our Publications Book Signing and Meet-and-Greet.

Preparation and Presentation

Context: pieces that are helpful to have experienced or played before approaching this one

  • “Charlie Chipmunk” from Piano Safari
  • Amazing Grace
  • Any tune that employs the pentatonic scale

Get Ready: creative activities to explore before the first encounter with the score to prepare a student for deeper engagement and more immediate success

  • Improvise on black-key pentatonic patterns: the teacher plays an accompaniment and allows the student to experience the pentatonic scale via all five black keys. One or both hands may be used.
  • Sing pentatonic melodies and note the “resting tone.” After singing, encourage students to play the melody on black keys.
  • Once students can sing and play pentatonic melodies on black keys, encourage them to transpose them to white keys. F will be the easiest starting tone.

Initial Focus: features to pay attention to first; priority steps in reading and absorbing the music

  • Simplify the visually complex key signatures. While students might be intimidated by two contrasting key signatures between the hands, they can easily understand that the piece will be played using only black keys.
  • Identify the mixed meter: have students circle the changing time signatures in mm. 18-19 and clap these measures to ensure rhythmic and metric understanding.

Coordination Essentials: physical skills and drills for common technical challenges in the piece

  • One challenge is achieving wrist flexibility in order to play the interval of a fourth with fingers 3-5. Depending on a student’s hand size, this could be a large interval to play using these fingers.
  • Two exercises can help:
    • Play an ascending series of 4ths on white keys, focusing on a relaxed “drop and roll” motion that outlines a wrist “smile” on each new interval.
    • Practice Hanon’s Exercise No. 1, which emphasizes allowing the elbow to lead and letting a relaxed wrist follow.

We hope you enjoyed this excerpt from Chris Madden’s Inspiring Artistry contribution “Zaimont: ‘Mandarin Orange’ from In My Lunchbox.” You can read more and listen to Chris discuss the piece on video by clicking here.

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Zaimont: “Mandarin Orange” from In My Lunchbox
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